About Kings Cross
King's Cross is known for its train station and the Eurostar terminal, but it's not just somewhere to pass through: it's a destination in its own right. In the heart of England's capital, this London neighbourhood has undergone urban renovation in recent years and has added new parks and shopping areas. So whether you're browsing the area's cool boutiques, sipping cocktails in sleek bars around the revamped Regent's Canal or getting back to nature in the middle of the city in Camley Street Natural Park, there's plenty to keep you busy in King's Cross.
Hostels near King's Cross include a former courthouse with a basement bar hosting events like DJ nights. You could also stay in a King's Cross hostel styled to look like an English country house. Keep an eye out for places with free tea all day long – so you can take part in the very British tradition of drinking a cuppa every five minutes! King's Cross hostels with bunks including their own reading lights, electricity sockets and USB ports are handy spaces to rest your head.
A clutch of areas in King's Cross have had a makeover, including the slick Regent's Canal quarter with its upscale restaurants. Granary Square is where you'll find the King's Place arts centre, which has concert venues and galleries, as well as the Kerb food market. There's also Coal Drops Yard, a shopping complex set among brick arches on cobbled streets with indie boutiques and established designer labels.
Harry Potter fans are sure to make a beeline towards the plaque marking Platform 9¾, created as an ode to the series of novels about the Boy Wizard. Want to grab a bite to eat nearby? The Calthorpe Project is a community garden with a café that whips up meals made from the produce grown on site. For a bigger grassy area to hang out in, Gasholder Park along the Regent’s Canal towpath is a green space set inside the cast iron frame of a former Victorian-era gas holder.
You can get to King's Cross from Paris in as little as 2 hours and 15 minutes on the Eurostar. From Heathrow Airport, it'll take you about 50 minutes to reach King's Cross on the underground with no changes. Six underground lines meet at King's Cross St Pancras station, so it's a major transport hub in the city. You can also jump on one of London's iconic red buses from stops in the area – just tap on and off with your credit or debit card.