Croydon is a vibrant town in South London with a rich musical culture. Home to The BRIT School, icons such as Amy Winehouse, Adele and Leona Lewis have all spent their formative years here. That creative culture is reflected in a number of the towns restaurants, bars, attractions and entertainment spots. Whatever you plan to get up to when visiting the capital, you will be right amongst the action at our Croydon Town Centre hotel. Our guide outlines the best places to eat and drink, as well as listing the most popular sightseeing locations and entertainment venues in the area.
Things to do in Croydon
Shopping
A buzzing market that has historical roots as far back as the 13th century, the Surrey Street Market runs every Monday to Saturday, selling a wide range of fruit and vegetables in a pedestrian-friendly zone. With a buzzing atmosphere and a wide range of stalls, it’s a great place to pick up a bargain, while if you head down on Sundays you can catch their alternative artisan market.
One of the largest covered shopping malls in London, Centrale and Whitgift in Croydon opened in 2004 with two main department stores – House of Fraser and Debenhams – as well as 50 high street names including Next, Boots and H&M. Head upstairs to the first floor to their Food Court which can sit 200 diners, while the shopping centre also has a range of cafés, bars and restaurants spanning sushi, milkshakes, coffee shops, wine bars and burgers.
Getting Around
Travellers and tourists to Croydon are spoilt for choice when it comes to airports. London City Airport is 17-miles from Croydon, with the journey taking around an hour by car or just over 30-minutes via a combination of tube and train. The airport is serviced by a variety of airlines including British Airways and KLM with regular departures across the UK and Europe.
To the south of Croydon and 40-minutes by car is Gatwick Airport, the second-busiest UK airport. Trains run direct from Croydon to Gatwick taking just 15-minutes. Make your journey even easier by staying the night before your flight at one of our hotels near Gatwick.
Literally over the road from our Croydon Town Centre hotel, the East Croydon Train Station is one of the busiest non-terminal stations in London servicing over 20 million passengers each year. The station has regular departures to Gatwick, Brighton, Milton Keynes, with a ticket office, ticket machines, public toilets and various cafés and shops in the concourse. Launched in 2000, the Tramlink is a 28km-long light rail system that connects Croydon with the surrounding area including Wimbledon, New Addington, Beckenham Junction and Elmers End.
Croydon shopping
