looking for some advice of where to stay in London

Watford's about twenty miles NW. Croydon's maybe ten to the south. Both are beyond tube range. Probably commuting time and expense would offset any savings in the room costs. Somebody will come up with some ideas. Nobody likes the cheapo places I stay.

Look into London Bed & Breakfast Association. We stayed in nice townhouse on quiet street in Bayswater, walking distance to Kensington, Notting Hill and Paddington. It was around $100.00 a night for 2 depending on exchange rate. It was great and much nicer than tourist hotels in same price range. My advice is to avoid hotels as most of the b & b are much classier for your money. Hampstead is great if you want more of a village feel. A friend of mine always stays in the Swiss Cottage area. Most of London is easy access by underground or bus. Get a travel pass when you get there. Rick S should have current info on that.

another Kathleen chiming in to recommend B&B networks... We have used London Home to Home [http://www.londonhometohome.com/] and At Home in London [http://www.athomeinlondon.co.uk/] and been very pleased. Good food and nice hosts, at very reasonable prices. I just checked the websites and for properties in Hammersmith/Wimbledon/Parsons Green, prices for a single were 50-70 GBP per night.

Try the Cherry Court Hotel, which is on a quiet street near Victoria Station. Singles and doubles are less than $100.00 by quite a bit. I've stayed here often in the past. It is clean, safe and run by the lovely Mrs. Patel. The rooms are small, but in a prime location.

You do not want to stay in Croydon or Watford. That is comparable to staying out in Connecticut when you want to see New York City. I.e., miles from anything of interest to you. Follow the advice of others here and opt for a cheap but clean place closer in.

Have you tried hotwire? You do not know the hotel until after you have paid -you only know the area and price - but I have had luck using this site. I looked at SO many, very expensive hotels and this seemed like the best option for me since I was also looking for something around $100 per night - which apparently is near impossible in London! Good luck.

You might try a hostel if the other hotels mentioned do not work for you. Or up your daily rate max.and look for share bathroom which many hotels offer, saving you alot of GBP's. London IS one of the most expensive cities in the world however many museums are free, picnic food is easy to obtain and if you stay central can walk to many top sites w/o paying for pricey tube/taxi costs all this can save alot which you can add to your lodging instead. Staying outside of London defeats your purpose of visiting London and you will incur lost time in travel and high transport into London rdtrip.good luck.

We found the Lancaster Hall Hotel in Bayswater to be very comfortable and clean for $140 per night for double. I know that is more than what you have in mind, but they serve a great breakfast that is included. You are close (5 minute walk) to Lancaster Gate Tube. It is a safe area also.

No, don't stay outside of London. I have personal experience with this because I actually stayed in Watford (it was a free room so it worked out for me). I think it was 14 GBP round trip for the train ticket to get back and forth to London every day, plus about 45 minutes each way. Stay within the city. If you do alot of research, you may be able to find a hotel but I think you may have to increase your budget or look into staying at a hostel.

I myself would not choose to stay outside of London. When I am there, I stay at King's Cross, which has its advantages and probably some disadvantages can be pointed out too. The convenience of King's Cross as regards to public transportation with the Tube, the Euro-Star, and the bus lines and its numerous B&Bs is why I would suggest this area. Although I have not stayed at this area...Paddington, that's also recommendable, as pointed out above.

Luna Simone Hotel..http://www.lunasimonehotel.com

When I fly into London with plans for nextday departure by train to Paris, I stay at the Crestfield Hotel. The hotel is very close to Kings Cross and St Pancras rail stations, and is inexpensive. Not fancy, but basic and clean with a decent breakfast. There are other inexpensive hotels in the area....... The best thing about this location is that the Piccadilly Tube line will take you directly to Kings Cross from Heathrow without your having to make a Tube transfer. Public transit by bus, Tube, or taxi from the Kings Cross area is excellent.......I also like to stay near Paddington Station, a quick Heathrow Connect ride from Heathrow......I've stayed at Ashley House and Abbey Court Lodge in that area...Both hotels are relatively inexpensive.

If you are going during university vacation, you can get cheap rooms in the dorms.

Thanks to all who contributed to my inquiry. I found two places based on the information I received. One behind the Victoria Station and the other in CHISWICK, London W 4. Could you tell me if Chiswick is a good home base for exploring London?