Day Trips from London by Train: Our Favorites
One of the nicest things about visiting London is the sheer number of great day trips you can take by train. Nowhere else is quite like it. Whenever John and I are there, a day trip by train is always part of the plan.
Taking a train makes it easy - no fuss about renting cars, figuring out where to park, or worries over driving on the opposite side of the road than we are used to! Many visitors don't realize how easy and affordable British train travel really is, and how much is reachable in under two hours.
From historic Windsor, to the majestic White Cliffs of Dover, to funky Brighton - we’ve taken some great excursions in this beautiful country, all just a short distance from London. In this post, we share our favorites, why we like them, and how to get there.
If you need a primer on taking trains in Britain, we have two posts you might find helpful:
How to Use London’s Public Transportation: A Guide for Visitors focuses on getting around London.
Traveling by train in Britain: a guide for beginners is a broader post that includes rail travel out of the city.
For the easiest train ticket booking in Europe, we always recommend Trainline. British rail travel is comprehensive, but there are many different companies under the blanket of “National Rail”. The Trainline app is simple to use and helps you navigate all the best options. Plus, Trainline always takes American credit cards - which is not always the case on individual rail line apps. The ticket is an eTicket on your phone that you tap in with, so no paper tickets to fiddle with.
A quick note: some links here are affiliate links. That means if you book or buy something through them, we earn a small commission. You pay nothing extra, and it helps keep this blog going. We only recommend things we actually believe in.
| Destination | Depart From | Journey Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor | Waterloo (direct) or Paddington (change at Slough) | ~55 min to just over 1 hr | Waterloo is direct; Paddington is faster if you catch the connection |
| Greenwich | DLR from Bank or Tower Gateway | ~20 min | Or take the Uber Boat down the Thames for a more memorable ride |
| Cambridge | King's Cross or Liverpool Street | ~50 to 80 min | Station is about a mile from city center; taxi or bus from there |
| Oxford | Paddington or Marylebone | ~55 to 70 min | Paddington is generally a bit faster |
| Brighton | Victoria or London Bridge | ~1 hr | Also possible from Blackfriars (~1 hr 15 min) |
| White Cliffs of Dover | St. Pancras (high-speed) | ~1 hr 10 min | Take a taxi from Dover Priory to the Visitor Center |
| Bath | Paddington (direct) | ~1 hr 15 min | Direct, no changes; trains every 30 min |
| Stonehenge / Salisbury | Waterloo | ~90 min + bus | Train to Salisbury, then Stonehenge Tour Bus (~33 min). Advance planning required |
Day trips under an hour from London
Windsor
The Round Tower at Windsor Castle. All Photos by John O’Boyle / The Empty Nest Explorers
Windsor really is the Number One day trip from London. It’s close by, easy to get to, and with attractions such as Windsor Castle, St. George’s Chapel, and Windsor Great Park, there is plenty to do and explore. It’s almost a no-brainer!
We found the town of Windsor to be a fun mix of charm and kitsch, with a coziness that is surprising, considering how many tourists are milling around!
Of course, the whole area is dominated by Windsor Castle, as grand a structure as you can possibly imagine, home to the British sovereign for generations. As your train pulls into town, the Castle’s looming presence welcomes you and leaves no doubt as to where you are! It certainly gave me a thrill!
A visit to the Castle is a must - it’s really impressive inside as you would expect, but even just wandering the grounds inside the gates with its beautiful gardens feels special in that indescribable way that only British royal experiences seem to give - relaxed but classy with perfect hospitality. Oh darling, it's no effort at all!
We’ve got plenty of details and information about getting there, booking tickets, what to see, and what the experience is like in our post, Visiting Windsor Castle in 2026: a complete guide.
Quick Train details: You can take a train from either London Paddington with a change at Slough Station, 30-40 minutes, or from London Waterloo Station directly to Windsor & Eton Riverside Station, about 55 minutes. We went from Waterloo Station - a little bit longer but direct, which is always a plus.
Why we like it: This is a trip that everyone can enjoy - couples, families, groups, anyone really - as it is very adaptable. When it comes to castles, this is the real deal and not a Disney fantasy.
