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Travel & Tourist Information
The hotel is located five minutes walk from Victoria station. The station is a large transport terminal offering Bus, Underground and Railway services. There are many connections to the whole of London from its excellent location in the heart of the city.
Click here for our local map.
Click here for our tourist map.
If you are planning to use the Underground or a London bus for any part of your journey, it is recommended that you buy a one day travelcard with which you can travel all day in London for one set price. Make sure your card includes the zone of the station where you begin your journey and zone 1 (where the hotel is located). Zones 1 and 2 are where most places of interest are located, you will likely not need to venture further to zone 3 and beyond (except when travelling to the airports).
The hotel is in a great location to reach the major London attractions. Buckingham Palace is a comfortable ten minute walk whilst Big Ben and Westminster Abbey are a short five minute bus journey. Take a look at our tourist map for the many nearby attractions.
See below for specific directions about reaching the hotel by various means according to how you will be arriving in London. Please note that the prices and times given are only a general guide and could change at any time. Before travelling we recommend you follow the links provided to check the latest information from the service providers themselves.
Walking from Victoria Station
The best way to the hotel is to enter the ‘Victoria Place’ shopping centre which is connected to the main railway station next to platform 14. Take the escalators up into the shopping centre then use the ‘Eccleston Bridge’ exit, heading left as you step onto the pavement. As you walk down the hill the name of the road changes to Belgrave Road. Carry on walking for five minutes past Gillingham Street on your left and the ‘Eccleston Square’ gardens on your right. The Alexander is then the first Bed & Breakfast hotel on the left side.
If you are arriving between 2300 and 0600 the shopping centre will be closed so you will need to take the alternative slightly longer route. Use the Way out to Terminus Place (located by the pair of central arches connecting the two railway concourses) and head right onto Wilton Road (look for the large ‘Apollo Theatre’ building). You are now standing at the beginning of Wilton Road. Head down the road (with the theatre on your left) and after a few minutes turn right onto Hudsons Place. Walk for a few minutes up to the traffic lights and turn left onto Belgrave Road. Carry on straight past Gillingham Street on your left and the ‘Eccleston Square’ gardens on your right. The Alexander is then the first Bed & Breakfast hotel on the left side.
We recommend you view and print our local map before travelling.
Airport Connections to Victoria Station
GATWICK AIRPORT - Use the Gatwick Express rail service to travel direct and non-stop to Victoria Station. Journey time is approximately 35 minutes, arriving at platform 14. Running from around 0500 in the morning to 0100 late at night, trains leave every 15 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes off peak. A single ticket costs about £11 and a return £22 but prices do change so check in advance. Tickets can be purchased on the train if you are in a hurry.
If you are arriving by Gatwick Express the train will pull into Victoria station at platform 14. Step onto the main concourse and follow the walking directions to the hotel as above.
A National Express coach costs £11 for a return and takes about one hour, depending on traffic. Some services stop at many places en route so make sure you take the direct service otherwise it will take 4 hours to reach London. The first coach departs from Gatwick at 0515, the last departs 2215. Coaches terminate at Victoria Coach Station which is just over five minutes walk from the hotel, see our local map.
A mini cab will cost about £30-£40 and is not too bad an option if you have lots of luggage. Again the journey takes about one hour depending on traffic.
- GATWICK AIRPORT INFORMATION
- GATWICK EXPRESS INFORMATION
- COACHES INCLUDING TIMES AND PRICES
- TAXI INFORMATION
HEATHROW AIRPORT - Use the Underground system to travel from Heathrow to Victoria. Take the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Hammersmith Station, then change onto the District Line continuing eastbound to Victoria Station. The changeover at Hammersmith is just a few steps across to the opposite side of the platform you have arrived on (don’t board District Line trains terminating at Kensington Olympia or Edgware Road though). Journey time is one hour but be prepared for lots of people in the central zones if you’re travelling during peak hours which could add time.
If you are arriving at Victoria station by underground, take one of the two exits opposite the Victoria Line barriers up into the main railway station. From here follow the walking directions to the hotel as above.
Prices on the underground vary according to peak times but generally a central zone single adult ticket costs about £3 (children half price) so it’s better to buy a travelcard for zones 1 & 2 which will let you travel all day around central London (including buses and overground trains) for about £5. For £6, you can buy a travelcard for zones 1-6 (the airport is located in zone 6) so it makes sense to do this when first travelling from the airport so that you can use it to explore London later that day.
There is an overground train (the Heathrow Express) but this terminates at Paddington Station (a further 30 minutes from Victoria) and is therefore not a convenient option.
Coaches to and from the airport offer limited hours (first bus departs Heathrow 0535, the last departs 2135) and a return ticket costs £15. Journey time is just under an hour. Coaches terminate at Victoria Coach Station which is just over five minutes walk from the hotel, see our local map.
A mini-cab to the hotel would cost about £25-£35 and takes one hour, not a bad choice if you have lots of luggage.
