The biggest mistake an American tourist can make in London is never leaving London.
London may be in England, but it’s far from the only representation of the country. Just like the Big Apple is only a small fruit in New York’s bushel, there’s much more of England to savor outside of the metropolis.
You could visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, marvel at Stonehenge, and waltz around Oxford University’s campus — all less than two hours from London.
Quiet coastal towns, regal estates, and charming towns perfect for a cup of tea, these weekend trips from London by train will introduce you to England’s other gems outside the capital.
Image Credit: Getty Images, stevegeer. Image Location: Windsor Castle, Windsor, England
Windsor Castle
Best for: fans of the royals
London Paddington to Windsor Central Station: about 30m
A 20 minute train ride from London Paddington and a 10 minute walk takes you to this royal weekend retreat. Explore Windsor Castle on a guided tour and appreciate Eton’s other architectural beauties like St. George’s Chapel and the Cliveden House.
See also: where do the British Royal Family live?
Watford
Best for: Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour
London Euston to Watford Junction: about 30m (+ 15m shuttle ride)
A train ride so fast that it puts your old Nimbus 2000 to shame, every Potterhead must take the eponymous tour showcasing The Boy Who Lived. Once you arrive at Watford Junction, you’ll take an official shuttle bus (included in your entry ticket) to the Studio Tour. Don’t worry, this isn’t the Knight Bus — you’ll have a smoother journey without Ernie Prang and Stan Shunpike behind the wheel.
Better yet, add a few minutes onto your journey and take the train to Watford North directly from Platform 9 ¾ at London King’s Cross and hail a cab to the Studio Tour.
See also: where was Harry Potter filmed in the UK?
Image Credit: Getty Images. Marianne Purdie. Image Location: Stonehenge, Salisbury, England
Stonehenge
Best for: the unashamed tourist
London Waterloo to Salisbury: about 90m
You’ll need to hop a bus tour or taxi to reach Stonehenge from Salisbury Station, but the last leg of the trip is just as effortless as the train ride. Don’t make your way back to London Waterloo too soon, though; Salisbury’s Old Sarum, Cathedral, and Watermeadows are worth the visit.
The Cotswolds
Best for: outdoors
Gloucester | Cheltenham Spa | Kemble: about 90m
Charming villages and rolling green hills make the Cotswolds a draw for even Londoners. Take the train to Moreton-in-Marsh to explore the Cotswolds Falconry Centre and the Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre.
See also: The best Cotswolds towns to visit by train
Image Credit: Getty Images, asmithers. Image Location: White Cliffs of Dover, Dover, England
White Cliffs of Dover
Best for: dramatic views
London St. Pancras International to Dover Priory: about 1h
Leave London behind, turn your phone off, and get lost in the dreamy vistas of the White Cliffs. Take one walk along Dover’s stunning coastline and you’ll forget that you’re only an hour from London.
See also: the White Cliffs of Dover from London by train
Oxford
Best for: the academic
London to Oxford: about 1h
Soak up all the smarts as you wander the prestigious university. From the Ashmolean Museum and The Story Museum to the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, you’ll have plenty of fun facts to share on the train ride back to either London Paddington or London Marylebone.
See also: Is Oxford worth visiting?
Image Credit: Getty Images, joe daniel price. Image Location: Mermaid Street, Rye, England
Rye
Best for: the well-read drinker or thinker
London St-Pancras to Rye (Sussex): about 1h 9m
Indie bookstores and cozy pubs fill this mixed medieval-modern village near the sea. Visit the former home of Henry James, purchase a worn copy of The Portrait of a Lady, and tuck into a pub until the book (or your liver) is finished.
Winchester
Best for: a Cathedral Christmas market
London Waterloo to Winchester: about 1h 19m
The 900-year-old Winchester Cathedral hosts an annual Christmas market that’s one of the best in Europe — quite a feat when you consider how amazing Strasbourg and Germany’s Christmas markets are. If you’re visiting outside of winter, still pop in to admire this stunning place of worship.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Kenji Lau. Image Location: Cambridge, England
Cambridge
Best for: elevated pub trivia
London Kings Cross to Cambridge: about 1h 20m
There’s no way you’re going to Cambridge and leaving without a few fun facts in your pocket. No, you don’t necessarily need to tour the famous college, but you should learn a thing or two elsewhere. The University Museum of Zoology, The Centre for Computing History, and The Fitzwilliam Museum all get top marks. Too cool for school, are you? Then at least grab a pint at the Eagle pub, called the “birthplace of DNA”.
Bath
Best for: Britain’s best Roman ruins
London Paddington to Bath Spa: about 1h 30m
If you can’t help but still think of the Roman Empire even when surrounded by Union Jack flags, then you need to take a day trip from London to Bath. The Romans came here in the 1st century, and ever since, Bath’s natural hot springs became a must-see for history buffs.
Brighton
Best for: the LGBTQIA+ community
London Blackfriars to Brighton: ~ 1h 30m
Called the gay capital of the UK, Brighton is a place where all love is accepted and safe. Keep following rainbow flags and you’ll waltz right into Kemptown. First-timers in Brighton should also take the Piers & Queers walking tour that offers a cheeky historical tour of the city.
