Discussion
I’m going to be down in London on business in December and thought as work will be picking up the tab to take the Mrs with me who can shop while I work then have a day to explore. It’s been a while since I’ve been to our nations capital and don’t know the city at all. Will arrive in Euston station and leave the Mrs to shop while I work out in Greenwich. She’s never been to London other than working so we’ll have a day and a half to see the sights and hopefully see a show.
So where would be the best location for us? Plan is to either come down on the Tuesday night or come down early on a Wednesday morning leave the Mrs to check into a hotel while I go out to Greenwich-which I understand is about an hour from St Pancras? I’d usually just stay close-ish to a station when travelling for ease but London is a bit bigger than where I normally travel.
Cheers
So where would be the best location for us? Plan is to either come down on the Tuesday night or come down early on a Wednesday morning leave the Mrs to check into a hotel while I go out to Greenwich-which I understand is about an hour from St Pancras? I’d usually just stay close-ish to a station when travelling for ease but London is a bit bigger than where I normally travel.
Cheers
Budget and what do you want to be near ? As far as location goes you can either be smack bang in the middle of the West End so good for everything but that's very expensive for anywhere decent or you could say stay near Euston (and plenty of other places) and stay somewhere much more reasonable but not be in walking distance of things.
I'd be tempted to stay on the Isle of Dogs - good number of hotels aimed at business travellers and so generally cheaper than those you find in the West End.
DLR takes you down to Cutty Sark Greenwich in 10 minutes or Jubilee link to North Greenwich in 2, depending on where work is.
The Jubilee line the other way takes you in to the West End in 10-15 minutes, or you can catch the river boat to Westminster/The London Eye.
DLR takes you down to Cutty Sark Greenwich in 10 minutes or Jubilee link to North Greenwich in 2, depending on where work is.
The Jubilee line the other way takes you in to the West End in 10-15 minutes, or you can catch the river boat to Westminster/The London Eye.
Edited by //j17 on Thursday 15th November 12:22
the best way to see London is to get an open top sightseeing bus. They are relatively expensive (£22 each) last time I did it, but the ticket is valid for a day and you can hop on/off all day..it gives a feel of London that is difficult to get using the Tube. Warm coats and hats/gloves make it more fun this time of year!..
Will be paid for by work but up to £250 a night budget wise. Location wise I need a trade off between being able to get to and from Greenwich address is Central Avenue.
Chatham Maritime-which I think isn’t even Greenwich looking at a map. Being able to get to and from Euston-can always get taxis as they’re paid for too.
Chatham Maritime-which I think isn’t even Greenwich looking at a map. Being able to get to and from Euston-can always get taxis as they’re paid for too.
Cheib said:
So are you working in Chatham or Greenwich ? I am confused!
You’re not the only one….. It’s the University of Greenwich but turns out they also have a campus in Chatham which is where I need to be. It was foolish of me to assume that the University of Greenwich would actually be in Greenwich… Better to realise this now than turning up at the Campus that is in Greenwich.Cheib said:
Budget and what do you want to be near ? As far as location goes you can either be smack bang in the middle of the West End so good for everything but that's very expensive for anywhere decent or you could say stay near Euston (and plenty of other places) and stay somewhere much more reasonable but not be in walking distance of things.
If you think Euston isn't in walking distance of the West End, I can only assume you're not thinking of the same Euston I am?
The Euston with the big station in it is about a 25 minute stroll to the likes of Covent Garden and Oxford Circus, maybe 40 minutes to the London Eye & Big Ben.
As for the best way to get around London, so long as it's not pissing it down, the best answer, so long as you're not infirm, is to walk! Figure out the things you absolutely want to see, plot them on a map, and then just bimble from one to the other. You'll end up seeing loads of interesting things you never thought to look for.
If you start to run out of time, you can always take the tube for some bits of it.
Kermit power said:
Cheib said:
Budget and what do you want to be near ? As far as location goes you can either be smack bang in the middle of the West End so good for everything but that's very expensive for anywhere decent or you could say stay near Euston (and plenty of other places) and stay somewhere much more reasonable but not be in walking distance of things.
If you think Euston isn't in walking distance of the West End, I can only assume you're not thinking of the same Euston I am?
The Euston with the big station in it is about a 25 minute stroll to the likes of Covent Garden and Oxford Circus, maybe 40 minutes to the London Eye & Big Ben.
If you're out during the day being a tourist but there aren't many people that want to walk home to Euston after dinner or Theatre in the West End or even with an arm full of shopping. That's what the OP described his and his wife's time as being like........I really doubt his better half is going to want to walk home to Euston after going to a show in the middle of December.
London is a big place, but as KP says above, it's actually very easy to walk around the best bits.
