Day Trips from London - Places to visit and excursions around London

1. Before Arriving in London
2. How to get to London - Getting to London by plane, train, bus or car
3. Public Transport in London - Getting around London
4. Cost of Living in London
5. Save Money in London - Tips for Living in London on a Student Budget
6. London neighborhoods - The most important districts of London
7. London Nightlife - A guide to nightclubs and going out in London
8. Where to eat in London - British Cuisine and British Gastronomy Restaurants
9. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (1st part)
10. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (2nd part)
11. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (3rd part)
12. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (4th part)
13. Day Trips from London - Places to visit and excursions around London
14. Festivals in London - Festivities and celebrations calendar
15. London in 3 days - What to see in London in 3 days

Being in London means that you’re really at an advantage, not just because there’s so much to do and see in the city, but because you’ll have access to some of the best and fastest rail networks which can get you around the country in a flash. Trains run daily up and down the country and for a reasonable price too, so if you do feel yourself wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of city life for a day, or if you’re just curious to see what the rest of the UK has to offer, then get yourself to a train station and hop on a train to one of these great places located outside of London.

Beaches

It may come a surprise to some of you, but there are actually beaches near London! Due to the UK being a (not very big) island, there are easily accessible beaches near the capital city which have so much charm, they could make you forget that London even exists! To book train tickets or just have a look at prices, have a look at the trainline and remember that you can use your rail discount card (if you have one) to get 30% off all train journeys - not just the ones in London. So, without further ado, here are some of the best beaches near London:

Brighton

Brighton is certainly one of the best places to go (especially for students) outside of London. The atmosphere in Brighton is so different to the atmosphere in London and with good reason - it’s a slower pace of life and it’s a seaside town, so you can’t help but feel a little less rushed when walking around its many quirky side roads or down the pebbly beach. To start your day in Brighton, you could go and grab a full English breakfast at Little Miss Piggies from only £3.95! As the café is situated less than a 10 minute walk away from the promenade, why not go and let your food go down whilst sitting on the beach or whilst taking a stroll along the picturesque promenade. You could also visit one of the piers which are complete with arcade games.

After spending the morning strolling around, you could visit one of the small side streets which are full of quirky cafés, markets, vintage shops etc., or you could visit the British Airways i360 - a lookout point located near the coast which provides some spectacular panoramic views of a landscape which is totally different from what you’ll see in London. For lunch, make your way to The Regency which is one of the oldest restaurants in Brighton which offers more amazing views of the English Channel, the seafront and the West Pier as well as exquisite and traditional fish & chips amongst other locally caught seafood dishes. Make sure you’ve left room for dessert; one of the best chocolate café’s is located in Brighton, it’s named “Choccywoccydoodah” and is the provider of all things sweet and chocolatey, from sweets to drinks and cakes, in Brighton.

To work off your lunch, there is the possibility to go kayaking or paddleboarding in the sea and enjoy some more views of the city from the sea. Finally, to regain some energy after your long day in Brighton, head down to Earth & Stars or the Lion and Lobster to have a expertly made British roast dinner from a very reasonable price of £10.95. Just before heading back to London, go and wash down your Roast in the Shuffle Bar (where you can actually choose the music which is played yourself!) with a few of their 100+ cocktails, bottled beers, wines and champagne. If you’re able to visit Brighton in the winter, make sure to find out the details of the burning of the clocks. It’s an event which is held every 21st December to mark the shortest day of the year and the winter solstice. It consists of the inhabitants of Brighton & Hove getting together to make paper lanterns which they then take down to burn at the beach.

*NB: Brighton is one of the official LGBT cities in the UK.

From London Waterloo, the train journey to Brighton takes just over an hour and costs around £25 for a return journey, but remember to use your discount railcard (if you decide to get one) to get a 30% discount on this price. Obviously, prices change depending on the time of year and the time of day you catch your train, so have a look at the Trainline to find out ticket prices and times for when you want to go to Brighton.

Rye (Camber Sands Beach)

Camber Sands is a great place to go for a day trip, the beach is one of the nicest sandy beaches and there are even sand dunes which are quite incredible. As Camber Sands is 2 hours away by train, it might be a good idea to get breakfast to takeaway for the train ride there, if not, of course you can get breakfast when you get there. There’s a great restaurant called Bosun’s Bite which is located more inland, the full English breakfast is a great way to start the day alternatively, you can choose from the other items on the menu. They offer vegetarian and gluten-free meals too.

As morning turns into afternoon, why not go down to the beach and participate in some kite buggying. It’s a great activity to do! It consists of a three wheel buggy with a parachute attached which is what powers the buggy, you’ll have a short lesson on how to use the buggy and then it’s on to racing up and down the beach; you can reach speeds of up to 50mph! To book your place on the course, have a look at their website here. If you prefer something which is actually in the sea, you can also go kite surfing which is essentially the same as kite buggying but it’s in the water with a board instead of a buggy.

There are other activities in the water too; you can go jet skiing (check out more information here) or if you prefer something a little more tame, you can also book fishing trips at the beach.

You’ll be glad to know that after your highly active and adrenalin filled morning, you’ll be able to grab lunch at some of the nicest pubs. Why not head down to The Owl beach grill for some locally sourced meats, fish and vegetables and only for a price of around £13 for a main meal. On Sundays, they serve a great roast lunch from 12:30 with vegetarian options which are also available. Restrain yourself from drinking too much at The Owl as there is one of the best microbreweries, called Smugglers’ Alehouse, located in the area. As it’s a microbrewery, it means that you’ll have a selection of real ales and craft ciders to choose from; they have everything from pale and hoppy to dark and fruity ciders and ales.

After having a relaxed lunch, burn off the calories by scaring yourself on a ghost tour of the local area which is shrouded in history, have a look at prices and available spaces of the heritage centre’s website. Before you go for dinner, why not have a wander over to “Tinybookstore”? It’s a quaint little bookshop which sells second hand works from famous authors as well as lesser-known authors.

For dinner, the Fish Café is highly recommendable with moderate prices, locally sourced foods and a mix of fish, seafood and meat. Just before catching your train back to London, why not go to the Mermaid Inn for a drink and to have a look at the giant’s fireplace which is possibly the biggest fireplace in the UK. The Mermaid Inn also has an extensive history involving pirates who once sat at the tables with their pipes and loaded pistols on the tables in front of them. The train journey is around 2 hours and costs around £30 for a return journey (without a discount railcard).

Margate (Botany Bay)

This is the place to come to for any photography lovers or Instagram addicts and it’s also one of the top places for Londoners to go when they need to get a little rest and relaxation. Botany Bay in Margate is definitely the beach to go to - it’s a hidden gem within Margate with stunning white cliffs and chalk stacks and when the tide is out, it’s also a great place for fossil hunting.

Apart from the beach, one of the top things to do in Margate is visit one of the oldest amusement parks, Dreamland. There’s a mix of old-school retro rides as well as more modern, adrenaline inducing rides and a big wheel which you can go on to get some amazing views of the seaside town.

After visiting the amusement park, you could take a wander over to the harbour to see the 12 foot statue of ‘Mrs Booth’ - a landlady whose house had wonderful views over Margate Harbour. J. M. W. Turner, an English Romanticist style landscape painter stayed with Mrs Booth when he came to Margate and the two started a love affair which lasted until Turner’s death 18 years later, now Mrs Booth has been immortalised by the 12 foot statue which looks out to see beloved of Turner. About a 10 minute walk inland will take you to the Shell Grotto; a subterranean passageway which is almost completely covered in shells from ceiling to floor. It remains a mystery as to who built the grotto, why and when it was discovered, but it is estimated that it was discovered in 1835 and since then all sorts of theories of what the grotto was originally used for have surfaced. Some say it was an ancient meeting place for a secret sect whilst others have debated over whether it could be an ancient temple; but one thing is for sure, it’s an amazing work of art!

For a spot of lunch, you should head to the Old Kent Market where you’ll be greeted by a full size red bus which houses a café, however, don’t get too tempted by the first thing you see as there is more stalls inside selling freshly made sushi, pulled pork and pies amongst other things!

After your lunch, make your way through the old town which has plenty of winding roads for you to get lost in as well as a selection of independent shops, craft and vintage shops to visit. It’s the perfect place to pick up a souvenir or a gift for a loved one. After you’ve made your way through the old town, hop on a bus at Cecil Square and get yourself down to Strokes adventure golf to work off your lunch.

After playing some golf (and hopefully working up an appetite again), make a stop at the Lifeboat which is a traditional British pub and has a great range of British ciders as well as typical Kentish (Margate is in Kent) cuisine.

The journey from London Waterloo to Margate takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes, so make sure you pack some snacks and a bottle of water for the train. As always, train prices vary so make sure to click the link for the Trainline website above.

Amusement Parks

Luckily for all the adrenaline junkies out there, the UK has some of the best amusement parks in the UK and Europe, however, as London is fairly full of buildings and other structures as it is, most of the amusement parks are situated out of London although they are pretty close to the capital and easily reachable.

Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park was originally built in the 1970’s and had continuously been built on until it resembled the park which we know today; today, it’s one of the most popular parks in the UK attracting over 1.8 million people a year. Thorpe Park holds events such as ‘Fright Night’ which happens around Halloween every year. Fright Night consists of the amusement park staying open until late at night with a different theme each year. Past themes include an asylum, SAW (the movie), Cabin in the Woods and the Blair Witch, so it’s definitely not for the faint hearted.

Thorpe Park also holds some records such as the record for the tallest log flume in the UK and a record for the rollercoaster with the steepest freefall drop. To have a look at the attractions and ticket prices, take a look at their website here. To get to Thorpe Park by train, you have to take the overground from London Waterloo to Staineswhich can take between 30 and 50 minutes. Once at Staines train station, there is the 950 express bus which goes to the amusement park every 15-20 minutes. Please note that Oyster cards are not accepted on this bus.

Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures is a theme park, originally opened in the 1980’s, which consists of several themed areas styled on a variety of world cultures such as the Mystic East, Wild Asia and Mexicana plus more. The park receives around 1.4 million visitors a year and is also a zoo.

Chessington World of Adventure is located in Chessington which is where it gets its name from. All you have to do to get there is catch a train from London Waterloo to Chessington South Station- the theme park is around a 10 minute walk away from the station.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter

The studio tour of the making of Harry Potter is an exclusive behind the scenes glimpse into the magical wizarding world of Britain’s most famous Wizard - Harry Potter. TripAdvisor has reported that the studio tour has been the highest rated attraction in the world every year since the tour opened in 2012.

The tour runs for approximately 3 hours every day hosting groups of up to 6000 people. Visitors get the chance to get an up close and personal insight into how a major film such as Harry Potter is made. The tour includes well known landmarks from the film series including Diagon Alley, Dumbledore’s office, a model of Hogwarts and the Yule Ball ice castle. Visitors also have the opportunity to board the original carriages of the Hogwarts Express train from platform 9¾.

To get more information on what’s included in the tour or to see which events are on, have a look at the website here. The studios are located in Leavesden near Watford, so although they’re not actually in London, they are really easy to get to. All you have to do is get a direct train from London Euston to Watford Junction, be aware however that other non-direct services run from London Euston which may take longer to get to Watford Junction. From Watford Junction, there is a cash only shuttle bus which takes you right to the studios which takes 15 minutes and costs £2.50 for a return journey.

Other cities near London

Although London has a ton of things to see, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t other places to see which are only a stone’s throw away from the British capital city. Other cities surrounding London offer things which can bring you a bit closer to nature rather than built up museums, impressive buildings and cosmopolitan roads and shopping areas.

Oxford

Oxford is just over an hour away from central London by train and just over 2 hours by National Express coach - generally speaking, the coach is cheaper than the train but if you have a railcard, then the train might work out cheaper and better, especially when it takes an hour less than the bus!

Oxford is known worldwide for having the oldest university in the English speaking world, the Oxford University; it’s also one of the most beautiful towns whose citizens have inspired authors such as C. S Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien to write classic novels. As the city is only around an hour away from London, it’s the perfect place to go for a day trip.

To start your day in Oxford, you could visit the University church which dates back to 1280. The building is beautiful and you can get some great views of Oxford’s dreaming spires, make sure to pay attention to the gargoyles and grotesque carvings along your way too. The church is open from 09:30 Monday-Saturday and from 11:30 on Sundays, so there should be no problem with making this your first stop. The church itself is free to visit, but the tower costs £4 to go up.

After having a wander around the church grounds, you can take a quick 2 minute walk to the Bodleian Library which has been serving Oxford University since the beginning of the 17th century. It has over 10 million books and has become a hotspot for directors - scenes from X Men 4 and the Harry Potter films have been shot in the library.

After browsing the books on offer, perhaps it’s time for a quick lunch (or brunch if you finish seeing the church and the library quickly). If it’s a cold day, a great place to get a quick bite to eat is ‘Vaults & Garden’ which is 2 minutes away from the library and serves lunch for around £10, alternatively, if it’s a hot day, you could make your way to Christ Church Meadow and bring a picnic with you to enjoy next to the river in the sun. If you’d like to go for an alcoholic brunch, then Oxfork is the best place to go to, brunch ranges from £5 - £10 and as it’s licensed, you can get a Bloody Mary or other alcoholic drink of your choice with your meal.

