One-Day Trip from London
Oct 3rd, 2003, 05:00 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One-Day Trip from London
Going with some relatives to visit London for 5 nights this early November. I've been years and years ago, but travelling companions have not been before.
What would you suggest as a nice day return trip out into the countryside. I'm thinking more along the lines of a quick train ride (1-2 hour travel time each way) out to a historical city, with medieval sights, "quaint" street scenes, and a pub (or two) for lunch/dinner. Would rather limit it to cities and not sights like Stonehenge (picky, picky, I know).
BTW, I'm having a rough time finding hotel rooms in London during Nov. 6-11 (cheaper rooms, that is). Anything going on in the capital that I'm unaware of?
Thanks for your help as always!
What would you suggest as a nice day return trip out into the countryside. I'm thinking more along the lines of a quick train ride (1-2 hour travel time each way) out to a historical city, with medieval sights, "quaint" street scenes, and a pub (or two) for lunch/dinner. Would rather limit it to cities and not sights like Stonehenge (picky, picky, I know).
BTW, I'm having a rough time finding hotel rooms in London during Nov. 6-11 (cheaper rooms, that is). Anything going on in the capital that I'm unaware of?
Thanks for your help as always!
Oct 3rd, 2003, 05:20 AM
#2
Seems to me that Windsor and Eton fit the bill. Takes about an hour by train from central London. Very doable in a day and you could easily be back in time for the theatre (depending on your stamina!).
Windsor as a day trip has been discussed lots on this board and I seem to recall a number of good posts about the best pubs/restaurants.
There are plenty of other destinations for a day trip (Oxford, Bath, Cambridge, Canterbury are just a few) but mostly these are larger places and you would probably only begin to sample what they have to offer.
Windsor as a day trip has been discussed lots on this board and I seem to recall a number of good posts about the best pubs/restaurants.
There are plenty of other destinations for a day trip (Oxford, Bath, Cambridge, Canterbury are just a few) but mostly these are larger places and you would probably only begin to sample what they have to offer.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 05:26 AM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NurseSkip
Places within two hours train ride of London.
Windsor - Picturesque town dominated by the castle. Quaint cobbled back streets but very touristy. 50 minute's train ride from London. (slow train)
Winchester - Picturesque town in the south. Typically English. Lots of shops, bars etc... Not so touristy. 1hr's train ride from London. (fast train)
Poole - Historical town on the south coast. Plenty of British tourists, but few forigners. Approx 2hrs train ride from London. (fast train)
To get out into the countryside, I'd advise hiring a car and driving west out of London along the M4 or M3 for 45 minutes and then taking to the small roads. There are countless small villages with small pubs, all quintessentially English, but by the very definition of "out in the countryside" not many of these are very well served by the railway service.
Hope that's of some use.
Places within two hours train ride of London.
Windsor - Picturesque town dominated by the castle. Quaint cobbled back streets but very touristy. 50 minute's train ride from London. (slow train)
Winchester - Picturesque town in the south. Typically English. Lots of shops, bars etc... Not so touristy. 1hr's train ride from London. (fast train)
Poole - Historical town on the south coast. Plenty of British tourists, but few forigners. Approx 2hrs train ride from London. (fast train)
To get out into the countryside, I'd advise hiring a car and driving west out of London along the M4 or M3 for 45 minutes and then taking to the small roads. There are countless small villages with small pubs, all quintessentially English, but by the very definition of "out in the countryside" not many of these are very well served by the railway service.
Hope that's of some use.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 05:36 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 394
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We were in London last November for 5 nights and desired a day trip out of the city as well. We chose Bath and had a great time. The train trip was easy. Bath had many restaurants, shops and musuems to offer. It's a really beautiful town, plus, they had just decorated for Christmas when we were there....I'd love to go back in the Spring or Summer and see all the greenery/flowers.
We had no problem in doing Bath in a day. Enjoy!
We had no problem in doing Bath in a day. Enjoy!
Oct 3rd, 2003, 05:39 PM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would suggest Bath. Upon arrival you can get on a Guide Friday bus for an overview of the city. If you want, you can hop off and hop on the bus at various stops. Leave early from London and you can see it all easily in a day.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 08:39 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks again. Hadn't thought about Windsor, guess I considered it a suburb of London! That probably would be easiest, but I'm intrigued by all your suggestions.
Car would indeed be nice, but I'm trying to keep it to a nice simple level, (and as one of the travelers may be my mother, I don't want to listen to her nag about driving on the left side of the road).
Car would indeed be nice, but I'm trying to keep it to a nice simple level, (and as one of the travelers may be my mother, I don't want to listen to her nag about driving on the left side of the road).
Oct 3rd, 2003, 10:16 PM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bath sounds like just what you are looking for. Picturesque, charming, great to walk around, lots of shops and pubs and restaurants, a little more than an hour each way with frequent trains. If the weather is nasty you might want to rethink the concept of an outing, however.
Oct 4th, 2003, 09:47 AM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,579
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You can't get more of a historical city than Winchester and it is compact enough to do by foot in a day. It was the original capital of England, William I was crowned there, the cathedral is over 900 hundred years old, Winchester College was founded in 1382, the Castle Great Hall dates from the early 1200s and contains King Arthur's round table and St Cross Hospital founded in 1136 is the oldest charitable institution in England.
It is a short, slightly downhill walk from the station, past the Great Hall, to the pedestrian High Street and Cathedral.
It is a short, slightly downhill walk from the station, past the Great Hall, to the pedestrian High Street and Cathedral.
Oct 4th, 2003, 11:56 AM
#11
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Another vote for Bath. It is definitely doable in 1 day and it is such a lovely place. Make sure to take tea or lunch on the cute little restaurant on the bridge (sorry can't be more specific...i was there 7 years ago...perhaps someone else here knows?).
I wouldn't recommend Poole. I didn't really find it quaint, but just another town.
I wouldn't recommend Poole. I didn't really find it quaint, but just another town.
Oct 6th, 2003, 05:18 AM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Again, thanks for the super suggestions. Either Bath or Winchester would be my top two. I've been to Bath (about 20 years ago), and really enjoyed it. We drove that time, so I wasn't sure if it was "doable" as a day trip by train or not.
Never been to Winchester, but I'd love to go there for a look see. It sounds like a great historical city.
"Remember, remember the fifth of November" Guy Fawkes Day! I've just been stumped about the hotel situation... on other sites, there's talk about getting super deals on hotel web sites, Priceline, etc. (and this is during the high season in summer).
But there seem to be no deals whatsoever during that time. Could be the holiday weekend. Just seems strange not to have hotel specials during dreary November.
Much appreciation.
Never been to Winchester, but I'd love to go there for a look see. It sounds like a great historical city.
"Remember, remember the fifth of November" Guy Fawkes Day! I've just been stumped about the hotel situation... on other sites, there's talk about getting super deals on hotel web sites, Priceline, etc. (and this is during the high season in summer).
But there seem to be no deals whatsoever during that time. Could be the holiday weekend. Just seems strange not to have hotel specials during dreary November.
Much appreciation.
Oct 6th, 2003, 05:51 AM
#13
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hotel problems:
Well, a couple of explanations. Which may not help you much, but...
1. London really isn't a tourist city. Most visitors are here on some kind of business (ask around your plane to check). So high/low season doesn't come into it. Intra-European business travel has hardly been affected either by new terrorism scares (we've had plenty of our own for the past 30 years), or by SARS hysteria (remember that?).
2. The week you're talking about, though, hits the All Saints weekend - a public holiday in much of mainland Europe (often extended). Too late for beaches, too early for skiing. But great for a city break somewhere with good shopping. Especially one with amazing low-cost flights.
3 (and probably the real one). Both the above kind of apply. But the hotels don't yet know for sure. So they're not giving rooms away that might be taken up by lots of last-minute Germans waving their appreciating Euros around. Try again. And try other sites.
Guy Fawkes may or may not have been responsible for trying to blow up Parliament (there's some evidence it was a frame-up, and maybe even an invention). But he's certainly not responsible for a lack of rooms at the inns.
Well, a couple of explanations. Which may not help you much, but...
1. London really isn't a tourist city. Most visitors are here on some kind of business (ask around your plane to check). So high/low season doesn't come into it. Intra-European business travel has hardly been affected either by new terrorism scares (we've had plenty of our own for the past 30 years), or by SARS hysteria (remember that?).
2. The week you're talking about, though, hits the All Saints weekend - a public holiday in much of mainland Europe (often extended). Too late for beaches, too early for skiing. But great for a city break somewhere with good shopping. Especially one with amazing low-cost flights.
3 (and probably the real one). Both the above kind of apply. But the hotels don't yet know for sure. So they're not giving rooms away that might be taken up by lots of last-minute Germans waving their appreciating Euros around. Try again. And try other sites.
Guy Fawkes may or may not have been responsible for trying to blow up Parliament (there's some evidence it was a frame-up, and maybe even an invention). But he's certainly not responsible for a lack of rooms at the inns.
Oct 6th, 2003, 06:18 AM
#14
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you looked at biddingfortravel.com? I just checked there and someone posted that they received, through Priceline, a 4* in Kensington for $70 during the time you'll be in London. Two weeks ago I also bid and got the same 4* hotel (for the week after you'll be in London) for $67. So it is possible to get hotels on Priceline this far in advance. Good luck bidding and be sure to check out biddingfortravel if you haven't already.
Oct 7th, 2003, 04:53 PM
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 640
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi
another vote for Windsor/Eton as a "close-in" choice (35 minutes by train) or Bath as a "medium range" trip (just over an hour). If you wanted to stretch your travel time to just over 2 hours, York is a terrific choice.
Enjoy!
David White
[email protected]
another vote for Windsor/Eton as a "close-in" choice (35 minutes by train) or Bath as a "medium range" trip (just over an hour). If you wanted to stretch your travel time to just over 2 hours, York is a terrific choice.
Enjoy!
David White
[email protected]
