38 thrilling day trips that are just a quick train ride from London
38. Cardiff might be on the other side of Great Britain, but it takes less than three hours to reach. Cardiff's Norman Castle Keep is a popular attraction.
37. The Shambles in York is a pretty 15th-century alley lined with shops, but the city has plenty of museums too, making it an ideal trip for a rainy day.
Where to leave from: King's Cross station
Duration of joinery: Two hours, 20 minutes
Cost of return trip: From £56
36. Music fans will love Liverpool, where the Beatles first formed. The Albert Dock is also stunning.
Where to leave from: Euston station
Duration of journey: Two hours, 27 minutes
Cost of return trip: From £42
35. Manchester is perfect for football fans. Old Trafford, home to Manchester United Football Club, offers stadium tours starting at £18.
Where to leave from: Euston station
Duration of journey: Two hours, eight minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £44
34. Sheffield has enough vintage clothing stores, industrial architecture, galleries and museums to keep even the most restless day-tripper happy. Kellham Island — which is home to one of the city's best breweries — is a must see.
Where to leave from: St Pancras International
Duration of journey: From two hours, one minute
Cost of a return ticket: From £88.40
33. Shakespeare was born in the sleepy village of Stratford-upon-Avon. Take a trip out of the city to learn about his life.
Where to leave from: Marylebone station
Duration of journey: Two hours
Cost of return ticket: From £29
32. Gloucester is full of historic architecture. Don't miss the delightful Beatrix Potter museum while you're there.
Where to leave from: Paddington station
Duration of journey: One hour, 55 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £51.50
31. Norwich has one of the highest concentrations of pubs within the city in the UK. You'll be glad you bought a train ticket when you sample the offerings from the local breweries.
Where to leave from: Liverpool Street station
Duration of journey: One hour, 50 minutes
Cost of a return ticket: £52.20
30. The quaint town of Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex serves as a quiet, coastal retreat less than two hours away from London, perfect for blustery winter walks on the beach.
Where to leave from: London Bridge station
Duration of journey: One hour, 50 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £30.40
29. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is Bristol's most iconic landmark. The city is also home to Brunel's SS Great Britain, which has now been turned into a floating museum.
Where to leave from: Paddington station
Duration of journey: One hour, 45 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £56.50
28. Foodies love Whitstable in Kent. The town is famous for its oysters as well as its samphire — a sea vegetable that goes perfectly with white fish.
Where to leave from: Victoria station
Duration of journey: One hour, 30 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £26.90
27. Travel to Salisbury for the day and not only can you visit the cathedral, but you can also see one of the great wonders of the world, Stonehenge. Tour buses depart from the town centre every 20 minutes.
Where to leave from: Waterloo station
Duration of journey: One hour, 30 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £18
26. Bath is a beautiful spa town 115 miles from London, but it only takes an hour and a half by train.
Where to leave from: Paddington or Waterloo stations
Duration of journey: One hour, 29 minutes
Cost of a return ticket: £56.50
25. Ipswich, Suffolk's county town, has everything a history lover needs, from the Tudor Christchurch Mansion to Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon burial ground dating back to the 6th Century.
Where to leave from: Liverpool Street station
Duration of journey: One hour, 15 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £40
24. Ely is extremely close to Cambridge, and as there are regular buses between the towns, it is possible to visit both in the same day. Ely is an appealing place for aspiring historians, and is home to Oliver Cromwell's former home.
Where to leave from: Liverpool Street Station
Duration of journey: One hour, 10 minutes
Cost of a return ticket: £29.70
23. Dover's breathtaking white cliffs are a must-see for any patriotic Brit.
Where to leave from: St Pancras International
Duration of Journey: One hour, four minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £30.30
22. Huntingdon is the county town of Huntingdonshire, chartered by King John in 1205. It only takes an hour to go from bustling King's Cross station to this sleepy market town and it's Tudor buildings.
Where to leave from: King's Cross station
Duration of journey: One hour
Cost of return ticket: From £17.90
21. For the upmarket day-tripper, Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire is home to the Henley Royal Regatta, where students from Oxford and Cambridge row against each other every year.
Where to leave from: Paddington station
Duration of journey: One hour
Cost of return ticket: From £15.80
20. Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire is home to the Duke of Marlborough, and hosts events like jousting and vintage car festivals.
Where to leave from: Marylebone station
Duration of journey: 59 minutes (to Bicester)
Cost of return ticket: From £24.80
19. Winchester College and Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire are gorgeous pieces of architecture.
Where to leave from: Waterloo or Paddington station
Duration of journey: 59 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £34.60
18. Take a winter stroll through Ashown Forest, the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood in "Winnie the Pooh."
