My daughters and I will be traveling to London and Paris over the Christmas and New Years holiday. Friends have told me that we should stay in the Picadilly area in London and the Latin Quarter in Paris. Any suggestions for hotels in those areas? (150-200 Euros or less for 4 nights each.)
Posted by
lansing
72 posts
I have stayed in the neighborhoods around victoria station in london both times I have been there. It is nice, safe, and very convenient for getting on the tube or to and from the airport. In Paris I like the Rue Cler area. It offers a nice market and is a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, the Invalids, and other sites.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
11012 posts
In Paris we loved staying in the Latin Quarter. We rented an apartment there for New Years 09 and did not find it noisy at all. It is a great location for transportation and if it is not too cold it's close to walk to many places. We have also stayed at a hotel in Rue Cler. Although a perfectly nice area it is, IMO, not as close to sites (besides the Eiffel Tower) as some other areas.
It was VERY cold on our trip, and I know that being from S.D. you will not be used to how cold it feels there. You might want to find a place close to the metro so if the weather is bad you won't have to be out in the elements too long. That is a very expensive time to travel, as many places jack up their prices for the holidays. You might want to consider an apartment, as it is nice to have some room to spread out, etc. I have only stayed at a hotel in London, in the South Kensington area. It was a great area, but I'm sure other people with more recent experience there can give you better suggestions.
If you do decide to look at apartments, a good place to start is on vrbo.com.
Have a fantastic time!
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
We always stay in South Kensington (Quality Crown Hotel) which is about 4 blocks from the tube station. It's a very nice area.
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
I was just looking on line at reviews for the Quality Crown Hotel (where we stay in Kensington) and was surprised to see many negative comments out there. One time when we stayed there, we were in a small room (not as small as some describe) but perhaps we lucked out before because our rooms have been a nice size. Anyway, I just thought I would mention this since it appears all the rooms there are not great. But, Kensington is a wonderful area to stay in.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Do remember that London really does close down on Christmas Day - there is virtually no public transport and very few restaurants will be open.
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
One of the best Christmases we've ever had was in London two years ago. We attended a wonderful Christmas program at the Royal Albert Hall with the Queens' Trumpeteers and the Symphony Orchestra playing seasonal favorites. You will have to book these shows and others at the RA very soon in order to get seats at all. We also went to Christmas Eve services at St. Paul's and Christmas Day at Westminster Abbey and we are not necessarily churchies. All these places have websites. The lighted tree from Norway in Trafalgar Square and the choral groups singing carols 'round the tree was also spectacular. You can find out a lot about both cities at www.tripadvisor.com where most of us go to get all the stuff you need to know before you go.
Posted by
Singapore
354 posts
You could also consider staying in the Kensington, Victoria, Notting Hill, Bayswater areas in London. Since it's an all-girls trip, maybe you'd like to take a look at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles near the Latin Quarter (nearest metro: Cardinal Lemoine) ... take a look at the website and you'll see what I mean by 'girly'!