We are in the beginning stages of planning our one week trip to London. We would like to stay in one hotel in the city center and take day trips using public transportation, mainly the trains.
What are the best day trips? Should we purchase Oyster Cards prior to our departure?
Thank you in advance
Oyster Cards are no longer needed. You just tap in and out with your credit card. Very easy. https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay-and-where-to-buy-tickets-and-oyster/pay-as-you-go/contactless-and-mobile-pay-as-you-go?intcmp=55539
Here's my recent trip report that you might find useful: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-london-march-2024
Need more information here. Have you ever been to London before? If no, there is plenty in and around the city to keep you occupied without doing a whole lot of day trips. There’s lots of companies, Grey Line comes to mind, that do bus trips to places like Bath and Stonehenge. You can also use a train to pop over to Greenwich. If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you can always go to see the house, or if you are a Harry Potter fan you can always go up to Warner Brothers Studios via train. But really, there’s so much to do in the heart of the city that I wouldn’t spend more than one or two days “day tripping.”
Regarding the Oyster cards, no need to do that in advance. You can just tap your contactless credit card and not have to buy tickets altogether for the Tube.
Popular daytrips from London include Stonehenge or Stonehenge/Bath, Oxford, Cambridge, Windsor, Highclere Castle (for Downton Abbey fans), Blenheim Palace, Bletchley Park (WW2 code-breaker site), Hampton Court Palace, and more. (Some of these won’t take a full day, but more than a half-day). Pick one, or 2 at the most.
Then add something a bit closer to London, such as Kew Gardens and/or Greenwich (go at least one way by Thames boat):
This will be our first visit to London. While we enjoy exploring a new city, we equally enjoy venturing out to small towns. Im glad to hear that train tickets can be purchased with a credit card.
We were thinking about day trips to Bath, Canterbury and perhaps Bristol.
Thank you all so much. This was very helpful!
If you do decide on using an Oyster card there’s no reason to get it prior to departure. Getting one at the airport only takes a few minutes. Oyster card or Credit Card is a personal choice. We use the Oysters we’ve had for years so we don’t accidentally misplace or lose a credit card.
Day trips we’ve taken include Cambridge, Hampton Court, Windsor, Bath, and York. On our upcoming trip we’re considering Oxford or Canterbury.
Hampton Court Palace was by far my favourite daytrip from London. It's an easy train ride.
Next time we're in London, we're thinking of Salisbury as a day trip. We spent 3 days there previously but our tickets for the cathedral tower tour were cancelled and we still want to do that. Salisbury is worthy of a couple of days so you can see Stonehenge as well. We did that last time. We stayed in Salisbury because we did the sunrise tour which gave us access to walk within the stones.
I don't think Winchester and St Albans have been mentioned above as good day trips. Bletchley Park for WWII Enigma Code Breaking. (edit - oops there is a suggestion of that above) Dover Castle also has interesting WWI and WWII installations. Brighton Royal Pavilion (in coastal Brighton near city center and pier) is unique as a former royal residence, in my opinion. The other towns and suggestions mentioned above are also great.
What are you interests?? You may get more specific ideas.
Of course, you could spend the entire week in central London and not see or experience all there is!
Agree with the no Oyster - tap and go credit card or ApplePay works great. Of course, some prefer Oysters so as not to risk their CC cards. If that's the case, I again agree to wait and purchase in London.
If I may suggest, you may find it helpful to download the National Rail app to see the cost and time schedules of trains to various day trip locations for planning. Easy app to use. You can purchase ticket via the app or website (you will be directed to the website of the operators of your chosen route) or at a rail center via machine or live attendant. At the risk of becoming too complicated, some use the National Rail app to determine the line and operators of various routes, then book with that operator via their website. The Man in Seat61 suggests using the tfw.wales site. I have not used this. https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-britain.htm
I suggested the above because tickets for day trips are not necessarily inexpensive, depending on destination and when you want to travel. There can be multiple fares and accompanying restrictions that you might want to research for different ticket types.
