10 Best Day Trips From London by Train

Brighton is one of the closest beach towns to London. When the balmy summer months swing around, crowds of city dwellers hop on the train at Victoria Station to ride an hour south to the salt-washed pebbles of the English Channel coast.

You'll need to walk about 20 minutes from the station to get to the sea. Along the way, you'll pass through the bohemian shopping quarter of The Lanes, where everything from vintage clothes emporiums to artisan bakeries await. Then, you hit the famous Brighton promenade, with its fun-filled pleasure pier and countless fish and chip stands. 

Oxford is a fairy-tale town famed for its world-class university. It's within easy distance of Central London, sitting just to the northwest of the city. It's also on a main railway line that's served by upwards of 165 connections every day. You'll be stepping out onto the medieval streets in under 1.5 hours.

Culture lovers should be sure to drop into the Ashmolean Museum, where sketches by Leonardo da Vinci sit alongside priceless collections of Anglo-Saxon coins and relics. History buffs may prefer the remains of the Norman castle that stands at the heart of the Castle Quarter. The ancestral home of Winston Churchill awaits nearby, too, in the form of the grand Blenheim Palace. 

Salisbury (and its spire-topped cathedral) has plenty to wow the lover of English heritage. The town, which sits amid the undulating farm fields of Wiltshire, is accessible in about 1.5 hours from London by train. The highlights are a 13th-century church with the tallest belfry in the country, a charming old town filled with cosy cafes, and the iconic Stonehenge. 

The great UNESCO draw of ancient England is just a short distance out of Salisbury, plonked on the famous Salisbury Plain to the north. You can do guided tours straight from the train station to get a glimpse of a mythic landmark that's thought to be over 5,000 years old.

A day trip to Cardiff means swapping London for a vastly different vibe. But borders can be misleading in the UK, because you only need to whizz about 2 hours down the line from Paddington to alight in the buzzy and vibrant capital of Wales. 

One block from the station is St Mary's Street, a medley of high-street boutiques and international eateries. Another block over from that is the mighty Principality Stadium, the home of Welsh rugby. Pubs in the vicinity are often overflowing with singers and drinkers on game days. Also, don't miss Cardiff Bay, an upcoming dining quarter with cafes right on the seafront. 

Bath is regularly hailed as one of the most enchanting towns in England. Founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, it sits on the cusp of the Cotswolds just southwest of Bristol. Trains from London take in the region of 80 minutes to cruise into the local station.

Prepare to be stunned by Bath's honey-hued architecture. From the Royal Crescent to the riverside mansions along the Avon, you can explore some of the finest Georgian-era building work in the world. The Roman Baths are a must-visit, too, what with their ancient heating systems and plunge pools. Next door is a modern version, where you can go for saunas and hot tubs to cap off the day.

Stratford-Upon-Avon is hallowed ground for any lovers of English literature. It was here, way back in 1564, that a certain William Shakespeare entered the world. To see his birthplace, plus a whole medley of other sights related to his life and times, you only need to ride the rails for 2.5 hours out of London.

The house where The Bard himself lived as a child has been meticulously preserved on Henley Street, still with its original half-timber Tudor frontage and paned windows. Down the road, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre does some of the finest stage productions of his great works, though it's best to stay at least one night to couple that with a meal at a local medieval pub.

Bournemouth is your ticket to the sun-splashed English Riviera in the summer months. It's also a lively party town for the rest of the year. A train run by Southwestern Railways from London to this town takes roughly 2.5 hours. It leaves from the Waterloo Station on the south side of the Thames.

A must-visit is Bournemouth Beach, a long, beige-tinged stretch of sand and shells that rolls beneath the high sandstone cliffs. It's often said to be among the best beaches in the country. There are some surf breaks to catch beside the pier, arcades for the little ones, and a cluster of bars and clubs along Exeter Road. 

Whitstable offers a chance to slow down the pace after the bright lights and buzz of London. Perched on the edge of the Kentish dunes at the mouth of the River Thames, it's served by over 35 connections a day from stations in the Big Smoke.

It's no secret that most people come for the beaches. Whitstable has been a sea and sand escape since the days of the Victorians. The vintage beach huts – coloured Greek blue, daffodil yellow, and poppy red – are testimony to that. In the town behind, there are plenty of places to sample the famous Whitstable oysters, along with a centuries-old harbour market that sells some of the freshest fish in the county.

The Cotswolds are perhaps the most quintessential dash of English countryside there is. They span a huge swathe of the Southwest region, running from Bristol in the south to Cheltenham in the north. That means there are multiple station options for travellers coming by train from London, though the smaller towns of Kemble and Moreton-in-Marsh are the best for getting to the heart of the area.

On a summer's day, aim to plan some hikes in the Cotswolds. They'll whisk you through enchanting villages of gabled cottages clad in cinnamon stone. Alternatively, stay near the main train line and enjoy ales at the atmospheric Bell Inn, an age-old tavern that was said to have inspired JRR Tolkien during the writing of The Lord of the Rings.

The South Downs National Park is one of most accessible national reserves on the doorstep of London. By train, you can either go to the western side of the park by aiming for Winchester, or the eastern, coastal, portion of the reserve by aiming for Eastbourne. Whichever you choose, you're looking at journey times in the region of 60-90 minutes.

On the shores of the English Channel, the South Downs hit a zenith with the striking chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters. Further inland, there are the hiking trails of Bignor Hill, Roman villas, and the living museum at Weald & Downland, where you'll be transported back to medieval England by in-costume guides.