Spring trip 😊

I've read about the tube and areas in London but somehow I don't fully understand which areas to avoid in London.

None, just pick a central location near a tube station for easy access. The tourist locations are spread out, no one location is best for all. "Central" means any where on or within the tube circle line, or anywhere along the "South Bank", which is the south side of the river.

For a first trip, you have too little time in each location, and your cities are far apart, you will need to fly between them, and that will use up at least ½ day each time. Most people try to keep to closer locations so they can get fast trains between them.
London --> Prague - Lots of cheap airlines fly this route. Don't forget London has 6 airports! Check all 6 for flighjts.
Prague --> Sorrento - This will involve Flight and train. https://www.rome2rio.com/ says 7 hours end-to-end. This will use up a day.
Sorrento --> Rome - Train.

I would find this trip frustrating due to the amount of travel that the group is trying to undertake. You may have found a cheap fare to London, but you aren’t going to get much time there and it’s then costing you another day to get to where you actually want to be.

Anywhere in central London is ok - no areas to avoid. In addition to Airbnb, look at Booking.com and Trip Advisor rentals, as they offer better value than Airbnb.

It will be 7pm or later on the Friday when you arrive at your apartment and you will have to leave central London for Gatwick at c 3 pm. What are you going to do with your bags after you have checked out at 10am? You will lose time dropping your bags at the station. That only gives you a day plus a few hours in London.

Taking such a late flight to Prague is going to mean that you won’t be leaving the airport there much before 10.30pm, assuming your flight isn’t delayed (there’s an increased chance of this the later in the day that the flight departs and assuming you are on EasyJet, there is no slack in their timetable). Many apartments won’t accept arrivals as late as 11 pm. Check this before you book. I always take late EasyJet flights back from a holiday and although many are on time, I have had several delays of an hour or more. I always fly out early in the morning to reduce the risk of delays.

You are arriving in Rome at Easter which will be busy. Check transport timetables, as a reduced service maybe running.

Why even go to London for only two days. Cut down on travel and skip it.
I love Sorrento, but have you been to Florence and Venice!?

Yeah I don't love your schedule but you've already bought your tickets from London to Prague (the former deserves much more time over the latter IMO) so I'll say either the first or third of the AirBnB's are what I'd chose, they're all roughly in the same area but the first seems to have the best public transit connections. You'll be taking the tube so pay attention to both location of tube stops in relation to where you're staying and what lines they're on. You save a lot of time if you can get to places you want to see without transferring.

Luggage is going to be a real issue for your last day in London. It's very expensive to stow your luggage at train stations in London.

My advice is to not expect to see/do much in London. I'm from the west coast too, and the jet lag difference between east and west coast is staggering.

Pick one or two sights in London you want to see for that Saturday - probably the Big Ben/Parliament/Westminster Abbey, lunch, then SoHo or the Towe of London. Unless you're dying to do it, I wouldn't try to do one of the great London museums on such a tight schedule, because they're wonderful but they suck up a lot of time.

I wouldn't plan any serious sightseeing for Sunday. Ask your AirBNB host if you can store your luggage til early afternoon in the flat or somewhere else, then just spend a relaxed day exploring that immediate neighborhood. Have a nice brunch at a place like Dishoom. Do your research ahead of time and find areas nearby with happening cafes, brunch restaurants (make a reservation), bookstores. The London Museum is nice and not too far away from the areas you're looking at. Doing the Tower early would be another possibility.

But you'll need to get on a train (probably best bet is a Thameslink direct) to Gatwick from the closest station to where you're staying (London Bridge possibly) by 3:30-4pm at the latest so keep that in mind.

I fear that having six adults sharing one bathroom is going to slow you down as you try to get out of the apartment every morning. Be sure whichever two people get stuck with sleeping in the living room are OK with the type of mattress they'll have, and the lack of privacy.

I love Sorrento, but have you been to Florence and Venice!?

Yes, I have.

• Thank you Jennifer for the useful reminders about getting late to Prague.

But you'll need to get on a train (probably best bet is a Thameslink direct) to Gatwick from the closest station to where you're staying (London Bridge possibly) by 3:30-4pm at the latest so keep that in mind.
I will! Thank you.
* Thank you Emma! I will look for hotels in the areas you reccomend.
Thanks to all of you who take the time to comment.

Emma's recommendations on other places to stay are spot on, and I would also consider a hotel for this part for ease/luggage storage. They're expensive but you'll be in Prague and cheaper locales soon enough. But wherever you stay, keep in mind that there is not one national rail system in England like in most other European countries. That's why there's different trains from different train stations. It's all a bit confusing but Google Maps is actually pretty good for previewing your overall options from different parts of the city.

The Gatwick Express train may make sense depending on which train station you end up nearest to, but keep in mind it's not necessarily faster than other trains but it IS more expensive. It's a bit of a marketing gimmick. My friend's family all live in Horley near Gatwick and she never ever takes the Gatwick Express to go to London because she thinks it's a rip-off.