Day trip suggestions
 

This subject was probably beat to death, but please give consideration to our particular situation. We will be spending 6 nts at the Thistle Kensington Palace. We are an older couple, and would like to hear some suggestions for day trips. It will be our first trip to the UK. We will be there the first week in Sept.. Thanks!<BR><BR>Mike in RI - USA

I assume you will want to travel by train on your day trips. For a long day trip or an overnight, try Bath. For shorter trips, you can go to Windsor, Oxford, or Wilton/Salisbury---also to the south, I like Hastings on the coast, and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

In Bath, Oxford there are Guide Friday hop on hop off buses which makes it very easy. Canterbury is a good one day trip with easy walking as is Arundel with a fairy tale castle. Depending on where you are going you will leave from various train stations ie, Paddington for Bath, Victoria for Arundel. You can also take a boat up the Thames from Westminster pier and get to Hampton Court which is very interesting or go over to Kew Gardens. More than enough things to keep you busy in London.

Hampton court was a wonderful day trip that we did several weeks ago when we were in England. you can catch the train at Waterloo Station.

There are so many places it's endless. With 6 days you really won't have time to scratch the surface in London, but if you want to see the countryside I'd recommend Bath or perhaps Warwick CAstle. Hampton Court is marvelous, but it is "close in" (as is Windsor) and you won't see much countryside if that is your wish. We are non-tour people and do it ourselves, but I have a friend who took EvansEvans tours to Bath and Warwick/Stratford and really enjoyed them. It depends how much planning you yourself want to put into things. If you are limited in time perhaps a tour is your best bet, altho I'm not a fan of tours as I said. With such a short time in London I'd opt for Hampton Court myself and save the countryside for another time. It's a 30 min. train ride from Waterloo Station and you can buy a combined train/castle ticket at one time and save a pound or two. <BR><BR>Do remember -- no matter where you go -- ask for the senior discount!! <BR><BR>Try and do the London Eye while in town, it's well worth it (also has senior discount).<BR><BR>Enjoy!!!

A few suggestions on getting to the jumping off points: do some homework so you'll know whether you're better off taking a bus, taxi, or the Underground to one of the train stations or coach station. The Kensington Palace Hotel has a bus stop right across the street, or it's about a 6 block walk to the nearest Underground station. The buses are slow, but you get a nice tour of London every time you ride one. The Underground is speedy....once you walk there (plus up & down stairs). As you are older, like me, I prefer taking a taxi whenever I can because they save time and really don't cost that much (I'll bet you don't average $10 a ride). Because Victoria Coach Station is rather near your hotel, consider taking a bus for at least one day trip.... they're much cheaper than trains & have special deals on weekends (I took one to Cambridge for a day trip). My favorite day trips: Hampton Court Palace ( via Waterloo Sta.), Windsor Castle ( via Paddington Sta.), and Kew Gardens (via Underground). Since this is your first trip, I'd limit the day trips to 2 & spend the other 4 in London.