Steve

I'm still putting together plans for our trip & wanted to know what you all recommend as an affordable day trip from London City. I checked prices for a RT 1 day trip to Paris via the Chunnel but it's out of our budget (around $300 USD for family of 3). Therefore, I wanted some ideas for a 1 day trip with my wife & I & our 5 year old girl. Suggestions?????

Heather B.

Hello, <BR> <BR>You might consider Warwick Castle, which can be reached via London's Marylebone Train Station. I was there last week and noticed that the children visiting the castle were having a great time. The site is managed by the Tussaud (sp?) group, so there's some wonderful wax figures depicting a Victorial weekend. Lots of knights, etc., roaming around too. In addition, there is a peacock garden, with real peacocks wandering through it. <BR> <BR>Heather B.

billbailey

Do you like castles? Windsor or Warwick, both easy by train from London <BR>Do you like quaint seaside places? <BR>Rye in Sussex <BR>Do you like market towns with great cathedrals? Ely in Cambridgeshire <BR>Do you like Roman remains and georgian elegance? Bath <BR>Hope this helps

elvira

bizarro suggestion: Longleat just outside of Warminster. There's a bus that takes you from the train station to Longleat. You have to see it to believe it, so here's the web page: <BR>www.longleat.co.uk

Lori

Elvira has a good suggestion there .. also look into York. It's only about 2.5 hours by train from Kings Cross Sta. <BR>Warwick Castle is easy to get too as well, straight shot from Marylebone Station, takes about 90 min. Your daughter might enjoy these train rides if you live in a part of the country where you just don't ever get on a train.

Joanne

I have to agree with the recommendation of Warwick Castle, especially if you can get there during any of their many many special events (check their web site). Of all the day trips I've done (Bath, Stratford, Brighton, Oxford, etc.), this will have the most fun for a 5-year-old and you will see lovely countryside on the way there. Read a book or two about knights and castles in advance!

elaine

wow elvira, Longleat looks wonderful for kids.

elvira

Longleat was pretty darn cool for adults...we thought it would be sort of cheesy, we went for the Churchill/Hitler memorabilia, figured we'd be done in a couple of hours. We spent the entire day until closing.

Bruce Hayes

When my wife and I were in London in September 2000, we took a cruise on one of those tourist boats down the Thames to Kew Gardens. It is easy to spend a entire day there.

Joanne

Kew Gardens is quite an amazing place, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. And I think that kids would be impressed with their unique plants, huge ancient trees, and the Victorian hothouses. But it's a mile from one side to the other, rather a huge trek for a 5-year-old.

pat

Hampton court is good too. We went on a boat on the Thames and came back on the train. It is Henry the 8th`s old castle. There is a maze where you can get lost easily. They have a buzzer to ring, so the attendants can tell you how to get out. You could go by train both ways and save some money there.

Steve

Hey Guys, thank you for the wonderful suggestions - I guess I just need to make up my mind. The one thing I should have asked is which of the before mentioned places will not be the best due to late November weather? any? I understand it's usually cold & rainy so I wanted to be careful with a 5 year old if some of these places were more outside versus inside . . . Of course being outside in that weather can also be an adventure!!!

John

The Royal Pavilion and the pier in Brighton offer seaside, amazing architecture, fun stuff on the pier, fresh air, and a quick train ride from London. Very atmospheric in the off-season, too. <BR>http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bhc/...on/index1.html

MrsWilson

I second John's Brighton suggestion. You can always say you saw the English Channel as well! However, if the weather is bad, it might not be so much fun so look out for forecast before deciding.

lisa

Is it too late to offer another suggestion? You could try Oxford. It's a quaint town and you can visit most of the colleges there. Each one is different and has different "attractions" to it that might be interesting for a child -- one has a petting zoo with deer, some have interesting gardens with water and waterfalls, etc. One was where the author of Alice in Wonderland attended and you could show your daughter some of the things that inspired him (rabbit hole, etc). <BR> <BR>Plus, each college is tucked behind a huge facade on the street and so seems kind of like a "secret." <BR> <BR>I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Rhonda

Steve, <BR> <BR>A couple of years ago I bought a Britrail weekend train pass that was good four four days of consecutive train travel. I purchased a book called Daytrips from London by Earl Steinbicker that was helpful in narrowing down which towns would be most interesting. <BR> <BR>1st day - We went to York which is a wonderful old town I would love to go back to. <BR>2nd day - We went to Bath which is nice but not my favorite. <BR>3rd day - Went up to Stratford on avon and then down to Warwick. It was a rushed day as we hurried through Stratford on Avon. Took a bus tour, went through one old house then caught the train to Warwick. Warwick is well done and a five year old would probably enjoy it. <BR>4th - day went to Stoke on Trent not for the scenic view but to buy china at the facory outlets, always fun for me but wouldn't be for little ones. <BR> <BR>Hope that helps

Steve

Thanks again everyone - Love the ideas!