Stay in London whole trip vs. Adding additional city?

With seven days, I'd stay put in London and plan on a few day trips via train. Why loose 1/2 to a full day just to relocate? Windsor is a good 1/2 or full day, we liked to go there on the days when we had evening theatre tickets. Bath is a full day (and purchase this ticket in advance if you plan on going there- it can be VERY expensive to buy the day of travel). Dove is fun- the castle and the various sights associated with WWII are good. Greenwich is also another 'trip', so is Kew Gardens. Winchester is a nice day trip, and the cathedral is lovely. York is also good, but makes for a long day.

2 or 3 nights in Bath(on the right days of the week) would give you the opportunity to take a Mad Max tour that goes to Avebury and Cotswolds. Salisbury (with its cathedral) would be an easy day trip on train from Bath. Bath is easy trip on train from London. I would suggest 4 nights in London, 2 or 3 in Bath. Windsor and Cambridge(Kings College chapel) are each easy day trips from London, but not on the same day.

You could, theoretically, visit all those sights on day trips from London. (Some would be very long days.)
You might want to look into one day tours to help maximize your time with transportation and not have to work out what trains/buses you need.

Take a look at London Walks. They offer tours in both London and day trips outside. Their tours are excellent. (You'll find they have lots of fans on this board). No prebooking necessary. Just show up at the time and place noted for each tour. I've taken their day tours to Oxford and Cambridge (separate days). Excellent.

We spent 10 days in London in September 2018 and still did not see everything we wanted to see! The only trip out of the city was a day trip by train to Windsor Castle. We rented a flat in Kensington and settled in. We have been traveling for almost 20 years and it was of the best trips we have ever taken!

I would stay in London and then each pick a day trip that you want to do. Look at an apartment rental rather than a hotel for better value and more flexibility at meal times.

Windsor, Stonehenge (I don’t know why this is so popular on this forum, as it’s small and underwhelming), Oxford, Cambridge, Salisbury and Bath are all possible by train from London. The Cotswolds (another overrated area us Brits think) is easier by car or a tour.

The best view of the White Cliffs is out at sea, rather than standing on them at Dover or the Seven Sisters.

Warwick Castle is very Disneyfied, but there are lots of castles and stately homes that you can easily see from London - Windsor, Blenheim Palace, Leeds, Hever, Chiddingstone, Bodiam, Arundel or Hampton Court Palace.

As others have said - with 7 days, use London as your base. London is a city that you could spend the better part of a lifetime in and still have bits left to see and do. There are plenty of day trips out of the city that are easily accessible by train to keep you busy. Dover, Canterbury, Bath, Windsor, Cambridge, Warwick Castle...all are within easy reach. If you didnt mind a long day, you could even venture as far as York.

London is a fantastic city, and public transit is very easy to use. Once you get your general bearings, I would recommend taking the bus a few times and try to sit on the upper deck in the front. Its a great and inexpensive way to see the city. You can even get a 'Boris Bike' (as they are styled locally) and cycle around the city virtually free as long as you re-dock the bike within 30 minutes.

You listed a lot of great places outside London.

2-3 nights is not enough for London. Still, I would recommend Windsor Castle to be high on your list to visit. Stonehenge is great, as well. Blenheim Palace is not far from Oxford and you can do it in half a day. Warwick Castle is great if you had kids, but a bit far from London.

We loved Bath, Salisbury, Oxford and Cambridge and the Cotswolds, but your time is limited. Plan on coming back.

We did a four week drive tour of Wales and England (not going to London) here are the details of where we visited and stayed/toured.
28 days in Britain and Celebrity Eclipse home
https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=599139

I will vote on the side of adding another city. London is great, have spent a week there on maybe 5 trips, but you should see a bit more of the country to get a balance. One poster mentioned "why spend a half day relocating?" I can add, why spend a half day or more in a bus multiple days doing Day trips out of London?

Bath would work well, could do short trips from there to Salisbury/Stonehenge/Avebury and the Cotswalds. Or, you might go South to catch the Dover area...but not both.

Of your week, I would break it up mid week, doing 2 nights, maybe three in a locale with what you are looking for and short daytrips to other sights.

I have been to London several times and it is a huge city with tons of things to see and do. I would stay in London the whole week and as others suggested do some day trips. Have you bought the London Rick Steves guide book? Also look at the RS free videos and other videos for free on YouTube. Look at the RS scrapbooks on this website on the tours that go to London. Filled with lots of photos and ideas as to what to see and do. A week actually scratches the surface of all that London has to offer.

If you move to other cities, take into consideration, taking the time to get to a new city and checking into a hotel and learning your way around. I think you will be short changing yourself as to the time limit of just a week you have. Hopefully this will not be your first and only trip to London and the UK. You will go back.

You can go to Windsor Castle, easy train ride for the day. Go on the London walks, they have day time walks, pub walks in the evening, and day trips. Look them up on their website. London Walks and you don't need a reservation, just meet them at the assigned tube station and the walks are 10 pounds, days trips more money.

You can also take a boat ride up the Thames River and go to Greenwich for the day. Blenheim Palace and Warwick Castle are too far to do and require a tour to take. You could go to Hampton Court Palace by train from London. I did that and it was interesting.

Again, plan your days out and see what you can and know your going back.

Oxford and Cambridge you can take a train there for a day. But remember you only have 7 days and you want to see London. One or the most two day trips would be fine if you want to really see London.

London has plenty of sites to see and museums and pubs and plays.

Read up on what you want to see and do. And as you said you want to see cathedrals, there is St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey to visit. And for castles, there is the Tower of London and you can walk over the Tower Bridge and of course there are art museums. The National Gallery of Art, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the parks to walk around in, the Wallace collection, the Tate Britian and the Tate Modern. And of course the food hall at Harrods.

This is just a few things I named. I am going to London for two weeks in May and am seeing all the things I have not seen and what I just named above, I have already seen but have lots more to see!

Have a great trip.

If you're interested in cliffs then The Seven Sisters is a far better option than the cliffs of Dover. You can see them from land, either on top or from the beach whereas the Dover cliffs are better seen from sea.

Stonehenge is divisive, people either love it or find it a disappointment. I love it because I'm interested in Neolithic history but others who visit simply because they feel that it's a must see usually find it anti climatic.

Both Winchester and Portsmouth have more to offer than Stonehenge and Salisbury (if cathedrals are your thing then Winchester is a great alternative to Salisbury however if the Magna Carta is a must see then Salisbury it will be) and both are quick and easy day trips from London.

There's also Chichester, another good cathedral but also full of Roman history including the magnificent Fishbourne Roman Palace and another easy trip from London by train.

I’d vote for staying in London with that amount of time, both to avoid relocating and give the option of being able to choose day trips in opposite directions, but also to take advantage of London nightlife! There are loads of fun things to do at night here. I’m in your age bracket and think it will probably be more fun for you and your friend to have London pubs, bars, theatre, extensive food scene, music, clubs - whatever you’re into - at your fingertips each night. Your evening options will be more limited in the Cotswolds or Salisbury or wherever.