Posts Tagged ‘London’

St. Pancras International is the newest railway hub for London in 100 years. With Queen Elizabeth at the ceremony, the official opening is slated for November 14th, 2007. The station has been in disrepair for almost 40 years and went under a six year, $1.6 billion renovation. A five-star hotel that is attached to the station is still being refurbished and will open in 2009. Located in the King’s Cross section of London, the Eurostar train can whisk you from London to Paris in 2 hours and 15 minutes, London to Lille in 1 hour and 20 minutes, or London to Brussels in 1 hour and 51 minutes. If you are lucky to score tickets to the 2012 Olympics, there will be a separate train service that can shuttle spectators to the stadium in minutes. With excellent amenities such as wi-fi, retail shops, a farmer’s market and Europe’s longest Champagne bar, St. Pancras station is a chic travel pick.

Everyone has pre-conceived notions about hostels. Yes, you do sleep on a twin bed, for a total of 8 - 12 people per room on bunk beds. There is usually one bathroom for every 4 people in the suite. Sometimes they are dorm-style rooms where bathrooms are down the hall. The establishments in the US are not on the same level of quality and comfort as the ones in Europe. On my second vacation in London, I stayed at a wonderful hostel. The Meininger Baden Powell is conveniently located in the posh neighborhood of Kensington. There were several bus stops in front of the building and two tube stops within walking distance. Also, the hostel was in walking distance to the Museum of Natural History, Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace. The rooms were clean and large, with single, double, and shared rooms available. I chose a shared room and paid just $23 per night. Meininger has hostels in Germany, and just opened a place in Vienna, so check them out.