London holds a dazzling variety of tourist attractions, so many that you probably wouldn’t even think of making an escape to other parts of the UK. However, if you’re staying at the Hyde Park Hotel London for more than just a few days, you might consider exploring further afield.
With the counties of Sussex, Surrey, Essex, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Berkshire all surrounding London, there are plenty of quintessentially British attractions to explore outside of the city centre. With our 4-star hotels near Hyde Park giving you easy access to train stations such as Victoria, Paddington and Euston, you can easily reach some of the best day trip spots in England in less than 2 hours journey. Below are some of the best places to visit, and why you might enjoy them so much.
Brighton
Just 50 minutes away by a train from London Victoria, Brighton is well known for being one of the tourist hotspots of the South East coast. With a family-friendly feel and a more hedonistic underbelly, Brighton is rife with culture, colourful history and a broad variety of entertainment opportunities. Packed out with international tourists during the summer, Brighton is equally as beautiful during the winter months.
Peak District
Whether it’s visiting stately homes or exploring the history of the Bakewell Tart, the Peak District is easily reachable in two and a half hours, and promises a broad variety of nature trails and cycling routes to keep you active all year round. Home to gorgeous pubs and taverns, the Peak District in the North West of England is well worth a visit, and is only a short train journey from the likes of Manchester and Liverpool.
Cambridge
A mere 48 minutes from Kings Cross Station, Cambridge is an easy to reach historic university town that provides some of the oldest tourist attractions in the country. With riverside walks and punts along the River Cam, a day trip to East Anglia’s Cambridge offers more than just the university. That being said, the University, ranked one of the best in the world, has some stunning architecture and plenty of colleges to learn about.
Margate
Just an hour and a half from London, Margate is based on Kent’s South Coast and provides a burgeoning creative hub and a wealth of traditional British beaches. With its own pier and an art gallery dedicated to famous British artist J W Turner, Margate is a beautiful city full to the brim with culture and beach bound leisure.
Bristol
Bristol is one of the most prominent cities in the West of England, easily reachable from Paddington Station in just over one and a half hours. This means you can fit in some breakfast around Paddington before your trip and still have a whole day to explore the city!
With its trendy, student vibe and with it being a connoisseur city for restaurants and food, you’ll be sure to find a wealth of eateries alongside historic attractions such as the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Bristol’s famous cider. This one’s perfect for younger friends or partners looking to enjoy the city’s nightlife, as well as the older generations who’ll love the walking trails, history and traditional pubs of this West England gem.
New Forest
Overlooking the Isle of White, the New Forest is one of the most beautiful woodlands in the UK, promising everything from quaint south coast villages such as Lymington and nearby Southampton, the New Forest is known as one of the countries royal forests, and spans over 500 square kilometres. Just an hour and a half from Waterloo Station, Brockenhurst is the perfect village from which to start your New Forest exploring.
Epping Forest
If you’re looking for some idyllic woodland but don’t want to stray too far from London, then this beautiful woodland is located on the end of Central Line. With 5900 acres to explore, this ancient woodland is full to the brim with beautiful forests, streams and even herds of deer throughout its East London bordering natural oasis.
Lewes
Just 45 minutes outside of London, this East Sussex town has a long history and countless beautiful walking routes around its valley-based town. With Lewes Castle holding hundreds for years of history, the area is most famous for its Bonfire Night celebrations, opening its doors to hundreds of thousands of firey eyed spectators and locally organised parades every November 5th.
Oxford
A 53-minute journey from Paddington Station, Oxford is the second of the famous British Universities. This ancient University town dates back to the 11th century and provides some of the most beautiful architecture, canals and tourist attractions North West of London. Perfect for day trips and weekends alike, Oxford is a truly unique escape from the city and offers a taste of rural England.
Norwich
The crowning jewel city of East Anglia, Norwich is a beautiful riverside town that provides plenty of historic cathedrals, galleries, shopping opportunities and student orientated nightlife that make it a versatile city for all ages. With the beautiful River Wensum running through its city centre, Norwich is also the perfect place to start your exploration of the Norfolk Broads.
The Broads
Neighbouring Norwich and encompassing much of the Norfolk and Suffolk area, the flat, marshy nature reserves of the Norfolk Broads are well known for their unique, windswept appearance. With a series of canals running through the beautiful flooded peat fields, this specially protected nature park spans over 300 square kilometres and offers a broad variety of wildlife. If you’re an avid birdwatcher, a trip to the Norfolk Broads could lead to sightings of sparrowhawks, bitterns, grey herons and many other rare, endangered and simply beautiful birds.
South Downs
Stretching across the coastline of Sussex, the South Downs borders Brighton, Lewes and many other great day-tripper cities. Incorporating beautiful country walks such as that from Ditchling Beacon, the Seven Sisters tributaries and the steep valley of Devil’s Dyke, the South Downs is the perfect day trip from the city, with easy access from London Victoria within 45 minutes by train.
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