Best Day Trips from London?
 

I will be spending five days in London next week and am wondering if I set aside one day for a day trip via train to someplace outside the city where I might go. This will be my first trip to the UK. <BR> <BR>Thanks & Cheers!

ON our first trip we went to Warwick for the day and had a ball. It's an easy day trip out of London. E-mail me directly if you want details.

A trip down the Thames to Greenwich is great! The cruises are inexpensive and very enjoyable. They leave at rehular intervals throughout the day from Westminster pier (next to Big Ben) and return to the same pier until around 6pm. After seeing the sights, head on to the Trafalar Tavern on the river. Great views, friendly atmosphere and wonderful beer! <BR>I'm an American who has lived in London for a year and a half and now off to Edinburgh for another year, so if you need any more suggestions, feel free to email me. <BR>Have fun!!!!!!!

First of all Derek, what are you interested in? Castles? Countryside? Quaint old Villages? Places of Historical Interest? Once you decide what it is you are most interested in you can then decide where you might want to go. <BR> <BR>Hampton Court is a great day trip, easy to get to as well. About 30 minutes from Waterloo Station and you can buy your admission tickets at the same time and save about 1 pound. Warwick Castle is great too, about l l/2 hrs. out of London and the train ride provides some nice countryside scenery. Trains leave frequently from Marylebone Station. As someone else said Greenwich is a pleasant ride down the Thames, altho I would not call it getting out into the countryside, but it's a nice day trip. Actually with only 5 days and all the sights to see in London you may find you don't really want to go too far as it can make for a long and tiring day. <BR> <BR>You might want to consider Windsor Castle, that is not too far, neither is Oxford for that matter. <BR> <BR>We've been to London and the UK many times and have not seen everything yet, but then we take it easy on our vacations and don't try and overdo it .. better to see less and remember what you saw is our policy.

Derek, London is wonderful and after five days you'll be aware of how much you didn't get to see. You will not be bored or disappointed if you spend the whole time there, assuming you like cities, museums, churches, history, shopping, energy. However, if you want a change in scene, I would recommend Windsor Castle, assuming you enjoy history and lavishly decorated rooms.You could do that in 1/2-2/3 of a day. I would also recommend Bath which will take a whole day. Bath is charming, beautiful architecturally, and it has several interesting historic sights, aside from the city itself which is a gem. <BR>Oxford is another one of my favorites, and it can be combined, superficially at least, with a visit to Blenheim Palace which will give you the charm and history of Oxford with the lavish history of Blenheim. <BR>

Derek, <BR>I will be in London for five days, leaving on Thursday. We have decided to take the Eurostar train to Paris for a day trip. It's going to be an exhausting day but well worth it, I think. I booked a package through Brit Shrinkers, which includes the ticket on the Eurostar, and a mini tour of the city. We leave London early in the morning and return late at night. Looking forward to it. <BR>

Derek,all of the previously mentioned side-trips are excellent as is the suggestion to spend all 5 days in London.I'll put in my 2 cents by suggesting Cambridge or Portsmouth.You won't go wrong with any of the above suggestions.Enjoy.

I vote for Brighton or Dover! Easily accessible via BritRail (approx. 1 hr each way) and fascinating. Dover's main attraction is Dover Castle, ruined which you can wander through, over, etc. Plus, Operation Spitfire (may be the wrong name) but it's the underground H/Q where the D-Day invasion was coordinated. Very evocative and enthralling to me. <BR> <BR>Brighton is a whole different perspective - a seaside resort (English-style) and the Pavilion! I liked the beach, the pier and the shops, but the the highlight was the Pavilion. Lots to see and marvel at.

Agree with all of the above except for Brighton and Dover as the weather might be on the cusp. (this week it's great, but last week was dismal and who knows about next week.) My very favorite daytrip is one we've done a couple times to Canterbury. I'll never get past the beautiful cathedral and the quaint town. It's just a joy and a very easy train ride. Bath is probably my second favorite and all the others are very enjoyable too. On your first trip you might want to do Windsor or Hampton Court though.

Been to the places mentioned by others and mainly agree with them, however, if I only had time for one Day trip it would be York. Two hours from London and for my money there is more to see in York than the other recommendations. Once you are back, let us know where you went. <BR>

I have done a number of day trips from London. It all depends upon what you are interested. Have done Bath, Salisbury/Stonehenge, Windsor, Warwick/Stratford, Nottingham, Dover, even Edinburgh(overnight train).But my 2 favorite has been Cardiff/Caerphilly Wales for the Castles & the people, & my favorite day trip is to Portsmouth for the historical ships - H.M.S.Victory, & the Warrior, (you actually get to go on & tour those ships)& the Mary Rose (which you can see as they are restoring & preserving it), & all the maritime sites & museums, or a boat ride around the harbor, or walking around the old town. There are so many daytrips to chose from. Good Luck.

I agree with Hampton Court. Portsmouth is also a train ride away, if naval history interests you. Nelson's flagship, and the Mary Rose, among other boats and museums, are quite fascinating.

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British Airways offers a number of good trips. My wife and I took the Windsor Castle, Hampton Court and River Thames tour which was great, however, the river tour was a bit long. <BR> <BR>I would give it a shot. <BR> <BR>Bob <BR> <BR>PS. Check out this site: http://www.LondonTown.com/index.phtml

Derek, <BR>We just returned from UK and took a day trip to Leeds Castle, Canterbury, and Dover (photo stop only) with Evan Evans Tours. www.evanevans.co.uk, and were very pleased with the trip. However, this trip was by coach rather than train, so it may not suit your tastes. There are other tour companies offering tours to just about anywhere in the country you could possibly want to see. As others have said, much depends on your interests. We also took a day trip (by coach) from Oxford to Stratford and Warwick Castle. This was a highlight of our trip (for me anyway), there is so much to do at Warwick. Safe journeys.

Derek: The foregoing advice is great. I would simply like to encourage you to get out of London for a day or so. It is one thing I regret not having done, so I never really saw the countryside. London has a lot to offer, but you can also get petrified by the decisions. A break (i.e. a day trip) may help you re-focus.

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