The 6 Best Day Trips From London — What They Cost and Whether They’re Worth It

Updated April 2026 | 3 min read

We only had two nights in London, so day trips were off the table. But if I had four or five days — and next time I will — these are the six trips I would prioritize, based on months of reading every Reddit thread and TripAdvisor review about getting out of the city.

Bath: The Best Day Trip From London

Every list puts Bath first, and for once the consensus is right. Direct trains from Paddington take 90 minutes and cost £25-50 return if booked in advance on Trainline. Walk-up fares can hit £80, so book early.

The Roman Baths are £22 for adults. The Royal Crescent is free to walk. Thermae Bath Spa has a rooftop pool overlooking the city that is worth every penny. Jane Austen Museum for the literature crowd. The whole city is walkable from the station — you do not need a bus or taxi.

Brighton: The Easiest Beach Day

Fifty-four minutes from London Victoria, £15-30 return. Brighton requires zero planning. Get off the train, walk to the beach, eat fish and chips on the pier, browse the independent shops in The Lanes, see the Royal Pavilion (an Indian-style palace that has no business being on the English coast), and catch the train back. Half day or full day, it works either way.

Stonehenge: Manage Your Expectations

There is no direct public transport from London to Stonehenge. Your options are a guided tour from London (£50-80 per person, most combine Stonehenge with Bath or Salisbury) or a train to Salisbury (90 minutes, £20-40) plus a shuttle bus to the stones (£6 return). Entry is £22-25 — book in advance.

The honest take that nobody puts in guidebooks: Stonehenge is smaller than you expect. The stones are roped off so you cannot walk among them. Some travelers feel the experience is better as part of a combo tour rather than the sole destination. Combine it with Bath for the best value day.

The Cotswolds: You Need a Car or a Tour

The Cotswolds are not one place — they are dozens of honey-stone villages scattered across rolling hills, and public transit barely connects them. The most practical car-free option is a train from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh (90 minutes, £25-45), then the Heritage Bus on weekends to Stow-on-the-Wold and Burford.

For most people, an organized tour from London is the better call — £60-100, departs at 8 AM, visits 3-5 villages (Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water, Castle Combe), and returns by 6-7 PM. The villages are beautiful but tiny — you are really paying for the drive between them.

Cambridge: Punting and Colleges

Forty-eight minutes from King’s Cross, £10-25 return. Punting on the River Cam is the thing to do — you can hire a punt yourself (entertaining but you will crash into other boats) or take a guided punt tour. The university colleges charge £5-8 each to enter. The Fitzwilliam Museum is free. Cambridge is quieter and more manageable than Oxford as a day trip.

Oxford: Harry Potter and the Bodleian

Fifty-five minutes from Paddington, £15-30 return. The Bodleian Library was used as the Hogwarts library in the films, which means it gets crowded. The Ashmolean Museum is free. Christ Church College (also in the films) charges entry. Oxford is bigger and busier than Cambridge — it feels more like a city that happens to have a university, while Cambridge feels like a university that happens to be a city.

The Practical Stuff

Book trains in advance on Omio or Trainline for the best fares — walk-up prices can be triple the advance price. An off-peak return is almost always cheaper than two singles. Bring a packable rain jacket regardless of the forecast — English weather changes by the hour. A portable charger is essential since you will be using Google Maps all day, and waterproof walking shoes are non-negotiable for cobblestones and potential rain.

Stay connected with a Holafly eSIM for the UK — unlimited data, activate before you land. Search flights on Skyscanner.

Book on GetYourGuide:

• Stonehenge and Bath Day Trip
• Cotswolds Villages Day Trip

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