Edit - I personally think Bath is worth more than a day trip. Depends on your interests. Canterbury works well as a DIY day trip (my opinion). What did you want to see in Bristol?
I'm one of those who preferred the Oyster Card - I was too worried about losing my actual credit card! I've also heard that it each person needs their own credit card; you can't swipe it the same card twice for you are your travel companion.
We did a day trip to Bath and it was 75% successful. I don't know who your "we" are, but we were me, my husband and two sons, who were 10 and 8 at the time. We left earlier and toured the Roman Baths (which they loved), but after that - there wasn't much to do in Bath with two young boys. They had fun, but I wish we had come back to London earlier. But if your "we" is two adults, you might have more fun enjoying a full day in Bath. We also did an afternoon in Greenwich. When we return to London/England (at some, unspecified time in the future), I'll want to go to York - but that seems to need an overnight. We didn't do Windsor or Hampton Court on this trip, but I've been in the past and liked both.
The "we" that I am referring to is myself and my husband. Thank you for the information regarding credit cards vs. Oyster Cards. I imagine it will come down to trial and error.
Has anyone traveled to Paris from London?(Not as a day trip) I have read about various train booking websites. I have the Rail Europe Ap but have read about Eurostar and a couple of other places to book a trip. Is there one site that has the best prices? Or is it based on the time of year and time of day?
Use the Eurostar app. Anything else is an agent - you will be potentially charged extra.
Set up an account with Eurostar. If there is any problem with your train - strike, etc - you will be contacted by email and can rebook easily. Don't ask how I know this.....
Seriously, the Eurostar app and purchase is easy to use. The earlier you book, generally the cheaper the ticket.
https://www.eurostar.com/us-en
more info:
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/london-to-paris-by-eurostar.htm
Windsor is a nice short distance day trip.
The train to Paris is on Eurostar. Just book directly with them. Great way to travel to Paris vs the seasickness we got on our first trip across on the hovercraft in the 80's The Eurostar is marvelous! It's been a few years since we took the train, but it's such a great way to get between London and Paris.
Thank you!
It's not clear whether you have Rick's guidebook or not, he covers all this and much much more.
I've done daytrips by train to Bath, York and Oxford. And that's the order in which I would rank them. Note that train travel in the UK is some of the most expensive in the world so investigate all possible discount options (like the Two Together card which I used). The Man in Seat 61 would love to help and inform you.
And speaking of expensive, it made my eyes water when I looked into a daytrip to Paris on Eurostar. Granted it was on short notice, but that's how I travel these days. A lot of effort and money (not so much the time) in order to eat a croissant near the Seine, but you might find it worthwhile. There are many Youtube vlogs on how it works and how to do it.
You can take a direct train from London to Bath for the day (1h 30m): https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/maps-of-the-national-rail-network/.
I used to use Google Wallet and tap into trains, buses and tubes, but now it doesn't work anymore for my phone, I see the appeal of the Oyster card again (of course, since I got reimbursed for my last one when I returned it...). I don't really like digging out a credit card either, but I guess I have to now.
I used to use Google Wallet and tap into trains, buses and tubes, but now it doesn't work anymore for my phone
Can you provide more details? I haven't heard of these problems from anyone else. Is it a function of Android version, or manufacturer of the phone? I see that Wallet requires Android 9 or later, but that's a pretty old release.
ETA: apparently old Pixel phones, a limited cohort of Samsung phones and several Chinese phones were identified as having security problems, leading to Google shutting down Wallet access pending manufacturers issuing security patches. So issues with Google Wallet may well be the canary in the IT security coal mine.
To my mind, York (a beautiful city) is a long way to go for a day. Also, there is a lot there to see and I think you'd struggle to see the highlights in a single day. Assuming you go by train, it could be quite an expensive trip too.
Shorter, easier and cheaper day trips would be: Oxford (or Cambridge - I wouldn't do both on a first trip), Canterbury, Hampton Court etc. I think Windsor is more of a half day but you need to check which days the castle is open.
