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Finsbury Park gig-where to stay?

Looby

Looby

Well-Known Member
Going to see Pulp in July and left booking a hotel really late.

We were going to get the train up and stay close to the park but now think that’ll be a massive faff as we won’t be able to check in anywhere before the gig etc

So now we’re thinking drive and stay further out. We can park up and leave our bags.
But where to go for that’s kind of on our natural route (from Dorset) and easy travel to Finsbury Park with likely cab back (5/6 miles seems ok).

I’m fucking clueless here. The nearest Travelodge with parking is Brent Cross. Does that sound reasonable?
 
brent cross to finsbury park is a bit meh for travel - by underground would mean going in to central london then out again

there is a direct bus (route 210) although it's best part of an hour daytime, much less late evening - last one back is after 1 am from finsbury park. it's about 7 miles by road, not sure how much taxis cost in london, to be honest.

some places will do early check in, or look after bags, for a bit extra. not sure i've ever used it, but think i've seen it as an optional extra when booking somewhere.

what time's the gig?

natural route from dorset would be to come in to london from the south west, but then you're needing to cross london to get to finsbury park and back again - although the piccadilly line to heathrow does run all night on friday and saturday nights.

brent cross also tends to be traffic jam central with the north circular road / main roads north / shopping centre.

depending on what time the gig is likely to finish, would somewhere closer to the M25 and on the railway line north out of finsbury park (somewhere on the potters bar / hatfield sort of patch) work?

although there's a risk of train strikes as well to add to the mix...
 
Puddy_Tat said:
brent cross to finsbury park is a bit meh for travel - by underground would mean going in to central london then out again

there is a direct bus (route 210) although it's best part of an hour daytime, much less late evening - last one back is after 1 am from finsbury park. it's about 7 miles by road, not sure how much taxis cost in london, to be honest.

some places will do early check in, or look after bags, for a bit extra. not sure i've ever used it, but think i've seen it as an optional extra when booking somewhere.

what time's the gig?

natural route from dorset would be to come in to london from the south west, but then you're needing to cross london to get to finsbury park and back again - although the piccadilly line to heathrow does run all night on friday and saturday nights.

brent cross also tends to be traffic jam central with the north circular road / main roads north / shopping centre.

depending on what time the gig is likely to finish, would somewhere closer to the M25 and on the railway line north out of finsbury park (somewhere on the potters bar / hatfield sort of patch) work?

although there's a risk of train strikes as well to add to the mix...
Click to expand...
Ticket says 4pm so I assume that’s gates open time. Don’t know finish time but I can’t imagine too late. Maybe 10 or 11?

I really just want somewhere with an easy route back to hotel preferably by cab. We’ll both be tired and probably drunk, don’t know that area at all so won’t want to be trying to get too far with changes etc.

I hadn’t thought about potential train strikes so that’s another vote for driving. Thanks for the reminder. 😊
 
Raheem said:
Archway Premier Inn has parking, and would be close enough to walk.
Click to expand...

or also on the 210 bus route

(note - if you are using a bus in london, they don't take cash. contactless is fine, it's a flat fare wherever you're going, so just beep the card on the thing next to the driver when you get on, you don't have to beep again when you get off, but it's one person per card - you can't buy two 'tickets' with one card. apologies if this is stating the obvious, but people do still get caught by it...)

but if you're considering driving...

archway is inside the north circular road - which is an ULEZ, the north circular is the boundary, you're ok on it, but not inside it - not sure which side the place at brent cross you mentioned is. worth checking if your car is compliant or if you'd have to pay.
 
Thanks. I’m good with London travel I just don’t know that part. My car is compliant, it’s a fairly new hybrid.

I’m so confused about what to do. Archway looks a good option for distance but hotel is lots. I’ll have a look around there for other places.
 
Looby said:
Thanks. I’m good with London travel I just don’t know that part. My car is compliant, it’s a fairly new hybrid.

I’m so confused about what to do. Archway looks a good option for distance but hotel is lots. I’ll have a look around there for other places.
Click to expand...
The cheapest rate seems to be 163, rather than 263. Not sure how much you will be able to shave of that for a room in London on a Friday, tbh, but you can sometimes save a bit by going through booking.com etc.
 
Never stayed there but I was looking at accommodation nearby for another weekend and noted there’s a premier inn close to Southgate tube station which is on the Piccadilly line. Parking too.
 
Raheem said:
The cheapest rate seems to be 163, rather than 263. Not sure how much you will be able to shave of that for a room in London on a Friday, tbh, but you can sometimes save a bit by going through booking.com etc.
Click to expand...
I’m really struggling with it as most places are booked or ruinously expensive. It’s sat 1st.

Then we’re back the weekend after for Blur at Wembley and haven’t sorted that yet either. 😄
Although I have some options there as been to Wembley before.
 
Looby said:
I’m really struggling with it as most places are booked or ruinously expensive. It’s sat 1st.

Then we’re back the weekend after for Blur at Wembley and haven’t sorted that yet either. 😄
Although I have some options there as been to Wembley before.
Click to expand...
Britpop is a ruinous habit.
 
