Paddington Visitor Briefing
What To Expect For Those Contemplating Staying In Paddington
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| Paddington Station |
The Paddington area is dominated logistically by Paddington Rail Station. Because of the fast links to Heathrow Airport this district is a favourite accommodation district for those using Heathrow.
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| Bed & Breakfast |
| Mid Range Hotels |
| 4 Star Hotels |
| Paddington Hotel Map |
| Getting To Paddington |
| Paddington Station |
| Paddington What To Do |
The Paddington district itself is in the north western corner of the centre of London. Room rates are quite competitive, at least compared to the hotel options less than a mile away around Oxford Street. The area also has a good mix of accommodation catering to all budgets, again something you won't get closer to the centre.
Paddington Station itself is a major transport hub, you can get to most sights in London within 20 minutes using the London Underground.
Paddington Station Area
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The hub of the Paddington district is of course the railway station. The station is the terminus for a wide range of train services including Heathrow Airport, West London commuter lines and long distance services to Wales and South West England.
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The Hilton Hotel Paddington is the original old railway station hotel at the front of the station facing Praed Street. This area facing the Hilton is the main commercial area of the district, not the prettiest place in London. The shops continue down Spring Street and London Street opposite the Station as far as Sussex Gardens. The pavements are quite narrow, the shops and restaurants mostly small.
There are no big department stores for leisure shopping here, its all geared largely around feeding people transiting through the railway station.
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| Street Scene In Front Of Paddington Station |
There is a heavy bias towards fast food and food 'on the go' reflecting the needs of the railway travelers passing through. You'll find most of the multinational fast food and coffee shop chains like McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Starbucks as well as independents and Fish & Chip and sandwich/pie shops.
There are two mid size chain restaurants immediately outside the station, Garfunkels under the Quality Crown Hotel and opposite it the Aberdeen Angus Steak House.
If having a good range of restaurants on your doorstep for a leisurely civilised evening meal is important to you, you might want to look to Bayswater just to the west of Paddington. Queensway in Bayswater is by contrast one of the best places in terms of affordable and diverse cuisines in London. Just down the road from Paddington is the Edgeware Road, the Arab district is London. So if you fancy Lebanese or similar head here.
Perhaps the best value for plate meals in the area is the pub grub served up by the many large pubs throughout the locality.
Around the station area you will find also launderettes, two small/medium size supermarkets and a few ATM's.
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| Typical Row Of Hotels In Sussex Gardens |
Outside the immediate vicinity of the station area things quickly become more elegant and residential.
All through the district you will find many garden squares. Within 50 yards of the hustle of Praed Street is Norfolk Square for example, a quiet place to sit and chill out.
All around Norfolk Square are hotels in terraced buildings such as those pictured right. The hotels around the station tend to be budget biased but you can find the odd four star in these buildings.
Standards differ widely. Remember these hotels are typically 5 or 6 storeys and the cheaper hotels will not have lifts. Sussex Gardens is a wide avenue just 200m from Paddington Station which is lined with such hotels. They make look identical but inside you may find a chain Best Western Hotel or a cheap Paddington Bed and Breakfast.
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| Norfolk Square - A Typical Garden Square | Sussex Gardens-Home To Many Paddington Hotels |
As you head further out from the immediate vicinity of the station towards Lancaster Gate and Bayswater things become more gentrified.
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| Typical Paddington Mews |
Hotel accommodation is quite dispersed and tends to be of a higher quality and cost than that around the immediate vicinity of Paddington Station.
In parts there is almost a village type atmosphere. Between the main roads narrow cobbled mews like that pictured right are common place. The high class cars normally parked outside reflects the cost of houses here.
Every so often there is a cluster of shops providing basic needs and of course a wide choice of pubs. Down by Lancaster Gate you have the advantage of being directly opposite Hyde Park, London's largest Park.
The district merges in Bayswater at its western extremity. If you're staying a few days its worth checking out Bayswater as an alternative to Paddington.
Public Transport In Paddington
For most, the London Underground is the way into an out of Paddington. You can get to most of the sights within Central London within 20 minutes.If you are a night owl, there are night buses that connect Paddington with the centre through the night.
A very popular option for visitors to get orientated with London is to use the hop on, hop off tour buses. There are two major operators, the Original London Tour and the Big Bus.
For those staying in Paddington, the Big Bus has a slight advantage as one of their main routes stops at both Lancaster Gate and Paddington Stations.
The competing Original London Tour offers a less frequent connector services to the main sightseeing routes on offer.
Safety and Side Streets In Paddington
The Paddington area is safe within the normal common-sense precautions applicable the world over.
| Popular Paddington Accommodation | |||
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