Like most major cities, the transport in London can seem complicated, and getting around by car isn’t easy - or cheap! Travelling to London is exciting but travelling in London can be daunting for many. In this blog, we’ll run you through tried and tested methods of travel tips, along with some that you might not expect!
You need to make it to your affordable Kensington hotel, but where do you start? There’s no shortage of tourist attractions and experiences, but how do we get there? Citymapper is the ultimate tool for travelling in any major city (excellent if you’re travelling Europe!).
Simply find what you want to do, enter it in your destination in Citymapper and it’ll find you the best route! You can choose to travel by bus, Tube, or even take a stroll through London’s streets and live in your own future memory. Tip for Tube travel with Citymapper: If you find a route you want to take, screenshot it so you’re able to access the route even from the Underground without data.
Brits travelling to London are able to use contactless cards, but anyone visiting from abroad may want to avoid charge fees. The Oyster Card can be used on just about every form of transport in London. The way the card works can sometimes be confusing. There are a lot of helpful guides on the internet that explain in detail, but our top tip is, when getting an oyster card, just put £15 credit on it. This will buy you some time until you get to our hotel in Kensington and start to set your sightseeing schedules.
You can purchase an Oyster Card online or in person once you arrive in London from most tourist spots, arrival points and underground and overground ticket offices.
This section covers the three T’s of Tube travelling, our top three tips essential for any time navigating London’s busy and complex public transport system.
Toilet: Make sure you use the loo before you go on a Tube ride. Very few Tube stations have public toilets, and the ones that do have them charge. The ones that don’t… you don’t want to use.
Timing: At a busy time in the Tube station, the ‘bottleneck’ forms. The gates people ‘beep’ through slow down the crowd of people slowly shuffling their way through. It’s important to have your card ready now, as you won’t want to slow down the queue!
Tunes: You can’t access the internet when on the underground. For long journeys, make sure to have your favourite music or podcasts downloaded to your device or have a book to hand!
The busses can be complex, as you don’t know which stop to start, which number to get or even when you should get off. The good news is, if you’ve downloaded Citymapper, you’re able to know which number bus to get and what direction it’s headed in, and Citymapper even tells you how to walk to the stop! If you ride the bus, most have a screen that tells you which stop is coming up. If you’re a little further out, Citymapper shows where you are on the route live, so you don’t need to worry about missing your stop or getting lost!
The easiest (get it?) tip we have for you is E.Z. Escalators and Zips. If you take nothing else, take this with you. At the escalators, stand on the right (unless you’re in a hurry), so people can pass you climbing the stairs on the left. Zips means have your pockets and bags zipped, especially if travelling with more items. Like any major city, pickpockets are opportunists, so make it a habit of using the zips and fastenings on your items when not in use for a trouble-free experience. Now you can technically say you have ‘street smarts’.
We hope you enjoyed our guide on travelling London like a native, and hopefully you feel a bit better about navigating the city. just remember - stay spatially aware and stay on track, and you’ll be travelling London like a real Londoner. Now go and get yourself a cup of tea.
For the best rates when you stay at our hotel in London, make sure you book direct! Contact us on +44 (0) 20 7837 1940 or via email: info@comfortinnkingscross.co.uk.
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This hotel is very central and very close to Earl's court tube station. Staff are very friendly and ready to help. The continental breakfast is very good as there are a number of items visitors can choose.
This hotel was a gem. Stayed three nights and it is two minutes walk to Earls Court Underground with plenty of restaurants nearby. The street is quiet and very close to the bustle of Earl's Court with peaceful nights sleep overlooking the road. Breakfast was delightful with cereal, fruit, yogurts, toast and croissants. This is also served in a spacious dining area. The room was clean and of reasonable size, well serviced daily and has very helpful and pleasant staff. Book this early as it is booked up quick. Great spot, will stay here again.
I didn't know what to expect with this hotel, I usually stick strictly to the big chain hotels when staying in London, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The hotel is very well located for Earl's Court tube station and a selection of shops and bars on the high street. I was in a single room and it was compact but beautifully clean and well equipped. The bathroom looked to be almost brand new, not sure if this was the case or if the cleaners are just excellent! Breakfast is served in the basement which is common in London hotels, it's Continental only but there was a good selection and a self service coffee machine, as I was travelling on business and needed to be up and out it was perfect for me. The staff I encountered were all very friendly and helpful too. I'll definitely be returning.
We were able to change room and stay (4 nights) which was way better than in some much more expensive London 4 star hotels. The hotel was clean, everything worked, fast WiFi and shower powerful. Breakfast even better than what one could expect for such a budget price (including organic fruit yoghurt). Unbeatable location just around the corner from Earl's Court tube station. Fast access to all interesting parts of London. Enough restaurants, pubs and M&S Simply Food and Pret a Manger a few steps away. Highly recommendable hotel!
My room was clean and tidy with a huge bed (very comfy). The staff were lovely even with my unavoidable late arrival, all very friendly and helpful, even helping to take my bags to my room. The service was impeccable. Will definitely be staying there again.
Hotel is in a quiet area, conveniently located close to Earls Court Station. Room was big and spacious. Breakfast was good. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Plenty of Pubs, Restaurants & Supermarkets close by.
We booked this hotel as part of a package via a rail break. I had read the reviews previously and felt comfortable with our choice, thinking, it's only a base to stay while seeing the big city. This hotel was fabulous. Everything about it is very good. The staff on reception could not have been kinder, particular Alfonso who went the extra mile to be so helpful. His career in hospitality, in any hotel is heading for the top in this difficult profession. Even the cleaners and breakfast staff could not do enough to make our stay more comfortable and should be praised for their hard work. The breakfast was refreshingly continental, plenty of it and held at a comfortable unhurried pace. The rooms were spotless and well serviced and we were warm and not bothered by any noise. If we chose to stay in this area again, we would gladly stay at the Continental. Thank you all of you, you are a brilliant team.
Excellent location, 3 mins walk from Earl's Court tube station. I stayed in a twin room which was spacious clean and very quiet. The reception staff were very friendly and helpful. The continental breakfast was plentiful. All in all for what was classed as a budget hotel I would highly recommend this hotel. I would not hesitate to re-visit.
Hotel with good value for money and prime location. Rooms (and bathroom) quite spacious, clean and well maintained. Good breakfast offer (Jogurt, cereals, fresh fruit) and friendly staff. Perfect for a city trip with family or friends.
Stayed here after spending a long day at Earl's Court Exhibition Centre. Very smooth check in, lovely clean quite room that looked like it had just been decorated . Near to Earl's Court Station making travelling around London the next day very easy. Would defiantly recommend and look forward to returning soon.