Where to Stay in London with Family? 10 Best Areas
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When you’re planning a trip away with the family, not all destinations cater well for all ages, but London is a city which excels in this regard, with world-class family friendly attractions, great restaurants, museums, events and green spaces.
Be it keeping the kids entertained on holiday, or finding a nice spot to stay with elderly relatives, the city ticks many boxes. However, it’s a huge city, and with so many wonderful areas to base yourself in, it can be a little overwhelming when trying to find the right location for your trip.
If you’re planning a trip away and wondering where to stay in London with your family, then this guide should help you find the right spot to rest your head after a busy day in the capital. Join us as we explore the best places to stay in London with family:
Our Top Three Spots:
Regent’s Park
South Bank
Greenwich
1. Regent’s Park
Good for: Child-friendly attractions, parks, zoo, play parks and shopping
This area, situated just outside the city centre, in London’s north-west, is an ideal place to stay for family holidays in the capital.
Many of the city’s best family-friendly attractions, including both London Zoo and Madame Tussauds are based in the area. Meanwhile, you’re only a short tube ride away to many others, including the SeaLife Centre, London Eye and the West End’s many theatres.
You’re also only a five-minute tube ride to the main shopping districts, including Oxford Street. The short travel time to many attractions and the fantastic park itself, which has excellent playground facilities, makes it the perfect area to be based on London breaks for families.
Our luxury apartments in the area are perfect for family weekend breaks in London.
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2. South Bank
Good for: Child-friendly attractions, galleries, major tourist sites and the arts
When travelling away with children, short travel times can be a major factor in deciding where you stay, and there are few better places to stay on family holidays in London than the South Bank area.
The area, located on the south-side of the River Thames, and just opposite major attractions like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, is very well-placed to make the most of important tourist sites without having to travel for a long time.
Many top family friendly attractions, such as the London Eye and SeaLife Centre, are based in the area and there’s also a great array of child friendly restaurants nearby. The area also attracts a lot of buskers and street performers to its waterside promenade, who are sure to keep younger children entertained.
It’s well-connected to other areas of the city by tube, with many other popular sites only 5-10 minutes away.
3. South Kensington
Good for: Museums, the arts, elderly relatives, restaurants
South Kensington is another one of the best areas to stay in London with family, based just to the west of the city centre. It’s home to the capital’s Museums Quarter, with many of the capital’s best child-friendly museums based locally, including the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.
It’s also right next to the wonderful Hyde Park, which has excellent playground facilities, a boating lake and it’s home to the annual Winter Wonderland, complete with an ice rink.
The area is also a good place to stay if travelling with elderly relatives – due to the number of excellent museums locally, top restaurants, galleries and its close proximity to other city centre attractions. South Kensington is most definitely an area that ticks many boxes for many different ages.
4. Maida Vale
Good for: Medical trips, parks, theatre visits
Similar to South Kensington and Regent’s Park, Maida Vale is very well-situated with short travel times to many of the capital’s top attractions. It’s halfway between Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, allowing families to make the most of two fantastic green spaces within easy reach.
The West End and its excellent child-friendly theatre productions are only a short tube ride away, as is the Museum Quarter and top attractions around the River Thames, including the Sea Life Centre and London Eye.
It’s also a little less busy than some of the other areas we’ve mentioned so far, which can be handy if trying to find good accommodation in London for families with young children. Plus, it’s close to the Wellington Hospital, providing a useful place to stay if travelling with older relatives for medical treatment.
It has great connections to many tube lines and the major Paddington Railway Station is nearby with links to Heathrow Airport and West and South West England. Our luxury apartments in Maida Vale are a perfect base for a weekend break in London with the family.
5. Greenwich
Good for: Concerts, peaceful stays, restaurants
Greenwich, in south-east London, is a wonderful place to stay if you’re wanting to explore the south and east of the city with family members.
The area has a laid-back, village feel, despite being home to many top attractions, including the Cutty Sark, the Royal Greenwich Observatory and the National Maritime Museum.
