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- Welcome to the accommodation in London series.
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We're kicking it off with 10 important things
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you should know before you book any accommodation
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and I have a special freebie for you,
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so make sure you watch to the end of the video to get it.
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There is no best area to stay in, in London.
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It's impossible for me to suggest one
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absolutely perfect area for you to stay in
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because there's just no such thing.
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Each area in London is different.
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There are actually tons of great neighborhoods
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but it just depends on what you're looking for
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and what your budget is as to whether
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that's gonna be the best one for you.
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Stay within zones one or two
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or maybe go out to three.
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London's underground system is split into zones
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with the super center of London being zone one
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and as you go farther outside the city,
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the zone number goes up.
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I always recommend staying in zones one or two.
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Anything really beyond that,
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you're gonna be spending a lot of time taking a train
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into the center of London
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and also spending more money on that as well.
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There are few exceptions for zone three though,
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if you really want a local villagy experience,
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places like Richmond and Wimbledon
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are really great for that.
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Hotels are not your only option for accommodation
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when it comes to staying in London.
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If you're on a budget, you can consider staying in hostels,
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where you can just pay for a bed as opposed to a whole room.
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There are also loads of great Airbnb's all around London
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and we even have lots of options for serviced apartments
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which is like staying in an apartment
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but it gets treated like a hotel room.
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If you've never used Airbnb before,
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I have a series about how to use it
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and how to find the best places on Airbnb
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when you're traveling.
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So, click the cart popping up here to watch that
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before you book anything.
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Pick a place close to a tube station.
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If you're planning on using
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public transportation to get around,
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as a rule of thumb,
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don't pick any accommodation that is further
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than 10 minutes walking distance to a tube station.
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Anything farther than that,
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then you're probably gonna get really tired of walking back
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and forth to the tube station
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every time you wanna go some place.
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Don't rely on the hotel
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or the Airbnb to tell you
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what the walking distance is to the tube station.
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Actually put it into Google Maps
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to see what the true time is.
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If you'll be partying,
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choose somewhere close to a stop on the night tube.
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As I'm filming this,
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select lines and select stops on the underground
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are open all night on Friday
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and Saturday nights.
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If you're gonna be partying
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and you don't wanna pay for Ubers
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or taxis to get you home,
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then you wanna stay someplace
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that is close to a tube station
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that's actually gonna be running at night.
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As I'm recording this video,
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they keep adding new lines
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and new stops to the night tube systems.
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So, I have a link down the description box
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that let's you know the most up-to-date information
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on the availability of the service.
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Consider the distance from the airport
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when choosing a place to stay.
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All but one of London's airports are located fairly far
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outside of London.
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So, if you're only coming here for a couple of day,
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you wanna take that into consideration.
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Also if you're planning on taking public transportation,
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to get to and from the airport,
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you wanna double check on Google Maps to see,
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how long it's gonna take you to get public transportation
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to your hotel
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and also, how many time you gonna have to change.
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If you have to take three separate underground lines
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and you're carting around all of your luggage,
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that is gonna be a struggle.
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For a short stay I recommend staying in an airport hub area.
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I consider an area to be an airport hub if it's really easy
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to get to via public transport from the airport.
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So, for Heathrow airport Paddington is a hub
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because the Heathrow connect
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and Heathrow express goes directly to the Padington station.
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For Gatwick staying near Victoria is ideal,
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as that's where the Gatwick express will take you to.
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If you're flying into Stansted
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stay near Liverpool street station.
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If you're planning on taking the Stansted express
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and if you're flying into Luton,
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I'd stay around King's Cross for easy access to get to
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and fro the airport.
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Choose you're location depending
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on what you wanna get out of your trip.
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If you're keen to see all the major sites
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and don't wanna have to hop
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on public transportation all the time,
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then staying in zone one is a must.
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If you want more of a local London experience
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then you can definitely get away with going to zone two
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and maybe some places in zone three.
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Will not get that local experience in zone one
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pretty much no one lives in zone one
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unless you're a Bugilionaire.
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Some of the world's best hotels are in London.
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So, even if you can't afford to stay at the Savoy
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every night of the trip,
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consider like a romantic evening to spend one night
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at one of the really luxurious high-end hotels in London.
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If you pick a date off-peak,
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say during the week,
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you might be able to get a really great deal.
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If you have a hotel in mind for this,
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sign up for their newsletter
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and keep an eye to see if they send you any special offers
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for booking.
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If you want a selection of great accommodation
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handed to you on a silver platter,
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then you need to download my free,
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"where to stay in London" guide.
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It will tell you the best areas to stay while in London
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and also have a lot of great recommendations of hotels
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and Airbnb's to stay in while you're here.
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Click the cart popping up here to get that guide
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and then watch this video next.