Day Trips From London: Easy Escapes From the City

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If you’re like me, you love exploring everything London has to offer but sometimes you need that break from the buzzing busy city. Well, I got you! Besides all of the things to see and do in London and the amazing food, London also makes a great homebase for some amazing day trips. There are some many amazing day trips from London that are literally a Tube ride away. In this guide, I will be diving into some of my favorite day trips from London, with some insider tips, and how easy they are to get to from London.

Introduction: Day Trips From London

While London is an incredible and magical city year-round, sometimes you want to explore outside of the city. One of the best parts about London is how easy it is to explore outside of the city and take some day trips. In this guide, I will share some of my favorite day trips from London, how to get there, why I love them, and some insider tips that will make your visit even more memorable. Now, let’s dive into these day trips so you can add them to your London itinerary for your next trip!

1. Windsor Castle & Eton

I feel like if you are visiting London, you absolutely cannot pass up a day trip from London to the Windsor Castle. This day trip is about a 34-45 min train ride from London, depending on your route, and super easy to do as a day trip.

Visiting the castle in the late spring was perfect, because I was able to explore the town, wander the grounds of the castle, and just being here made me feel like I was royalty. This castle is actually not only the oldest castle in the world, but also the largest occupied, which I found extremely fascinating.

Pro Tip: Try and arrive for the changing of the guard, which I always love seeing and explore Eton’s college lane.

2. Cambridge

IF you are looking for an intellectual day trip from London, then I would highly recommend taking the train from King’s Cross to Cambridge. The buildings, the lawn, everything about this university was something to be seen. I am pretty sure my IQ jumped a few points just by being here!

I am a frequent solo traveler, and I found Cambridge to be extremely safe to walk around in, I wandered around without concern or fear of getting lost, and there were so many cute cafes that you could sit at and enjoy a cup of tea or espresso.

Pro Tip: Pop into a bookstore or two. There is something about the bookstores in Cambridge there were like no other bookstore that I had ever been in.

3. Bath & Stonehenge

IF you are into history like I am, and are a sucker for some good scenery, then you will want to add Bath and Stonehenge to your itinerary. These two stops are easy to combine. First, you’ll take the train from London to Bath and then head to Stonehenge. You can also take the bus, but I prefer the train.

Bath is such an incredible place to visit and seeing the Roman Baths in person was like nothing I could’ve ever imagined. What I loved most about this day trip was that I was in London in the morning, but mid-mooning was in Bath and by the afternoon I was standing in front of the most incredible rock formation.

I would definitely consider this a full day trip, but it is absolutely worth including both stops into this trip and making it a combined day trip.

Pro Tip: Pack layers because you may be warm in Bath depending on the time of year you visit, but you will be cooler in Stonehenge.

4. Brighton by the Sea

In my opinion, Brighton is probably one of the best day trips from London. Just a short hour-long train ride from London Bridge, Brighton is a great sea escape. I loved wandering the pier, enjoying the sea views, and indulging on the most amazing seafood.

The most enjoyable part of this day trip was how relaxed and chill this town was. There was something about the water, the seafood, and the solitude that made this day trip absolutely incredible. There are several cafes that I recommend checking out for a quick snack before you head back to London, or to get a quick caffeine pick me up.

Pro Tip: Hang out until close to dinner and then head back to London. The town looked spectacular at dusk.

5. The Cotswolds

So, I threw Cotswolds into the mix, because I absolutely loved it, but it’s more than a day trip, and more like a weekend trip. You can squeeze it in as a day trip, and I know a few folks who have, but in my opinion, to truley appreciate it, two days and one night is ideal.

The charm of this town was absolutely magical. Between the rolling hills, fun pubs with amazing fish ‘n chips, and cute streets, this was an incredible weekend trip. The Cotswolds is exactly what I pictured the English countryside to be and was an incredible peaceful weekend trip.

Pro Tip: Plan your trip carefully, especially if you are doing this as a day trip and check the train schedules.

Practical Tips for a Smooth Day Trip From London

Photo-Friendly Gear: If you are a blogger or travel content creator like me, and need to capture those amazing videos and pictures, take advantage of the golden hour walks and views if you can. The crowds typically thin out and not only do you get captures with less people, but amazing sunset views as well.

Train Tickets: My recommendation is to always book your train tickets in advance. This ensures you have a ticket, but often times sites will offer discounts for booking early, especially if you are visiting off peak.

Start Early: In order to enjoy the most time possible on your day trip, take the first train out and the latest train you are comfortable with, back into London.

Pack Light: My go-to essentials for a day trip, especially for London is a small daypack, always an umbrella, because the weather changes easily, and a refillable water bottle.

Solo Safety: I recommend sharing your location with friends/family when traveling solo and always stay in well-lit areas, especially when you are traveling into the evening.

Check Closures: When planning your itinerary, make sure you plan your day trips around potential closers. Some places are closed on certain days, like the Windsor Castle, so make sure you plan ahead.

Conclusion: Day Trips From London

While I absolutely love London, I think I love all of the various day trips from London that I can take just as much. There is something about escaping the city to enjoy some sea views, or explore some history, or maybe wander around a castle. Each of these day trips from London offers something special and they are all a great day trip. I hope this guide has provided you with some inspo to explore beyond the city of London.