It’s a particularly good place to stay if you’re off to watch a show at the O2 Arena with kids or older relatives, with the major music and performance venue only a few minutes away from the centre of Greenwich.
It’s quite a way from some of the city’s top attractions in the west, which is something worth bearing in mind if you’re looking to spend a lot of time away from Greenwich, itself, and the east of the city.
The local Greenwich Park has fantastic playground facilities and a deer park, whilst London City Airport is also close by, making it one of the best areas to stay in London with families.
6. South Hampstead
Good for: Nature, theatre trips, restaurants, sports matches
South Hampstead, in north west London, offers a more peaceful option compared to some of the other areas in our guide so far. At the same time, though, it’s well-placed to make the most of the city centre’s main attractions, being only 10 minutes from the capital’s Museums Quarter and West End theatre district.
Being slightly set back from the city centre offers a more peaceful environment for children to sleep at night and it has the wonderful green lung of Hampstead Heath to explore nearby; a vast, 790-acre area of gorgeous woodland and meadows.
There are many great restaurants locally, too, and it’s only 15 minutes by tube to Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena, making it perfect for taking the family to big sports fixtures or concerts.
We have a selection of lovely luxury apartments in South Hampstead which provide a wonderful place for you and your family to rest your weary legs during your stay in the capital.
7. London Bridge
Good for: Major attractions, food and drink, galleries
This area is in the heart of central London, on the south side of the River Thames. One of the major attractions of this area is the hugely impressive Shard, England’s tallest building, which has a stunning viewing platform looking out across the whole of the city.
It’s also home to the former Naval ship, the HMS Belfast, the Clink Prison Museum and the renowned Borough Market, which has a huge number of food stalls, displaying cuisines from all over the world.
The Tower of London is also only a short walk away. Being so central, London Bridge won’t be the most peaceful area, which is something definitely worth taking into account when travelling with particularly young children.
8. Covent Garden
Good for: Food and drink, theatre, major attractions
If you want to be based right in the heart of things while on your family trip to London, then Covent Garden is a very good choice. The area has a brilliant selection of eateries nearby, it’s close to the West End theatre district, as well as many top family-friendly attractions around the Thames.
You won’t need to travel far if you base yourself in this area of the city, a particularly useful factor if travelling with the kids or older, less mobile relatives.
9. Richmond
Good for: Outdoors-loving families, nature, food and drink
This stunning area, situated in the south-east of the city, is a cracking place to base yourself if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of central London.
This riverside area offers a more peaceful option than some of the other areas on our list, with many quaint waterside restaurants and cafes located here.
It’s a fantastic location for families looking for an outdoor-focused weekend break in London, with London’s largest park, Richmond Park, based in the area, as well as water sport options along the Thames, including both paddleboarding and kayaking.
10. Stratford
Good for: Sporty families, shopping
Stratford, in east London, has undergone a major regeneration over recent years, largely thanks to the London 2012 Olympics, which had many events based in the area.
It’s still home to many sports facilities around the Olympic Park, so a fantastic place to stay in London if your family is off to watch some of the events at the London Stadium or other venues around the Olympic Park.
It’s also well-served by eateries and shops, with one of the major Westfield Shopping Centres based in this area of the capital, along with numerous cinemas.
Final Thoughts
London is a city that’s sure to keep all the family entertained; its world-leading, child-friendly, attractions are the envy of many other cities, and if one thing’s for sure, it’s that the capital is certainly geared up to cater to family groups, with top restaurants, museums, theatres and parks all easily within reach.
It’s a city bursting with life and a packed calendar of events, making it a truly a destination worth visiting all year around, from the heights of summer through to its famous New Year’s celebrations.
We hope, having read this, that you’re now armed with all the information you need and find a lovely place to base yourself when looking at where to stay in London with your family. So, what are you waiting for? Get booking and soak up all the delights that a family trip to London has to offer.
