Top spot outside London
 

What are some of your favorite day trips outside London?? Either with a tour on or our own... myself, 50 something Dad and 9 year old daughter are looking for a day trip.

Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle (these would be separate trips).

windsor castle and the towns of windsor and eton are my favorites hands down....easy to spend a whole day there and the train will take you to the center of windsor from london...

Greenwich is nice, you can take the boat down the Thames and Docklands rail back, and it isn't even a long day. Could do a halfday if you had plans for the late afternoon evening. A 9 year old might enjoy the Cutty Sark, a clipper ship that is docked there.

Also in town, but great for kids-- the Museum of the City of London (excellent life through the centuries exhibits for kids...and adults), the V&A (if she is into historical costume) and of course the British Museum (you should check, they might have a tour oriented to kids there).

Is it too early to get her interested in Jane Austen before the trip to Bath? And how about the Dickens tour by London Walks?

Definitely Windsor/Eton, Stonehenge, Greenwich, Bath...all great choices. Also, Hampton Court.

A very little known but absolutely quaint and beautiful castle surrounded by a mote is Leeds (Ladies) Castle south of London--Maidstone. It also has a maze. If you do go to Windsor I highly recommend taking the boat that leaves from Westminster Pier. You go thru locks, and really see the Thames. Or get there by train and take the boat back. It's much more pict'rsque than the train both ways.

The boat out to Windsor is indeed charming, but will et into the timeyou can spend there; much better to take the boat BACK; it also goes faster, being headed downstream.

Another possible day trip is out the Warwick; the castle there is ancient, rugged, authentic, and interactive. In summer and fall, they have a festival on the grounds with all sorts of exciting events; check their web site.

There is a website for youngsters about what is in the various museums in the UK, and it might help your 9 year old decide what she would like to see:

http://www.show.me.uk

If you like the seaside, then I'd recommend Whitstable. The season is irrelevant, there is nothing nice than walking along a beach in the winter - with a coat, hat, and scarf on - with the wind blowing and the waves crashing against the shore.

There are lots of excellent seafood restaurants, and even a "quaint" little museum. Some shops, nothing special, but it's charming, unpretentious and fun!

Hampton Court, Richmond, Stratford, Bath, Stonehenge and Highgate. Not necessarily in that order.

For a seaside visit, Brighton would be better for a 9 year old.

Brighton is very pleasant too, excellent shopping. However, I just feel that Whitstable is more unusual, and a little off the beaten path, and very characterful.

Some great suggestions here. I'd add Warwick Castle to the list if no one has mentioned it. There's lots to engage a 9 YO there. There was also a doll museum near the Castle entrance that my daughter enjoyed at about that age. No need for a tour, you could do this one one your own quite easily.

I can't imagine what a young girl would find interesting about Whitstable. While a charming place for adults to visit, I think your basic 9 YO would find grass growing to be a more fascinating day.

Interesting how narrow some people's definition of London is. I have visited Hampton Court, Greenwich, Richmond and Highgate without having gone outside London.

I would agree with Obxgirl that Warwick would be the best castle for a nine year old. I can't imagine a child of any age being interested in Leeds Castle, except for the maze. Indeed, this adult found it the least interesting of any I have visited in the country. Good thing we were already in the area. To have made a special trip all the way from London for little more than a photo op would have been depressing.

I wasn't aware that there was regular boat transport between London and Windsor, as 24krose mentions. Strikes me as another long boring journey for a child.

I really liked the Salisbury, Stonehenge, Avebury minibus tour that I did a few years ago. It was quite reasonable, had about 8 people on the tour and included a nice pub lunch in a nice rural pub.

I'll see if I can look up the tour company.

Premiumtours.com has a day trip to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath.

Just an FYI to anyone interested. We are back from our long weekend in London... and I have to say we decided to spend the day of London in Oxford. And it was fantastic!!! We took the Oxford Tube express buss from across the street from Victoria Station for 11 pounds road trip. We simply roaming around the colleges, had a great pub lunch, and cuaght mass at Christ Church wwhere they film Harry Potter. My 9 year old loved it. As fanatastic as London is we are from NYC, so its hard not compare big cities, but Oxford was like nothin we have in the NY tri State area.