Day trips from London

Good overview...
http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk/londondaytrips.html

We've done Greenwich (not exactly 'out of London', but still fun). We've also done a day trip to Brighton which we enjoyed.

Looking at the website, it appears that the site is not open to the general public, and it is on a somewhat remote location with very limited public transport. The Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC land speed record cars are on public display at Coventry Transport Museum which would be much more practical as a day trip from London. If he is into air or rail transport at all, say so and I could give you other suggestions.

Thanks Nicole for the great suggestions. Please suggest the 5 best out of these - we will be doing bath and cambridge anyway. So any 2 to 3 more suggestions would be welcome.
Please clarify if all these day excursions are better (and cheaper and convenient) by bus or by rail ?
If rail, Should we then buy the britrail pass to cover these destinations?
Thanks

Thanks Philip for the amazing suggestion for my son. We checked the website for the coventry ppt museum and found it is free and has the cars with a 4D simulator to experience the sound barrier!
Could you give more such suggestions for my son ? Would legoland be a good idea? He loves lego too.
Pls advise on how to make our days kid-friendly.

We've been to London many times, but don't usually venture out for a daytrip, as we only spend 2-4 nights each time. On our earlier trips we'd visit my sister who lives in Portsmouth, so we didn't really have time to do other trips.

This year when we go we are going to Oxford for a day.

I think it comes down to what you want to do - if you want to visit churches and little towns, or a bigger city. Cambridge is another easy trip from London, though a lot to cram in.

Has your child (not sure how young) any interest in Harry Potter? There's a HP theme park/tour. Haven't done it as we don't have kids.

How old is your son? I (and our children) fond Legoland to be very tired and dated, it certainly needs a complete upheaval and modernisation. Is it the Lego aspect that appeals or the theme park? If it's the theme park then there are better options than Legoland.

Hi JC,
My son is 11 years and really likes to be innovative, creative and inquisitive. Please suggest ideas for him in and around London.
Also please elaborate on the theme parks you had mentioned earlier.
Thanks

The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden is very interesting.

A day trip to the beautiful New Forest should include a visit to Beaulieu with its collection of vintage cars.

I thought that Legoland catered more for younger children. My work colleagues with children took them when they were 4-7, not 11 and older.

For an inquisitive 11 year old you cannot beat the Science Museum, lots of hands on exhibits and demonstrations, it's also right next door to the impressive Natural History Museum plus they're both free entry.

An 11 year old will probably find the rides at Legoland to be too young. Theme parks closest to London will be Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures. I'd put Thorpe Park above Chessington (or at least my kids will because I won't go on the rides ever since a terrifying roller coaster experience in my teens).

The London Transport Museum is a good choice, but unfortunately Beaulieu is quite difficult to get to without your own car.

The closest steam railway attractions to London are the Epping-Ongar Railway (by tube to Epping, then connecting vintage bus service), or the further but more interesting Bluebell Railway (train from Victoria to East Grinstead).

He definitely needs to go to the British museum. The museum of London is well done and you can see part of the old city wall.

London Walks has day out tours you may wish to explore. You just show up per their directions - meaning you don't have to decide now. Click the words Great Escapes at their website. There are also many tours in London that might appeal.

I’m taking my kids to Oxford and Blenheim Palace one day. Also Hampton Court and Windsor Castle seem like nice day trips. I also would recommend you look at London Walks website www.walks.com

Several years ago I bought a book that listed dozens of "day trips" out of London.
Just found this online

https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Best-Day-Trips-London-ebook/dp/B00AQ7A3X6

Got to say I really liked Legoland when I went with the kids 2years ago although they would have been 5 and 7 then. It doesn't have adrenaline rush rides but still some good fun rides, just don't go there on a weekend. I like Cambridge but I'm not sure it would entertain an 11 year old. Bath is good - Roman Baths and the Georgian House in the Royal Crescent are kid friendly. Warwick Castle is also an option (its run by the same people who own most of the main theme parks in the U.K.). Harry Potter studio tours also highly enjoyable for anyone who has seen the films. There are some good playparks around London if he gets his full of museums. Locals can best advise but I think there's on in Wandsworth which is very good (and free!). The Cutty Sark in Greenwich combined with the Royal Observatory is an option too.

Windsor, Stonehenge, Winchester, Salisbury , Avenbury, Oxford.

I have done several day trips (all by train) from London over the course of two trips in 2010 and 2019. Using the London Pass each time, I have been to Canterbury and Dover; Bath, Stratford on Avon and Warwick; Salisbury and Stonehenge, Cardiff, Wales (paying extra for the difference outside the Pass), Winchester and Cambridge and Ely. All were easy to do in a day.

Depends on your interests, of course, and the amount of time you're willing to spend getting to your destination. I'm nuts about boats, so a train trip to Portsmouth was well worth the time spent getting there. Colindale for the RAF Museum if someone in your group is interested in planes. It's a long train ride but Bovington to the Tank Museum if your son likes tanks. Windsor is a short trip and has a fabulous castle, if the Tower of London isn't enough castles for your family.

Be aware that the train station to get to some day trip destinations may be on the other side of town from where you are staying and it might take quite some time and energy to get there. For this reason and because London is so expensive to stay in, I have never been a fan of the day trip from London strategy. (Also trains are expensive in Britain). Windsor would be a good one but be sure and check ahead because when my wife and I tried to visit, it was closed for a state visit. Also Brighton for the Royal Pavilion. You can get to Dover Rye or Canterbury in an hour (1.5 hours for Rye) on the train as well. The castle at Dover is spectacular but my understanding is that otherwise the city is not that great a visit. Of these I have been to Rye and Dover Castle and can recommend both highly. I have researched the others and I think all the above mentioned places are well worth a visit.

Here are some of the day trips I have taken and enjoyed:
Dover- Dover Castle and the War Tunnels
Windsor- Windsor Castle
Hampton Court Palace
Bletchley Park
Portsmouth- Historic Shipyards
Bath

I would check out tour operators such as Evan Evans - https://evanevanstours.com/

It's a great way to see the major sights without having to worry about booking your own transport, plan an itinerary etc. Just turn up at the station and go. We went on their Stonehenge & Bath tour with and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was a bit of a hectic day but worth it.

I have done several day trips (all by train) from London over the
course of two trips in 2010 and 2019. Using the London Pass each time,
I have been to Canterbury and Dover; Bath, Stratford on Avon and
Warwick; Salisbury and Stonehenge, Cardiff, Wales (paying extra for
the difference outside the Pass), Winchester and Cambridge and Ely.
All were easy to do in a day.

I think Mary was referring above to the Britrail London Plus Pass. Not the London Pass, which is something entirely different.

A nice break from museums and other attractions, is to spend time outdoors in one of London's parks. Hyde Park has a lot to offer. I didn't know until I saw some, but it even has parakeets (they are big and green, really more parrot-looking than the tiny parakeets I'm used to seeing in cages). Just hanging out in the trees.

I don't know how good this is, but here's a recently updated internet article about kid-friendly things to do in London: https://worldtravelfamily.com/visiting-london-with-children/