- HEATHROW AIRPORT INFORMATION
- LONDON UNDERGROUND INFORMATION INCLUDING MAPS AND FARES
- COACHES INCLUDING TIMES AND PRICES
- TAXI INFORMATION
STANSTED AIRPORT - Take the Stansted Express overground to Liverpool Street station and change onto the underground system westbound on the Central Line to Oxford Circus. Change at Oxford Circus onto the Victoria Line southbound to Victoria station. A single ticket (not including the underground part of the journey) costs £15, an open return £25. Total journey time from Stansted Airport to Victoria station (including changeover) is about 90 minutes. Trains depart from the airport every 15 minutes during peak times and 30 minutes off-peak. Services begin 0600 and finish at midnight (0030 trains operate on certain days). If you arrive at Liverpool Street Station after 0015 (or 2330 on a Sunday) the last underground train will have left so the best option will be to catch a taxi to the hotel.
If you are arriving at Victoria station by underground, take one of the two exits opposite the Victoria Line barriers up into the main railway station. From here follow the walking directions to the hotel.
A cheaper alternative is to take a coach. National Express charge £16 for a return ticket. Coaches run 24 hours and terminate at Victoria Coach station which is just over five minutes walk from the hotel, see our local map.
A taxi from the airport to the hotel would cost about £50 and takes a couple of hours.
- STANSTED AIRPORT INFORMATION
- STANSTED EXPRESS TRAIN INFORMATION
- LONDON UNDERGROUND INFORMATION INCLUDING MAPS AND FARES
- COACHES INCLUDING TIMES AND PRICES
LUTON AIRPORT - Take a train from Luton Airport Parkway station to London Bridge station, the journey time is 50 minutes. Trains run 24 hours, leaving regularly during the day and at hourly intervals very late at night. Once at London Bridge change onto the underground system, taking a Jubilee Line train Westbound to Westminster and then changing to the District Line Westbound for Victoria Station. Total journey time from Luton Airport station to Victoria station will be about 90 minutes.
Take one of the two exits opposite the Victoria Line barriers up into the main railway station. From here follow the walking directions to the hotel.
From Victoria Underground Station
Take one of the two exits opposite the Victoria Line barriers up into the main railway station. From here follow the
walking directions to the hotel as above.
From Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station is located separately from the main railway/bus/underground station, but again the hotel is only 5 minutes walk away. Take the main exit for Buckingham Palace Road. As you step onto Buckingham Palace Road, head left towards Victoria Railway Station and continue walking for a few minutes. Take the next right at the traffic lights onto ‘Eccleston Bridge’ and continue along the road for a further five minutes. As you walk down the hill, the name of the road changes to Belgrave Road. Carry on past Gillingham Street on your left and the ‘Eccleston Square’ gardens on your right. The Alexander is then the first Bed & Breakfast hotel on the left side.
- Further info - www.tfl.gov.uk/vcs
- See our local map with more information.
From Waterloo International (Eurostar Terminal)
Eurostar trains from Paris and Brussels terminate at Waterloo station. A black taxi to the hotel is a good option costing about £10 and taking only 10 minutes. Otherwise by underground take the Jubilee Line one stop north to Westminster and change onto the District or Circle Line Westbound to Victoria Station. Again this is a short journey which shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes and cost about £3 for a one way ticket (or see travelcard information here). Bus 507 or 211 to Victoria Station would be a little quicker and cheaper, with 211 in particular offering a fantastic scenic route as it carries you along past some great landmarks.
From Victoria London Bus Station
If you are arriving at Victoria station on a red London bus, walk to the ‘Terminus Place’ entrance to the railway station. Once there follow the walking directions from Victoria Station as above.
- London Bus Information is available here: www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/
Taxis
A black taxi from Victoria station will cost not much more than £6 and only take a few minutes. If you have lots of luggage why not just throw them in a cab! The taxi rank is situated by the ‘Terminus Place’ exit to the front of the main railway station next to the bus depot.
- Black Taxi and Minicab hire information is available here: www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/
Car
The hotel is situated just outside the congestion charge zone. It’s not necessary to drive through the zone to reach the hotel. Be aware the zone is indicated by a red circle with a white letter “C” inside it. If you do decide to drive into the zone, you will need to pay the daily charge of £8 before 22:00 the same day.
A detailed road map of the local area is available here: www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?P2M?P=sw1v1rb&Z=1
There is a 24 hour car park located on Cumberland Street, five minutes walk away. Alexander Hotel guests receive a 25% discount off regular prices, ask at reception for more details.
Further info on prices and availability here: www.westminster.gov.uk/transportandstreets/parking/masterpark/pimlico.cfm
There is on street parking directly outside the hotel operating from Monday to Friday 0830 - 1830 (free all other times) costing £3 per hour, maximum 4 hours stay. This is expensive and should only be used short term when arriving at the hotel.