Whilst your lunch is digesting, you could do some shopping in the Covered Market which is a 4 minute walk away from Vaults & Garden and home to lovely independent shops and businesses. It’s open every day of the week and has been around since the 1700’s! If you’d prefer to stay outside (weather permitting), you could always catch one of the river tours from ‘The Folly’ which is practically next to Christ Church Meadow. A 50 minute tour will cost you £12 and shows you the beauty of Oxford from the University Regatta Course. It’s advisable to book in advance, so have a look at the website here.

After your shopping trip or boat ride, why not take some time to see one of the great museums that Oxford has to offer such as the Ashmolean which has collections from ancient Greek and Roman statues to remains of ancient Egypt, mummies and Laurence of Arabia’s robes! If you want to see something a little more bizarre, head over to the Pitt Rivers museum; it’s open until 16:30 everyday and features things such as Amazonian shrunken heads.

As late afternoon rolls in, you could go for cream tea (very British, I must say) in the Grand Cafe which was the first coffee-house in England. Cream tea, which includes 2 scones with jam and clotted cream cream served with your choice of either tea or coffee, is £9.50. They also have high tea and grand high tea which are unsurprisingly more expensive. If cocktails are what you’d prefer in the afternoon, then the Freud Café is totally recommendable - it’s an old church with impressively high ceilings which has now been converted into a bar and they also offer a discount on their cocktails if you’re a student (make sure you bring your student ID!).

If you fancy having dinner in Oxford before heading back to London, there are some great places to go such as The Eagle and Child pub which does great typical British food as well as other things, or if you’d like to go for something a little different (although it’s impossible to get fed up of fish & chips), then you could go to the Turf Tavern which as a great selection from the grill as well as burgers and hot dogs.

Bath

Bath became a spa city thanks to the Romans in AD60 after they built a thermal spa as well as a temple, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the city today is called Bath. It became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987 and still remains a very popular destination for people from all over the UK. Getting to Bath from London Paddington takes just under an hour and a half, so it really is worth going to visit.

Arriving in Bath in the morning, you may want to get breakfast somewhere if you haven’t already before your train journey from London. If that is the case, then Café Retro is definitely the best place to go; it’s a café whose interior may look old and worn, but that is definitely not the case with the atmosphere or, more importantly, the food. They have a brilliant variety of traditional English breakfasts, a continental breakfast, different kinds of eggs benedict and as well as American-style pancakes and more! It’s not too expensive either with the most expensive breakfast only costing £9.40!

To work off your breakfast and get your appetite back for lunch, there are a variety of parks to wander around. The first of these is Alexandra Park which offers some fantastic views of the Bath skyline - a favourite for any photographers out there. The second park is Prior Park which is a beautiful 18th century landscape garden, however, you do have to pay a £7 entry fee so you may want to avoid that and go to the previous park. The last park is the Royal Victoria Park which is only a short walk from the city centre. The park was actually opened by Queen Victoria when she was 11 (hence the name of the park) and has a great botanical gardens amongst a load of other attractions!

After the park, go and see what everyone comes to Bath for - the Roman Baths! The baths are a major tourist attraction and receive more than 1 million visitors a year! The baths are actually below street level and the buildings that make up the complex which are above street level were built in the 19th century. There is a museum, a sacred spring, Roman temple and the Roman bath house. When visiting the baths, there are audio guides available in English, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. As for entry prices, they vary depending on the season and are as follows:

• January - June: Adult: £15.50/Student: £13.75
• July & August: Adult: £17 (9am-5pm) or £15.50 (5pm-9pm)/Student: £13.75
• September - December: Adult: £15.50/Student: £13.75

After exploring the Roman baths, take yourself to another architectural wonder of Bath, the Pulteney bridge. It’s one of the most beautiful bridges and has similarities to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. It was originally built in the 1770’s and it’s exceptional due to it having shops built on both sides on the full scale of the bridge.

Whilst on the bridge, it is possible for you to have lunch there as there are restaurants also located on the bridge, however, if you’d prefer to stroll around to find somewhere to eat, then you could take a stroll to Queen Square where Bath street food market is located, although bear in mind that this event only happens twice a month, so have a look at the website to find out when the next market is being held.

Wash down your lunch with some fantastic cocktails from one of the many great bars in Bath. Opium bar has delicious cocktails on offer, as well as beer and wine, and also has a secret room! You can book the secret room (although, it does cost £50 per hour), which even has its own secret entrance! Another great bar is Sub13 which has an underground labyrinth of vaults in which you can drinks and party the night away (until you have to catch your train that is). The cocktails are delicious and are on offer for 2 for 1 from Monday to Thursday 5pm until 10pm and midday until 10pm from Fridays to Sundays.

