Where to stay in London with 6 kids- 16,12,10,10,8&4

Based on what others have written in the past the rule of thumb with finding a place to stay in London is either Zone 1 or Zone 2 (here's a map of the London Underground to illustrate what I mean: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf), north of the Thames. There is nowhere in those boundaries I would regard as unsafe.

Perhaps you could try looking at somewhere like Kensington - fairly central and very well connected to the Underground network. I believe it gets mentioned alot in these sorts of threads. On the other side of the city, perhaps somewhere around Shoreditch/Whitechapel. It requires more connecting on the London Underground, but I personally think it's incredibly easy to navigate between the different lines so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

A little over a year ago we stayed in the smaller of these two flats:

https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p8050448?uni_id=3382722

I originally looked at them because I thought we would have a much larger party of people traveling together, but in the end we booked the smaller one because we only had 4 people.

The flat we were in - 121 - was very well kept, the owners were really great, and the location very near Paddington was super convenient. I assume 123 is similarly well kept, though I don't know first hand.

Praed St, though very busy during the day, is suprisingly quiet traffic-wise overnight.

Note: the "sleeps 8" on the smaller flat assumes 2 people on the foldout-sofa. It had 2 double beds and a room with bunk beds.

T-M,

First off, I can't wait until my grandkids are old enough to appreciate London.

Are you familiar with Google Maps... I would Google the postal code SW7 in Google Maps and that's the area I would recommend for you. Most of SW7 is within an easy walking distance of Hyde Park, museums (several), Palaces and shopping. The area is well served by the Tube (Earl's Court and Gloucester Rd plus more) and major bus routes (#7 is notable). And while you are looking for apartments, I would recommend spending the premium and staying in zones 1 or 2 - preferably zone 1. With the size of your group, long commutes from the outer zones just doesn't make sense no matter what the savings... There are several fairly affordable (by London standards) around the Earl's Court station. Just go to your favorite travel/apartment search engine (TripAdvisor & Holiday Lettings are the ones I use most but there are several others) and enter your search criteria.

I would also recommend you visit the Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) web site. It has a whole host of travel-related information you will need for effectively getting around the city. It's trip planner really can't be beat... You might want to consider ordering Visitor Travel Cards BEFORE you leave home. And remember, under 11 years of age ride free.

With the age range of your children, I would also recommend going to the Museum of London. This museum has things of interest for all ages. Plus, it's pretty close to St Paul's and Borough Market so you can knock all three off in one day (with a bit of smart planning).

I always use VRBO/Homeaway (same company) or Airbnb when I need an apartment - never had a bad experience. Good rule of thumb is to only choose places with plenty of good reviews, with PLENTY of clear pictures, and where the owners are said to have good communication. Pay attention to the specific types of beds...some will have futons or pull-out sofas which not everyone likes to sleep on. I always pick the ones with "real" beds. Zones 1 + 2 are best...no sketchy areas.
August 28 is not very far into the future...with that many people you need to book NOW! This is a very busy time in the city.

Your period covers the Late Summer Bank Holiday. This may cut your options down a bit and / or make it more expensive although supply in London is not like the seaside...

London Connection has great apartments centrally located. We used them twice in the past few months. Not cheap, but trustworthy.

First off, congrats on bringing your children to such a great city and not allowing the logistics keep you at home! Buy or borrow from your library Rick Steves's London book. It has a great overview of London neighborhoods and provides the pros/cons of each.

Recently I attempted to book an apartment for us (two adults, two teens) in London using Airbnb or VRBO but was discouraged by the strict cancellation policies. We used Airbnb throughout Italy and never encountered such stringent rules. So booking multiple rooms in a hotel may be the best approach. We're staying at a Premier Inn next month. It won't have a lot of charm, but the location, amount of space and price fit our needs. Good luck!