On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:25:19 -0700 (PDT), bob
wrote:

The reason that those areas are "the best bet for budget hotels" is
that there is comparatively little demand. *The majority of tourists
stay in areas several miles west of Thameslink, none of which are
remotely as seedy as Kings Cross, whose seediness and relative
cheapness are directly connected.

If there is comparitively little demand, why are there more hotel
rooms within a 5 minute walk of King's Cross than in the whole of
Cambridge (not exactly an unpopular city with the tourists)? I
counted 4 large travelodges, 2 comfort inns, a premier inn, a novotel
and (from a quick google search) 25 non-chain hotels.

Extend that by another 5 minutes and you get all the small 'b&b' type
hotels around Tavistock Place and the Russell Square area. Hardly
quiet, especially at this time of year. I've not been inside them but
there are some nice looking places around Cartwright Gardens, a
generous stone's throw from Euston and St. Pancras. I generally stay
in that area when in London so I'm within walking distance of the
station.

Conclusion: The Poster Currently Known As Bruce doesn't know what
he's talking about, as usual.

In message , at 13:14:05 on
Wed, 11 Aug 2010, Ivor The Engine remarked:

The Poster Currently Known As Bruce doesn't know what
he's talking about, as usual.

News at 11?
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 13:02:32 on
Wed, 11 Aug 2010, Jeremy Double remarked:
Given the availability of Travelcards etc, if I wanted to stay more
cheaply in the London area, I would look at somewhere a little out of
the centre...

The one in Docklands is cheap, if there isn't an event at Excel.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:38:15 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

News at 11?

News at 13 I think!

"Bruce" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:40:23 -0700 (PDT), West Yorkshire Bus
wrote:

A simple question, in a year or two when the Thameslink works get near
to being finished, should the route be added (or be reinstated) onto
the tube map?

At the moment I feel that visitors to the city are not aware of the
route and once Blackfriars is finished, are not aware of the handy
link straight through the centre of the tourist area.


The tourist area?

Since when did Thameslink serve the London Eye, Houses of Parliament,
Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Oxford Street, Bond Street,
Knightsbridge, Madame Tussauds and Regents Park?



You cannot ignore the fact that Thameslink runs through the middle of an
area that is absolutely heaving with tourists - especially at weekends when
it's (usually) not running, which may answer the OP's question.

--
DAS

Jeremy Double wrote on 11 August 2010
13:02:32 ...
On 11/08/2010 06:52, bob wrote:

When I was helping some German friends plan a weekend away in London,
a bit of research found that the best bet for budget hotels in a
reasonably central location was in the area around Kings Cross (and I
don't mean by-the-hour hotels either), and for getting to either the
area around the tower, or to St Pauls and across to the Tate Modern,
Thameslink proved to be quite a useful route. Also handy for pax
flying via Gatwick. By all accounts, plenty of other tourists had
come to the same conclusion regarding hotels.

Although I have stayed in the Kings Cross/St Pancras area a few times,
because the area is convenient for travel to/from London (both Yorkshire
and the continent via Eurostar), I don't see it as being particularly
cheap. Indeed, the Kings Cross Premier Inn is the most expensive
Premier Inn I have stayed at...

Given the availability of Travelcards etc, if I wanted to stay more
cheaply in the London area, I would look at somewhere a little out of
the centre... e.g. for a random date in September, the Premier Inn
called "London Kew" (actually it's in Brentford) is £87 per room,
compared with £150 for "London Kings Cross St Pancras". For my random
date in August, there was no availability at the Kings Cross Premier Inn.

Actually, I don't know how the Kings Cross Premier Inn attracts so much
business at that price, because the Euston Ibis (in no way inferior to
the Premier Inn, IMO) is only £109

It's the value that tourists place on proximity to Thameslink, obviously!
:-)
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

"David A Stocks" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:40:23 -0700 (PDT), West Yorkshire Bus
wrote:

A simple question, in a year or two when the Thameslink works get near
to being finished, should the route be added (or be reinstated) onto
the tube map?

At the moment I feel that visitors to the city are not aware of the
route and once Blackfriars is finished, are not aware of the handy
link straight through the centre of the tourist area.

You cannot ignore the fact that Thameslink runs through the middle of an
area that is absolutely heaving with tourists - especially at weekends
when it's (usually) not running, which may answer the OP's question.

I think the basic answer to the OP's question is that the central part of
the Thameslink route was removed from the 'tube map' long before the
closures for the upgrade ever started, and therefore it is unlikely that
when the closures are completed the route will reappear.

Paul S

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:37:59 +0100, "Richard J."
wrote:
Jeremy Double wrote on 11 August 2010
13:02:32 ...
On 11/08/2010 06:52, bob wrote:

When I was helping some German friends plan a weekend away in London,
a bit of research found that the best bet for budget hotels in a
reasonably central location was in the area around Kings Cross (and I
don't mean by-the-hour hotels either), and for getting to either the
area around the tower, or to St Pauls and across to the Tate Modern,
Thameslink proved to be quite a useful route. Also handy for pax
flying via Gatwick. By all accounts, plenty of other tourists had
come to the same conclusion regarding hotels.

Although I have stayed in the Kings Cross/St Pancras area a few times,
because the area is convenient for travel to/from London (both Yorkshire
and the continent via Eurostar), I don't see it as being particularly
cheap. Indeed, the Kings Cross Premier Inn is the most expensive
Premier Inn I have stayed at...

Given the availability of Travelcards etc, if I wanted to stay more
cheaply in the London area, I would look at somewhere a little out of
the centre... e.g. for a random date in September, the Premier Inn
called "London Kew" (actually it's in Brentford) is £87 per room,
compared with £150 for "London Kings Cross St Pancras". For my random
date in August, there was no availability at the Kings Cross Premier Inn.

Actually, I don't know how the Kings Cross Premier Inn attracts so much
business at that price, because the Euston Ibis (in no way inferior to
the Premier Inn, IMO) is only £109

It's the value that tourists place on proximity to Thameslink, obviously!
:-)


Well, Thameslink *is* at the centre of the tourist area. Apparently,
the tourist area has moved several miles just to be near Thameslink.

;-)

In message , at 18:08:30 on
Wed, 11 Aug 2010, Bruce remarked:

Well, Thameslink *is* at the centre of the tourist area.

The number one attractions that overseas visitors I take to London want
to see are Tower Bridge (but usually only the outside) and the Tower of
London (on the inside). The third might be the London Dungeon. As all of
these are east of Thameslink... it's as good away as any, to get close
enough to then wonder how to do the last half mile.
--
Roland Perry

I personally think it should be branded as part of and integrated into
the Crossrail system rather than 'Thameslink' so that we move to a
more Paris style - Metro / RER (Tube / Crossrail).