I'd therefore suggest you stay in town (budget will get you some very pleasant places) and travel out to Chatham (
), leaving Mrs a311 to do her stuff in and round London whlst you're busy.
Chatham trains leave from London Bridge (I think), so stay somewhere in that area (it's a short stroll to Shad Thames, HMS Belfast, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Dungeons, etc, etc), and put up with the travel.
On your day(s) off, once you've done the London Bridge area, hop on the tube 1 stop to Monument, see stuff in The City, walk along Cannon Street, onto St Pauls, into Holborn, Covent Garden, then Soho. Next day take tube from LB to Green Park - do the Buck Pal thing, then walk back down Birdcage Walk to Westminster/HoP/Trafalger Sq. Take Cabs back.
Lots to see, many places to eat/drink/shop along the way.
Remember to look up though - some of the most extraordinary architecture in London is Floor 2 and up.
I take it for granted on a weekly basis and really shouldn't
I'd therefore suggest you stay in town (budget will get you some very pleasant places) and travel out to Chatham (
), leaving Mrs a311 to do her stuff in and round London whlst you're busy. Chatham trains leave from London Bridge (I think), so stay somewhere in that area (it's a short stroll to Shad Thames, HMS Belfast, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Dungeons, etc, etc), and put up with the travel.
On your day(s) off, once you've done the London Bridge area, hop on the tube 1 stop to Monument, see stuff in The City, walk along Cannon Street, onto St Pauls, into Holborn, Covent Garden, then Soho. Next day take tube from LB to Green Park - do the Buck Pal thing, then walk back down Birdcage Walk to Westminster/HoP/Trafalger Sq. Take Cabs back.
Lots to see, many places to eat/drink/shop along the way.
Remember to look up though - some of the most extraordinary architecture in London is Floor 2 and up.
I take it for granted on a weekly basis and really shouldn't
Thanks for all the additional replies. What I’m considering now is going down the evening before and staying close to where I need to be, I can then get up in the morning and do what I need to do then travel into London and stay for 2 nights.
If I get a train ticket to Chatham is this also valid on the tube? My ticket is only £6 more expensive over just getting to Euston seems cheap for using the high speed line.
If I get a train ticket to Chatham is this also valid on the tube? My ticket is only £6 more expensive over just getting to Euston seems cheap for using the high speed line.
a311 said:
If I get a train ticket to Chatham is this also valid on the tube? My ticket is only £6 more expensive over just getting to Euston seems cheap for using the high speed line.
Yes, it will include direct transfer via tube from Euston to which ever London station you're using (I was wrong above, seems you can get to Chatham from St Pancras, Victoria and Charing Cross).If you are intending to use St Pancras (fastest trains to Chatham I believe) you won't need to use the tube at all - it's a very short 5 minute walk along Euston Road from Euston Station - well signposted, exit Euston Station at the front, walk to the left past the coffee/snack outlets, across the small gardened area, turn left on Euston Rd, 5 mins later you're at St Pancras. This is quicker than taking the tube as you would have to walk from Euston to Euston Sq station anyway to access the tube line to Kings X/St Pancras.
And the small incremental cost of getting somewhere after transiting through London is not unusual, not sure why, just the way it works out.
had ham said:
Yes, it will include direct transfer via tube from Euston to which ever London station you're using (I was wrong above, seems you can get to Chatham from St Pancras, Victoria and Charing Cross).
If you are intending to use St Pancras (fastest trains to Chatham I believe) you won't need to use the tube at all - it's a very short 5 minute walk along Euston Road from Euston Station - well signposted, exit Euston Station at the front, walk to the left past the coffee/snack outlets, across the small gardened area, turn left on Euston Rd, 5 mins later you're at St Pancras. This is quicker than taking the tube as you would have to walk from Euston to Euston Sq station anyway to access the tube line to Kings X/St Pancras.
And the small incremental cost of getting somewhere after transiting through London is not unusual, not sure why, just the way it works out.
Awesome mate thanks for the info. If you are intending to use St Pancras (fastest trains to Chatham I believe) you won't need to use the tube at all - it's a very short 5 minute walk along Euston Road from Euston Station - well signposted, exit Euston Station at the front, walk to the left past the coffee/snack outlets, across the small gardened area, turn left on Euston Rd, 5 mins later you're at St Pancras. This is quicker than taking the tube as you would have to walk from Euston to Euston Sq station anyway to access the tube line to Kings X/St Pancras.
And the small incremental cost of getting somewhere after transiting through London is not unusual, not sure why, just the way it works out.
Cheers
The High Speed takes around 40 mins from St Pancras to Chav-ham, and there is a Encore Ramada Hotel a few mins walk from Chatham Maritime.
http://www.encorechatham.co.uk/
http://www.encorechatham.co.uk/
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