Day Tours

Check out the day trip tours from the Original London Walks people at www.walks.com. They come highly recommended by people on these chat boards. I haven't taken the out of town tours but I can attest to how great has been each one that I've taken in London.

There is so much you can see in one day from London- so it depends on your own preferences:
Easy day tours by train are to the cathedral towns: Canterbury, Salisbury, Winchester; Nearby Hampton Court and Windsor; the University towns: Cambridge and Oxford. Bath is popular. Brighton for a seaside experience; Even as far as York (although that is better as a 2 day). By car- Cotswolds By tour bus: Blenheim Palace; Stonehenge and Avebury (better by car- doable by bus from Salisbury); Bath There are a number of old extablished tour companies- Evan Evans and Gray Line havew been doing it forever, also a number of others, all their tours are very similar Absent our own car; I like train, relaxing and when you get there you are on your own schedule

We have used Evan Evans and Gray Line and found them both to be very similar in itinerary and price. We experienced good guides with both companies. On one of the tours, it was a smaller vehicle with capacity for fewer guests which was more enjoyable (Stonehenge I believe). However, I do not remember which company.

There are many day trips you can do on your own via train from London. Check out this article
http://www.aaacarolinas.com/Magazine/2008/Jan-Feb/britain.htm?zip=28105&stateprov=nc&city=matthews

I highly recommend Alan Price at Celtic Horizons for day tours - he's recommended in Rick Steves' Great Britain and London guidebooks. Alan has led personalized tours for me on three separate trips and I've never been disappointed. Tours have included Bath, Stonehenge, Avebury, Salisbury, Blenheim Palace, Lacock, Oxford, and Wales with excellent commentary along the way. He's terrific!

Hi, I second Matt's suggestion of London Walks. Walks.com. I have done a few of their Explorer Days. If you want a taste of the Cotswolds, their one day tour would be a good start (tho' I wouldn't do their Cotswolds and Oxford tour - just too much crammed into a day). I have noted that they are going to Sissinghurst in August, a place I haven't been to and was hoping to do that day. But as noted, it would be easy to do some destinations on your own and pick up tours when you get there - eg Winchester, (see visit winchester website) which is a terrific compact town, easy to get to from Waterloo - then book tours going round the Cathedral, also a tour round Wincester college + also see whats left of the castle and Great Hall and "King Arthur's round table". You dont say who is going - if you have children Warwick Castle or Hampton Court would be good picks. If you are interested in WW2 then you could do Chartwell (Winston Churchill's home) which is a house with museum and gardens. If you let us know your interests we could make more suggestions.

We have always been very happy with Gray Line day Tours. They are based here in the U.S. You can book on-line. We have used them for the Cotswolds,, Stonehenge, around London, Bath, etc. We have also used them in Canada, Australia, Boston, New York, Bruges, Rome, Paris, etc. They have you meet the day tours at Victoria Station or they pick you up near your hotel. They are a great company for tours. Elaine