The list of things I love about London reads longer than the Monday morning lineup of delays on the Tube, (hint: it’s endless). But one of the best things about England’s capital is the easy access the city’s train system affords to hundreds of destinations around the country. The American public transportation system could definitely learn a thing or two.
As a result, while living in London, I had the opportunity to take quite a few jaunts to the countryside. Here I have included a list of my favorites along with some tips, tricks, and must-sees to set you on your way. So mind the gap between the train and the platform, and let’s get going!
(1.) Dover
We’ve all read about the White Cliffs of Dover in books, marveled over them in films, and heard their World War II role immortalized in poetry and music. But nothing- absolutely NOTHING- amounts to seeing them in person. You just can’t capture what it feels like to stand at the edge of such breathtaking views and history, and I’ve yet to find any form of representation that does the experience justice.
Pro tips: For maximum effect, try to plan your visit to the cliffs for a clear day. If it has rained recently, (let’s be honest, this is almost always in the UK), be very, very careful not to slip on the trail along the top of the cliffs. (This may or may not have happened to me, and it’s very possible that I spent the rest of the day with mud caked all over my pants.)
Hazards aside, if you hike along the cliffs far enough, you will reach a lighthouse-meets-mom-and-pop-restaurant perfect for a picnic lunch or a spot o’ afternoon tea.
And finally, absolutely take the WWII tunnels tour at Dover Castle; it’s an extremely well-guided, fascinating look into what it was like to live on the front lines of the German Blitz. Castle tickets are a bit pricey, but this one is definitely worth it.
Don’t miss: The White Cliffs of Dover, (duh), Dover Castle.
(2.) Bath
Whether you’re a Roman history buff, Jane Austen enthusiast, fashion connoisseur, or you just enjoy a good brew, Bath has it all. This walkable city in Southwestern England started life as a Roman outpost and grew into a holiday hotspot for the UK’s most posh. It’s hard to find a more compelling and dynamic weekend trip than this one.
Pro tips: The Museums Saver ticket gets you access into the Roman Baths, a small art exhibit, and the Fashion Museum at a lower rate than if you were to purchase the tickets individually, (particularly if you are a student.)
Don’t miss: The Roman Baths, (obviously), the Fashion Museum, Pulteney Bridge, the Royal Crescent, afternoon tea at Jolly’s Tea Room, and delicious sandwiches from The Whole Bagel.
(3.) Stonehenge
Much like Dover, we’ve all heard of this one.
“Really?” you might ask. “A circle of rocks is third on your list?”
Absolutely. These rocks have stood longer and seen more than nearly any man-made artifact on the planet. The fact that we still don’t know exactly how or why Stonehenge was made renders it that much more fascinating. A bucket-list item for sure.
Pro tips: If you don’t have your own car, Stonehenge can be really difficult to get to without breaking the bank. This proves particularly true if you intend on making a side-trip to nearby Salisbury. Normally I’m all for planning your own excursions, but in this case I’ll make an exception. The easiest way to access Stonehenge is honestly via bus tour, as kitschy as it is. We used Golden Tours, but there are plenty of options out there.
Don’t miss: The visitor’s center in addition to the stones themselves. Skip the exhibits inside and you’ll miss out on a well-curated source of insight into just how much of a marvel Stonehenge truly is.
(4.) Cambridge
I’m going to have half of the UK after me with pitchforks for saying this, but I honestly enjoyed Cambridge more than Oxford. Don’t get me wrong; Oxford is great for its own reasons, pop-culture relevance included. But Cambridge and its winding cobblestone streets had a quirky, accessible vibe that made this university town hard to resist.
Pro tips: Go punting down the River Cam with a Cambridge student as your guide. You’ll get to see five different colleges from the back this way. Like Oxford, each college at Cambridge has its own hours, and some require you to purchase entry, (although I found this to be less prevalent in Cambridge). Wander wherever your curiosity takes you. Visit Fitzbillies for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Cambridge Chop House is a fantastic choice for dinner.
Don’t miss: Punting, King’s College Chapel, and a creepy glowing grasshopper known as the Corpus Clock.
(5.) Brighton
Brighton felt like what you might end up with if someone took the lovechild of Santa Cruz and San Francisco, California, added a Taj Mahal lookalike, and dropped the end product at the very southern edge of the UK. The result? Boardwalks, beaches, and a whole lot of fun.
Pro tips: A British friend advised me that early fall is the best time to catch warmer water and weather along the British coastline. Sure enough, when we visited in September not only was the temperature perfect, but we also managed to beat the crowds.
Don’t miss: The Royal Pavilion, the pier and beaches, colorful beach huts in nearby Hove.
(6.) Windsor
Unfortunately, I can’t promise that you’ll see the queen, but visiting Windsor is probably the best way I can think of to pretend to be royalty for a day.
Pro tips: Arrive early for a front-row view of the changing of the guard at 11:00. As you tour the castle, keep an eye out for gravity-defying, flowerlike displays of lethal weapons hanging on the walls. (I guess even the royals get bored.) And finally, don’t pass up on wandering the quaint streets of Windsor proper and walking down to the massive expanse of grass that leads up to the castle gates. It’s an impressive vista at any time of year. Look for the leaning house careening sideways at an alarming angle just as you pass out of the castle and into the town itself.
Don’t miss: Well, definitely don’t skip the castle or the chapel inside its walls. Close-by Eton is also worth a visit for an insight into boarding school culture.
(7.) Oxford
If you’ve ever been fascinated with Harry Potter, or Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, then Oxford is a must-visit. It’s also a pretty good school with just a little bit of a reputation, (wink, wink), and definitely worth a stop.
Pro tips: Each college has its own hours and many of them charge their own entry fee, so be sure to do your research and choose the colleges you most want to visit before you go. Pack a picnic lunch and see if you can catch rugby practice down by Magdalen College while you eat.
Don’t miss: Bodelian Library, the Divinity School (an iconic Harry Potter filming site), the Radcliffe Camera, the Bridge of Sighs, Blackwell’s Bookshop, and the Botanic Garden, (home to THE BENCH, for those His Dark Materials fans out there).
(8.) Cardiff
Cardiff, Wales definitely represents the most underrated entry on my list. It’s nowhere near the tourist destination-caliber of Windsor, Bath, or Stonehenge, and sits much farther off the beaten path than Brighton or even Cambridge. My mom and I originally decided to pay Cardiff a visit because of family history and our interest in spending the day outside. Our entire trip came as a delightful surprise, and Cardiff yielded some of the best food and views of my entire time in the UK. Needless to say, choosing a picture for this entry on the list proved to be sheer torture, and I’m sure I’ll end up writing Cardiff its own, separate post sometime in the near future.
Pro tips: Catch Cardiff Castle early, before the crowds. And keep an eye out for field trips full of adorable school kids dressed as Roman legionnaires. Stop by one of Cardiff’s covered markets for some traditional Welsh cawl (stew) and cage bach (cakes).
Don’t miss: Cardiff Castle, Millennium Center and the Waterfront, walk (or bike in the summer) along the water to nearby Penarth.
Loved taking the day trip of London
You are a good tour guide, Janie!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :))