So you've explored Central London and have a spare day on your hands...lucky you! Day trips from London are easy thanks to Britain's rail system, and you have fantastic destinations to choose from.
My pick of towns offering the BEST DAY TRIPS FROM LONDON:
My pick of towns offering the BEST DAY TRIPS FROM LONDON:
- Bath
- Brighton
- Oxford
- Greenwich (Lack time for a day trip but have a good half day? I suggest Greenwich. It's a borough of London, but being there, you feel worlds away, and the area offers amazing experiences. )
- Paris (If you have a full day, and you're the energetic type who can rise early and bed late, then the perfect day trip for you might be across the Channel!)
Here's the lowdown on my choices for TOP DAY TRIPS FROM LONDON, complete with photo galleries . . .
BATH PHOTO GALLERY
- BATH The Roman baths....the Georgian architecture....the quaint shops....the eateries....the Royal Crescent and Circus....it's all lovely beyond words. Oh! And the amazing Jane Austen Centre! (Be sure to have sweets in the Centre's tea room. If you're lucky, you can sit under the large painting of Mr. Darcy!) DEPART BY TRAIN FROM PADDINGTON STATION (40 miles / 1 hour)
BATH PHOTO GALLERY
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- BRIGHTON The sea....the flamboyant Royal Pavilion....the artists....the shops....the pubs....the seaside restaurants....the nightlife and lively gay scene....Head here for the sea, entertainment, and sheer fun! DEPART BY TRAIN FROM VICTORIA STATION (53 miles / 1 hour)
BRIGHTON PHOTO GALLERY
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- OXFORD Brainiacs, rejoice! Oxford is for YOU. Uber-cool museums abound, as do colleges that have educated some of the world's greatest minds. My favorite museum is the University's Museum of the History of Science, but equally wonderful are the Pitt Rivers Museum, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, and Museum of Natural History. Also take in the Bodleian Library and some of University of Oxford's famed institutions, such as Trinity College, Magdalen College, and Christ Church College. (At Christ Church, you'll feel like you've entered Harry Potter's world, for numerous scenes from the movies were filmed there.) If you need outdoor activity after all that indoor touring, rent a boat and try your hand at punting on the River Cherwell! DEPART BY TRAIN FROM PADDINGTON STATION (56 miles / 1 hour)
OXFORD PHOTO GALLERY
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- GREENWICH Yes, it's a borough of London, but it's a jaunt from Central London--and well worth the effort! Home of the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Mean Time, one can stand astraddle the Prime Meridian (which is far more thrilling than it may sound!)...tour the Observatory...see the Royal Naval College and the National Maritime Museum...stroll the lovely hills of Greenwich Park...and view the famed Cutty Sark ship. So much history! DEPART BY TRAIN FROM CHARING CROSS STATION (20 miles / 20 minutes)
GREENWICH PHOTO GALLERY
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- PARIS Have a leisurely coffee and croissant in the Latin Quarter….visit the Louvre (where "must-sees" include the Mona Lisa)….tour breathtaking Notre Dame Cathedral (keeping an eye open for the hunchback, of course!)….or take a quick jaunt to Montmartre, where you will feel the spirit of Van Gogh, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein, and all the other heavy-weights who have produced art and literature there. DEPART BY EUROSTAR TRAIN FROM ST. PANCRAS (INTERNATIONAL) STATION (307 miles / 2 hours, 15 minutes)
PARIS PHOTO GALLERY
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