Best Day Trip from London?

Bath is a good day trip, but the tickets can be VERY expensive unless bought about 12 weeks in advance. Windsor is an excellent day or half-day trip. So is Brighton. If you are interested, I'll be glad to share an article I wrote for AAA Carolina's "Go!" magazine a few years ago about day trips by train from London. Just private message me with your email.

Apples and oranges. Loved Bath. Stratford on the Avon, oh please. Rubbish. Some folks found Stonehenge boring. What are your interests? If I am reading your post correctly and you'll be spending only 4 days in London I would not day trip. Loads of things to do and see in London in four days. That's just me. Been over a dozen times. Never bored. Always finding something new to explore. Last visit it was the Ceremony of the Keys, a play at the Globe, Shepard's Bush Flea Market and Wilton's Music Hall.

1. Have you been to London before? and
2. What types of things do you want to see in England? Though the Roman baths were a highlight of my most recent trip to the UK, the site was enjoyable because I was already in Bath and had 2 days/3 nights to explore at leisure. I don't think I would've endured that train trip for just a few hours in the town. Others on these boards just love the Cotswolds, but sleepy little villages just aren't my thing. Lacock was fine, but only for an hour. Then I was bored. With four days in London, I wouldn't step a foot out of the city. Unless of course you've done London to death and desperately want to see something else. No, correction: even then, with only four days in London, I'd stay in London even if it was my 50th visit.

It depends on what interests you. There are so many fascinating places you can reach by train from London. If you are going to York, I assume you plan on visiting that great cathedral. Bath is interesting primarily for its Roman Baths (an interesting self guided tour) and their cathedral. Other spectacular cathedral towns (way better than Bath in my opinion) that can easily be done from London are Salisbury, Winchester and Canterbury. (in that order). The areas near the Cathedral are also very interesting. Winchester also has "King Arthur's Round Table" Lacock is easily reached by Mad Max tours from Bath- or can be fairly easily done by train and bus from Bath; but is far from the "cutest" Cotswold village. (I have previously been chastised on this board for calling it "stark"). But the pretty Cotswolds are impractical without a car. Other day trip worthy places from London are Stonehenge/Avebury; Blenheim Palace (and its village of Woodstock): Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Stratford on Avon. Closer to London- Hampton Court (Really a great visit) and Windsror All of the above can easily be visited by train. You may also consider the village/town of Richmond (near London).

Thank you all so much for your advice and suggestions! It's been very helpful. Perhaps it would be better for us to stay in London this visit since it's our first trip! Thanks again!

If you take the HoHo bus, you get a free boat ticket which you can use to go down the Thames to Greenwich. There is lots to see there (zero degrees longitude), maritime museums etc. You get on and off the boat near the Tower of London and could probably do both the same day as Gtreenwich is not far and the 'cruise' is pleasant.

Boring is in the eye of the beholder. We's all different. That what makes the world go round. There's No Way for me to know how you would react to it.

Didn't do Bath, but in November my husband and I did an Evan Evans day tour of Windsor, Stonehenge and Oxford. I am not a "big bus" kind of gal, we usually use the local rail/bus system, but this was really good and a cost effective. I was pleasantly surprised. Our guide gave us a lot of great info and we saw three sights in one day (which is why we took it. We wanted to see as much of England as we could during our stay.) Also - we did a train ride on our own out to Hampton Court. I could have stayed there two days - I love that kind of stuff! Have fun.

Too many choices. The question is, what do you want out of a day trip? If what you want is to escape the city and the crowds, I go some place with much open space and fewer crowds. My husband and I enjoyed Dover about 15 years ago in the middle a two week trip to London just because the castle is on the outskirts of town and rather sleepy. We liked the tunnel tours too, but then we are WWII buffs, so we would. I love Bath. But it remains crowded in the summer, and it doesn't feel green. Greenwich is very close to London and the park surrounding most of the sites lets you feel you've escaped the city. Hampton Park also feels green.

Windsor & a tour of the castle makes for a great day trip. Windsor is not far (by train) from London. In addition to the castle, you can take a nice stroll on The Long Walk, and walk over the bridge to Eton. It's a very nice day.