day trips from London

I especially loved Hampton Court Palace, where Henry VIII and Elizabeth I lived. I have always been fascinated by that history and to be where a lot of it happened and where they lived was amazing for me.

Hampton Court, definitely. I was fascinated by a day at Bletchley Park.

Keith, I'm still planning on Oxford! :) Very excited about it. Just thinking I want to do two or three different day trips this trip to London.

Hampton Court is definitely on my list too. I love any and all kinds of history.

For a change from what everybody else does, try Hatfield House. One of my favorite estates in England. Lots of history, the family still lives there, and the grounds are beautiful. It's a nice day trip out from London!

Chartwell, Winston Churchhill's home south of London.

Here's a link to an article I wrote for trip advisor about my favorite places in London and our favorite day trips by train.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g186338-c176673/London:United-Kingdom:London.And.Day.Trips.html

Hampton Court Palace

Windsor Castle

Warwick Castle

I used a book I bought a few years ago

Ten Best Day Trips from London - I see it is available on amazon.

I went on several of the trips and found it a great reference.

Thank you everyone. Francis, I will check out the book.

Hi there. Here's the advice I've given others...I've done 3 daytrips with the Evan Evans bus group. They run a good operation. The best was Windsor Castle/Bath/Stonehenge. Great for you. I also did Leeds Castle/Canterbury Cathedral/Dover....then also which was good....then Wawrick Castle/Stratford-on-Avon/Oxford which was nice.

But I also once went by train to Hampton Court on my own one day and loved it...great history, beautiful grounds.

Enjoy!

Toni, what a great article! That's helpful for me, too. Last time we went to London we went to Hampton Court Palace. I'm fascinated by Henry VIII and it was everything I hoped for. It was amazing to walk in the same place as Henry and all his wives!

Since there's history everywhere in England, you really can't make a bad choice.
Toni has a very thorough review, although I don't think he mentioned Cambridge.
My personal favorites are Windsor, Bath and Oxford. I haven't been to any of the country houses/palaces yet.
Bring an umbrella.

If you are a fan of the Tudor era, another option is Hever Castle. This was the home of the Boleyns for a few generations and where Anne grew up. The family had to give it up at some point and it fell into disrepair. Then some millionaire bought it and restored it, complete with Italian gardens. It's not far from Chartwell (Churchill) and can be combined. I was taken by local friends so I don't know if public transportation is convenient.