Chartres is more than ABC - another bloody church - town - it is a sweet regional town very different than Paris and this makes it as interesting a day trip as just another church - which of course is not just another church but the template for Gothic churches throughout Europe and taking a tour of the church is so so fascinating - Notre Dame is neat but it is always so so crowded it loses its whatever effect -

Chartres the town plus the church makes it a great option different than many others.

The London Walks Bath day trip is amazing. Their guide was fabulous and the whole way they planned the sights was really nice. Exactly near lunchtime we arrived near the abbey and the square, where you can eat a sandwich listening to some really beautiful music by locals. Highly recommended.

back in 2005 i went on an evan evans bus tour to stonehenge and bath
this time my daughter and i have more time in london so we will go to bath as a daytrip by ourselves i think...will catch the train from paddington,..the coach tours dont spend enough time in bath itself ...after a tour of the bathing pool theres not much time to see the town and thats what i regretted as the coach pulled out

there is a free audio guide you can download..i saw it i think on the bath tourism site..

we also want to visit the cotswolds..i didnt manage to do that last trip but this time round it will be winter so not much daylight..i think we can get there from oxford by catching a bus but ill be looking out for a tour for this one i think when i get to london

hampton court definitely on the list..we both love the tudor period

canterbury cathedral is another must see for us...last time i went i didnt know much about henry II but now we are both armed with loads more info and it will make all the difference to our trip

happy travels

for day trips out of the London area I do not think you can beat Oxford or Cambridge - one of those would be my very top choice. Visit the ancient college quads reeking of history and famous matriculators - soak in the academic atmosphere and visit some neat museums like the Ashmolean (sp?) on Oxford - both are an hour or so by train.

Though not peas in pods you can't go wrong with either.

Maybe one day the OP might come back to look at this thread, perhaps even leave response.

Hard to recommend without knowing when you are going. Two of my favorites are Kew Gardens from London and Giverny from Paris. But not in the winter.

Another one hit wonder?

Hampton Court is on our list. What is the best way to see it? Tickets ahead of time, tour, on our own? Probably about 1/2 day.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/

There may be a combo train and entry ticket so ask when buying train tickets but I think the Oyster Card now can be used on the train - paper train (or travel card) tickets may get 2 for 1 entry here but not sure - check the 2 for 1 web site.

I have gone three times and the self-tour is fine - headphones and lots of folks standing about to answer questions, give spiels, etc.

Yes probably about a half-day - there is also the formal gardens, vast park and the Maze to explore.

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/?gclid...FQISMwodCmkA_Q

see if 2 for 1 is included - then you will need a paper train ticket or Travel Card.

PalenQ---thanks for the info. That Days Out website looks very helpful. Also that particular Hampton Court site looks like one of the better ones. Since we'll be staying near the Westminster Bridge the boat might be a good option.

We're not going until June so I'll get more into the daily planning after the holidays. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions and I will rely on you and other Fodorites to lead me in the right direction.

I'd say budget more than a half-day for Hampton Court, particularly if you're taking the boat back to London. We spent one full day, including travel (train down, boat back), and could probably have used more time.

Yes Hampton Court can easily take up a whole day - there is a vast park to explore - and walk up to the Molesey Lock just upThames from the palace - a lovely riverside walk on old tow paths and one of the busiest and most interesting locks in Britain.


https://www.google.com/search?q=mole...=1600&bih=1074

Cambridge is very easy to get to from London - no more than an hour by train from Kings Cross station. Lots to see and with something to offer all year round.

Bath and Oxford from London; maybe Winchester or Canterbury?

Chartres from Paris.

Bath, Hampton Court, Brighton if nice day.Have lots more to do myself.. ( did Stonehenge , not my favorite) and Canterbury also, would have enjoyed that one more if it hadn't been too cold to walk about, sleeting and windy!

Versailles, Chantilly, Chartes, Rouen( only an hour by train) Provins, Giverny, Fontainebleau and Pierrfonds.
Want to do Epernay next year and Reims.

For those with kids, Disneyland and Provins in France get special mention. In England, my ex took our son to Thorpe Park and he loved it... and I took my other son to Warwick Castle and he loved it,, I enjoyed it also.

Auvers-sur-Oise is a great day trip from Paris - just about an hour by train - a Gibverny-like village where Impreessionists like Van Gogh and Cezanne set up shop in the late 1800s and put many scenes here on canvass and there are reproductions set up exactly where he did them - like in the cornfields with black crowd whirling around with a dark sky - one done just because Van Gogh shot himself and died in the local auberge where he had rented a room.

You can still see the blood on his bed left as it in his tiny room.

https://www.google.com/search?q=auve...=1600&bih=1074

easy to reach by train from Gare du Nord or RER + train via Conflans-Saint-Honore, another great if off the radar day trip from Paris.