My wife and I are on the Rick Steves' Southern England tour starting 28 Sep this year. We arrive in London on the 27th and are wanting to visit the sights between London and Canterbury. Any recommendations on where to visit outside of London on the way and where to spend a night enroute? Thanks Joe
Posted by
London
1412 posts
I would recommend Whitstable on the coast- a very nice place to stay, good food options (known for oysters), and you can get there on the fast train from St Pancras. From Whitstable it's easy to get a bus to Canterbury.
Other nice places roughly between London and Canterbury: Knole, Chartwell, Leeds Castle, and (a bit further afield) Sissinghurst Castle Garden.
Posted by
111 posts
Now I've read the tour itinery, I see you mean you meet up in Canterbury late afternoon and the cathedral is included next day. By arrive in London I'll assume you mean Heathrow, probably mid morning.
The first thing that comes to mind for me is the perennial problem of luggage, it might be worth you booking a room at the tour hotel, go straight there to leave luggage and then set about seeing some sights. From Canterbury on the 27th and assuming you are a little jet lagged, you've dropped your luggage and by now it's early afternoon take a local bus to Whitstable and get some sea air. And oysters!
28th train to Chatham and see the Historic Dockyard https://thedockyard.co.uk/
Posted by
Lake District, England /On Pilgrimage
11763 posts
Also, just next to Chatham is Rochester - the 2nd oldest Cathedral in the UK, a pretty good Castle and the shadows of Charles Dickens everywhere you look.