Though it’s a very full day and I felt I walked a lot, you can really do as much or as little as you want and still have a good time. Windsor has real charm and authenticity, even though it’s definitely a popular tourist attraction and can get crowded.
Organized tours: Windsor is a pretty easy day trip to manage on your own, but If you’d rather not negotiate the logistics yourself, an organized group tour might be a good choice for you.
Here are some options for organized group tours to Windsor.
Cambridge
The Backs in Cambridge, is a beautiful spot.
Cambridge is what I would call a “nice day out” where you can spend half a day and be back in London for dinner. While you will do some walking, it feels like a manageable level.
We really enjoyed taking a guided walking tour of Cambridge University - there are so many little details and historic context a tour guide can provide. We also love local markets, and Cambridge Market Square is an historic one with lots of food and fun stuff.
For a complete picture of what there is to see and do there, read our post Cambridge Day Trip from London: A Complete Guide for 2026.
Punting on the River Cam is a popular activity in Cambridge. It is also popular in Oxford.
Quick Train details: Trains to Cambridge depart from either London's King’s Cross or Liverpool Street train stations. Note that the Cambridge train station is about a mile from the city center. It's an easy 20 to 25 minute walk, but if you'd rather save your walking for the main sites, the Citi 1 and Citi 3 buses run directly from outside the station to the center. We decided to take a taxi from the train station to the center of town, and that worked out great.
Why we like it: Walking around Cambridge really puts you in touch with history. It has that “elegant and well-built” classic old British feel, with even a touch of countryside, while still having the energy of a current college town. It’s the kind of experience you probably came to the UK to have.
Organized tours: Taking a guided tour of Cambridge University was a great experience for us and helped us make the most of our visit.
Here are a few options for guided tours of Cambridge.
Greenwich
The Queens House in Greenwich with the modern buildings of Canary Wharf in the background.
Calling Greenwich a day trip is a bit of a cheat, because technically it’s part of London. But Greater London is just so big with its many districts, and Greenwich is enough of a departure from city center energy that it certainly feels like a day trip. Plus, there’s enough to do there to keep you busy for a day, without a huge travel time commitment.
Greenwich leans into its maritime history, with its many seafaring attractions, including the National Maritime Museum, the Cutty Sark, Old Royal Naval College, and Royal Observatory (home to the Prime Meridian Line)
We have a blog post all about our experience and lots more information about visiting Greenwich, including ticket information for the various attractions - Guide to Visiting Greenwich, London in 2026: What to See and Do.
Quick Train details: It’s a quick ride on the DLR(8 min from London Bridge to Greenwich Station), but we opted to take an Uber Boat down the Thames, which is much more memorable! Not only is it fun to sail under Tower Bridge, but it gets you into the spirit of nautical Greenwich. It does take a little bit longer, but that’s part of the fun.
Why we like it: Britain is a seafaring country with a rich naval history, but if you stay within the confines of central London, you may never feel that. Visiting Greenwich is an easy way to get a taste of the maritime connection.
We loved having tea & scones under the hull of the Cutty Sark, taking the epic climb up to the Observatory (steeper than I expected!), and of course the boat ride on the Thames, both coming and going. Plus, the main attractions sit in a sprawling green park, and the view across the Thames of Canary Wharf from the top of the Observatory hill is a little different from typical City of London skyline views.
Organized tours: For guided tour options in Greenwich, check out this link.
Day trips 1 to 2 hours from London
White Cliffs of Dover
The hiking path along the White Cliffs of Dover.
Truly one of the best day trips we’ve ever taken out of London. The sight of brilliant chalk cliffs overlooking the blue-green English Channel and the busy Port of Dover, with France shimmering in the distance, and the old Dover Castle standing sentinel over it all - c’mon, such a romantic scene! I was smitten.
There are a lot of ways to approach this trip. For us, it was all about experiencing the cliffs, walking as much of the coastal trail and grasslands (surprisingly green and inhabited by cows!) as we could, seeing the English Channel for the first time, appreciating the wartime history & significance, and enjoying tea & snacks from a tray in an old lighthouse.