Looby said:
Going to see Pulp in July and left booking a hotel really late.

We were going to get the train up and stay close to the park but now think that’ll be a massive faff as we won’t be able to check in anywhere before the gig etc

So now we’re thinking drive and stay further out. We can park up and leave our bags.
But where to go for that’s kind of on our natural route (from Dorset) and easy travel to Finsbury Park with likely cab back (5/6 miles seems ok).

I’m fucking clueless here. The nearest Travelodge with parking is Brent Cross. Does that sound reasonable?
Click to expand...
Yes then get the 210 bus to Finsbury Park. The last stop is Finsbury Park bus station and literally round the corner from the park.
 
Looby said:
I’m really struggling with it as most places are booked or ruinously expensive. It’s sat 1st.

Then we’re back the weekend after for Blur at Wembley and haven’t sorted that yet either. 😄
Although I have some options there as been to Wembley before.
Click to expand...
Brent Cross for Wembly is ideal!
 
I haven't actually worked it through, but I have always thought that the quickest way would be to take the M3 to Richmond and leave the car there, otherwise you are driving all the way around the M25 and then another ride back into town.
 
quimcunx said:
Premier inn brixton is 76.50. No parking except street parking. Check in 3pm or earlier for extra tenner. Victoria line quick and direct to FP. Get the train instead of driving.
Click to expand...
Thanks but it’s £171 plus early check in fee which I don’t think would be early enough. Train would be £50 each.
If I was getting the train I’d stay at the Travelodge by the park.
 
Boudicca said:
I haven't actually worked it through, but I have always thought that the quickest way would be to take the M3 to Richmond and leave the car there, otherwise you are driving all the way around the M25 and then another ride back into town.
Click to expand...
Makes sense drive wise but still leaves us wandering round London with our pyjamas. 😄
 
I know it sounds like I’m saying no to everything but I’m trying to find an option that’s convenient and doesn’t involve trying to get around late and drunk.
 
Lea Valley campsite at Edmonton could be an option. Somewhere to park the car and only 6 miles, 2 buses, less than an hour away.

Lee Valley Camping and Caravan | Lee Valley Regional Park

With is North London location, Lee Valley Camping and Caravan Park, Edmonton is the perfect place for those city weekends. Fancy exploring what nature has to offer? You can reach our many open spaces from Tottenham Marshes to River Lee Country Park from the towpath
www.visitleevalley.org.uk www.visitleevalley.org.uk
 
Personally, I'd get the train up.. don't Travelodge allow early check-in from 12pm.

Wood Green Travelodge is 3 stops away on tube so dead easy, or can get a bus.. if you can afford £250, also Manor House, King's Cross, Farringdon or Walthamstow would all be easy.
 
If I knew for certain there would be no strikes scheduled I’d be tempted to go back to getting the train but we’re kind of stuffed if we book a central hotel with no parking then have to drive.

Without sounding ungrateful, can we get back to convenient places to stay where we might find a hotel with parking.

I’ll check the ones mentioned for parking. 😊
 
I sometimes use the Hampton hotel for London stuff as it is very close to East Croydon train station. There’s a secure car park opposite and it’s the right side of London if coming from the south. All night trains (hourly but equally running past 3am) from Victoria, which is on a direct tube line from Finsbury Park. Google maps says it’s a 36 minute journey

£202 for your date so not that helpful. Sorry.
 
Looby said:
If I knew for certain there would be no strikes scheduled I’d be tempted to go back to getting the train but we’re kind of stuffed if we book a central hotel with no parking then have to drive.

Without sounding ungrateful, can we get back to convenient places to stay where we might find a hotel with parking.

I’ll check the ones mentioned for parking. 😊
Click to expand...
Use Your Parking Space. You can book a parking space in zone 5-6 then hop on the tube to your hotel. They're often inexpensive so if you wanted, you could book one as insurance in case there's a rail strike and then hopefully travel by train. Alternatively find a parking space near a cheaper, more central, hotel. I've done both successfully on quite a few occasions and use it all the time to go to football matches when there's a strike, a lot of the supermarkets will let you book to park your car in their car parks for days through it. I am not employed by them to advertise (!) but they are useful. YourParkingSpace
 
Thought I’d update in case anyone is looking in the future.

After booking a premier inn a few miles out and regretting it I managed to get a cancellation at the Highbury Best Western opposite the park.
It’s a bit shabby and the breakfast would get slated on the FEB thread but it was the perfect location with parking for a tenner.
Getting out was crazy but then it was two minutes to our hotel rather than a massive queue for cabs/tubes/trains.
We didn’t bother trying to get to an after party.

As for Finsbury Park. Really nice venue but the bar queues were absolutely mental so we made do with the spirits we’d hidden in our bras and mixers from the ice cream vans.
I spent 50 minutes queuing for merch which was so badly staffed it was unreal. I was trying to buy stuff online in the queue but what I wanted had sold out.

Obviously Pulp were incredible.
 
I'm so glad everyone I've heard who's seen them have said they were brilliant. I've got to wait till the 14th and I'm so excited! :D
 
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