Exploring options for a 8-10 day vacation to London w day-trips to Stonehenge and Liverpool

A day trip to Liverpool is doable, although obviously staying over would be preferable if you had the time. Th3 train takes about 2 hours 20 minutes from Euston to Liverpool Lime St. Obviously you need to add on time to get to and from Euston from your accommodation so it’s better to stay centrally to cut that down. It will be a long day but it can be done. You should be buying the train tickets now to get the best prices.

Stonehenge is somewhat easier as a day trip. Take the train from Waterloo to Salisbury, from where you can take a shuttle bus to Stonehenge itself. Make sure that you leave some time to have a look at Salisbury itself and especially the cathedral.

The Premier Inn County Hall is a good choice. It’s right by Waterloo station and just a straight run on the Northern line tube to Euston for the Liverpool trains.

If you stay at that Premier Hotel I seem to remember it is so close to Waterloo Station which is fantastic. We stayed at a Hampton in that area and really felt safe and very connected by foot bus and rail. Easy day trip to Hampton and Windsor. We ate at a hole in the wall fish and chips shop at least six times , is two blocks from the station. Will try to find the name if you are interested. Wonderful you are being so spontaneous. Love London.

Sounds like you have a lovely trip planned! For me, Liverpool is too far for a day trip- if I’m not spending the night, I prefer not to travel more than 1.5 hours each way. It’s doable but I would consider maybe spending the night and just accepting you will be paying for two hotel rooms one night. As mentioned above Stonehenge is completely doable as a day trip, and you can fit in some time in Salisbury as well (don’t miss the cathedral). Good luck with your planning!

My London trip report from last year might give you some ideas. It details an easy way to see Stonehenge from London.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/10-days-in-london-our-first-time-a-trip-report

Loads of free museums to explore in London. Would depend on your interests.

Did a day trip to Stonehenge along with 2 friends so long ago that the only other folks who were there with 8 people in white robes who were there to ascend. Only where they went were into the back of a police lorry. Anyway we took a train to Salisbury, and a bus to Stonehenge.

In all my visits never been to Liverpool so can’t share intel. Certain other posters will.

Many trips to London. My favorite city on the planet. Always changing always the same. Great mixture of old and new architecture. Wonderful parks to explore. These days a fabulous city for food choices.

Great strolls along the Thames path, Regents Canal, Walthamstow Wetlands, Parklands trail from Finsbury Park to Crouch End, Richmond Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens.

My travel month is November. I do carry on and find I like Premier Inns.

PM if you specific questions about London.

I've stayed at the Premier Inn County Hall multiple times, including in early June of this year. It has proved reliable and the location is convenient. The immediately surrounding neighborhood is not one I especially enjoy wandering around, however; it lacks the neighborhoody feeling I prefer. This hotel has been booking up really early, so check now for availability if it is your preference. Be careful about the type of reservation you make; cancelation policies vary a lot.

If you want that area and cannot get the County Hall location, be aware that we had basically non-existent Wi-Fi in our room at the nearby Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) Premier Inn this year. We complained repeatedly but no solution was forthcoming over the course of our 7-night stay, which was really annoying. They gave us the password for the upgraded Wi-Fi at no cost, but even that signal was usually not available unless I stood beside the door to the room. I don't recall reading Wi-Fi complaints here from others who stayed at that hotel, so we may have had an unfortunate room location. However, the hotel's basically useless response was unacceptable. We also found room-cleaning service at the Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) PI inconsistent. It ranks at the bottom of the about ten Premier Inns I've stayed in.

If you have issues with either availability or price with the County Hall PI then have a look at one of the 3 that are within walking distance os Euston station - known as Euston, St Pancras and King's Cross. That will leave you very handy for the train to Liverpool and a simple tube ride to Waterloo for Salisbury and Stonehenge. They are likely to be cheaper than County Hall but try accessible and on a direct tube from Heathrow.

I, too, think a day trip to Liverpool sounds exhausting. :-)

London Walks has a rock and roll tour of London. I think there are other such tours - and you might even find one that focuses on the Beatles. Which might be Fab Fo(u)r you! Lol

I live in West London and know the city pretty well. Am happy to answer specific questions via DM. I don’t know all that much about tourist sites, but local neighborhood details I can help with if you need it.

You are going to have so much fun! This city is THE BEST. And I say that as an ex-New Yorker.

I'd say the day trip to Liverpool is doable, but it'll be a long day and I would plan to have a fairly relaxing rime the next day.

Here's a list of some free museums in London. The British Museum is inclined to be busy all the time.

https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/sightseeing/london-attraction/museum/free-museums-in-london

You said the 'nearby surrounding areas'. For London, I'd take that to include Greenwich - where the maritime Museum is in the visitlondon article - and it's a pleasant hour's boat ride with commentary from Westminster Pier (other side of the river from the County Hall Premier Inn) to Greenwich. The Uber river boats are faster but there's no commentary, You can easily spend a day here (don't forget a picture with your feet either side of the Prime Meridian).

Another place I wouldn't miss is Hampton Court Palace - trains from Waterloo to a station opposite the palace entrance (the Tudors really planned that well!). Again, it'll take up much of a day. Try to go on a nice day - the gardens are lovely and do try the maze.

As an aside, the weather in mid-October can be anything. Hopefully, it'll be sunny but in could be cold and wet (and often both on the same day). Load a good weather App on your phone.

You don't say exactly when you are planning to come to London, so it's worth knowing that English schools have a week's holiday starting 27 Oct, so museums or attractions targeting kids will be much busier that wee. Also, the clocks go back at 2am on Sunday 26 Oct and after that it will be pretty dark by 5pm.

I just returned from a London trip that I planned only two months ahead. We stayed at the Premier Inn County Hall. I described the hotel in my recent trip report, which you can find here:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-8-night-mother-daughter-trip-to-london

London Walks has two Beatles-themed walks. You can generally reserve just a day or two ahead of time.

Have a wonderful time.

If you have any interest in WWII history or computers, Bletchley Park makes for an extremely interesting day tour. Take the train to Bletchley, then walk 5 minutes and you are there. This is where code breakers worked to break the codes used by the enemy. Fascinating with an excellent tour that comes with admission. Cafeteria onsite.

I'm not a fan of day trips to Stonehenge although they can be done with public transit. IF you felt like you wanted to spend 2 overnights away from London, do 2 in Salisbury and do Stonehenge on your full day.

To do Stonehenge by public transit:

-Take the train to Salisbury.
-Get the local shuttle out to the stones. It's called the Stonehenge Tour but to me it's not actually a tour although they do show a DVD on the way. It's run by the local bus company the Salisbury Reds.

https://www.thestonehengetour.info/about-the-stonehenge-tour/

-Buy the ticket from the driver. The bus also stops at Old Sarum on the way back from Stonehenge.

In Salisbury there is the wonderful cathedral to visit as well as the Salisbury Museum and some other sites around the Cathedral Close. Plus Salisbury's City Center is interesting.

https://salisburymuseum.org.uk