But certainly, some people don’t feel the need to spend that much time there, just wanting a look at the white cliffs in a quick walk from the Visitor Center - so instead, they plan a full day in the area by adding Dover Castle and a trip to Canterbury to their itinerary. This is certainly an option. But for me, that feels like a lot, with probably more walking than I can handle in one day. And perhaps each of those things deserves its own attention.
You can read all those thoughts and take a deep dive into exploring the White Cliffs of Dover in our post, Visiting the White Cliffs of Dover: a perfect day trip from London.
Quick Train details: The nearest train station to the cliffs is Dover Priory, and you can take a high-speed train there from Kings Cross/St. Pancras, London, in just over one hour. But it's still a good 40-minute walk from there to the cliffs. Do yourself a favor and take a taxi from the station to the Visitor Center, and save your steps for the trail.
Why we like it: As you can probably tell, we have a lot of affection for this place! We like it for the iconic & meaningful scenery, the unique nature walk, the connection to WWII history, and the visceral understanding one gets from seeing the English Channel and getting a glimpse of France across the way if you are lucky to have a clear day - as we were!
Organized tours: We had no trouble managing a visit to the White Cliffs of Dover on our own, but if you’d rather combine it with other sites and have someone else take care of all the logistics, here are some well-reviewed guided tour options.
Brighton
The pebbles on the Brighton Beach.
Getting “to the beach” at Brighton was a fun escape from the city. It reminded us of Asbury Park - one of our New Jersey funky beach haunts - but with a distinctly British twist.
Like Asbury Park, Brighton has an inclusive, bohemian vibe. It has a long history as a resort town and is known today for its nightlife, music scene, eclectic mural art, seafront dining and of course its rocky beach! Personally, I loved the outdoor flea markets and scored some unique little jewelry finds. 🙂
An iconic landmark in Brighton is the Royal Pavilion, once the seaside retreat of George IV. I enjoyed visiting the Pavilion more than I expected. Although it’s a little ramshackle and worn out compared to Buckingham Palace, it has some really unique features - a crazy mingle of architectural styles and some incredible ceilings in many of the rooms.
Read about how to spend a day in Brighton in our post Brighton Day Trip from London: A Complete Guide for 2026.
Quick Train details: We departed London from beautiful Blackfriars station, which took about 1 hour 15 minutes; but you can also depart from London Victoria or London Bridge stations and those are a little quicker, about an hour.
Why we like it: Brighton is a pretty different experience from other things you might be doing on your London vacation. We loved the beachy, bohemian vibe, the arty-party atmosphere, the salt air, and the authentic flea markets.
Organized tours: You can just wander around Brighton like we did and soak it in, or try some of these different organized experiences.
Bath
It’s been a long time since we’ve been to Bath - we visited it as part of a bus trip combined with Stonehenge during our London honeymoon 28 years ago! Although I suspect the main attraction there - the Roman Baths - hasn’t changed much since then, considering how long they’ve been around!
All joking aside, Bath is one of the most beautiful cities in England and is consistently ranked as one of the best day trips from London. It is the original “wellness” destination, with a spa culture centered around natural hot springs going back as far as 8000 BC.
The highlights for a day visit include: the Roman Baths (these days you need to book in advance, as this is most popular), the stunning Georgian architecture of the Royal Crescent and The Circus, the extremely photogenic Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon, and the Thermae Bath Spa (if you want to actually bathe in the natural warm springs). The Jane Austen Centre offers a taste of life in Regency times and celebrates the city’s most famous resident.
Quick Train details: Direct trains from London Paddington depart roughly every 30 minutes, with the fastest services taking about 1 hour 15 minutes. Arrive at Bath Spa station (which is a Grade II listed building and is an attraction in its own right)
Why we recommend it: Bath is a compact city and very walkable, so a day trip should be enough to hit the highlights and enjoy a nice lunch. Its ancient baths are one of the best examples of Roman history in England, as the Roman Bath complex is exceptionally well preserved. It left a lasting impression on me. It didn’t seem like it could possibly be that old! But it is.
Organized tours: If you prefer a guided tour to exploring on your own, here are some well-reviewed tours of Bath.
