Please sign in to post.

Suggestions for day trips around London

I plan on spending 7 days in London. I think it will be good idea to get away from the city for a day. What are some good suggestions for day trips?

Posted by
795 posts

Oh my, the choices!! Some include visits to Stonehenge, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, the Cotwolds, Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey is filmed), Warwick Castle, Windsor Castle, Stratford-Upon-Avon, the medieval village of Lacock, and even-hold on to your hat- Paris, France which is only a short hop away.

Posted by
15560 posts

You can also "get away" from the city in Greenwich and Hampstead Heath, though both are in London. I took several London Walks, all in the city, and they were excellent, so I would consider one of their day trips from London.

Are you looking for countryside or a different city? I once went to Bath as a day trip - long train ride. I didn't think there was much to see in Stratford. A Cotswolds tour sounds nice (haven't done it). Oxford and Cambridge are interesting, but they are cities.

Perhaps Nigel will come along with more suggestions.

Posted by
660 posts

Nice website Nicole, thanks.

All this on my doorstep and I never make the effort to go... I should really.

Posted by
13809 posts

Nicole, what a great website! Thanks for that link.

Posted by
3940 posts

I found it thru someone posting on trip advisor...then lost it...then found it again...yay! ;) We will be back to London for the 5th time this year, and want to do a day trip.

This could be an older website, so I would def look into current trains and whatnot incase something has changed...

Posted by
6113 posts

Do not go to Highclere as tickets have sold out for this year.

Good day trips - Brighton for great cosmopolitan life and seaside; Lewes for history; Rye for history and good walking; Norwich for its cathedral; and Canterbury. All accessible by train from London.

Posted by
100 posts

Heidi, introduce yourself to the Evan Evans Tours website! As loyal readers have seen me post many times to this question, I've done 3 of their daytrips on a bus (plus the daytrip to Paris). The first was the best, as all 3 stops are must-see's: Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge. The second was good (Leeds Castle, Canterbury and the beach at Dover) and the third was fine (Wawrick Castle, Stratford on Avon, and Oxford. Enjoy!

Posted by
5 posts

Thanks! These are all very helpful.

Chani, I was looking for more of countryside.

Posted by
239 posts

Closer to London, there is Hampton Court, Richmond Park, the Surrey countryside (you can get to the North Downs easily from Dorking Station), a wide ranch of National Trust properties (Hatchlands, Ham House, Clandon, Polesden Lacey) and gardens (Claremeont, Winkworth). Not much over an hour by train will get you to quite a lot of the south coast too.

Posted by
40 posts

The Cotswolds are a nice change from the bustling city, and it's easy to add Oxford for a few hours as well. I just did this with my family in March using kookycotswoldtours.com
Windsor Castle is so worth the short trip as well.

Posted by
3719 posts

Kew Gardens is a great trip; not too far. Cotswolds are great, also. As someone else mentioned, look at the www.walks.com website. The London Walks Company has dozens of day trips outside of London that I think you'd enjoy.

Posted by
10 posts

One does not have to go far from central London to experience English small-town ambience. London has many great neighborhoods or 'villages' well within its tube and regional rail system. Like Rebecca mentioned, Kew. I've been to several. Andrew Duncan has a book , 'Walking Village London.'