The question of accommodation in London comes up very often, so I wanted to bring together all our tips and good addresses in the hope of helping you choose a neighbourhood for your next family trip to London or a romantic getaway. Even before we moved to England, we used to go to London twice a year because we have family there and because we love the British capital, where Papa Voyage studied. Since we have been living on the English coast, we are just 1 hour 30 minutes from London and we still go there very regularly, often just for a weekend. After all these London getaways, we have had the opportunity to stay in different neighbourhoods and to try out apartment rentals and hotels all over London. Here is a small list that should help you find your bearings in London and choose where to stay, keeping in mind that there is no single answer to the question I am often asked: “Which is the best area to enjoy London?”, “Where should you stay in London?” There are several possible options and it really depends on you… I’ll explain why! 
1: Staying in “South Ken” at the heart of the French quarter (South Kensington)
For those who may not know, South Kensington is home to a large part of the French expat community. That may not necessarily appeal to you, but expats did not choose South Ken by chance: it is a very pleasant and attractive area (with all the typical London streets and mews). South Ken (its nickname) is a good base for visiting London. I find South Kensington particularly well suited to a family stay. You will find houses or large apartments on Airbnb. 
- The Natural History Museum (a must for children, with its huge skeletons and dinosaurs – and it’s a free museum!)
- The Victoria & Albert Museum (less well known but well worth a visit – the permanent collection is free and there is a lovely inner courtyard for a drink).
- Hyde Park (with the Serpentine Gallery and the Diana Memorial)
- The department store Harrods
- The international station St Pancras, where you arrive if you come by Eurostar, is 30 minutes away by tube, but at least it is direct on the Piccadilly Line (station: South Kensington, Gloucester Road).
- If you want to visit the Harry Potter Studios, you will need to go to Euston Station, which is also about half an hour from South Ken (located next to St Pancras).
- Thanks to the Piccadilly Line, you can reach Piccadilly Circus (10 min), Covent Garden (15 min), Chinatown (17 min) and the British Museum (22 min) without changing.
- To reach the Big Ben / Westminster Abbey / Parliament area: 20 minutes by tube (District or Circle Line).
- To visit the famous Notting Hill area: 15 minutes by tube (Circle Line).
- By basing yourself in South Ken, you will be further away (35–40 minutes) from Tower Bridge, the City, Borough Market… but as I said earlier, you can’t be close to everything 😉 and it’s still manageable.
- The Piccadilly Line is the line that goes to Heathrow Airport in the west (allow about 50 minutes from South Ken).
Note: all the timings I’ve given are from the tube stations, so you need to add the walking time from your accommodation to the station. If rental prices in South Ken are still a bit high for your budget, you can move slightly further out while staying on the Piccadilly Line and look at areas such as Earl’s Court (where there are budget hotels – see later in the article) or Hammersmith. Please note that South Kensington is not part of the congestion zone, so there is no charge for driving there (unlike the centre – see the congestion zone map), but you will still need to find parking… Accommodation in South Kensington (or Kensington): The City Prime Hotel is west of South Ken station. It offers small apartments with a double bed, sofa bed and kitchenette. This apartment with a small kitchen is also located in Kensington. It is a good location.
2 – Staying in Notting Hill (for love at first sight!)
In Notting Hill, you mainly find small-scale accommodation as it is a residential area. It is quite an expensive neighbourhood, but still cheaper than the very centre. If you want to stay here, the best option is to rent an apartment or a house. Architecturally, it is particularly beautiful, with many colourful houses. A perfect area for families or couples. 
- The famous street that runs through all of Notting Hill (Portobello Road) and lots of lovely mews.
- Holland Park: less visited by tourists than Hyde Park or Regent’s Park, but a very beautiful, typically English park with a Japanese garden.
- Little Venice: the charm of London’s canals and large houseboats… If you stay in this area, I highly recommend the long walk along the canal from Little Venice to Camden (where the market is), via Regent’s Park.
A few distance guidelines:
- From “Notting Hill Gate” station, you can use the Central Line (efficient and practical), which runs east–west across London, fairly far north. You will often need to walk or change lines to reach attractions south of the line. With a change or walking, allow around 15 minutes to Piccadilly Circus, 20 minutes to Covent Garden and 22 minutes to St Pancras.
- To visit the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, allow 15 minutes by tube (Circle Line).
- Like South Ken, Notting Hill is in the west, so it is on the opposite side from Tower Bridge (35–40 minutes by tube).