Pro-tip: Organized tours of Bath are often lumped together with other places that are “in the area” but not necessarily that close, especially if the transport provided is by bus - Stonehenge, Oxford, even Windsor! (which is quite a full day on its own - see above!). Strangely, what I remember most about that multi-stop day trip we took on our honeymoon is being on the bus!
Although it’s nice to check a lot of interesting places off your list - and we all try to do as much as we can on a precious vacation - that kind of “packing it in” can sometimes amount to a very long day (10-12 hours) of mostly in transit and not seeing everything you came for. Traveling like that can be pretty exhausting.
We’re not disparaging the idea of combo tours (they are sometimes the best solutions and we’ve definitely partaken) - we just want you to consider the logistics carefully. Look at a map, see where you are going, and check the amount of “in between” travel time before you commit.
Consider giving Bath its own day to fully explore. The train trip is easy - it's direct, no changes, and you can book it ahead for the best fare. Book on Trainline for the easiest process.
Stonehenge/Salisbury
Stonehenge is pretty far out from London and requires some planning.
Is it worth it? We think it is. But you might have to adjust your expectations. Some folks get disappointed if the experience doesn’t quite match what they are imagining.
Yes, it will be crowded. There is a perimeter around the stones you can’t cross, so you will not be able to touch them or stand beside them, but you can see them very well; there’s plenty of room around the perimeter..
You will need timed tickets through English Heritage - don’t expect to just walk up. With all the restrictions, you may not be able to get the perfect sunset photo you planned in your head. But there are few things so old and mysterious that one can get to actually see for oneself, so why not go?
Getting to Stonehenge by train is tricky - the closest train stop is Salisbury, about 9 miles away. From there, you would need to hop on the Stonehenge Tour Bus, which takes around 33 minutes and runs roughly every hour. (to me, that has a whiff of the circulator bus in Sintra, Portugal - potentially unreliable.)
For this reason, many visitors to Stonehenge decide to book an organized tour, which usually includes transportation and a ticket to the site. It certainly makes it easier.
But if you're feeling adventurous and going independently by train, many visitors recommend combining a stop at Salisbury, since you naturally pass through it anyway. We have not been to Salisbury, but we’ve done some research on it.
Salisbury is a charming city that has worthy things to see on its own. It's home to England's finest medieval cathedral, which has one of the best surviving copies of the Magna Carta displayed in its Chapter House. It boasts the tallest cathedral spire in Britain, a masterful engineering feat that you can even take a tour of. The city also has good restaurants and a lively market.
A typical itinerary can be:
Spend the morning at the Salisbury Cathedral and see the Magna Carta.
Walk around the town center, then have lunch in one of the many charming cafes.
After lunch, catch the bus to Stonehenge to see the famous site.
Take the bus back to Salisbury and head back to London in the evening. A solid full day of adventuring. ;)
Quick Train details: Take the train from London Waterloo to Salisbury on South Western Railway, with trains running every 30-40 minutes. The journey is about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
From there, you will need to take the Stonehenge Tour Bus, which takes around 33 minutes and runs roughly every hour. There is no train between Salisbury and Stonehenge.
Thoughts to consider: As a rough guide, going on your own means covering a return train ticket to Salisbury, the Stonehenge Tour Bus, and the site entry fee separately. Book the train in advance on Trainline for the best fare, and check English Heritage for current entry prices.
It's doable, but it's not as seamless as some day trips. You're juggling train times, bus schedules, and site entry windows. That requires very careful planning, with not much room for error. Just make sure to check the current Stonehenge Tour Bus timetable before you go, especially for the last return departure of the day. It varies by season, and you don't want to miss it.
What we recommend: We do think Stonehenge is a unique and significant site worth seeing at least once. Though we love planning our own adventures, the logistics of getting to Stonehenge are a little complicated. That’s why we think the easiest way to do this one is by some kind of organized tour.
Organized tours: To let someone else handle the logistics, check these suggestions for organized tours and see what works for you.
Oxford
Oxford is one of the most sought-after day trips from London. A lot of folks go there seeking Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. That’s not really our bag and not what brought us there - but it has made it a more popular destination than ever. It is easily doable on your own - you can get there in about an hour by train from London.
It’s the architecture that will grab you in Oxford. The university’s medieval skyline features so many spires and towers that it has earned the city the nickname "City of Dreaming Spires".
