London’s position at the heart of southern England makes it the perfect base for some of the most rewarding day trips in Britain, historic university cities (Oxford and Cambridge), royal palaces (Windsor Castle and Hampton Court), picture-perfect Cotswolds villages, the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters, and the ancient cathedral cities of Canterbury and Salisbury can all be reached within two hours of the capital. The British rail network, for all its grumbling about ticket prices, makes car-free day trips to most of these destinations easy and often scenic, the train journey from London to Canterbury through the Kent countryside, or the route through the Chilterns to Oxford, are pleasures in themselves.
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Quick Facts: Best Day Trips from London
- 1. Windsor Castle (30 min by train from Paddington): The King’s weekend home and the largest occupied castle in the world. The State Apartments, St. George’s Chapel (burial place of Queen Elizabeth II), and the Changing of the Guard make Windsor the essential royal day trip
- 2. Oxford (1 hour from Paddington or Marylebone): The university city of dreaming spires. Key stops: Christ Church (Hogwarts’ Great Hall in the Harry Potter films), the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera, and a punt on the River Cherwell
- 3. Bath (1h20 from Paddington): The Roman baths, the Georgian Royal Crescent, and the Jane Austen connections, one of the most beautiful cities in England and a UNESCO World heritage site
- 4. Brighton (1 hour from Victoria or London Bridge): The Royal Pavilion, the pier, the pebble beach, the Lanes, the classic seaside escape from London
- 5. Canterbury (1 hour from St. Pancras): The cathedral (mother church of the Anglican Communion, site of Thomas Becket’s murder), the medieval city walls, and a punt on the River Stour
- 6. The Cotswolds: Hire a car or take the train to Moreton-in-Marsh. The villages of Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, and Stow-on-the-Wold are the England of postcards
- 7. Cambridge (1 hour from King’s Cross): King’s College Chapel, punting on the Cam, and the Backs, one of the most beautiful urban landscapes in England
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Europe remains a key continent for ski enthusiasts, with a proliferation of resorts. It’s fair to say that new resorts are being opened at regular intervals, although the quality of those destinations can vary somewhat. I enjoy a variety of winter sports and have been fortunate enough to visit a number of leading resorts. Here […]
