hostels/inexpensive hotels in London

Becky,
We've had good luck with two B&B networks - At Home in London, and London Home to Home. They have a range of lodgings, in a variety of locations both in the heart of London and farther out. Daughter and I stayed at a great place in Chiswick in 2007, only 3 minutes from the Tube - and Bridget even did a load of laundry for us free of charge! Have a great trip-

Try these people, London School of Economics, who provide year round places at reasonable cost. Their locations are pretty central and near to public transport routes. Choice of self contained studios/flats or rooms with private bathrooms and access to kitchen facilities. http://www.lsetopfloor.co.uk/default.htm edit - meant to say that if you are visiting during college vacation times you can get even cheaper rooms from them.

There are several budget hotels near Victoria Station's rail, tube and bus connections. Check out Winchester Hotel. http://www.winchester-hotel.net/ We and friends used it for years and were quite satisfied for the money.

We were recently in London and bid on Priceline for our hotel. Got the Millineum Hotel for around $105 USD. The Gloucester Rd Tube Station is just across the street-super convenient-two grocery markets right there also. Plus, we took the tube all the way to LHR for our flight home. This tube station has an elevator. It was not a real quick deal bidding on PL-took several days and changes of desired locations. But it was worth the effort and we will do it for our next trip to London.

Hi, If you want a good hostel very close to a Tube station and bus stops, I recommend YHA hostel on Euston St., located across the street from King's Cross/St Pancras train station, very convenient if you need to depart from King's Cross or St Pancras because of the Euro-Star. This is the area I always stay in; on Argyle St. and Argyle Square are numerous B&Bs. Some are cheaper than others. King's Cross is well served by 3 different Tube lines and numerous buses so that you need not rely just on the Tube.

I've stayed at budget hotels near Kings Cross, Victoria, and Paddington stations. I prefer the Paddington area. Within 2 blocks of the station there are numerous budget hotels. I choose hotels across from parks, usually called "squares." Buses and the Underground are close to Paddington. I have also stayed at the Charlotte Guest House in West Hampstead. It's in a real neighborhood away from central London, but only minutes by Tube from the action. When I am planning a trip by Eurostar to Paris the following day, I stay at the Crestfield Hotel which is very close to St. Pancras on Crestfield St.

I have used priceline.com to book hotels in Paris and London. Got decent rates that way. Also, if you are staying a week in each city, look into renting an apt. Home food prep. can save you a bundle, you get privacy, more room, decent toilet and bath, etc.

many good suggestions have already been noted. Also realize after a while tube can get expensive so stay closer to central london sights you won't regret it and can walk to most top sights. ie Victoria station, Kings cross station areas.

Becky, my boyfriend and I spent 9 nights at the President hotel in November... it's literally steps away from the Russell Square tube stop, which is fantastic because that's the Piccadilly line, which can get you to tons of place. It's about 150 dollars a night... it was of course 'no frills', but it was quiet, clean, and comfortable, and comes with a free breakfast (not spectacular, but a good way to fuel up for a long day and save some cash by not eating out). I would most definitely stay there again, and would highly recommend it. Check out the reviews on TripAdvisor.com for any hotel you're interested in.... (and of course, take them with a grain of salt) good luck and happy travels!

Go to www.travelodge.co.uk and register. We always get bargain rates all over London proper and the amazing NINE POUND/night sale starts Dec 29 at 6pm their time. Rooms across the UK go on sale as well. We have stayed at 4 or 5 different ones in London and have never had a bad experience. Our favorite is Marleybone, right across the street from the tube. Look over the website and practice booking a room to get the feel of how it's done. It will get frantic when the sale starts and rooms go fast. The sale is for all of 2011 so get a feel for which hotel you might want to stay in London. We've stayed previously a week for a total of only 63 pounds, about $100USD. Don't miss out on the bargain rooms.

Check out this place: http://www.alhambrahotel.com/ Clean, cheap (for London) and extremely close to the tube. The breakfast, included in the price, is outstanding and will fill you up you may find you don't lunch. If you should decide on a day trip to Paris, you are just two blocks from the Eurostar.

We loved the Lancaster Hall Hotel. It is connected to a hostel,but we stayed on the hotel side. A 15 minute walk west of Paddington Station and a 10 minute walk to the south is the Lancaster Gate tube. Modest room, but clean and efficient. Our breakfast was included for about $160 USD per night. We thought it was a bargain and we would stay there again. We felt very safe even walking late at night.

Thank you guys! This has been soooo helpful! I really appreciate it. Becky

Try the budget hotel chain easyHotel.com . They offer compact budget accommodations. If you want no frills, this is a good choice. easyHotel Paddington is only a 5 minute walk from Paddington station. I stayed there for 4 nights last Sept and had no complaints..

We stayed at Vandon House. Easy to get to from Heathrow and convenient to lots of places.

Someone above posted the Travelodge sale information. A word of caution. Go to the Trip Advisor site and read some reviews about various Travelodge locations. Some reviewers reported very worn-out rooms and beds and were not very complimentary. In fairness, others said, what difference does it make how the rooms look, we only went there to sleep. Just read the reviews before you get interested in the "super low bargain" prices, and form your own opinion. It's not a bargain if it ruins your trip to stay in a dreadful place! For myself, it means a lot to me to return at night to a very nice room, take a hot shower, and snuggle into a comfy bed with clean sheets. I will pay in the medium price range. The YHA hostel on Euston mentioned by other posters is a good money-saving choice. Better than a creepy worn-out hotel.