Oxford has many unique and iconic buildings. The Radcliffe Camera is the most recognizable with its domed shape (no it’s not a camera - it’s a library!) and is somewhat a symbol of Oxford. It isn’t open to tourists though - it's a functional reading room for students and researchers and part of the Bodleian Library, a famous building in its own right.
Oxford University is made up of 38 colleges, and some charge fees to visit. Christ Church College and Divinity School are most popular for visitors - both are known for their stunning architecture and Divinity in particular as the filming location for the Hogwarts Sanatorium in the Harry Potter films.
With so many colleges, a guided walking tour is a great way to get oriented. Like its sister city, Cambridge, Oxford is very walkable. The lively Covered Market is a good spot to grab a bite, and - as you might expect from a college town - it has some excellent pubs to grab a pint.
Quick Train details: There are frequent, direct trains from London to Oxford taking approximately 50 to 70 minutes. Direct services operate from two main London stations: London Paddington (GWR), and London Marylebone (Chiltern Railways). The train from Paddington is generally a little faster, but it depends on which is easiest for you to get to.
Why we recommend it: Oxford University is a major British institution. It is the oldest university city in the English-speaking world and has a rich literary history. Way before Harry Potter ever picked up his wand, Oxford was educating greats, inspiring writers and influencing society. There is so much interesting cultural history around Oxford. Students at Oxford started a fashion subculture in the 1920s (look up “Oxford bags” just for fun) and were heavily involved in the Bright Young Things counterculture scene. I like to read about that period, and the Oxford roots piqued my interest. If you appreciate that era too, seeing Oxford will enrich your experience.
Oxford is not hard to get to, so it’s worth a trip. Given its age-old rivalry with Cambridge, it's fun to compare the two. I personally found Cambridge a bit more memorable - but see what you think!
Organized tours: Check these suggestions for organized tours and see what works for you.
Our thoughts about guided tours for day trips
Generally, we like to think of ourselves as DIY travellers. John really loves researching every trip we take in detail, and we pride ourselves in being able to get around on our own, figuring out the local transport, and heading off to explore whatever particularly interests us to the beat of our own drummer.
But even so, on every trip we take, we usually wind up taking at least one guided tour or organized day trip. And they’ve always been rewarding.
There definitely are some things that can be done most easily with a guide. Sometimes it’s the logistics that are challenging; at those times, climbing into a van with a few like-minded people and having someone else do the driving just makes the most sense.
Many times, it’s the guidance and insight of an expert we are looking for. We love doing research, but a great guide brings a different perspective.
On various guided tours, we've had an archeology student take us around the Colosseum in Rome; an area winemaking expert teach us about port wine traditons of the Douro Valley; and locals introduce us to incredible edibles on food tours in cities as varied as Madrid and Montreal. There is no shame in knowing what you don’t know.
This being said, it is important to use an accredited tour operator. There are a lot of scammers out there. We usually use Viator and GetYourGuide because they are reliably good and have options almost everywhere. The GetYourGuide app is also very handy, because you can have your ticket right on your phone. We are affiliates for both, but we were customers first, and still are.
So it really is a matter of personal travelling style, but the bottom line of our opinion is this: don’t think you are wimping out if you want to take a guided tour or organized day trip sometimes. We like to mix it up. Travelling doesn’t have to be hard to be legit. What matters is having a great experience and taking home more than souvenirs.
We hope we’ve inspired you to take a few day trips from London! Truly some of the best anywhere!
This post was researched and written by Debbie O'Boyle of The Empty Nest Explorers.
Debbie is a professional photographer with over 30 years of experience and a former staff member at the Star-Ledger/NJ.com, where she managed the digital photography technical team. She and her husband, John, travel extensively and write from firsthand experience at every destination they cover. You can learn more about Debbie and the Empty Nest Explorers here.
Well-reviewed London area attractions:
Our England blog posts:
London is one of the best cities in the world for day trips by train. Within an hour or two, you can be at Windsor Castle, the White Cliffs of Dover, the Roman Baths in Bath, and more.
We've done all of these ourselves and share exactly how to get there, what we loved, and a few things we'd do differently.