Accommodation in Notting Hill: Ravna Gora: small quadruple room near Holland Park. NB: Notting Hill is outside the congestion zone.
3 – Staying in Chelsea, except on a match night!
I’ll continue with neighbourhoods in west London: Chelsea. Chelsea is known for its chic shops, art galleries and also its football stadium! We actually stayed very close to the stadium – and guess what? It’s cheaper than the high-end shopping area of Chelsea. The stadium area is a bit further out but still a very good location. The one thing to watch out for: never book accommodation near the stadium on a match night! Traffic, crowds and noise would be awful. 
- If you are in chic Chelsea (around King’s Road near the Saatchi Gallery), distances are similar to those mentioned for South Ken.
- If you are near the football stadium, add around 5–10 minutes to the distances given for South Ken.
- If you are in Fulham, add 10–15 minutes… it starts to add up, but accommodation costs go down and the area remains very London in its architectural style.
Accommodation in Chelsea–Fulham–Parsons Green: As a family, we booked this Victorian apartment with a garden for 4 people (2 bedrooms with double beds). Tube: Earl’s Court or West Brompton. Earl’s Court is very convenient as it has both the District Line and the Piccadilly Line. Excellent location for visiting London. Buses to South Ken and the centre. NB: Chelsea, Fulham and Parsons Green are outside the congestion zone.
4 – Staying near Tower Bridge
By staying near Tower Bridge, you will be perfectly placed to visit on foot:
- Tower Bridge
- The Tower of London
- The City (including the Sky Garden for views or the lovely Leadenhall Market passage)
- The Shard (London’s tallest building)
- The Shoreditch area (street art and small markets)
- Borough Market or Maltby Street Market (for lunch)
For attractions further away:
- If the attraction is along the Thames, such as Big Ben, Tate Modern, St Paul’s or the London Eye, I strongly recommend walking, as the landscaped riverside walk on the South Bank is truly unmissable! I have dedicated a full article to discovering London along the Thames.
- Among the attractions furthest from Tower Bridge is the Natural History Museum (33 minutes). You should also allow around half an hour to reach St Pancras station. All other journeys should be shorter, so it remains reasonable.
Accommodation near Tower Bridge: I’ve been lucky enough to stay several times right on the Thames with views of Tower Bridge for business trips, but these were rather expensive business hotels. If you want to stay in this area, I think the best compromise is the Novotel London Tower Bridge: family-friendly, very comfortable and well located. To reduce the budget, there are many affordable hotels 10 minutes north of Tower Bridge (just before the Shoreditch area, known for street art). It doesn’t have the charm of London’s chic neighbourhoods, but it is practical and cheaper. It’s not really a family area either, but if you find a large enough place, it can be financially attractive. Personally, we mostly stayed there for couple getaways, especially as it’s close to some of our favourite cocktail bars :-). Other examples of hotels north of Tower Bridge:
- Apartment on St Katharine Docks (nice for evening restaurants), with a double bedroom, sofa bed and a balcony with a view.
- For a romantic stay in London, we slept at The Chamberlain hotel.
Note: this area is within the congestion zone, so it is more suitable if you are without a car.
5 – Staying south of the Thames near Tate Modern
We’re still along the Thames, but more centrally than Tower Bridge: there are many modern hotels right next to Tate Modern. This is a very new area with recent developments and therefore towers. It is far from the charm of Victorian houses, but it’s brand new, well located and I find the hotels here offer good value for money.
Advantages of this location: Despite the lack of charm, it’s a safe and practical area…
- On the South Bank of the Thames, you have direct access to the pedestrian riverside walk mentioned above.
- As Tate Modern is “in the middle”, equidistant between western and eastern attractions, journey times are more balanced. In fact, you can explore the very centre of London entirely on foot by crossing Waterloo Bridge. Allow 30 minutes to reach Covent Garden. The Golden Jubilee Bridge is also convenient, as it is pedestrian-only and leads to Trafalgar Square.
Accommodation near Tate Modern: We stayed as a couple at The Hoxton Southbank. Very good. Don’t miss having a drink at their rooftop bar – there’s a happy hour with oysters and gin! With a friend, we also tried Nox Waterloo (we had a twin room, but they also have double rooms and studios for 4). The hotel is in a very pleasant little street just behind Waterloo station: 
6 – Staying north of the centre: Islington, Camden, Primrose Hill
We stayed once in Islington and really liked this neighbourhood with its typically London architecture and atmosphere. You see quite a lot of families there. It’s a lively area in its own right, with plenty of shops and good restaurants. Islington is a good choice if most of your planned visits are in the northern part of central London. Note that Islington is large, so to optimise journeys I recommend choosing accommodation close to “Angel” station. By staying in Islington, you can easily reach:
- St Pancras (Eurostar) or Euston (Harry Potter Studios) stations in 10 minutes by tube (Northern Line).
