Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Instagram
    Plantrip London – Things to do in London
    ATTRACTIONS MUSICALS
    • Visit London
      1. Things to do in London
      2. Transport in London
      3. Accommodation
      4. Save Money
      5. Where to Eat
      6. Discover London
      7. Events in London
      8. Best Day Trips from London
      Featured

      Top 15 London Markets

      Recent

      Top 15 London Markets

      Best Musicals in London in 2022

      Changing of the Guard in London

    • Attractions
      1. Top Attractions
      2. Top Musicals
      3. London Markets
      4. London Museums
      5. Changing of the Guard
      6. Harry Potter Studios
      7. Sightseeing Bus Tour
      8. Sightseeing Passes
      9. Tours in London
      Featured

      Top London attractions: The Must-Sees!

      Recent

      Visiting the Crown Jewels at Tower of London

      The View from The Shard: Floor 72

      London Eye

    • Plan your trip
      1. London Walking Itineraries
      2. Plan London Trip
      3. Maps of London
      4. View All

      London Pass Itineraries

      London Itinerary 1: From Buckingham Palace to Covent Garden

      London Itinerary 2: Oxford Street, Hyde Park and Knightsbridge

      London Itinerary 3: St Paul´s Cathedral, Tower of London and Southbank

      London in One Day

      London in Two Days

      London in Three Days

      London in Four Days

      Map: London’s Airports

      Map: London Underground

      Map: London’s Top Markets

      Map: Shopping in London

      London in One Day

      London in Two Days

      London in Three Days

      London in Four Days

    • London with kids
    Plantrip London – Things to do in London
    Home»Accommodation in London»Where to stay in London
    Accommodation in London

    Where to stay in London

    Updated:25/03/20227 Mins Read
    where to stay in London
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email WhatsApp

    We know that trying to decide where to stay in London is no easy decision, so we’ve put together a short guide on popular London neighbourhoods and the best places to base yourself on a visit to the British capital. Hopefully this will help to make the process of looking for accommodation in London that little bit easier.

    Contents hide
    1 Where to stay in London: Recommended areas and neighbourhoods
    1.1 1. Westminster, Pimlico and Victoria
    1.2 2. South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Chelsea
    1.3 3. Notting Hill, Bayswater and Paddington
    1.4 4. Central London
    1.5 5. The City of London
    1.6 6. North London
    1.7 7. South London
    2 Recommendations for places to stay in London outside of Zone 1
    3 Map: Where to stay in London

    As London is such a large city, we recommend that you take two things into account when deciding on the best area to stay in London: The travel zone it’s located in and the transport links to the airport.

    Where to stay in London: Recommended areas and neighbourhoods

    When it comes to looking for a hotel in London, you need to bear in mind that London has 9 transport zones, with zone 1 being the most central and therefore, the best place to stay in London. Zone 1 is home to many of London’s most iconic places and tourist attractions like Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Hyde Park, Kensington and Victoria. Therefore, staying within this zone or a few minutes away by bus or tube is always going to be the easiest option when looking at where to stay in London.

    However, zone 1 is very large and offers many options for where to stay in London. Here is a guide to the different London neighbourhoods in zone 1. Each area has been given a colour and number so that you can easily identify it on the map below.

    1. Westminster, Pimlico and Victoria

    The areas of Westminster, Pimlico and Victoria are some of London’s most central neighbourhoods. Westminster is home to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, as well as Victoria Station, one of the largest train stations in London with a direct train to Gatwick Airport. From these areas you can easily walk to the River Thames, the Big Ben and the London Eye, and other areas of central London are an easy and pleasant walk away. Next to Victoria Station, you’ll also find the bus stop for the sightseeing hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour, as well as the Apollo Theatre which shows one of the most famous musicals in London.

    The area around Victoria to Sloane Square is an attractive and exclusive London neighbourhood with many restaurants and shops. With this area being so central, it is undeniably one of the best places to stay in London but it’s no surprise that this convenient location normally comes at a premium price. However, it is also possible to find affordable accommodation in the area.

    ⇒ Recommended hotel in this area: Premier Inn Victoria

    2. South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Chelsea

    The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London is also home to some great places to stay in London. Sloane Square is one of our favourite parts of London and although it’s not in the typical tourist centre, we love the authentic Victorian streets and houses of this neighbourhood. The area around Earls Court exhibition centre has many reasonably priced hotels and restaurants, whilst South Kensington is also a good option, home to the Natural History and Science Museums. From here you can easily walk to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and of course, the famous department store Harrods is also located in this neighbourhood.

    Knightsbridge can be a bit higher in price as it’s an exclusive area with many restaurants and shops, but we think it’s one of the best areas to stay in London.

