London is one of our favourite cities on the planet, although we are biased as many of our writers are based in London. If you have more than three days in London, you should take advantage of the opportunity to see more of the United Kingdom as there are so many beautiful places within easy reach of the city. To help you plan your vacation, we’ve put up a list of the top day trips from London.
Bath
A day visit to historic Bath is one of the most popular day trips to take from London. Just a 1.5 hour train journey from London, Bath is one of the UK’s most beautiful cities. Famous for its Roman Baths, stunning regency architecture and Jane Austen history, there’s plenty to see and do within one day and lots of great shopping and dining options too.
Windsor
The home of Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II spends her weekends and Easter holidays, Windsor is a pretty and historic English town set on the River Thames, and close to the famous and prestigious Eton College. Spend a day exploring Windsor Castle, Windsor Great Park, Frogmore House, and wander the pretty streets of the town itself and see the Crooked House.
Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour
If you’re a Harry Potter enthusiast or a poor muggle who’s been dragged along by one, you must visit the studio tour. It’s a short drive from London and definitely worth the trip. In fact, you’ll be able to discover everything there is to know about the Harry Potter movies, including how they were made. It’s the ultimate Harry Potter movie experience, and if you don’t want to drive yourself, you can book the Warner Bros bus tour.
Brighton
The delightful beach town of Brighton, a favourite of visitors to London and Londoners alike, can be reached in around an hour by rail. Unlike other prominent beach towns that thrive solely for tourism, it is a vast, functioning city with lots to offer visitors as well as locals. Summer is the greatest time to visit Brighton because the winters can be extremely cold and wet (much like London!).
Paris
It is also possible to travel outside of England and visit another country in just one day! By Eurostar, Paris is only around 2 hours away, making it one of London’s most popular day trips. Sure, one day in Paris isn’t quite enough (you’ll need three to four days to see and do everything), but if a day trip is your only chance, don’t pass it up! To help you plan our day, our travel writer, Catherine, has a guide on how to do a day trip to Paris on her travel blog.
Oxford, Blenheim Palace & Woodstock
Oxford is one of the best day trips from London. Whether you drive or take the train, the journey is only 90 minutes long. If you only have time for a day trip, you’ll have plenty to do because there are a number of free and paid universities worth seeing (especially Christ Church for Harry Potter lovers). If you allow time for a few hours to visit Blenheim Palace just 20 minutes up the road by car, be sure to take the time to also drop into Woodstock, a small town right next door.
The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are less well-known among international visitors, but Brits will gladly tell you how lovely this part of Britain is! The best way to see the Cotswolds and see all the many tiny villages is to take an early train from London and arrange a full-day tour of the Cotswolds in advance. If you’re seeking a more traditional British experience, this is without a doubt one of the greatest day trips from London.
Louise Walker is AGLAIA’s Editor in charge of all content creation and management. She splits her time between London and Miami, and can always be found at a swanky hotel bar sipping on a Negroni. Contact her for any questions or if you would like to become an AGLAIA Contributor: hello@aglaiamagazine.com
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