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Village or town near London with easy airport connection and nice walking?

Posted by (Seattle, WA) on

I am starting on plans for our May 2019 trip, which will include time in the UK and Spain. We will fly home from Barcelona on British Airways but would like to overnight near London, as we will be using separate tickets for the two flights (Barcelona to London and London to Seattle).

We have done this for six years now and have made our overnight in London several times, as well in Windsor and Henley-on-Thames. Looking for a new place this time, with scenic walking possibilities.

We can fly into and out of either Heathrow or Gatwick, and I am leaning toward Gatwick as it would be new to us. Lewes has been suggested to me, but are there other good choices with direct train connection to Gatwick? Or someplace I have not considered near Heathrow, perhaps on the Thames?

Posted by
16285 posts

Guildford looks like a possibility too. We like riverside towns, as my husband is a rower ( single scull).

Posted by
16285 posts

Thanks, Emma. After looking at Guildford on Google satellite view, I rejected it as too large and busy.

Richmond and Kew we visited numerous times during our three weeks in London in May 2016.

Lewes still looks good, with a castle and access to the South Downs Way. But would like to hear some personal experience.

Posted by
32767 posts

Emma and I are as one on Guildford. It really does nothing for me. But I do like the Wey River Navigations as they get into the countryside beyond Guildford. Not much sculling going on there though, more narrowboats (and one horse-drawn). I love the area around Godalming.

Do you know about Box Hill?

Lewes was on my short list.

I like the area along the Bluebell Railway (steam) between East Grinstead and Sheffield Park (National Trust) and down to Haywards Heath. Narrow lanes, AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the South Downs. Of course "Downs" in British English actually means "ups" so there is bags of beauty and gorgeous walking but very little boating.....

Posted by
16285 posts

Box Hill is intriguing. Would Dorking be the place to stay the night?

Posted by
239 posts

Dorking would be the place to stay if visiting Box Hill, fairly easy by train from Gatwick. You can go the other way out of the town and walk the North Downs round Ranmore Common.

Posted by
392 posts

Dorking gets the thumbs up from me. Small but bustling town with great countryside around. Denbies Vineyard is nice to visit nearby. You could get to Hampton Court Palace quite easily which is right on the river. Little villages like Godalming are a delight.

Posted by
16285 posts

What would be the simplest route to the airport ( either Heathrow or Gatwick) from Dorking? And which Dorking station? I see several right there. We would want to stay in the town, not at the hotel out by Box Hill.

OK! I answered my own question using the National Rail inquiry site. Much easier to Gatwick!

Posted by
392 posts

Yep very straight forward from Deepdene station to Gatwick. Even a taxi would be relatively cheap ( £35)

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