I don't know why you mention Bristol. It's not typically a place first time visitors want to go. (I am reminded of a radio comedy show a few years back when Sarah Palin was running for vice-president. The question was "who calls their daughter Bristol?" to which the answer was "no-one who's ever been there. obviously!"
I must disagree with Bill. I find Bristol these days to be a very vibrant city and in my opinion more interesting to visit than Bath, although they do make a good pair as they are very close together. You can't do them both in a day but Bristol would be a good base for a 2/3 night stay.
But realistically if you only have a week I would stay in London. Day trips to places like Windsor, Hampton Court and particularly Greenwich would all make more sense.
London offers a huge menu of opportunities to explore assisted by wonderful public transport. Keep a couple of these thoughts in mind:
Thank you, Steven. We usually walk everywhere when we travel and don't let a little weather deter us! I am thankful for this site as it has given my a lot of useful information. I think I have a good plan for activities for the week thanks to all of the recommendations. The next challenge will be securing a hotel. I have been reading the hotel and restaurant reviews and listening to advise from friends.
I think Bristol is worth visiting but it’s not Bath or York. It’s a much bigger city with all the ups and downs that come with that. It has a lot more going on and would think of itself as being a lot cooler than Bath which Bristolians view as being a bit posh and uptight. Oh and also unfriendly/rude.
If you like to walk a lot (as we do), I will mention our favorite place to stay.
https://www.lockeliving.com/en/london/locke-at-broken-wharf?
Not a traditional hotel, but an “aparthotel” with modern, compact studio apartments, plus hotel services such as a reception desk. Some rooms have views of the river, with is particularly nice at night with the bridges illuminated.
It is on the river right by the north end of the pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge, just blocks from St. Paul’s cathedral, and an easy walk to the iconic Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Cross the bridge and you can use the riverside pedestrian path to walk as far as as you like, all with great views of the buildings lining the river.
To reach the Westminster Abbey area, we like to cross back to the north side on the pedestrian Jubilee Bridges, which line either side of the Hungerford Bridge. This puts you right in the Whitehall area of government buildings, a short walk from The Horseguards Parade, St. James Park, Westminster Abbey, Parliament buildings, and the Elizabeth Tower (aka Big Ben).
If you don’t wish to walk to, or back from, that area, you can catch the No. 15 bus right in front of St. Paul’s. It runs east-west between the Tower of London and Trafalgar Square in the heart of London, with access to Covent Garden, West End theatres, Piccadilly Circus shopping, etc. We generally use the bus to return from an evening at the theatre rather than walk back.
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/key-bus-routes-in-central-london.pdf
This location would be convenient for a daytrip that originates at Waterloo Station (Salisbury, Liverpool Street (Cambridge) or some others, but not for Bath—-you would need to transfer to Paddington for that. Or take the train to Salisbury and change there, but it takes a bit longer. Or if you book a tour to Bath (and maybe Stonehenge), it will start somewhere else, such as Victoria Coach Station for the popular Evan Evans tour.
I must disagree with Bill. I find Bristol these days to be a very vibrant city and in my opinion more interesting to visit than Bath, although they do make a good pair as they are very close together. You can't do them both in a day but Bristol would be a good base for a 2/3 night stay.
I agree. We plan to spend 4-5 days in Bristol every summer. It's delightful. The Clifton suspension bridge is wonderful.
Just to answer the question asked of me above: my Pixel phone is running Android 13. It is a bit mysterious as to why it won't tap anymore, but I have accepted it and have decided it is for the best - security is a worry for everyone these days. I just tap my credit card now, since I turned in my last Oyster Card on my last trip to London (and got 5 GBP back, to my surprise). I am kind of put off by the non-refundable 7 GBP they will charge for a Oyster Card, though. As said, if you go that route, you can get them at every tube station. It is a very easy process, even if you are not keen on "technology" when you have jet lag.
Google does whatever it wants, and we are stuck with them unfortunately - unless you have over $1000 kicking around for an iPhone, and even then, I'm sure Google will find their way into your life somehow!
I think a lot of those day trips suggested above would be fun, so thanks to those who contributed. I might go to some myself next year.
