I spent time in London last year and did one day in Paris during that trip. Would like to do a similar day out of England this year but am not interested in returning to Paris. Are there any cheap, same day options people would recommend? I'm checking out the Brussels option but might likely be more interested in Ireland or Germany if there is an easy "there and back same day" option like the Eurostar offers. Any day Friday-Monday would be available for planning and cheap would be under $150 round trip. Open to planes or trains. Will be there around Thanksgiving. Thank you for any suggestions you may have.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7033 posts
Check skyscanner.com, they show round trips from London Gatwick to Dublin (same day return) during November for $49.
Posted by
OP
USA
163 posts
What a great resource - thank you!
Posted by
Brighton, UK
1388 posts
Assuming you're happy to go back to France then Lille on the Eurostar is worth considering. It's a really nice little town with a historic centre and much more manageable than Paris. It also has a distinctly 'northern' feel. Beer as well as wine, for example.
This gives a nice overview
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/northern-france/lille
Flying anywhere you are going to spend a lot of time getting to, and hanging around in, airports.
Alan
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Have you been to Manchester or Liverpool? Both would make great overnights from London, but in a pinch (with an early start, a late return, and careful planning) you could get a lot out of a daytrip, and if bought far enough in advance the train tickets should be cheap. If you need ideas for these cities, here's my report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/uk-trip-report-glasgow-manchester-liverpool-in-september-2016
I haven't been to Lille, but my friend who went enjoyed it more than he expected.
I agree that flying for a day to almost anywhere means more time spent in airports (and going to and from airports) than actually seeing anything.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Brussels is the least interesting city that I have visited in Europe, so that would not be on my list.
Easyjet etc have many options for day trip flights, but at that time of year, there is a high risk of flights being cancelled due to fog in the mornings. With increased airport security, day trip flights are often reduced to a very short time in any destination once journey times to/from airports etc is factored in.
Consider taking the train - Bath, York, Durham, Canterbury or Portsmouth if you are interested in naval history.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
"Brussels is the least interesting city that I have visited in Europe, so that would not be on my list. "
I agree. But, for my sister-in-law, there were some pieces she wanted to see in the Fine Arts Museum, so for her, a day there was highly worthwhile. If you, MNFerst, find something of interest in Brussels, you can easily go there for the day; if you don't know of something specific in advance you want to see, go somewhere else.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
I like Brussels but it's not suitable for a day trip as the interesting sites are too widely spread and you'd spend too much time on trams and the Metro. If you want to do one day in Belgium I'd pick Bruges or Ghent.
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
I bought this book a few years ago and LOVE it. I'v done many of the trips on my various trips to London.
Frommer's?Best Day Trips from London: 25 Great Escapes by Train, Bus, or Car (Frommer's Best Day Trips London)May 7, 2004
Posted by
OP
USA
163 posts
Thank you All for the really thoughtful suggestions. its looking as though we will likely use our short time to stay in London with an option to do a day trip to the Cotswolds if we want a little change of scenery. Anyone else ever feel like you are always planning for your current trip and your next trip at the same time? 😊