Mr Kip, toddler Kip and I have scored Olympic tickets for 1 event session and as we live in Devon we are planning to stay somewhere nearish and get the train in that day.

We have a couple of choices but one that is available is staying at Laleham Camping Club in Staines. Now, as a self-confessed country lass originally from t’North I have little knowledge of the area….cue you lovely people…what’s it like? Does anyone know the camp site, and if so should we go for it? Are we heading into bandit country? Does anyone live nearby and could they check it out for us?

Any advice given would be appreciated (on this topic…not random advice, I get enough of that from my mother!).

Cheers

I know you’re coming from Devon but Stains to Hackney is a long way. I’d be inclined to look for a place to stay nearish or good connections to Ebbsfleet and get the train to Stratford.

If its camping your after, there is a Camp Site in Epping Forest.

The Camp Site

Which is on the Central Line into Stratford and very cheap to stay.
Ebbsfleet is miles away and would cost a lot of money in travelling
and more likely have to book tickets well in advance.

There must be plenty of camping spots in North Kent, close to Ebbsfleet (Station within minutes of Stratford)

Stains? Don’t go there, oribble place you’ll get mugged.

I often commute past it on my long way back into London from Staines. It’s OK for what you are looking for I’d say, not bandit country but not somewhere I’d choose to spend the night. A bit of a trek into town like.

It’s definitely a long way from the Olympic area but on the other hand, if you’re in the car it means you don’t have to go all the way around London to get to somewhere more convenient and then back again. From Staines it’ll be probably 30-45 mins into central London then another 20-30 mins out from there.

siemens had a depot in staines….we used to ring em….”hello siemens staines”…. 🙄 and as has been said, its a long way from Hackney, I would have a look for a B&B thats close to a tube station.

Cheers for info, we have access to offers on train tickets so that’s not an issue. Luckily our event starts at 1.30pm (unluckily it’s at the Excel) so we have all day to get in. We are aware we have to give extra time due to “airport style security” at the venue and lots of people snarling up the transport (yup that’s us!).

We are also planning on staying on the West side of London, mainly to cut down on driving. Neither Mr Kip or I fancy a drive to the far side of London and Toddler Kip loves train journeys!

We are probably going to stay outside the M25 along the M4 corridor and have it as our main holiday. Any other ideas welcome 🙂

Staines it’ll be probably 30-45 mins into central London then another 20-30 mins out from there.

You would never achieve the lower limits of these travel times.

Camp site at Sewardstone then bus to the Olympic Site, stayed there myself and its very pleasant for somwhere so near to East London Campsite

Edmonton is not a good area
Would not stay or even live there!
Also regarding traveling you will have to use main line into
Liverpool Street and then get onto the Central Line
or get off at Bethnal Green and Long walk well out the
way to Central Line Bethnal Green station.
I would not recommend that route.

If you can manage to drive round to the top of the M25 then the Youth Hostel at Cheshunt is very good and has a sailing base attached where you could probably have a paddle round with your kiddy.

Quick train line to Liverpool St and Stratford.

Area is alright, next to river and laleham park, which is a nice enough park, busy in the summer. Handyish for Windsor too if you’re staying longer (castle, lego land, the great park, Virginia Water etc. ). Not sure of the site itself as I was local so I never stayed there.

Laleham is a pretty quiet place, and you’d have to budget time and money for parking in Staines to catch the train to London. Trains into London are pretty slow too.

You could consider driving a bit further East to the Surrey Hills area. There is a youth hostels at the Devils Punchbowl, Holmbury St Mary and Ranmore Common!

Trains into Waterloo from Guildford or Dorking take about 35 to 50 minutes, when you’re not doing the Olympic thing there is a bit of biking or walking to be had in the Surrey Hills.

Edmonton is not a good area

Has anyone mentioned Edmonton?