London day trip June 2018

We will be in London 6 days before our cruise and while there is a lot I would like to do in London, I would like to get out of the city and see some of the countryside areas.

Problem is I'm not sure where I want to go. Will not have a car so accessibility via public/private transport is necessary.

So far, I've come up with The Cotswolds or maybe Bath area. Taking train to a specific area and walking around is an option as well as taking a tour. Just has to be doable within a day.

Favorite places, suggestions or ideas? Having trouble investigation 'cause I'm not really sure which way to go.

Thanks

Sandi

Not sure if you’ve been to Windsor Castle. We stayed in a hotel in Slough area and was just £15 away by taxi. Worth spending the day in the castle grounds and around the area.

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I have thought about trying to do Windsor and Stonehenge traveling from London to Southampton the day before the cruise. I've also had in the back of my mind that we would love to visit an English (horse) racing track (doesn't even have to be open although it would be nice if it was) but so far I haven't had much luck matching up dates and places that would be accessible to us.

There is racing at Ascot, Epsom Downs, Goodwood, Haydock Park, Kempton Park and Windsor in June. All are fairly easy to get to from Central London. What dates are you there?

Squeezing Windsor and Stonehenge in on the way to Southampton would be tricky - choose one or the other.

Kempton Park. Sandown, Epsom and Ascot are all on the outskirts of London. Lingfield Park, Glorious Goodwood, and Newmarket are amongst others that are also accessible from London.

Probably the most famous annual race in the UK, perhaps even in the world, is the Epsom Derby (2nd June 2018), preceded by Ladies Day, which has more to do with outlandish hats & outfits than with horse-racing.

Royal Ascot week is 19th - 23rd June.

Bath is very easy to visit by train or by bus. The station (Bath Spa) and National Express bus stop are a five minute walk from the central sights, all of which are very walkable..

Plenty of day-trip bus excursions there from London too, if you want to leave someone else to arrange your day for you and provide guiding.

The Cotswolds is perhaps more about the countryside than the towns & villages.

You can't really achieve this solely by train or by bus.

Options are to book a bus tour that starts somewhere like Oxford and make your way to & from by train. or to book an excursion from London.

Hopefully our resident Cotswold eagle can give more background.

Other options, accessible directly by train from central London.....

The conjoined cities of Portsmouth & Southsea. Historic dockyard & ships, seafront looking across the Solent to the Isle of Wight, small Henry V111 castle, D-Day museum, fortifications, etc. Well worth several days/

The little town of Arundel, with its castle and cathedral

The laid-back cathedral city of Salisbury (tallest spire, original Magna Carta, etc).

(you can combine Salisbury with a ho-ho from there to Stonehenge)

The ancient city of Winchester (one-time capital of most of England), with its very old & very imposing cathedral with tomb of Jane Austen.

(Salisbury, Winchester & Portsmouth/Southsea are all close to & easily visited from Southampton)

Brighton. Bohemian seaside resort on the south coast, combining the onion-domed Royal Pavilion, narrow little shopping streets ("The Lanes"), and very 1950's pier with its kiss-me-quick hats & such. Large artistic and gay quarters.

Windsor is on the outskirts of London, only 20 minutes from Heathrow airport. Can be visited from central London by train, or tied in with a suitably-timed flight in or out of Heathrow

Not-so-easy to visit by public transport but there'll be bus excursions from central London to places like Canterbury, Leeds Castle and Hever Castle.

Hever Castle might tie in with a suitably-timed flight in or out of London Gatwick airport.

All these places are south or west of London, more options in other directions.

So that's your first two weeks in London taken care of.

How many weeks did you say you have? ;)

JB :)

I have used http://www.evanevanstours.com a few times for tours outside of London. You get their coaches from London Victoria Coach station.

International Friends go on embarkment and disembarkment cruise days.

I started out saying we were going to be there 3 extra days, which are now up to 6, I don't think I can afford to add any more. But once we have done it the first time and gotten our feet wet, so to speak, I can see us going back, without a cruise, and just going to different parts of the country.

We are arriving (Heathrow) on May 30, midday if everything works right, and cruise leaves June 6th. Flight home, day of disembarkation, leaves Heathrow at 12:55pm so I don't think there is much we can do on way TO airport.

Going to check races days now. I knew we were too early for Ascot, on my way to check others,

Thanks

Sandi

Royal Windsor http://www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk/royal-windsor-racecourse/ has an evening meeting on Monday 4th June. This is a more informal meeting and if you get a grandstand ticket, you can dine in the Castle Restaurant although you are expected to dress up for the event. It is a great evening out.