Croydon
Introduction
Croydon is a large town in South London, sitting about nine and a half miles south of Charing Cross and forming part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London and has an extensive shopping area, so you can treat it as a substantial urban centre in its own right rather than a passing stop on the way into central London.
Before you go
Croydon is one of the main towns of outer South London, a major commercial centre with its own transport interchanges, entertainment, cultural and shopping venues. The borough also takes in Coulsdon, Purley, Thornton Heath, Old Coulsdon, South Norwood and Norbury, and shares Upper Norwood with Lambeth. The town is known for its density of shiny glass and steel high-rise office blocks, and Wellesley Road runs north to south through it. The pedestrianised shopping precinct west of Wellesley Road is an attractive retail area, while Croydon Town Hall and the Clock Tower art centre sit in an imposing Victorian building just south of the shops. Before you go, plan how you will get around and how you will get home. The Purley Way is difficult to get about on foot: some areas can be reached by tram, but the park there is designed for cars. In the town centre, avoid flashing valuable possessions so you do not attract unwanted attention. Croydon town centre is busy on Thursdays and at weekends, when its bars draw crowds. If you are out at night, prebook your taxi, since local London Black cabs are very expensive; the night bus network, by contrast, is very good. The vast majority of journeys pass without incident, but common sense applies, and it is wise to be cautious, as the area can include a rough element.Getting there
Croydon has no London Underground station, so you'll arrive by train, tram or Overground instead. Two stations serve the centre: East Croydon, the main station, with fast trains to London Victoria and London Bridge, and West Croydon, an interchange for trains, trams and buses. Services from London Victoria, London Blackfriars and London Bridge run to Croydon, and all Victoria services heading for the South Coast stop at East Croydon. From East Croydon you can also reach Gatwick, Luton and, with changes at Victoria and Earl's Court, Heathrow. The London Overground Windrush line runs from Highbury & Islington to West Croydon via Dalston Junction, New Cross, the Docklands and Whitechapel.
Tramlink, the first modern tram system in London, runs three routes: Wimbledon to Elmers End, Wimbledon to Beckenham Junction, and New Addington to West Croydon, all passing through Croydon on the Croydon Loop. You can use the trams to connect with the District line at Wimbledon and onward via Earl's Court. Buses are extensive, with a major bus station at West Croydon; routes run towards central London and to destinations including Purley Way, Bromley, Sutton, Kingston and Heathrow.
Getting around
Croydon's town centre is largely pedestrianised, and North End, the main shopping parade, has been closed to traffic for years, so most places in the centre are easily reached on foot. For longer hops, the town has two principal railway stations, and knowing which is which makes your trip smoother. East Croydon is the main station and a national rail hub, with frequent fast services to central London, Brighton and the south coast, and it is also where you will find a large taxi stand served by black cabs outside the main entrance, on the left as you exit; other local cab companies may pick up from the same stand. West Croydon is the interchange for trains, trams and buses, and its slower trains into central London terminate at Victoria or London Bridge. Buses are a useful complement to rail and tram: most buses leaving Croydon stop at the bus station next to West Croydon station, while the other bus station sits opposite East Croydon station on George Street, though not all buses passing it stop there. Croydon is at the centre of the only tramway system in Southern England, with green-liveried trams running between Wimbledon and Elmers End, Wimbledon and Beckenham Junction, and New Addington and West Croydon; all lines travel through the town on the Croydon Loop, and you can change at Wimbledon for the Underground's District line. Much of South London, Croydon included, has no Tube service, so in practice you rely on trains, trams and buses, with the nearest Tube termini at Wimbledon and Morden. The London Overground's Windrush line links West Croydon to East and North London, and for everything else the usual London private-hire and ride-hailing options apply.Where to stay
Croydon has a wide range of accommodation, and the local Tourist Information Centre promotes establishments that belong to the National Quality Assurance Standards Scheme. Members are inspected annually by assessors from the AA, RAC or English Tourism Council and graded according to quality, facilities and level of service: hotels from one to five stars, and guest accommodation such as guest houses and bed & breakfasts from one to five diamonds. Establishments without a grading are not part of the scheme, so their quality cannot be assured.
- London Croydon Aerodrome Hotel, BW Signature Collection — a luxury hotel on Purley Way, next to Croydon Airport.
- Holiday Inn Express London - Croydon — a modern hotel built in 2003, in the town centre.
- Leonardo Hotel (formerly Jury's Inn) — a modern hotel on Wellesley Road.
- Premier Inn London Croydon (Purley A23) — on Purley Way at the Colonnades Leisure Park, offering warm and cosy rooms.
- Premier Inn London Croydon South (A212) — on Coombe Road, also offering warm and cosy rooms.
- De Vere Selsdon Estate — on Addington Road.
- Travelodge Croydon Central — cheap and modest, on Wellesley Road next to the Leonardo.
Food & drink
Croydon's restaurant scene often surprises visitors with its variety, quality and affordability. While the pedestrianised centre is full of chains, the High Street and South End Road, south of the flyover, hold an excellent selection of independent places - though this stretch is becoming a victim of its own success and is itself starting to be taken over by chains. For a budget option, try Cafe Giardino on North End for Italian. Mid-range choices include Chat House Tandoori on Brighton Road in South Croydon, and Little Bay on Selsdon Road, where you can catch live opera performances on Monday and Wednesday evenings and live folk music on Saturdays, with murals on the toilet walls that might not suit children. The Spread Eagle Ale & Pie House on Katharine Street serves fresh, homemade pies and other pub classics alongside a great selection of cask conditioned ales. For drinking, the Green Dragon on the High Street draws an eclectic but very good natured crowd, with live bands and DJs on some nights of the week.What to see and do
Croydon's wartime bombing left a patchwork of old and new architecture to explore. Start at the Whitgift Almshouses on North End, whose Tudor courtyard now provides sheltered flats for elderly locals. The Clock Tower Museum covers Croydon past and present, including the Riesco Gallery and exhibitions on the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who lived most of his life in the town; the Town Hall stands next to it. For a village feel, head to Woodside Green and settle into the Joiner's Arms or the Beehive for a drink or a meal. Elsewhere you can see Croydon Airport, London's former main airport and now a tourist attraction, the restored Shirley Windmill, the 18th-century Addington Palace, the Croydon Clocktower arts venue, the Nestlé Tower, the Fairfield Halls arts centre, Croydon Palace — for over 500 years the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury — and Croydon Cemetery, known for the gravestone of Derek Bentley. For open space, Mitcham Common is a massive green area shared with Sutton and Merton, good for quiet walks in nice weather and for sledding when snow is on the ground. Trams serve Woodside Green, the Clock Tower Museum, Addington Palace and Mitcham Common.Three days in Croydon
Day one: Arrive into Croydon, a large town in South London within the London Borough of Croydon in Greater London. Use the rail links into East Croydon or West Croydon, with services toward London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and Charing Cross, plus connections to Gatwick and Luton. Settle in and walk the centre around Wellesley Road, Croydon Town Hall and the Clock Tower, taking in the Victorian architecture. In the evening, choose from the town's many restaurants and bars.
Day two: Explore the wider borough by rail and bus. Head to South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Norbury, Upper Norwood, Purley, Old Coulsdon and Coulsdon for a mix of suburban streets, parks and local high streets. If you prefer shopping, The Purley Way has retail parks, and Thursdays are a good day to check for late-night opening in the town centre.
Day three: Use Croydon as a base for London. From East Croydon, trains reach London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and Charing Cross, and you can connect to the London Underground and Overground. Alternatively, head south toward the South Coast. Two days is enough for the town itself; a third lets you mix Croydon with the wider city and region.