I will be arriving in London on Sun. April 2, and will be leaving London on Sun. April 9, so I will only have a total of 6 full days to spend in this wonderful city. I have been here before (2 years ago), so I would like to spend a little time outside of the city. I was thinking of going to Bath or York for 2 days, but am thinking with such a short time, maybe day trips are better. I will not be driving and unfortunately money is a consideration. I love small, quaint villages (I am from the Los Angeles area where nothing here is quaint or small), but also love the theatre and museums of London. I have done some research already but have just become more confused on what to do! ( I have already been to Stonehendge and Salisbury and loved them both.) Any ideas will be much appreciated! Thanks!

You will get better value for money staying outside of London for 2 days/nights than doing day trips. Accomodations in London are much higher than anywhere else in teh country.

Both Bath and York are wonderful, but if I was in your situation, I'd pick York. You get a medieval walled city, the Minster, the Shambles, the amazing Castle and railway museums, and possible day trips to either Castle Howard or Fountains Abbey. Take the train from Kings Cross, arrive in York 2 hours later, and have 2.5 days for York and still be back in London before dinner time on the third day.

Bath is also great - but I just think York is more "different" from the London experience.

If you take a trip out of London combine York and maybe a day in Durham. Durham is oozing with history... a great cathedral, castle. And you can even stay at Lumley Castle, Chester-Le-Street... time it right for one of their Elizabethan Banquets! http://www.lumleycastle.com/

(But Bath is good too!)

Have you thought about Stratford upon Avon? Shakespears home town OOOOzing with history and only an easy 1.5 hours from London on the train. its VERY quaint and you could easily do this in a day.

Just a thought.......

What about Cambridge for the day? Trains leave London frequently and the journey is short. You can take walking tours, punt on the Cam and visit some of the colleges.

Thank-you so much for all of the great advice! I have decided on York for 3 nights. That will hopefully give me enough time to see some of the small villages outside of the city such as Durham. I will just have to make another trip to see all of the other places that people have recommended! After reading some other threads, it seems that I should purchase the train tickets to York ahead of time. I checked the website, and the tickets seem to range in price from about 10 pounds for a single journey, to over 100 for a round trip. Is this correct? Thanks again!

Yes, you can get the best prices if you book in advance. If you find a ticket London to York for £10 buy it NOW!!!

Hi
Durham isn't a small village just outside the city - its a city in itself and it's 75 miles away! Easy to get to by rail though.
Don't miss the Railway Museum in York (5 minutes walk from the main station). Free entry and a truly wonderful place.
Fountains Abbey and Studeley Royal Water Gardens (all on the same site) are close by. Fountains is deservedly a World Hertitage Site.
If you love beautiful scenery - hills, waterfalls, picturesque villages, castles and abbeys then I suggest hiring a car and having a day exploring the Yorkshire Dales.
I live close to York - give me a yell if you have any more questions.
M