We plan on 6 ays in Lodon of which 2 we thought of taking day trips, such as Brighton or Leeds Castle. We will then rent a car to covar Bath/Cotswald area. Any tips?

Leeds Castle was great. I did spend a day in Brighton and thought it was very seedy - was planning to spend the night but passed on that. You might consider Canterbury if you would go as far as Brighton.

Definitely visit Bath if you have a chance. It is very different with all the roman architecture at the spa. A beautiful place.<BR><BR>We took a bus tour to Leeds Castle and it was lovely. Be prepared for a long walk if you go.<BR><BR>I did not make it to Dover, but wish I had had time to do that trip.

I would suggest Leeds Castle and then one of Oxford, Cambridge or Winchester. Oxford is on the way to the Cotswolds, so you might prefer to do that by car - though the centre is not very car-friendly so you should use the "Park and Ride" schemes.<BR><BR>Within London, a semi day trip well worth exploring is Kew Gardens area and (parts of) Richmond

Brighton is seedy, but the Pavillion is fun and it's an easy hour out of London by train. Portsmouth, with its collection of sailing ships including Nelson's Victory, is great for naval buffs. Cambridge is another easy hour by train and you can fit in Duxford Airbase and the American cemetery at Maddingly if you have military buffs in your group. I'd vote for Cambridge over Oxford, perhaps because I studied two summers at the former.

My vote would be the gardens and castles of Kent and Sussex. You could do Leeds Castle, Sissinghurst, Great Dixter and Scotney Castle (and more if you had the time - Penshurst, Hever Castle, Groombridge, Pasley Manor ..... Stay in Cranbrook -typical english town and very convenient

What about Windsor Castle?! Easy day trip, with Eton School next door worth seeing. There are a couple of nice riverside restaurants in Eton too.<BR>Forget Brighton - what a tip it is.<BR>

Definition of "tip" for our USA readers -- tip means DUMP - or trash yard.

I loved Windsor, Kew Gardens, and Oxford. Just my favorites.

As you can tell from the responses, there are several really great options for day trips. My personal favorites are Greenwich and Windsor. In addtion to the Observatory and Castle, both are towns/cities. There are several things to do and see while in each place. You really should put Windsor on your list though.

I am going to London for my 5th time my friend is going for her first. We have 9 days. I have never been to Oxford or Bath. I would like to do several day trips so more feedback is great.

I don't generally think that multiple day trips from one city make for the most efficient travel. One, yes, but more than one and I begin to look for ways to avoid retracing steps. I'd consider any one of the day trips mentioned and add to the list of possibilities, Cambridge - only one hour by train from Kings Cross station. By the way, I liked Brighton alot...saw it on a sunny bank holiday weekend.<BR><BR>For an alternative, I'll leave London after 4 days, taking the train to Cambridge, hopping off to tour by day, and on again to go on to York where I'd spend the next 2 nights and one whole day seeing York. Then, I'd train to Warwick, see the castle and pick up a rental car there. Then, by car, see Stratford-upon-Avon, Cotswolds and Bath (Glastonbury and Wells,too, if time permits) in however many days you're comfortable. I'd next visit Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, near Oxford, then Oxford and end up with a day/last night in Windsor before flying home out of Heathrow. Return rental car to Heathrow.