Comfy, free place to chill for few hours in London

sparklymessygirl

Hi - I need to be in London (around Harley Street/Oxford St) at 8am and 2pm on a weekday. I'm leaving home early hours of the morning and driving up. I'll be shattered if I have to wander round London in between the two appointments.

Anyone got any good ideas for an indoor, warm, comfy relaxing place to sit around for a few hours? Free would be good! I'm thinking British Library (never been so don't know). I tried the British Museum last month but the seats were wooden and uncomfortable and I kept sliding off!

I hate to be uncultured and I know there is a lot I could do but I will just need to sit and relax/nap before the long drive home. I'm parking at a North London tube so if all else fails I'll go back and sleep in the car. I will be buying a travelcard so will have unlimited tube travel (or I can walk).

Appreciate any sensible suggestions.

Sparkly

Winifred

You could try a long bus journey such as 453 from Marylebone which goes as far as Deptford but passes close to Harley Street and Oxford Circus. It will be a long bendy bus and the closer to Marylebone you get it the emptier it will be for choosing a suitable seat. It's a good idea to get hold of a bus map if you can or one of the Transport in London leaflets to show different routes. I don't know how long the whole journey takes but you could get off at any point and work your way back or transfer to an underground line.

Sharon87

Yeah buses are a good way to relax and see London for a few hours. They also talk, so you know roughly where you are. Especially if you're keeping an eye out for a tube station to get back lol. Or you can get a bus that goes all the way up Oxford Street and marvel in how long it takes to go a short distance lol.

Either that or find a pub and sit with a glass of coke/diet coke. You will probably need to eat lunch between appointments so you can find somewhere to eat and stay there for longer than is necessary!

madderrose

I love the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank for just sitting and whiling away a few hours. There's comfy seats, a bar and coffee place and sometimes free music in the foyer or an exhibition to potter round. You'd need to get the bus or tube though, Waterloo or Embankment tube stations.

greenface

I found wandering through and around the royal courts of justice a very interesting & relaxing place .Get a coffee wander through have a seat and watch the world go round.Full of history and a beautiful building

http://www.royalcourtsofjustice-events.co.uk/

porlock

madderrose wrote: »

I love the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank for just sitting and whiling away a few hours. There's comfy seats, a bar and coffee place and sometimes free music in the foyer or an exhibition to potter round. You'd need to get the bus or tube though, Waterloo or Embankment tube stations.

This would be my recommendation, too. It is even has free wi-fi, if that's something you could use.

moneylover

yes, Royal Festival Hall is brilliant.
Also, British Library a bit of a pain to get in but any public library fine. Consider one of the Westminster libraries
http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/libraries/findalibrary/ or maybe a Camden one. You can join and use computers if you take ID or use wifi - sit and read magazines and newspapers. All lending libraries are comfy and welcoming these days but you probably need to pick one of the bigger ones, even in London some branch libraries are small. I am a librarian myself, pm me if you want me to ring and find best most comfy library for your needs!