The Best Place To Stay In London Is Paddington
This London Travel Planner will show you why
Hi. My name is Matt Smith, and I’ve been a London Travel Planner for over 12 years. I’ve helped more than 100 people plan their visits there. My first visit to London was in 2002, and over the 22 years since then I have taken 65 visits there!
One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is “Where is the best place to stay in London?” This is a perhaps the most important question you can ask, especially as a first time visitor, because choosing where to stay will have a significant impact on your visit here, and I will give you 10 reasons why the best place to stay in London is Paddington.
There are 3 important resources you need to look for when choosing a place to stay in London
1. Transportation to the major tourist attractions
Paddington is the best place to stay in London for transportation to the major attractions. London’s tourists attractions are spread out over a large area. The quickest, easiest, and most economical mode of transportation to the attractions is by The London Underground (The Tube), so it’s important to choose an area that has good Underground access. Paddington not only gives you great Underground access but is the only area of London with direct access to all of the major attractions.
2. Quality of your hotel's neighborhood and available resources
If you’re coming to London with family or a group and you’re staying in a rented flat or an Airbnb, it’s important to have food shops and other retail outlets to purchase groceries, toiletries and other necessities. Paddington has wide variety of these shops to provide you everything you’ll need. Paddington also has numerous restaurants, ranging from fast food to fine dining and a diverse selection of international offerings. I should mention that Paddington also has great pubs too!
3. A place that is Family Friendly
Paddington is incredibly Family Friendly and there are loads of things for kids to do in Paddington. There are loads of things to do for kids of all ages! Paddington is also very safe. You and your family can safely walk to Paddington’s many restaurants, Hyde Park, and the Paddington Waterside.
And while we're on the topic of Paddington being Family Friendly, here's a list of just a few things to do with kids in and around Paddington
- The Princess Diana Memorial Playground
- The Paddington Bear Shop at Paddington Station
- The Paddington Bear Tour
- Paddington’s Little Venice Canal Boat Trips
- Hyde Park
- The Puppet Barge at Little Venice
- Find the Paddington Bear Bench at Paddington Station and get a picture with the kids!d get a picture of the kids on it!
Here are my 10 reasons why you should choose Paddington as your place to stay in London
The Paddington Bear shop at Paddington Station
Now that I've given you all of the practical reasons for staying in Paddington, let's move on to some of the less tangible qualities Paddington has to offer. When you stay in Paddington, your day doesn't end after the sightseeing is done. A whole other London experience awaits you when you get back from the attractions!
More than any other places I’ve stayed in London, Paddington is a place you want to come back to. It has a much different “feel” than London’s more iconic places, like Tower Bridge, Saint Paul’s, Houses of Parliament Area, etc. You sort of feel like it’s your neighborhood as opposed to just returning to an area where you’re going to sleep for the evening.
Unlike the iconic places, Paddington is very much a residential neighborhood. This eliminates the ‘Tourist Trap’ atmosphere you’ll experience in those other places. You’ll get a better feel for the real London while staying here. One of my favorite experiences here has been heading out to the pubs and chatting with some of the locals. The locals have made me feel very welcome here since my first visit way back in 2002, and continue to do so today. Indeed, I have made many friends in Paddington. Some of whom I can call close friends. It’s truly a special place.
"Paddington isn't just a place to return to after your sightseeing day. It's a place to come back to and enjoy" Alex Wilkes, Ramsey, NJ
The Wilkes family of New Jersey, enjoying pints and dinner at The Pride of Paddington PubÂ
The Victoria Pub – Just one of Paddington’s beautiful pubs
London Street in the heart of Paddington. Teeming with cafes, small grocery shops, and pubs. Paddington’s streets are very inviting.Â
Relax in beautiful Norfolk Square Garden
