Will be in London for work in mid November. I've been to London many times and have been to Oxford, Cambridge, Stonehedge and Bath. Whats a good "new" city to go to for the weekend? A mid-size city that can be done in 2 days so not Paris or Edinburgh and reachable by train within 2-3hrs. I cam up with these options but not sure:

1) York/Howard Castle
2) Chester/Snowdonia
3) Lille/Arras

Thoughts?

Lille/Arras is a great idea. I visit Lille fairly often and it's a very nice place for a weekend. It's a popular destination from the UK so things do get booked up.

You could go to Liverpool or Cardiff, Wales, in that time frame easily. On the continent, you could go to Brussels. I know that isn't a mid-size city but I think a couple days there is what many people find sufficient. I was only there a day and enjoyed it, 2 would have been very good, I think. And you can also get to Gent, Belgium in about 3 hours (Antwerp in 3:15). You do have to transfer in Brussels, though.

You can get to Amiens, France, also in just a bit over 3 hrs, but may have to transfer in Lille.

Winchester, Salisbury, Rye [you'd need a car] Bristol, Brighton, Canterbury - will that do?

Stratford?

Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham

Gloucester and/or Hereford.
Lincoln
Shrewsbury
Manchester

Antwerp is very easy if you fly from City Airport to Antwerp. Much faster than the train, and the airport is very close to the center of Antwerp.

>>1) York/Howard Castle
2) Chester/Snowdonia<<

I don't know your dates but Castle Howard is closed to the public from Nov 2- 21

and I don't think I'd plan a trip to Snowdonia in November.

Even w/o Castle Howard, York would still be a nice weekend destination.

Or Liverpool

Or Bruges maybe

I just read this article. Maybe an unlikely idea for you.

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...lue-city-break

thanks for the point about Howard Castle being closed. Good to know. I was in Brugge and Antwerp a little while ago. LOVED Brugge...but not Belgium on this break and I don't want to fly and deal with airports.

Even w/o the Castle Howard, York would make a great 2-day trip.

Or have you considered Glasgow? It isn't mid-sized but the bits you'd want to see (museums/ galleries etc) are very manageable.

York, makes a great trip without C Howard, loads of old abbeys, churches, walks, railway museums, shops, maybe even a steam train.

Lille, is a bit marmitey for me, the area suffers from post industrial decline but has some fine buildings etc. Arras more my thing.

Another vote for York - a beautiful city and easily reached from London in under two hours.
If you are visiting after 21st November you can catch Castle Howard as it re-opens dressed for the Christmas period. I can't recommend this enough - the place looks magnificent inside and out.
http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/house-...christmas.html
We go every year (we live not far away) and I always look forward to the experience.

I think I will go to York Nov 20/21.

Thanks everyone.