UUUGGGHHH. HELP! London weekend

susancs

The only thing about staying in Luton is the fares will be expensive as outside the London zoning area ie. £33 for a cheap day return or £55 for an off peak tube travel card for the 4 of you, plus parking costs on top. 40+ mins travelling time each way and trains are not as frequent as in London. A daily off peak travel card (bought after 9.30am) to use on all buses, trains etc is only £5.90 per adult for zones 1-4 or £7 for zones 1-6.( children under 11 free and £2 for under 16's).I think time and expense wise especially as you are only coming for the weekend, it would still be better to stay just outside the city in greater London, within the tube area zones. Also on a Sunday (if you are returning until later on that day) the congestion charge does not apply and a lot of parking restrictions are lifted in London. For example we can park opposite the Natural History Museum on a Sunday, if we go just before it opens. So if you feel a bit more confident, you have the option of using the car and driving closer to London and parking up.

I think Debs 68 sugguestion of using the 2 for 1 night offer is a good one
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/c/1/content/dec/teaser/6c/1/en/lp/emea/twofor.html?rateCode=IDEX1

The Holiday Inn in Brent cross, London NW2 is only £37.50 for the 4 of you per night with breakfast included currently available for the dates you want.(I would book asap, as very near Wembley Stadium if events are going on).It is at the bottom of the m1. Brent Cross tube station is under half a mile away and it says the hotel offers a free shuttle service to it. It is also across the road from the big Brent Cross Shopping Centre and buses go all over London from there (eg. Oxford street on the 24 hour 189 bus). You can then choose to go and come by bus or go by bus to the train station of your choice and hop on the train. Check buses here
http://uk.geocities.com/busroutes/placesindex/brentcrossshoppingcentre.htm. A A taxi to/from the train station is only £4. Brent Cross is in the tube and bus zone 3 area. Also hotel has 150 parking spaces.

www.travelodge.co.uk in London Battersea has saver rates of £29 family rooms per night available for the dates you want to go, It has parking available for £5 per day-but you would need to drive into London.

For cheaper things to do in London, see my post on this on http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=903603. NB You can get the no 15 bus from Marble Arch Station to the Tower Of London (if you stay in NW london).

M4RKM

hmm... a weekend stay you say..

well.. the congestion charge isn't applicable after 6pm on friday 1st August, until 6am on Monday the 4th... it isn't chargeable at weekends.. so if you do drive down, and you enter london after 6pm on the friday, there is nothing to worry about.

i've driven around london a lot for my job recently... the thing i say you need... an automatic car... during the week the traffic is chaos, and there are alot of one way systems..

leave the car.. you don't need it... really.. it isn't worth it!

M

aliwatts

You have all been so helpful, thanks very much. Think might go for the Brent Cross hotel. Can anyone advise what kind of area is this? i.e safe to walk around on an evening?

susancs

The Brent Cross Hotel is at the bottom of the M1 and I think it is where the old RAC head quarters used to be. It is on a busy dual carriage way with a large roundabout in front of it, so it is not really the sort of place you would walk around in the evening (apart from in the shopping centre itself) , as it is not a residential area. Brent Cross Shopping Centre is across the road, but has a large car park in front, so realistically is about 5 mins walk to the main entrance. There is a Tescos and Toys r us us on the same side of the road in a small trading estate about 5 mins walk right as you exit the hotel. My sister works nearby during the week (but she drives everywhere) and I understand that behind the hotel is a large building used by a Christian church and that their members are nice. It is ok as a base to tour London, go to Brent Cross for Shopping and come back to at the end of the day and is not in a London high crime area.

reviews from people who stayed there from here say the same nice hotel, but location only a base and the coutsesy car/bus operates on demand almost to the station. Good breakfast. We stayed in a travelodge in galway Ireland In Feb and had a similar location to this type and we stocked up on snack bits at a local supermarket and ate it in our hotel at night, after having a late lunch in the city.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d262453-r13621793-Holiday_Inn_London_Brent_Cross-London_England.html

LillyJ

susancs wrote: »

The only thing about staying in Luton is the fares will be expensive as outside the London zoning area ie. £33 for a cheap day return or £55 for an off peak tube travel card for the 4 of you, plus parking costs on top. 40+ mins travelling time each way and trains are not as frequent as in London.

I didn't mean to stay in Luton, but to park there and get the train in.

susancs

LillyJ wrote: »

I didn't mean to stay in Luton, but to park there and get the train in.

Sorry misunderstood what you meant, thought it was a very expensive and time consuming to come and go from Luton to London each day by train,when on a short break! What is the cost per day to park your car, when you go into London? it is just I was wondering if it was worth parking there, instead of in luton aiport and getting the shuttle bus in, when going on holiday? Also how easy would this be with bags (family of 4) i.e. is there a drop off zone, trolleys from the car park? Many thanks in advance.

aliwatts

On a different note, does anyone have any good ideas/websites to register to get 2 for 1 meals, tickets etc for while we there?

Thanks

susancs

If you are getting a one day travel card you can use the card with these 2 for 1 offers. Print off vouchers to use with travel card. http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/

aliwatts

Hi, does anyone know approx how long it takes from Brent Cross into London, on the train/tube? Thanks

richardw

http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/AHF/JP19__00001bda.pdf