- Camden Market in 15 minutes, also via the Northern Line.
- The canal (mentioned earlier), which you can follow towards Camden and then Regent’s Park.
- The British Museum (15 minutes by bus).
You will need to travel further for attractions such as the Natural History Museum (35 minutes) or Tower Bridge (25 minutes). You could also choose accommodation in Camden, which brings you closer to lovely parks and views from Primrose Hill or Regent’s Park. See my article on visiting Camden.
Accommodation north of the centre:
- Charlotte Guest House: quadruple room with bathroom, also close to Freud’s House.
- This lovely house near Camden, with a terrace, for 6 people (3 bedrooms). More expensive as it’s for 6, but there are sometimes last-minute deals.
NB: these neighbourhoods are outside the congestion zone.
7 – Staying in Hackney, off the beaten track
You already know London, you’ve visited many times and you’d like to discover a new neighbourhood while saving on accommodation? I recommend Hackney, in north-east London. Hackney is a large area: some parts are family-friendly and trendy, while others are less safe, so I advise staying near Victoria Park, London Fields or Hackney City Farm, and carefully reading reviews of any accommodation you book to make sure it’s in a quiet area. 
- The superb Broadway Market: a food market on Saturday mornings.
- Victoria Park and its small Sunday morning market.
- Columbia Road Flower Market (you could even look for accommodation nearby – it’s more chic than Hackney, therefore more expensive, but further south and closer to attractions).
- The V&A Museum of Childhood: a great museum for young children with toy collections from all eras (free).
- Hackney City Farm: very small and not a London must-see, but nice to stop by if you’re staying in Hackney with very young children.
- Heading towards the Thames, you’ll pass through Brick Lane and Shoreditch, with flea markets, vintage clothing sellers and street art.
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What about staying in central London?
You may have noticed that the very centre is not among the neighbourhoods I recommend in this article. Why?
- We stayed in the station areas (St Pancras and Euston) and didn’t find them pleasant: less charm and more noise than other areas.
- Prices are very high, and when we did find something within our budget, it was tiny – the kind of small room with two bunked double beds and nothing else.
- In the centre, there are many “bad AirBnBs”. By “bad AirBnB”, I mean places that pretend to be hotels but aren’t: people who invest in an entire building and divide it into many small, cheaply furnished rooms. For me, the real AirBnB concept is staying in a lived-in place, someone’s main or second home, offered to earn a bit of extra income… you get the idea?
- There are some beautiful hotels in the centre, but they are very expensive. Once, we were lucky enough to stay at the Hyatt Churchill because I won a night there! It was great, but it’s for big budgets.
- Should you rule out the centre when looking for accommodation in London? No – still have a look! I’d say avoid major roads because of the noise (Oxford Street and many others), but check out lovely areas such as around Covent Garden or the very chic neighbourhoods of Mayfair and Marylebone. You might find a gem at an affordable price! And don’t hesitate to share the address with us in the comments!
Where to stay in London? And what about budget?
You’ll notice that I haven’t given prices in this article. The reason is simple: prices vary enormously depending on the period you choose! Accommodation we paid £150 per night could be £300 per night during a more popular week. Prices also change according to supply and demand, how far in advance you book (or last-minute bookings), and the number of people. Everyone also has a different budget (personally, I look in the £100–200 per night range) and different criteria (for example, you may absolutely want a dishwasher or a coffee machine ;-)). My main aim is therefore to give you a good sense of orientation and ideas for neighbourhoods we like in London. For the rest, I’ll leave you to do your own research! I’m also often asked about budget hotel chains in England, and therefore in London, offering very basic accommodation. We haven’t tested this type of hotel at all, as we’ve always found charming apartments within our budget, but here are some well-known entry-level chains: Travelodge, Premier Inn, EasyHotel, Holiday Inn Express, Best Western, Ibis… (note that budget hotels are sometimes less economical than better-quality alternatives, so keep an open mind in your search).
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I hope this article helps you choose a neighbourhood for your next stay in London, whether as a family or a couple! And above all, don’t hesitate to share your good accommodation tips with us in the comments! 
