<p>Any ideas for one day that “can’t be missed”…?</p>
<p>prefer anything by train only ( no flights; already investigated and too expensive for a day)…</p>
<p>Are you going with kids or without?
Imperial War Museum made a big impression on me and H when we visited without kids, years ago. Also I’d definitely see the new Tate art museum. Check out Time Out London - Events, Attractions & What's on in London</p>
<p>with daughter who is in London for semester; haha; she has a class trip to Imperial War Museum today or tomorrow…</p>
<p>I’ve heard about Tate; it is on our schedule…</p>
<p>we were thinking more of somewhere “away” from the city…Bath? Brighton?</p>
<p>Is Windsor Castle worth a visit? haven’t been there since the 80’s…</p>
<p>The obvious day trips are Greenwich or Hampton Court by boat. Or are you thinking an overnight?</p>
<p>Blenheim Palace…absolutely fantastic. The War Museum (in London) is a must see.</p>
<p>Bath is wonderful – tour the Roman baths, visit the Royal Crescent.
If you’re going in the spring, Cliveden would be close enough for a day trip. Here’s some info: Cliveden House is set amid 376 acres of magnificent National Trust formal gardens and woodlands. Standing upon chalk cliffs that give the estate its name, the house commands panoramic views over beautiful countryside and an idyllic bend in the river Thames.</p>
<p>Just re-read my post…I made it sound like Cliveden is closer to London in the spring than it is at other times…just meant it would be nice to visit in the spring.</p>
<p>Oxford, Hampton Court or Canterbury</p>
<p>We took the boat to Greenwich last year while visiting our study abroad kid in London and that was a fun and interesting excursion.</p>
<p>My daughter and I loved Oxford – absolutely beautiful and historically interesting. Windsor Castle was nice, but nothing really spectacular. Might be the better option if the weather is nasty. I’ve never been to Bath, but know several family members who think it’s the best day trip from London. My father’s favorite is Greenwich because he’s big on boats and clocks.</p>
<p>Stonehenge, Avebury, and Salisbury Cathedral (look for a small guided bus tour)
Greenwich and Hampton Court Palace (do-it-yourself)
Oxford</p>
<p>I’m generally not a bus tour fan at all, but our guided tour of Stonehenge and Avebury was memorable (small bus that held about 15, great guide). And I’m not one of those who think Stonehenge is too touristy. Go for it anyway. Avebury (another ancient stone circle) is smaller.</p>
<p>If you went to Windsor Castle in the 1980s, you’ve seen it.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>Tower of London - not to be missed! Sitting in on Parliament is a treat. Westminster Abbey is another place not to be missed. You could possibly do all three in a day if you are sturdy and quick. :-)</p>
<p>The Tower of London is my top spot to see in London. </p>
<p>If you haven’t been in the English countryside then I think it’s a good idea to do a day trip like you have in mind to see something outside of the big city.</p>
<p>Stonehenge and Bath are accessible on a day trip although it’s usually by bus I think (I drove a rental car when I went). </p>
<p>Windsor castle is well worth seeing. It’s out fairly close to Heathrow airport. You could get there by taxi although it’d be pretty expensive. I think you can get there or close by the tube or a combo of tube/taxi as well but I haven’t tried it by tube (although I checked into it once). It seems that there’d be some tour buses heading there as well so you might want to check into that.</p>
<p>Bath is accessible by train…the station is at the lower end of town and everything else is up hill, a consideration if you are older. </p>
<p>Hampton Court is (or was) accessible by Tube…a bit of a walk from the station to the site. </p>
<p>I guess it depends on your interests. If you are a Jane Austen or Lord Nelson fiend, go to Bath. If you can’t get enough of the Tudors, got to see Hampton Court…in that vein, you can head up to Stratford, though it’s pretty touristy. If you are New Age-y or fond of the pre-Christian era, head off to Stonehenge…but plan something else that day as well. It’s a magnificent structure and a fascinating artifact but it is not something you spend the whole day going, ‘wow’. You see it, it looks just like its photos, and you go somewhere else. </p>
<p>One of the most beautiful ‘hidden gems’ in England – depending on the time of year and the weather – is a place called Stourhead Gardens – half an hour from London by car. Built in the 1740’s, it is (as was said of another garden) what God would do if he had the budget. <a href=“http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-stourhead[/url]”>http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-stourhead</a></p>
<p>If you want to read a good book before you go, try any of Bill Bryson’s travel books featuring England. Funny!</p>
<p>You can pretty much go anywhere in England on a day trip (ok, if it’s Cornwall or Lake District you want, a very long day trip). It depends on your interests as Novelisto says above. I also suspect a student in London will already have been to Stratford Upon Avon and Bath. </p>
<p>The tube runs round central London. You cannot access any destinations outside central London on the tube. Note sure why so many Americans seem to believe this is some kind of nation-wide system. You can’t go all the way to Windsor or Hampton Court on the tube. Overground train is the easiest public transport for both of them. </p>
