I am looking for opinions on a day trip from London. Family of 4, with 2 daughters ages 15 and 11. We are in London for a week and will do Greenwich for a day or 1/2 day. Previously been to Windsor and Hampton. Thought about Bath, Stonehenge, Cotwolds etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated. We will not have a car but will be using train travel. Thanks in advance for your help.

You can't beat Oxford - its college buildings and eclectic museums - kids are old enough to appreciate the importance of this place. i hr by train.

How about Alton Towers for the kids sake and is also a cherished institution in England

For Oxford, the bus is probably cheaper and easier although it takes a bit longer.

Both the Espress and Oxford Tube depart from Victoria Station about every ten minutes. The bus will arrive at Gloucester Green in central Oxford. The train station is further from the centre. It's still walkable but just not as easy.

Besides the colleges and libraries there is the Ashmolean Museum which is has an excellent display of fine art and antiquities. I would also recommend the Oxford Story. This is an audio-visual account of the city's history as well as that of the
univesity.

Also: Museum of Oxford, Carfax Tower and the Botanic Gardens.

Bath has an excellent audio tour of the Roman Baths. The Abbey is interesting although not one of Britains best IMO, but there is plenty to see/do in Bath. Bath has a Georgian
landscape while Oxford is medieval.

Both Bath and Oxford are accessible via public transportation. One can get to Stonhenge via Salisbury. You'll need to take the bus from the train station. A visit to Salisbury Cathedral and the Close( several place to visit here too) while enroute would be another possibility.

It is also possible to get to the Cotswold without a car, but you'll probably have to limit your visit to one town.

Take the coach rather than the train to Oxford. I also like Bath. But I think your kids will love Oxford.

Just got back from the UK and took the Oxford trip, by bus, as mentioned. The other advantage of the bus is that you can leave as early as 7:00 and get to Oxford before you could even leave London using a cheap return day ticket (which is not available until after 9:30 a.m.). We used the extra time to go to Blenheim Palace in the morning before returning to Oxford in the afternoon.

Two of us took a bus tour to Bath stopping by Stonehenge on the way there. We arranged this through Evan Evans Tours.
http://www.evanevans.co.uk/full-day-tours.htm
This was a great way to do this day trip since i'm reluctant to drive in England. We did an overnight and the hotel we stayed in was a delight. jus tthe right amount of time to see Stonehenge only not enough time in Bath.

I definitely recommend you do this day trip on your own instead of a tour. the all day guided tours will run £45 to £70 per person, whereas you can take the train or bus for a fraction of that.

Either Bath by train or Oxford by bus would be my choices. Bath has the roman baths plus the museum of costume and it is just a beautifu city. Oxford has the colleges, museums, punting on the river and tons to see/do.

Try York, much more history than most of the other places mentioned & only a couple of hours from London

Bath, Oxford, and York are all good day trips. Another possibility is Cambridge, especially in good weather. You can walk the backs and maybe try out punting on the Cam. Cambridge is a nice small town; Oxford a denser small city.

Hi keefmick-

Bath, Stonehenge and the Cotswolds are nice enough but it pays to be imaginative when getting out of London.

The National Trust is an organization that looks after some of the country's finest castles, gardens, and stately homes. There are literally dozens within easy reach of London, all worth a day trip.

This link lets you browse all their properties:
http://tinyurl.com/yl8o86

Or see my blog for more inspiration:
http://englishcountrywalks.com/blog

Good luck!

DW