Canterbury
Best for: spinning a yarn while canoeing
London Victoria to Canterbury East: about 1h 35m
Here’s a suggestion out of a work of fiction: skip the Canterbury Cathedral and canoe down the Great Stour. Grab your mates and paddle through the Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve, swapping stories or listening to other types of Canterbury tales on a guided tour.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Rich Jones Photography. Image Location: Bristol, England
Bristol
Best for: festivals
London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads: about 1h 43m
Bristol is a low-key great day trip city from London, especially when festival season is in full swing. Bristol Pride is a colorful, multi-day event, as is the weekend Harbour Festival, the International Balloon Fiesta, and the Sea Shanty Festival.
🚂 Trainline Trivia: Fans of the UK Skins series will find Roundview College, Uncle Keith’s Pub, and loads of other filming locations in Bristol.
New Forest National Park
Best for: exploring trails
London Waterloo to Ashurst New Forest: about 1h 51m
Get a breath of fresh air when you spend a day away from London. New Forest National Park has historic walking routes to follow, but that’s not what we want to highlight. We love that NFNP has a series of accessible walking trails that are designed for wheelchair users, off-road mobility scooters, and for travelers who need the use of handrails and flat pathways.
Image Credit: Getty Images, susandaniels. Image Location: Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff
Best for: the country counter
London Paddington to Cardiff Central: about 2h
If you cannot resist checking another country off of your map, head to the Welsh capital to see the Cardiff Castle and the free St. Fagans National Museum of History.
Whitstable
Best for beach bums
London to Whitstable: about 2h
Oysters. Cockles. Mussels. Proper fish and chips. The only thing better than spending the day swimming in the sea is tasting all of the delicious seafood Whitstable’s restaurants serve up. You can get to Whitstable by train from London St Pancras International and London Victoria train stations.
See also: best beaches near London
Image Credit: Getty Images, Tu xa Ha Noi. Image Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Stratford-upon-Avon
Best for: the Bard brigade
London Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon: about 2h
With just enough time to sleep — perchance, to dream — the train ride to Shakespeare’s birthplace is shorter than most of his iconic works. Nod off at London Marylebone and wake up refreshed for a show at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Read also: where to see Shakespeare in London 2024
Deal
Best for: hidden gems
London St-Pancras to Deal: about 2h
Forgive the cliché, but Deal is, well, a good deal when it comes to hidden gems close to London. The Kent Mining Museum digs up Deal’s mining industry history (and has a great playground for kids) while the more figurative hidden gems include a seaside plaque commemorating where Julius Caesar allegedly landed when invading Britain.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Laurie Noble. Image Location: Margate, England
Margate
Best for: seaside celeb spotting
London Victoria to Margate: about 2h
So, you want to sit around at the beach, but you also don’t want to go home saying all you did was sit on the beach during your only day away from London. Margate has some tea you can spill (in the American sense, mind you). This classic seaside holiday spot is reportedly seeing an increase of celebs tanning on the shores, including Olivia Colman (The Crown, Broadchurch).
Image Credit: Getty Images, ChrisHepburn. Image Location: Bullring Shopping Centre, Birmingham, England
Birmingham
Best for city slickers
London Euston to Birmingham New Street: about 2h
Hit the streets of England’s second largest city: Birmingham. Cycling trails and calm canals snake through Birmingham, leading you to places like the National Motorcycle Museum, National SEA LIFE Centre, and the chocolatey goodness of Cadbury World.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Karl Hendon. Image Location: Seven Sisters, Seaford, England
Seven Sisters
Best for: solitude
London Victoria to Seaford (Sussex): about 2h 20m
The Seven Sisters are a series of cliffs on the English coast. You can walk this mildly challenging route within a matter of hours and it’ll do your soul good. Catch up on that podcast you’re behind on, put your playlist on shuffle, or be left alone with your thoughts as you simply enjoy the dramatic cliff views and sea breeze.
Image Credit: Getty Images, TJ Blackwell. Image Location: York, England
York
Best for: pudding
London Kings Cross to York: about 2h 20m
We won’t reduce Yorkshire to its pudding, but we will insist that you put it on your to-do list when visiting York. You’ll find us chowing down on one at Gert & Henrys or The Punch Bowl, after a visit to the National Railway Museum and Dick Turpin’s gravesite.
Paris
Best for: that epic “we can do them both!” traveler
London St-Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord: about 2h 20m
It’s Paris and it’s perfect by train thanks to the Eurostar route from capital to capital. You’ll want more than one day in the City of Light, but if you’ve got serious FOMO and don’t think you’ll make it across the pond again, well, allow us to point you in the direction of the best croissant in Paris.
Liverpool
Best for: music lovers
London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street Central: about 2h 30m
The Fab Four aren’t the only musicians from Liverpool. From A Flock of Seagulls and The Wombats to Her’s and Carcass, Liverpool has a diverse music scene you must check out easily thanks to London Euston’s convenient station.
Driving vs taking the train
Driving on the other side of the road is one thing; driving on the other side of the car is another.
Add in the limited availability of automatic transmission rental cars, tons of roundabouts, and the need for both rental insurance and an international driving permit — suddenly that easy road trip through England got a whole lot more complicated.
Trains connect virtually everywhere in Great Britain to London in one form or another. It’s so much easier to hop on a quick train ride and spend a few hours enjoying the scenery than it is to go through the hassle of getting a rental and wasting precious vacation hours cooped up in a car.
Download the Trainline app to discover how easy and affordable it is to take the best day or weekend trips from London by train.
Image Credit: Getty Images, joe daniel price. Image Location: Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England