Where to Stay in London: Which District to Choose

Are you struggling to decide which part of London to stay in? Just what is the difference between zones 1, 2 and 3? Here you can find all the answers!

London is big, much bigger than the cities that we are used to, and its dense tube network makes it seem like everywhere is equally accessible, but this is not the case - you really need to choose the hostel that you will be using as the base for your trip in the right area of London to make the most of your stay.

We understand the difficulties you might encounter with looking at a map of London, so we decided to shed a little light on the capital's main central areas together with some suggestions that will help you to decide where to sleep.

WHERE TO CHOOSE A HOSTEL IN LONDON

Before we look at the best areas in London to stay, we need to talk a little about the London Underground first, which divides the city into zones, so that you can optimise your travel time.

You should consider staying in zones 1 or 2 if you want to be close to the centre and avoid paying higher tube fares.

Paddington

This quiet residential area of ​​London is just north of Hyde Park, with a few pubs on the main street.

The hostels that we recommend include the Pride of Paddington, located next to Paddington Station, the Atlas Hostels, located close to Hyde Park, and just a little further north, the modern Palmers Lodge - Hillspring.

The price for all three of these hostels starts at 26-27 Euros per person per night.

Bayswater

Near Paddington, in the same part of the city, you'll find the Bayswater district. The hostels that we recommend here are the Smart Hyde Park View and its sister property the Smart Hyde Park Inn. If you prefer to stay close to the famous Portobello Market, then you should go for the Notting Hill Hostel, but if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you may prefer the Phoenix Hostel, which is very close to the museum dedicated to the ingenious sleuth.

Prices in this area start from 20 to 25 Euros per night, per person.

Kensington

Kensington is found to the left of Hyde Park. This residential area has excellent connections to the centre of London. The best hostels to consider here are The Londonears Hostel and the Acacia Hostel.

Prices start from 24 to 26 Euros per night, per person

Kings Cross

Famous for its connections to the wizard Harry Potter, Kings Cross is one of London's most visited destinations. It is also a popular area because it is very close to the British Museum and Oxford Street.

We recommend two hostels with very similar names, the Clink78 and Clink261, which start from roughly the same price - about 25 Euros per person, per night.

Saint Pancras and Camden Town (Camden District)

This area is well known because of its famous market, antiques and delicious street food. In fact most people don't realise that this area (which is easily accessible by bus) extends almost as far as the British Museum, and in this area we recommend the Smart Russell Square hostel and The Generator hostel, or a little further to the north we also recommend the Smart Camden Inn Hostel, which us closer to the well-known area of Camden Town.

Prices start from 19-33 Euros per person, per night.

Soho

London's Chinatown, Soho is within walking distance of Piccadilly Circus. Because of its convenient central location this area is more expensive, coming in at over 30 Euros per person per night.

The hostel that we recommend is the Soho Hostel, which is modern and colourful, while being within walking distance of practically everything.

After finding out more about these London districts, you might be interested to discover some unusual things to do in the capital, or to find out more about the eight royal parks in the city. For all this and more, visit the section of our magazine that is entirely dedicated to London.