Is Stratford a good place to stay in London?

Stratford is a good base if you want modern hotels, lower prices and excellent transport rather than an old London neighbourhood. The station has the Elizabeth line, the Central line, the Jubilee line, the DLR and the Overground, so you can reach the West End, the City and Canary Wharf without changing. It suits budget travellers, families, people coming for an event at the Olympic Park and anyone flying from London City Airport.

The area is new and spacious. Westfield Stratford City, one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe, is right by the station, with dozens of restaurants under one roof. Across the bridge, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has riverside paths, playgrounds, the London Stadium, the Aquatics Centre and the ArcelorMittal Orbit, and the new East Bank cultural quarter is growing along the water.

The downside is that Stratford doesn't feel like the London you see in films. Around the station it's shopping centres, busy roads and new blocks, and the old high street to the east is plainer and scruffier. On match and concert days the station gets very crowded, and you'll need the Tube or the Elizabeth line for every classic sight.

What makes Stratford worth considering is how much you get for the price. Hotels are newer and cheaper than in the centre, the Olympic Park gives you real space to walk and run, and so many lines meet here that getting around London is often quicker than from places that look closer on the map.