Cute/Charming towns close to London - Need recommendations!

Leatherhead, Dorking and Guildford in Surrey, Sevenoaks Kent, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. St. Albans. London neighborhoods like Hampstead, Highgate, are also somewhere you should consider. Pricey but village like. Children would love the Heath.

I have to agree with Karen. London is LARGE. 45 min. away really won't be that far away from the city, but it will greatly increase your commuting costs and time. There are 'quiet' neighborhoods in London. If you insist on being out of the center, I'd look for something near one of the parks or perhaps Kew/Richmond areas(though they are a bit far on the tube with tired kids) or MAYBE Windsor (about 30 min. by train).

If you plan on staying in a village for a week, and traveling into London for 3 or 4 days only, that might work. I don't think it's a good idea if you want to commute daily. What will you do in the middle of the day if the kids or parents are having a meltdown? A nearby hotel or apartment would let everyone wind down for an hour or two. I don't care how quiet a village is, if it's an hour away by tube or train, that's too much. Others on here are more familiar with London than I am, but seems like within 45 minutes of the central city are suburbs, not quaint old English villages. Not always very nice suburbs.

Hampton Court is a pleasant town on the Thames with good train service to London (Waterloo Station). I wouldn't call it cute but it does have a terrific palace.... Windsor is a bit further out and is close to Legoland for the kids as well as some other attractions including Windsor Castle. Again, good train service into London. Most towns within your time criteria and with good transport into London will be commuter suburbs. If you go a bit further out - there are some possibilities for instance, some of the towns on the south coast are served by express trains from London. And parts of Buckinghamshire - but don't know about the train. You might also look to Essex an area I don't know at all

Consider Greenwich. It's close in, has it's own attractions, and does feel like it's own place. Hampton Court is another really good suggestion. Both places have extensive public parks. Alternatively, you might look for a a hotel or apartment within a few blocks of one of London's parks. Being off Hyde or Regent's Park you could be very close in with easy tube access. That might be the best of both worlds---close to a park for running off steam and escaping traffic and close to home base for naps.

Dulwich is a lovely village, it's a fifteen minute train ride from London Victoria train station. If you stay in London there are so many beautiful parks that the children would enjoy a lot, when you are at the parks it doesn't seem like you are in a large city.

Berkhamsted is a really nice small town in Hertfordshire north of London, 30 minutes to Euston on the fast trains calling only Hemel Hempstead and Watford Junction (for the Harry Potter Experience). Even the stopping train only takes 38 minutes and calls additionally at Apsley, Kings Langley, Bushey and Harrow & Wealdstone (for the Bakerloo Line). Berkhamsted also has a ruined castle, right across from the station, and right there is the Grand Union Canal too. There are more advantages, too. If you try to get in or out at the rush hour expect the trains to be very busy with many people standing - but that's really only at rush hour.

Richmond. A village on the Thames, large green and interesting shops. Can easily get to London by Tube or by train. Quiet. Also Hampstead- although thats a lot busier. Richmond or even Tunbridge wells or Tenterden in Kent would be wonderful if you wanted a village life with occassional trips intpo London. But I agree with the above comment, if you want to do your sightseeing in London (especially if you havew children) you want to be able to walk back to your hotel and rest up when you get tired. For that reason, we much prefer staying as close to Piccadilly Circus or Westminster as we can get. It can be really tiring to have to train or Tube back to your hotel when you are tired and cranky.

Hi Faith, Ely is an hour train ride from Kings Cross. Lovely small town, gorgeous cathederal. Enjoy your trip. Pam