    ⇒ Recommended hotel in this area: Sloane Square Hotel

    3. Notting Hill, Bayswater and Paddington

    North of Hyde Park, the area around Bayswater underground station and the famous Notting Hill neighbourhood is popular with tourists when choosing where to stay in London. Hotels tend to be a bit cheaper around here and it’s great for eating out, with plenty of restaurants and shops, as well as the famous Portobello Road Market. From here, it’s an easy to walk to Hyde Park and there are frequent buses to central London, and of course, the underground connections too.

    ⇒ Recommended hotel in this area: The Lastlett

    4. Central London

    The most famous places in central London are: Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Trafalgar Square. Around these areas you’ll find some of London’s most exclusive hotels such as The Dorchester situated on Park Lane.

    Bloomsbury is the area where the British Museum is located, and one of the most highly recommended places to stay in London. Here you can find some really nice hotels within walking distance to the centre.

    ⇒ Recommended hotel in this area: St Giles

    5. The City of London 

    The area known as the ‘City of London’ is home to St Paul’s Cathedral and from here you have easy access on foot to many of London’s top attractions including the famous blue ‘Tower Bridge’. The area right next to St Paul’s Cathedral is a good place to base yourself on a visit to London but do bear in mind that as this is a big office district, it pretty much shuts down after the working week is done, with many of the shops and restaurants in this area not even opening at weekends.

    ⇒ Recommended hotel in this area: Grange St Paul’s

    6. North London

    In the north area of zone 1, you will find Regent’s Park, one of the most beautiful parks in London and a scenic walk from Little Venice to Camden Town. If you’re going to stay in this area, we recommend around Marylebone or Baker Street where you’ll also find the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds – London’s famous waxworks.

    This area is also home to King’s Cross, one of London’s most important train stations with a direct connection to Luton Airport. Next to King’s Cross is Euston and Russell Square which are also both good options when looking at where to stay in London, with their hotels, restaurants and great transport links. A bit further north is a place called Angel, a trendy neighbourhood that we also highly recommend.

    ⇒ Recommended hotel in this area: Premier Inn

    7. South London

    For the area south of the River Thames, we would recommend looking around Waterloo Station as there are several reasonably priced hotels, just 5 minutes from the London Eye. The area of South Bank is a lovely place to enjoy a walk along the River Thames, with its many restaurants and street entertainers along the river bank. Another convenient option in south London is around London Bridge Station and neighbouring Borough Market.

    ⇒ Recommended hotel in this area: Premier Inn County Hall

    See all of our recommended hotels in London

    Recommendations for places to stay in London outside of Zone 1

    There are also some great neighbourhoods and places to stay in London outside of Zone 1. In theory, the further away you are from the centre of London, the cheaper the accommodation will be, unless you’re in one of London’s more exclusive neighbourhoods.

    However, when looking for cheaper accommodation, don’t be fooled by just the price of the hotel. Always remember to check the transport links to the centre of the city as often the reason why hotels are very cheap, is because there are no transport links to the centre.  Also, what you save on the price of the accommodation, you end up spending on travel, plus it will take you more time every day to commute in and out of the city.

    That said, we still definitely recommend some neighbourhoods outside of Zone 1 for a different and more relaxing experience. These include:

    • Hampstead (zone 2)
    • Belsize Park (zone 2)
    • Greenwich (zone 2)
    • Canary Wharf (zone 2)
    • Richmond upon Thames (zone 4)
    • Kew (zone 4)

    Map: Where to stay in London

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Email
    Previous ArticleRecommended Hotels in London
    Next Article London Tourist Passes

    Related Posts

    Recommended Hotels in London

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    TOP THINGS TO DO…
    TOP LONDON MUSICALS
    SIGHTSEEING PASSES
    LONDON BUS TOURS
    HARRY POTTER IN LONDON
    LONDON ITINERARIES
    LONDON WITH KIDS
    WE RECOMMEND
    About Us
    Hello! plantriplondon.com is a travel blog about London where you are going to find the most important things that you need to know to plan a trip to London. Our blog includes info and advice about Things to do in London, Itineraries, Recommended Hotels in London, Places to visit in London with kids and more! If you have any questions, leave a comment and we will try to help you in less than 24 hours!

    THE LEGAL BIT
    Privacy policy and Use of cookies
    Recent Posts
    • Top 15 London Markets
    • 30 things to do in London with kids
    • Best Museums to visit in London with kids
    • Best Musicals in London in 2022
    • The Queen´s Platinum Jubilee Events in London
    • Changing of the Guard in London
    • Trooping The Colour
    MOST RECOMMENDED
    Harry Potter Studios in London

    Best Musicals in London

    Visit London with Kids

    Visit the London Eye

    Best Sightseeing Bus Tours in London

    Things to do in London

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.