Ping - Londoners

[rh100]

Help please

I'll be dropping off some family for a day in London on a Saturday for a show in the theater district, and picking them up again on the evening.

First question: If I come down the M40/M25/M4 and into the west end (Kensington?), what is the best place to drop someone off, preferably avoiding the congestion charge but not too important, and to pick them up again at night. I'm guessing a train or tube station would be best - but want somewhere safe.

Second question: Should I choose to join up with them for a bit of sightseeing after their show - can anyone recommend reasonable parking, again I'm thinking at a station - that way can just get the train back out of the center to the car, then go straight home.

Many thanks

 

[Trembler49]

Best place to drop people off is the new Westfield shopping centre at Shepherds Bush. Tube station just outside and parking not too dear.

 

[ianrauk]

This is a very good call.
You can then get the Central (Red) Line straight into Tottenham Court Road for the West End (Theatre Land).

Best place to drop people off is the new Westfield shopping centre at Shepherds Bush. Tube station just outside and parking not too dear.

 

[rh100]

Best place to drop people off is the new Westfield shopping centre at Shepherds Bush. Tube station just outside and parking not too dear.

Sounds good to me - many thanks

 

[tdr1nka]

Also, there is no congestion charge on Saturdays.

 

[very-near]

I would recommend parking up in the NCP car park above the shopping centre in Hammersmith as it is very cheap (£2.50 for 4 hours last time IIRC), then walking across to the Hammersmith tube station and tubing it. The CC is not applied at weekends, but the traffic is hell into theatre land and back out again in a car on Saturday. A lot of parking is free on the road at the weekend if you can take the time to look around that area.

The Tube station is just unde/very close to the Hammersmith flyover and the car park is 2 minutes walk from the tube station.

 

[rh100]

This is a very good call.
You can then get the Central (Red) Line straight into Tottenham Court Road for the West End (Theatre Land).

Great stuff, they can work it out for themselves once they are in the middle Thanks

 

[swee'pea99]

Both good suggestions, tho' if I had to pick, I think I'd probably go for Hammersmith, then the Piccadilly line into Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square - obviously it depends which theatre they're going to - I'd put the postcode into Google to check - but Tottenham Court road tube is really on the outskirts of theatreland; Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square are at the heart.

 

[ianrauk]

Just being picky here, Tottenham Court Road is a 5min walk to Cambridge Circus. (Heart of Theatre Land).

[quote name='swee'pea99']Both good suggestions, tho' if I had to pick, I think I'd probably go for Hammersmith, then the Piccadilly line into Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square - obviously it depends which theatre they're going to - I'd put the postcode into Google to check - but Tottenham Court road tube is really on the outskirts of theatreland; Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square are at the heart.[/QUOTE]

 

[swee'pea99]

I'm not saying it's bad, just that other things being equal, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square are nearer to more theatres than TCR.

 

[ianrauk]

Unless said theatres are in Covent Garden

[quote name='swee'pea99']I'm not saying it's bad, just that other things being equal, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square are nearer to more theatres than TCR.[/QUOTE]

 

[ianrauk]

Unless said theatres are in Covent Garden then Holborn or Covent Garden Tube.
Leicester Square yes, Piccadilly no..

So best pick up a tube map and make your choice

[quote name='swee'pea99']I'm not saying it's bad, just that other things being equal, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square are nearer to more theatres than TCR.[/QUOTE]

 

[rh100]

TBH, they will probably go sightseeing before the show anyway if we are early - so anywhere roughly in the right spot will be fine.

VeryNear - do you remember if that was a maximum stay of 4 hours though? I was prepared to be paying high prices TBH - Brum is a rip off now - I assumed London to be the same.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[swee'pea99]

Er, sorry but Leicester Square to Covent Garden is about two minutes' walk; TCR to CG more like 10.

I'm only trying to be helpful here. It's not a big deal. But given that I'm typing this in an office in Garrick Street, it may not be the best idea to dispute my grasp of west end geography.

 

[rh100]

I'm not saying it's bad, just that other things being equal, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square are nearer to more theatres than TCR.

Unless said theatres are in Covent Garden then Holborn or Covent Garden Tube.
Leicester Square yes, Piccadilly no..

So best pick up a tube map and make your choice

Thats what I love about this place - for every opinion there is an equal and opposite opinion