Backpackers accommodation?

Question

moving to london looking for work shortly , anybody got any info on cheap accommodation in the north london area . thanks

Answer 1

For a backpacker, hostels would no doubt be your best option, however, be careful when choosing your location because London is not known for its great hostels.  Most of them are dirty and a bit dodgy, but there are a few exceptions.  I would stick only to YHA (Youth Hostel Association) hostels.  Though you need to pay a small fee to become a YHA member to stay in some of these hostels, the fee is well worth it since YHA hostels are well maintained, clean and have helpful and friendly staff in London and throughout the UK. The membership lasts a year and is good at all YHA hostels.  Check out the hostels and locations at http://www.yha.org.uk/ There are 7 YHA hostels in London and you can find their locations and more info at the website! There is a YHA in St. Pancras, but I think that is the only one in North London.

If YHA doesn’t meet your location needs, I would recommend using www.hostelworld.com to find your hostel.  This is hands-down the best hostel locating site on the web.  Trust the user ratings and only stay in places with a cleanliness rating above 70% and a high security rating.

If you’d prefer a step above a hostel – London is full of budget B&Bs that are clean and offer breakfast included in your room fee.  Some, like the Vegas hotel near Victoria, even offer shared rooms that are a step above a hostel when it comes to cleanliness.  When I stayed at the Vegas, I had a double room, which  was bizarre since you entered through the loo to get to the bed, however, at least it was ensuite, cheap, clean, included breakfast and had a television. That area around and behind Victoria has dozens of similar B&Bs, and the same is true of areas surrounding most of the city's main central train stations, King's cross area has loads, it's not quite as close to the city center but it is close to excellent transportation.

Staying near Victoria is a good idea because of all the great transportation connections and it's a safe area. http://www.4hotels.co.uk is a good place to start B&B shopping. It also lets you browse by region of London. The bigger sites like www.hotels.com, www.expedia.com, etc. usually have some B&B listings for London as well.  Check out the Vegas here:  http://www.vegashotel.co.uk/ Cheers!