Where to leave from: Victoria station
Duration of journey: 58 minutes (to East Grinstead, and a 20-minute bus journey through the forest to the park entrance.)
Cost of a return journey: £15
17. Oxford is a slightly larger city than Cambridge, meaning more architecture and more to see.
Where to leave from: Waterloo or Paddington station
Duration of journey: 58 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £25
16. Canterbury's iconic Cathedral, founded in 597 A.D., is the headquarters of the Church of England and Anglican Communion, and sits perfectly within the town's ancient walls.
Where to leave from: Victoria, Charing Cross, or King's Cross station
Duration of journey: 55 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £25.10
15. The Royal Ascot may only take place for a week, but the Buckinghamshire grounds are open throughout the year.
Where to leave from: Waterloo or Paddington station
Duration of journey: 55 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £14.30
14. Beach lovers should head to Brighton for shoreline attractions and fresh air.
Where to leave from: London Bridge station
Duration of journey: 55 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £17.30
13. Royal Tunbridge Wells is a pretty, historic spa town less than an hour from London.
Where to leave from: Cannon Street station
Duration of journey: 55 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £15
12. The colleges at the University of Cambridge make the best backdrop for a day of punting.
Where to leave from: King's Cross or Liverpool Street station
Duration of journey: 50 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £24.20
11. Spend your day playing golf in Sunningdale, Berkshire. The course is considered one of the best in the world.
Where to leave from: Waterloo station
Duration of journey: 50 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £14.10
10. Kent is full of history. Don't miss Hever Castle while you're there. Built in 1270, the castle has it's own water maze — plus, it's just a 20-minute walk from the train station.
Where to leave from: London Bridge station
Duration of journey: 45 minutes (plus a 20 minute walk from Hever station)
Cost of return ticket: From £20
9. Mayfields Lavender Farm is a short walk from Banstead station, and smells incredible in the summer. It is also a short bus ride from Epsom, so you can visit the racecourse which holds events throughout the year.
Where to leave from: Victoria station (via Southern rail to Banstead. From there, Mayfields Lavender farm is a 10 minute bus journey).
Duration of journey: 45 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £11.10
8. Soak up some history in Colchester, the oldest town in England and, until 1066, the capital of the UK.
Where to leave from: Liverpool Street station
Duration of Journey: 45 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £31.80
7. Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire was the home of children's author Roald Dahl. The chocolate-box village is also the perfect place to take a country walk, and the surrounding woodland looks beautiful in the snow.
Where to leave from: Marylebone station
Duration of journey: 41 minutes
Cost of a return ticket: £11.20
6. Runnymede Air Forces Memorial in Surrey is a must-see historical landmark.
Where to leave from: Waterloo station
Duration of journey: 40 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £12
5. Tonbridge is home to one of the most artistic churches in the country — Tudeley Church. Its stained-glass windows were designed by modern artist Marc Chagall.
Where to leave from: Charing Cross or Cannon Street stations
Duration of journey: From 39 minutes
Cost of a return ticket: £13.60
4. A visit to Windsor Castle, home to the royal family, sheds light on how the royals live.
Where to leave from: Waterloo or Paddington station
Duration of journey: 40 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £10.50
3. Visit the historic Essex fishing village of Leigh-on-Sea, which was recently voted the happiest place to live in the UK by Rightmove. For those who want adventure, nearby Hadleigh Park hosted mountain biking competitions in the 2012 London Olympics, and is open for cycling fans to explore throughout the week.
Where to leave from: Liverpool Street or Fenchurch Street station
Duration of journey: 35 minutes to Leigh-on-Sea (For Hadleigh park, stop at Benfleet station)
Cost of return ticket: From £12
2. Take a trip to Chislehurst caves in Kent, a network of tunnels over 22 miles long dating back to 1250. Since the chalk mines closed more than a century ago, the caves have been used for everything from a World War II air-raid shelter, to an underground music venue hosting the likes of Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie.
Where to leave from: Charing Cross or Cannon Street stations
Duration of journey: 30 minutes
Cost of a return ticket: £11.10
1. St Albans' Traditional Street Market is a peaceful alternative to London's pop-ups. You can see it stretch through the town centre from the local clock tower.
Where to leave from: Blackfriars station
Duration of journey: 35 minutes
Cost of return ticket: From £12.10
Popular Right Now
Advertisement