<p>I would recommend perhaps York. 1.5-2 hours from Kings Cross station by train. </p>
<p>[Welcome</a> To Visit York Tourist Information - Weekend Breaks Weekday Trip](<a href=“http://www.visityork.org/]Welcome”>http://www.visityork.org/)</p>
<p>I think The Shambles in York is the place Diagon Alley is based on. If you are interested in Vikings or Romans, York is your place. It also has city walls you can walk on all round the old city.</p>
<p>Brighton is also a good idea. I am assuming you know it is by the sea. But the beach is stony, not sandy. The biggest attraction here is the Pavilion. That is really in England, not India. Unfortunately they do not let visitors take photos inside, but watch out for the gold dragon holding the chandelier up. I am not sure where trains to Brighton run from. I think Victoria station, but not certain. </p>
<p>[Royal</a> Pavilion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Pavilion]Royal”>Royal Pavilion - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>If you are of a conservative nature and/or easily offended, I suggest you avoid Brighton. It tends towards the alternative.</p>
<p>Putting out something random, if you like ships, sailing, the navy or naval history, you might like Portsmouth. There are a couple of sailing ships you can go on (one is HMS Victory, of battle of Trafalgar and Admiral Nelson fame) and you can also take boat tours round the modern naval fleet (but half of the ships have recently been scrapped by the government to save money!). If some of you party are not into ships, there is a huge discount shopping area called Gunwharf Quays right next to the dock yard. You can get to Portsmouth on the train from Waterloo station.</p>
<p>[Portsmouth</a> Historic Dockyard](<a href=“http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/]Portsmouth”>http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/)</p>
<p>[Gunwharf</a> Quays at Portsmouth Harbour, Shopping, Cinema, Entertainment, Events](<a href=“http://www.gunwharf-quays.com/]Gunwharf”>http://www.gunwharf-quays.com/)</p>
<p>Totally different - I live near the New Forest national park (I work in London but don’t live there). This is about 1.5hrs by train from Waterloo to the station called Brockenhurst. This is a tiny place though. You can hire bicycles to explore the forest here. In the summer there is an open top bus tour starting from Brockenhurst going round the forest. This is a bit of a primeval experience. It’s full of large animals running wild (none dangerous. Though some of the cows have huge horns), especially small ponies which are quite famous. Children love them. If you like the outdoors, you should go to the forest.</p>
<p>[New</a> Forest Official Visitor Website | Where To Stay | Attractions](<a href=“http://www.thenewforest.co.uk/]New”>http://www.thenewforest.co.uk/)</p>
<p>For train tickets - long distance ones are much, much cheaper if bought in advance. Tickets become available 12 weeks in advance and the cheap ones sell out quickly. You can buy online and then collect at the station at [url=<a href=“http://www.eastcoast.co.uk%5DCheapest”>http://www.eastcoast.co.uk]Cheapest</a> Train Tickets for the East Coast > East Coast<a href=“there%20are%20other%20UK%20train%20companies,%20but%20all%20sell%20tickets%20for%20all%20of%20the%20companies.%20I%20just%20know%20for%20a%20fact%20this%20one%20accepts%20non-UK%20credit%20cards%20and%20does%20not%20charge%20a%20booking%20fee”>/url</a>.</p>
<p>Re: Hampton Court. You can use your farecard (Zone 6) – the same one you use on the Tube – though you are on the train. This may be why us Yanks get confused. Anyway, if Hampton Court ever comes up for auction, I’ll put in a bid. Love that place.</p>
<p>When I was in London a few years ago, my son and I did a bus tour and managed to see Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath all in one day. We toured the castle and the Roman Bath Museum, got to wander around Stonehenge, and had tea in Bath. The bus ride between the sites had some commentary, and we had enough extra time for the bus driver to give us a little side tour through some of the Bath crescents. All in all, it was a great day out – although a long day. We were certainly able to see three World Heritage sites efficiently in a single day with some commentary. I would do it again!</p>
<p>My older daughter lives in London so I visit fairly often.
Tate Modern is wonderful and you can walk over the Millenium Bridge and also do St. Paul’s. The Tate has a nice restaurant with lovely views.
We have done the Windsor, Stonehenge and Canterbury one day bus tour. It was a packed day but a lot of fun.
We also did Canterbury with a private guide. Canterbury is awesome but I think unless you have a good guide you may miss a lot.
Next time around we will spend a day in Greenwich. I’ve done a quick flyby but would like to have more time there.</p>
<p>Two words - “London Walks”! Both for walks within London, and their wonderful daytrips, called Explorer Days. Here’s what I posted about them on a thread last fall:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/997585-london-debit-credit-travelers-chks-3.html#post11180828[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/997585-london-debit-credit-travelers-chks-3.html#post11180828</a></p>
<p>VERY knowledgeable guides, reasonable prices – definitely WELL worth the money. And if you like, you can stay later at the daytrip location after the tour is over, walk around, have a snack and take the train back to London on your own, IIRC.</p>
<p>LondonWalks is wonderful.</p>