Why do so many on DCUM prefer South Kensington in London for trips with kids?

[Anonymous]

You’ll be fine at the Hilton by Paddington. In general, I try to avoid hotels by train stations in Europe, but that’s such a central location in London that you’ll be absolutely fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’ll be fine at the Hilton by Paddington. In general, I try to avoid hotels by train stations in Europe, but that’s such a central location in London that you’ll be absolutely fine.

Why do you avoid them? Terror attacks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’ll be fine at the Hilton by Paddington. In general, I try to avoid hotels by train stations in Europe, but that’s such a central location in London that you’ll be absolutely fine.

Why do you avoid them? Terror attacks?

No, not terror attacks, just the types of characters who tend to hang out around train stations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’ll be fine at the Hilton by Paddington. In general, I try to avoid hotels by train stations in Europe, but that’s such a central location in London that you’ll be absolutely fine.

Why do you avoid them? Terror attacks?

No, not terror attacks, just the types of characters who tend to hang out around train stations.

I remember someone on a video saying "In Europe, where there is a train station and a McDonald's, the people there are no good". That said we stayed at the Hilton Opera Paris, which is right next to Gare Saint-Lazare, and it was very nice, but that's in a pretty upscale shopping area generally. Gare du Nord definitely in the "people there are no good" category- Termini in Rome is similar, for example. But none of the London stations really have too many shady guys around- Kings Cross used to be shadier, but much less so now.

[Anonymous]

South Kensington is known to be a family friendly area. I lived a few blocks away, closer to royal albert hall and the park, and I went to south ken all the time with my kids for the museums, restaurants, swim lessons, etc. As other PP’s have said, it’s a good hub for the tube and close to several museums popular with kids (don’t sleep on the V&A!) and has easy access to the park.

Paddington is close to fun things, but it’s not that fun itself, if that makes sense. And paddington is convenient for LHR, but it’s actually not that convenient for the rest of central London, because it’s on the Elizabeth line, which can take you to Tottenham court rd, but you will want to walk to edgeware rd or bayswater to get on the circle/district line. In south ken, you would be walking past lots of shops and restaurants, and in paddington, it’s mostly residential. Although I think the kids would like the canals, which are close by.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, at first we took the Tube a lot and I ended up surprised at times by how close places were too each other because it was deceptive underground. We ended up walking a lot more after that. There is a lot to see above ground, and unlike the earlier PP, I don't feel like a lot of the sights are "spread out."