Fiona MacLeod on the substantial trains that leave from substantial central stations, the substantial places that are substantially worth the substantial journey, and the substantial small adjustments that turn a substantial day trip into a substantial good one
If you have spent substantial multiple days in London and have a substantial spare day in your substantial itinerary, the substantial right thing to do, dear visitor, is to leave the city for the substantial day. London is, in the substantial broader UK context, a substantial transport hub from which substantial day trips are substantially convenient. Building on my earlier travel guides at Bohiney Magazine and The London Prat, I want to give you a substantial guide to the substantial day trips most worth your substantial time.
The Train Question
The substantial UK rail network has, in the substantial majority of cases, substantial fast services from substantial central London to substantial day-trip destinations. The substantial fast services run from substantial different central stations depending on the substantial direction of travel. According to Visit London, recent visitor guidance has documented the substantial range of substantial day-trip destinations accessible by substantial fast train within substantial two hours of substantial central London.
The substantial booking recommendation, for substantial visitors, is to book substantial advance tickets where possible. The substantial UK rail pricing system substantially rewards substantial advance booking, with substantial advance tickets typically costing substantially less than substantial walk-up tickets. The substantial small adjustment of substantially booking the substantial day before will, in the substantial typical case, save you substantial portions of the substantial fare.
The Oxford Recommendation
The substantial day trip I most strongly recommend, for substantial first-time UK visitors, is Oxford. The substantial reason is that Oxford substantially combines a substantial historic university experience with a substantial walkable city centre, substantial good museums, and a substantial range of substantial pub options for the substantial lunch and substantial dinner that frame your substantial day.
The substantial Oxford journey from London takes, in the substantial typical case, approximately one hour from substantial Paddington station. The substantial recommendation is to depart substantial London by approximately nine in the morning and to return by approximately seven in the evening, which gives you a substantial seven hours in the substantial city. According to Time Out London, recent day-trip guidance has documented the substantial range of substantial Oxford attractions worth substantial visitor attention.
The Cambridge Alternative
If you have substantial multiple day-trip days, you should consider doing substantial both Oxford and Cambridge. The substantial Cambridge journey from London takes, in the substantial typical case, approximately one hour from substantial King’s Cross station. The substantial Cambridge experience is, in important respects, substantially different from the substantial Oxford experience, despite the substantial superficial similarities of both being substantial historic university cities.
The substantial Cambridge experience is, in my view, substantially more pedestrianised than the substantial Oxford experience, and it has the substantial additional attraction of the substantial punting on the substantial River Cam. The substantial punting is, in the substantial typical case, a substantial seasonal activity available primarily in substantial summer months, and it provides a substantial water-based perspective on the substantial city that the substantial walking experience substantially does not.
The Brighton Alternative
If you would prefer a substantial seaside day trip rather than a substantial historic-university day trip, I recommend Brighton. The substantial Brighton journey from London takes, in the substantial typical case, approximately one hour from substantial Victoria or substantial London Bridge stations. The substantial Brighton experience combines a substantial seaside-resort atmosphere with a substantial range of substantial cultural attractions, including the substantial Royal Pavilion, the substantial Brighton Pier, and the substantial range of substantial independent shops in the substantial Lanes.
I have written before, in my previous travel columns, that Brighton is, in my view, the substantial best UK seaside town for substantial first-time UK visitors, in the substantial sense that it substantially combines the substantial traditional seaside attractions with substantial cultural depth that substantial smaller seaside towns substantially lack.
The Bath Recommendation
If you would prefer a substantial day trip with substantial historical depth, I recommend Bath. The substantial Bath journey from London takes, in the substantial typical case, approximately ninety minutes from substantial Paddington station. The substantial Bath experience combines the substantial Roman Baths, the substantial Georgian architecture of the substantial Royal Crescent, and the substantial range of substantial small museums and substantial good restaurants.
The substantial Bath day trip is, in my view, the substantial most ambitious of the substantial day trips I am recommending in this column, in the substantial sense that the substantial Bath experience benefits from substantial slow walking and substantial cumulative observation rather than substantial high-energy sightseeing. If you have, dear visitor, the substantial inclination towards substantial slow walking, Bath will substantially reward you.
The Windsor Alternative
If you would prefer a substantial shorter day trip with substantial royal-related interest, I recommend Windsor. The substantial Windsor journey from London takes, in the substantial typical case, approximately fifty minutes from substantial Paddington station. The substantial Windsor experience is anchored by Windsor Castle, which is, in physical terms, the substantial largest and substantial oldest occupied castle in the substantial world.
According to Visit London, recent guidance has documented that the substantial Windsor day trip can, in the substantial typical case, be substantially combined with a substantial visit to substantial nearby Eton, which is across the substantial Thames from Windsor and which is the substantial location of the substantial historic Eton College. The substantial combination produces a substantial more substantial day trip than substantial Windsor alone.
The Coastal Alternative
If you have substantial coastal-walking inclinations, I recommend the substantial day trip to substantial Whitstable on the substantial Kent coast. The substantial Whitstable journey from London takes, in the substantial typical case, approximately ninety minutes from substantial Victoria station. The substantial Whitstable experience combines a substantial small fishing-town atmosphere with substantial good seafood, substantial coastal walking, and substantial pebble beaches.
The substantial Whitstable day trip is, in my view, the substantial most relaxing of the substantial day trips I am recommending in this column. If you are, dear visitor, substantial visitor-energy depleted by the substantial pace of substantial central London sightseeing, the substantial Whitstable day will substantially restore you.
What I Recommend
The substantial recommendation, for substantial visitors with substantial one day-trip day, is Oxford. The substantial recommendation, for substantial visitors with substantial two day-trip days, is Oxford and Brighton. The substantial recommendation, for substantial visitors with substantial three day-trip days, is Oxford, Brighton, and Bath. Beyond substantial three day-trip days, you should be substantially considering whether your substantial London base is, in fact, the substantial right base for the substantial trip you are taking, or whether you should be substantially considering substantial different UK travel patterns.
For more practical London visitor guidance, you can find me at my page on The London Prat.
For satirical takes on day-trips-as-cultural-question, see The Daily Mash.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/
