Day Trips from London under 90 minutes
London is one of the world’s most popular cities to visit. Unsurprisingly, it has a lot to offer – Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, Hyde Park, British Museum, Tower of London, and much more. There are also several easy day trips from London that are less than 90 minutes on the train, so we’ve put together a list of day trips from London that we think you’ll enjoy.
1. Oxford (45+ minutes train)
Immerse yourself in a richly historical place with impressive architecture. Geographically speaking, Oxford is relatively small, so you can easily walk throughout the city. Oxford Station is the only train station near the city. It’s less than a 10-minute walk from the city centre. From the world’s oldest English-speaking University to the almost 1,000-year-old Saxon Tower, Oxford provides a scenic escape from big city. Put this on your list of places to visit outside of London.
London to Oxford: Train Transport
There are 2 main London train stations that you can use to travel to Oxford Station. We recommend going from Paddington Station, as there are more direct trains, and it’s a shorter trip.
Paddington Station Oxford Station (45 – 60 minutes)
London Marylebone Oxford Station (1 hour 20 minutes)
2. Cambridge (45+ minutes train)
Rivaling Oxford, Cambridge boasts beautiful architecture throughout this truly historical city. From the world’s oldest publishing house to punting on the River Cam, Cambridge is a wonderful place to visit. The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world, founded in 1209. Put Cambridge on your list of places to visit this year.
London to Cambridge: Train Transport
There are 2 main London train stations which you can use for travelling to Cambridge from London: London Kings Cross Station and London Liverpool Street. We recommend going from Kings Cross Station. Both Stations provide a reasonably quick journey to Cambridge. London Kings Cross offers more direct trains with a slightly shorter journey.
London Kings Cross Cambridge Station (45 minutes – 1hour 20 minutes)
London Liverpool Street Cambridge Station (1 hour 15 minutes)
3. Windsor (30 minutes train)
Do you fancy a visit to the world’s oldest inhabited castle? Windsor Castle has provided a royal residence for 40 monarchs for nearly 1,000 years. William the Conqueror originally founded Windsor Castle in the 11th century. Windsor is simply a must-see for day trips from London. With plenty of shopping and sights, you will definitely enjoy a visit to Windsor. It’s a quick and affordable train journey from London.
London to Windsor Castle: Train Transport
The fastest train journey to Windsor Castle is from London Paddington Station. You can also get there was from London Waterloo, but this takes a bit longer with much train changes.
Paddington Station Windsor & Eton Central (30 – 45 minutes)
4. Canterbury (55 minutes train)
It’s a very small city but well worth a visit. The city boasts a beautiful preservation of the past with impressive city walls and gates. Most impressive of all is the Canterbury Cathedral, one of Britain’s most historic sites, originally founded in 597AD. Like Cambridge and Oxford, you can also enjoy a peaceful punt down the river to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
London to Canterbury: Train Transport
There are 2 main train stations within a short walking distance of Canterbury’s city centre (Canterbury West and Canterbury East). The fastest train route is from London St. Pancras. You can quickly arrive within 1 hour with a direct train.
London St. Pancras International (55+ minutes)
London Victoria (1 hour 30 min)
5. Brighton (1 hour train)
Fancy a bit of seaside? Brighton is one of the most popular seaside destinations in the UK with nearly 8 miles of coastline. In just under an hour from London Victoria Station, Brighton is the closest coastline to London. From independent shops to amazing restaurants, Brighton is an exciting day trip from London. You can admire the beauty of the Royal Pavilion or simply walk along the pebble beach. Make sure you book Brighton on your next day trip from London. Brighton is definitely a walkable city centre, but it is quite a bit bigger than Windsor, Canterbury, Cambridge, and Oxford. You may wish to use a taxi to get around, especially on a hot day!
London to Brighton: Train Transport
You can book direct trains from London Victoria and London Blackfriars, but we recommend London Victoria Station, as it’s the fastest. Brighton Station is right in the city centre, so you can easily access places to visit in Brighton by walking.
London Victoria Brighton Station (58+ minutes, direct train)
London Blackfriars Brighton Station (1 hour 9 minutes, direct train)
6. Bath (1 hour 15 minutes train)
Are you looking to explore the city that Jane Austen loved so much? In just over a 1 hour train journey from London, you can walk the streets of Bath, admiring the lovely city centre. If you’re not bothered about Jane Austen, then you won’t want to miss the ancient Roman baths dating back to 70AD. With over 1 million litres of steaming spring water, step into the Roman past of Britain. Bath is a small, so it’s a relatively easy walk throughout the city.
London to Bath: Train Transport
London Paddington Bath Spa (1 hour 15 minutes, direct train)
You can access Bath from London Paddington Station in just over 1 hour.
7. Salisbury (1 hour 25 minutes train)
Salisbury is nearby one of the world’s most iconic ancient sites, Stonehenge. Salisbury Station is the closest train station to Stonehenge. Stonehenge is just over 9 miles drive from Salisbury. Within Salisbury, you can admire Salisbury Cathedral with it’s medieval spire towering at 404 feet (123 metres) high. Inside Salisbury Cathedral, you can view one of the four original Magna Cartas. Salisbury is a small city, very easy to walk.
London to Salisbury: Train Transport
London Waterloo is the only London station that has direct trains to Salisbury. In just under 90 minutes, you can explore Salisbury from London.
London Waterloo Salisbury (1 hour 25 minutes)
