Day Trip Questions

Check the one day return train tickets for your destinations first. I would stick closer to London for "Day Trips". Hampton Court is a great day trip...take Thames boat trip one way and train the other. St Albans is only 20 miles from London and is easily reached by bus. Arundal Castle is 1 3/4 hrs one way by train. Winchester is 53 minutes by train. Bath is 1 1/2 hrs. These all seem doable. Lacock might be trickier to get to... probably best via Oxford. Check the National Trust UK Site {now very interactive) for other ideas. They have lisitings of other Movie locations. You can get a Membership Pass from them that might save you money.

I think Bath would be the best bet for a Sunday, out of those options. It is more about exploring the town and pretty low key. Bath can easily take up an entire day, so I would leave out Lacock. I really loved Bath - the scenery around it is spectacular, so I would personally devote a whole day to it.

If you're traveling by train, check the schedules for each of your destinations on Sunday versus other days of the week - a lot of train lines have much less frequent service on Sundays. For example, trains go from London to Bath every half hour starting at 6:30 on Saturdays, but only once an hour starting at 8:00 on Sundays.

Thanks for replies.
I have already researched distance/times etc and I appreciate input for Bath on Sun as answered. Already have been to many things in the area and trying to do new things.
I appreciate advice about how crowded on sunday. In my experience, some places get way busier on Sunday's than others and trying to figure that out (avoid the British Lib).

The railways can be prone to engineering work on Sundays. Bath could especially be prone to this as they are electrifying the Great Western Mainline from London (Paddington) to points west. Some shops are closed on Sundays.

I'm not sure that I would go to St Albans by bus.

There are two train lines connecting St Albans and London. From Euston station there are frequent fast and slow trains (same price) to Watford Junction where you make your way to platform 11 for the short shuttle run to St Albans Abbey (on what is referred to tongue in cheek as the Abbey Flyer) which puts you down relatively closer to the Abbey and the Roman ruins. Not adjacent but a short walk.

Or from any of the Thameslink stations (in the centre of London at, Elephant &Castle, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, Kings Cross) it is a short train ride tp St Albans City, which is closer to the shops and historical centre.

Thanks. I never mentioned a bus?

Since you are planning to go to St. Albans for the day, consider a visit to Hatfield House! It's one of my favorite stately homes in England and is good for a few hours. It's where Elizabeth 1st learned she was queen...the family of the original owner still lives there and it is loaded with historic items and surrounded with beautiful gardens. Well worth a visit! Maybe go to the market in the morning and the house in the afternoon?

Hatfield House is on my list, but is not open in October :( Thanks for the recommendation - will save for another trip.

The question about the bus to St Albans -

The first answer contained:

St Albans is only 20 miles from London and is easily reached by bus.

I would not do bus to St Albans (or anywhere where there is a train). A bus would take 90 minutes+, in a cramped bus. A train would take 20-30 minutes in a much more spacious vehicle.

I would also second Hatfield house, very easy to get to by train.

Plus Canterbury as a day trip, old city with cathedral and walls.

Check Winchester Cathedral schedule for Sunday before you go. Options for touring will be more limited on Sunday, but if you want to attend church services Sunday would be good. The website will tell you the Sunday schedule.