I have been invited to London in September and will stay with friends for a week or so. It will be my first trip there. I want to add another week to my trip. I will do the research, but would like to know what other destination close by you would recommend that I should consider. Thanks.

The first time we went to London we spend our 2nd week in the Cotswolds, rented a cottage outside of Chipping Camden and used it as a base to tour the Cotswolds, Stratford, etc. We lived like the locals and it was one of the best vacations ever! On another trip there we took the high speed train to Edinburgh, stopped overnight in York and then were in Edinburgh for 5 days; also a great trip for your 2nd week. It is important to get a good contrast with London...and get out into the countryside, IMHO.

Have you been to Paris? If not, that would make a wonderful second week.

Hi,
If you will have a car then South Wales Devon and the West country are quite easily accesssible to you along with cotswolds and there are great places to stay in all of these places. But it does depend upon your interests, perhaps you could elaborate a little. Do you like countryside, seaside, cities, museums, castles, shakespeare??
September will be quiet, kids are back in school and the weather is usually fairly ok.
Let us know what you like to do

Cheers

Muck

If you are a 'wannabe' Anglomaniac (thanks Vivienne) then by all means explore Devon and Cornwall - these are probably the most beautiful seaside bits of the UK for the first-timer.

However, if you are more of a Francophile do Paris, or just do something completely different - go to Spain - Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid for a week. Italy too is fantastic - that way you really have got two holidays for one.