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Hotel Class: 
3 Stars - 41 Opinions
5 Walthamstow Ave., London, E4 8ST, United Kingdom
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of people enjoy staying here
41 Opinions
courtyard garden
Eltham Palace Great Hall
Exterior (2)
Park seat in front of the museum behind!
So I'm going to visit london for just 5 days and my hostel is located near hydepark... I've never been in London before. What's the best card for me to purchase... a regular travelcard? a oyster card? or just pay-as-you-go? How much are they?
How many rides do you think I will need? I want to walk, but I am aware I will have to use the system sometimes.. what do you think?
sorry for all the questions! hehe thanks!
Only you can judge how often you are likely to use the Tube or bus. I walk a lot, but even central London is huge...perhaps make a guess of 2 Tube/bus trips per day, if (like me) you really enjoy walking and are happy to take the time to do so?
You can find information about individual fares here:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/faresandtickets/farefinder/current/
About Oystercards here (no need to buy them online, just get one when you arrive);
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14836.aspx
and about all fares, Oyster and travelcards here;
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx
Note there are different costs and prices for different zones, and for peak and off-peak times.
There is a good discussion of the advantages of travelcards and Oystercards here:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/travelcard_oyster.htm
I think the best option for you is to get an Oyster card, which you can easily top-up if required (lots of places to do this).
Thank you.
Now, it says:
"More than 1 zone": Adult single fare £4.00
"Oyster Pre Pay Peak*" £2.50
Basically I load the card beforehad, am I right? Let's say I know I'm going to use the system 2 times a day, then I load the card with £5 x 5 days... £25
Is that correct?
Yes, you are correct that you load the card before you travel. Oystercards have a 'cap' per day (the maximum amount you will pay)...8GBP peak times, 6.60GBP off-peak.
This page shows the Oyster fares, caps and peak times:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/oystercard.htm
as does this one:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14837.aspx
but I think the first is a clearer explanation.
I wouldn't put on 25GBP on your Oyster in one go; you might find you use Tube/bus more than you expect, or less. I'd load 15GBP at first, then top it up if necessary.
Thank you thank you!! very useful tips.
I've usually visited London for few days only. I usually booked a centrally located hotel, then I planned my days to be either walkable (I enjoy long walks) or if I needed to use Tube. Daily tickets (covering appropriate zones) were the perfect solution to my needs.
Keep in mind that if you plan to return to the hotel late you'll probably have to use taxis.
consider loading your Oyster with a 1 week travel card. I think they cost around 27 pounds(zones 1-2) and allow you to travel as much as you want (peak or off peak hours, doesn't matter). buses are also included for all zones.
In Portugal we use to say that "one image speaks more than 1000 words". Having that in mind, and more than 1000 pictures to post, I decided to change my behaviour, posting the pictures as soon as they are ready, and adding the comments later.
Don't get mad on me - I'm glad to share my pictures with you, and the comments will be added soon.
There are so many great things to see. Although I'm not usually a fan of big tourist attractions, the ones in London are so rich in history they can't be missed. As a first-time visitor, I found it very helpful to take a bus tour the first day to get an overview of the city. Walking across the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London.
The unmistakeable column rides high over London's most famous square, Trafalgar, yet doesn't dominate it.
Erected in 1842, 14 stonemasons actually held a dinner on the flat top just before the Nelson part was added. The impassive lions, located at its base, were an afterthought 25 years later.
With the National Gallery, the fountain, South Africa House and the Grand Buildings on the south side, there is much to distract the eye.
The area is populated heavily and noted for its pigeons but humans are apt to demonstrate here and, if you want to avoid crowds, don't come here on New Years Eve! Here's a bit of trivia for you. St Martin-in-the-Fields is a fairly well known church at Trafalagar Square though the present one, completed in 1726, was built over an earlier 13th century version. Architecturally speaking, its influence has spread far and wide, particularly in the United States where it became a model for Colonial Style churches. However, should you be waiting to hear the chimes from its historical and melodious bells, you should be listening in Perth, Western Australia, where they were given as a gift and now are housed in a special and unique building by the shores of the Swan River.
In the beginning of the 20th century plans were made to erect a new building at the place of Whitehall Gardens. After a national competition it was architect M. E. Vincent Harris who got assigned.
World Wars and the depression of the 30ties put a halt to the construction works.
The Georgian houses in Whitehall had to be demolished to make room for this new modern building but five rooms got dismantled and obtained a place within the new building serving as conference rooms. Nowadays they are called the “historical rooms” and are situated at the 3rd and 4th floor. They are the rooms who were original in the Pembroke House; the Cromwell House and the Cadogan House.
On request of Queen Mary also the original Wine Cellar of the Whitehall Palace got preserved. It was the only part remaining after a fire in 1698. The whole cellar needed to be relocated some 9 feet westward and 19 feet deeper then originally.
By 1951 the New Government Offices were made available for the Board of Trade.
Sir Charles Wheeler provided them with statues of Earth and Water at the Northern door. Air and Fire statues, meant to be put at the Southern end were never realised because the building got handed over to the Air Ministry late fifties.
In 1964, a supplementary large building got erected because of the merger of the three Service Ministries and the formation of the unified Ministry of Defence.
It soon became the main building of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). In front you can see the golden eagle statue. It is the RAF Monument, dedicated to the Flyers who lost their lives in both World Wars.
London has almost every ethnic backround you can imagine living here. Traditional Londoners can be hard to find in some areas such as Brixton. It is partly due to this overcrowding that house prices are astronomical.
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Address: 5 Walthamstow Ave., London, E4 8ST, United Kingdom
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