Day trips from London
Six day trips from London that fit into a single day — with the departure station, journey time, admission, and the one that isn't worth rushing.
- Shortest
- Windsor
- Easiest
- Cambridge
- Longest day
- Bath and Stonehenge together
You leave London by train, and that is the one thing to learn before you go: the same journey costs several times more bought on the platform than tied to a specific train in advance. Below are six directions, with the station, the time and what you go for.
Three rules apply to all of them: Advance tickets are usually released twelve weeks ahead, tied to a specific train and non-refundable; an Off-Peak return covers departures outside the morning rush and costs far less than an Anytime ticket; and a Railcard for two travelling together (Two Together, €41 a year, valid after 9.30 on weekdays) takes a third off.
The order below runs by journey length, nearest first. Train fares move by the hour, so they only appear where the lowest fare holds steady; what is fixed is the travel time and the admission prices.
Windsor — half a day, one castle
From Paddington to Slough and a change onto the short branch to Windsor & Eton Central, about forty minutes in all; from Waterloo a direct train runs to Riverside in about fifty-five minutes with no change. Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world; an adult ticket is €37 booked ahead, dearer at the gate, and under-fives go free. That covers the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls' House and St George's Chapel. Check the day before you go: the castle is shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except in July, August and September, when it only closes on Wednesdays — and as a working palace it can shut at short notice.
Oxford — college by college, each with its own gate
About an hour from Paddington, several trains an hour. The university has no campus but colleges, and each sells its own ticket — Christ Church, the best known, is €29 on a weekday out of term. A realistic day is two colleges, the Bodleian from outside and a walk down the High; the rest you see through gateways.
Bath and Stonehenge — the longest day on the list
Bath is about an hour and twenty from Paddington, with a train every half hour. The Roman Baths are the reason to come: €31 booked ahead for a weekday, with the price shifting by month and day. Stonehenge has no station of its own; you take a train to Salisbury and the tour bus, or a guided trip from London that joins the two. Admission is €32 online, and the discount only holds for tickets bought by midnight the night before — you can still buy on the spot, but at full price. Both places can be done alone in one day, but it runs from early morning to late at night.
Cambridge — the easiest trip on the list
About fifty minutes from King's Cross on the fastest train. The station is a twenty-minute walk or a short bus ride from the centre; after that everything sits inside a kilometre. King's College is the one most people go into: €18.35 online on a weekday, on a timed slot. The same chapel is free in the evening, at the service the choir sings. A shared chauffeured punt on the Cam starts from €48 a head.
Brighton — the sea an hour away
About an hour from Victoria (Southern) or from London Bridge and St Pancras (Thameslink); an advance single starts from €9.30. It is ten minutes downhill from the station to the water, and the day goes on the pier, in the Royal Pavilion (€25) and in the lanes of The Lanes.
The Cotswolds — villages of one stone and a bus problem
From Paddington on the Cotswold Line to Moreton-in-Marsh, about one hour thirty-five. From there the 801 bus runs roughly hourly through Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water, so without a car one day realistically gives you two villages. Anything more needs a tour or a night there — and a checked timetable, because here you plan backwards from the last bus.
If you only pick one
- First time in England — Windsor. Shortest journey, one big thing, and you're back in London in time for the theatre.
- For a couple, or anyone who likes walking — Cambridge. All on foot from the station, the river, a punt and a free evening service in King's College Chapel.
- If you have two spare days — Bath with a night there, then Stonehenge or the southern Cotswolds the next day. Bath works as a single day, but it is tight.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which is the best day trip from London?
Cambridge, if you judge by effort against reward: about 50 minutes from King's Cross, everything on foot from the station, King's College at €18.35 online and a free sung service in the chapel. Windsor is the shortest, Bath the longest day.
How do you get a cheap train ticket?
Advance fares are released about twelve weeks ahead, are tied to one train and are the cheapest. Buying on the day, travel outside the morning rush and ask for an Off-Peak return. A Two Together Railcard at €41 a year takes a third off for two people travelling together.
Can Bath and Stonehenge be done in one day?
Yes, but only on an organised tour, or leaving early in the morning and getting back late at night. Stonehenge has no railway station — you go via Salisbury, by bus.
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