The best day trips from London
The top 3 according to 262 votes from people: Oxford · Windsor Castle · Cambridge. (Updated Sep 23, 2025.)
Castles, university towns, the seaside and Stonehenge, all reachable by train: the day trips London locals and travel bloggers recommend most.
Top 10
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1
Oxford
Dreaming spires, the Bodleian Library and Christ Church, about an hour from Paddington or Marylebone.
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2
Windsor Castle
The oldest occupied castle in the world, with St George's Chapel; under an hour by train.
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3
Cambridge
King's College Chapel and punting on the Cam, under an hour on fast trains.
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4
Canterbury
Cathedral city and pilgrimage site, under an hour from St Pancras.
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5
Bath
Roman Baths and Georgian crescents, around 90 minutes from Paddington; a World Heritage city.
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6
Stonehenge and Salisbury
Train to Salisbury, home of a Magna Carta copy, then the tour bus to the stone circle.
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7
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Harry Potter sets, 20 minutes by train to Watford Junction plus shuttle bus.
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8
Rye
Cobbled medieval town in East Sussex, with Mermaid Street.
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9
White Cliffs of Dover
Clifftop walks above the Channel, about an hour from St Pancras.
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10
The Cotswolds
Area of honey-coloured stone villages like Bibury and Castle Combe, two hours from London.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 10… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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11
Whitstable
Kent seaside town famous for oysters and beach huts.
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12
Hampton Court Palace
Henry VIII's palace, 35 minutes by train from Waterloo.
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13
Brighton
Seaside city with the Palace Pier and Royal Pavilion, an hour from Victoria.
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14
Leeds Castle
Castle on islands in a lake in Kent, once a royal residence of Henry VIII.
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15
Seven Sisters
White chalk cliffs on the South Downs coast near Eastbourne, best seen from Seaford Head.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (9)
Rye is the prettiest town in England, cobbled streets everywhere.
Book Harry Potter studio tour way in advance, sells out.
Oxford or Cambridge? Both! But Cambridge for punting.
Bath is the best day trip, the Roman Baths and the Royal Crescent.
Brighton on a sunny day with fish and chips on the pier 🎡
Stonehenge is smaller than you think, but still magical.
Whitstable for oysters, lovely little town.
Missing the Seven Sisters cliffs, Leeds Castle and the Cotswolds!
Canterbury Cathedral is stunning.