Hi All,
We are visiting london for 1st time this april. we will have 5 days to spend. Ideally we would love to do one day trip (have a 11 month old ,so one maybe more than we can handle) and i am totally confused which would be a good city to visit. All of them look beautiful , and since we have been to any we are wide open.
Any suggestions on which would best to visit/ can we combine maybe 2 in same route ?
Thank you for your help in advance
SR
Yes, all are good choices for day trips. For me, Windsor is the easiest and most flexible- plus Windsor castle is my favorite ! I also love the town, too. A short, 30 min. train ride from Paddington station with one simple change at Slough is all it takes, and there is no advantage to buying tickets in advance (price is same either way). That gives you total flexibility about when (or even if) you want to go.
By the way, Stonehenge is not a city- just an ancient site that is very interesting to some people. It is 'seeable' from Bath, but as a day trip by itself, would be underwhelming bang for your buck (and time).
We loved our day (with our Rick Steves, Best of London tour) in Windsor, everything about the city was just lovely. One of the fondest memories was eating at a small pub our guide recommended. (I can’t remember the name unfortunately). There was no seating room left inside so we parked ourselves outside and enjoyed a small meal and cider while we watched the world go by!
I took a guided day trip from London to Windsor, Oxford & Stonehenge; of the 3 I loved Windsor the most, charming little town & enjoyed touring the castle, highlight was the fabulous doll’s house. Next would be Oxford, then Stonehenge.
Windsor is the easiest to get to from London, with one main attraction, the Castle.
Oxford and Cambridge are nice places to meander around and there are plenty of old colleges and buildings, plus Oxford has the Bodlean Library, but they haven’t got a main attraction.
All of these have plenty of cafes and are interesting places to look round. Your 11 month old won’t appreciate any of them!
Stonehenge is more awkward to get, a longer journey and is just a pile of stones in a field! (You may gather that this wouldn’t be in my top 100 things to see in the UK).
You can’t sensibly combine any of these places on the same day with a young child in tow.
We have been to all these places, but I would recommend for only one day going to Windsor. Make sure the Queen is not there, as it will be closed on that day.
You can do Oxford and Cambridge on day trips from London, either taking the train and picking up a walking tour or find a tour company that busses you there.
Stonehenge is worth a visit, suggest taking in Salisbury (nearby) and its Cathedral (especially if you have read Pillars of the Earth). The Magna Carta is in the Cathedral.
Depending on when you go in April, Oxford and Cambridge may be unwelcoming to tourists - if the academic term has started, all the colleges will be discouraging tourists as the students will be in heavy exam preparation and need seclusion.
Windsor, definitely. If you take the greenline coach / bus from Victoria Station, it also goes to LegoLand Windsor too, and there is space on it for strollers. Have fun!
-Alison
It would probably be easier to get to Stonehenge by taking the train to Salisbury.
Combine Eton with Windsor for a nice day trip. It's been years but I would always stump for Cambridge, too far for me from London.
Windsor is easier to get to, it’s a 35 minute train ride, leaving from London Paddington. When you exit the train in Windsor turn to your left and walk up to High Street, the castle is right there across the street. If you are interested in seeing Eton which is where Eton College, it’s a middle school and high school for boys. The royals and aristocrats send their sons to. As you stand on High Street facing the castle turn to your left, walk to the 2nd Street, turn left walk a block, cross the Thames and you are in Eton (5-6 minute walk). If you have time you could walk to Windsor Great Park, if you are on the same side as the castle facing across street, turn left walk down the sidewalk and it will take you to Windsor Great Park (5-7minute walk). As you enter the park look to your left and you will see the gates to Windsor Castle, from there you can see the royal family’s private residents. The road there is called The Long Walk, it’s 3 miles long and a private road which the royals use come to and leave the castle.
Good recommendations. I want help but think of my old college English professor, "Sir" Anthony Eaton -Hogg. A learned but rakish fellow I must say!
Good recommendations. I can't help but think of my old college English professor, "Sir" Anthony Eaton -Hogg. A learned but rakish fellow I must say! Cambridge seems a bit of a jaunt.
If you go to Cambridge AND if you have any connection to the WW II air war, be sure to visit the Eagle Pub which has the RAF Bar in it. My Dad flew in B-17s and was stationed near this area. He very likely visited this pub. Pay special attention to the ceiling where the air crews wrote the names of their units.
I think "what you want to see" is a more compact area in Oxford than in Cambridge and, hence, more walkable. Sightseeing buses are plentiful in both. Time by rail out of London to Oxford is about an hour, and, if I remember, a bit more to Cambridge. Oxford Station is a just a few blocks from the town center. Cambridge town center is a long walk from the station, easily a mile or more. Take a cab or a bus from there.
Can't recommend granting much time to Stonehenge simply because it doesn't take much time to see the place, less time than getting there and getting back. Somerset is nearby, with buses that run to and from Stonehenge, so you could make a half day out of Stonehenge combine with a meal and a walkabout in Somerset (the cathedral is probably the big draw).
thank you all. you all have been so helpful. I have decided on Windsor which seems the easier of the options. but knowing me..i might end up changing still..lol.