Windsor

Windsor is a historical market town and also one of the places in which the Royal Family has one of their residences - Windsor Castle. Windsor is located 22 miles out of London but is very easily accessible by train. It’s also home to one of the most famous amusement parks in the UK - Legoland - which is really more for children but makes for a good day out regardless.

As Windsor is less than an hour away by train from London Paddington, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting there too early, however if you do want to go for breakfast in Windsor, then one of the best places to go to is actually the local Wetherspoon pub called the King & Castle which actually has views of the castle so you can eat and admire from afar at the same time. All Wetherspoon chains sell breakfasts for a moderate price and they have all sorts ranging from porridge to English breakfasts and American-style breakfasts.

From the King & Castle, it would only make sense to make your next stop at Windsor castle itself! Windsor Castle is officially the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has been one of the many homes of the British monarchy for nearly 1000 years. The current Queen, Elizabeth II spends most of her private weekends at the castle, as well as a week over Easter.

Windsor Castle is open from:

• March to October - from 09:30 until 17:30 with the last entry at 16:00
• November to February - from 09:45 until 16:15 with the last entry at 15:00

Entry to the castle costs £20.50 for an adult and £18.70 for a student or £11.30 for an adult and £10.30 for a student when the State Apartments are closed. All tours come with a multimedia guide. To book a visit to the castle, please visit the castle’s website.

If you still fancy seeing some more of Windsor’s history, then you can hop on a bus for 15 minutes (more or less) to go from the castle to Eton College which is perhaps one of the most famous in the world and certainly one of the oldest. Notable people who have attended the college are both princes William and Harry as well as ex-Prime Minister, David Cameron and ex-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. It’s possible to tour the college, however tour times change quite often, so have a look at the website to find out when is best to go. The college also has its own Natural History museum which is open on Sundays in the afternoon; the museum exhibits rare things such as a page from “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin.

After discovering the prestigious history of Windsor, you’ll probably want to recharge with some lunch and perhaps a drink or two… If you fancy a pub lunch, the Two Brewers offers a great lunch menu for around £12 for a main and £6 for a starter. Alternatively, there is All Bar One which not only serves great cocktails but also has a delicious food menu; they offer a variety of lunch sandwiches, wraps and salads for around £7 and they come with a side of your choice, they also serve burgers and a mix of cuisines if nothing tickles your fancy from the lunch menu. If you literally just don’t know what you want, then Junction Brasserie is the best place to go as they offer an extensive menu of all kinds of foods for a really good price! To get to the restaurants from Eton College, you will have to get on a bus back towards the city centre.

For the afternoon, why not take a stroll through Windsor Great Park? The park was originally a hunting ground for the castle and dates back to the 13th century, it used to be bigger but today, it still measures an impressive 5,000 acres which is 45 times bigger than the Vatican City! There are 4 main parts to the park:

1. The Savill Garden - A garden created in the 1930’s which still stands today, it’s a haven and somewhat thought provoking. It’s definitely a tranquil spot to get away and just relax! There’s even several hidden gardens within the Savill Garden itself.
2. The Valley Gardens - The gardens were built in a period of great austerity under the eye of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth I in 1946. The gardens in those times were advertised as somewhere that would provide many pleasant hours of relaxation for many tired workers and that still remains true to this day. These gardens are filled with exotic Azaleas and Magnolias amongst other flowers.
3. Virginia Water Lake - Virginia Lake is popular all year round due to its glittering waters and popular and ornamental cascade waterfall. There is an abundance of wildlife there which adds a somewhat wild touch to the area. People come to Virginia Lake for a number of reasons including to jog around the perimeter of the lake or to just simply relax by its shores.
4. The Long Walk and Deer Park - This area of the park really highlights the grandeur and regality of the park - the Long Walk is the (very) long pathway leading to the old, grand Windsor Castle which can be seen at the end of the path. There is also some 500 red deer which walk around freely - don’t worry, they’ve become accustomed to humans!

All four of these park areas have opening times and some unfortunately have entrance charges - although it’s not surprising when you see how beautiful the park is. They are as follows:

• The Savill Garden: Open from 10am-6pm daily in summer and from 10am-4:30pm during winter. It costs £10.50 for unlimited entry all day.
• Virginia Water Lake: Free to visit and open from 7:45am until 7pm.
• The Valley Gardens: Free to enter all year round and open from 7:45am until 7pm.
• The Long Walk: Open daily from 7:45am until 7pm and free entry.

Perhaps for the late afternoon/evening it would be nice to relax in one of the various traditional British pubs which are almost everywhere and sit in the beer garden if it’s a nice day or stay cosy inside if it’s not too warm.

Photo gallery