When visiting London, there are a number of places which can be visited on a day trip from the city.
Bath is a beautiful city. If you want to go to the famous Roman Baths, the tickets are best pre-purchased and are allocated in 15 minute time slots, so check your transportation timings! The tickets are quite expensive (approx. £26/adult) and can sell-out during peak periods such as school holidays and bank holidays. When you go in, you will be provided with an audio guide in your choice of language to help you understand the history and context of the Roman Baths. It is not a particularly large attraction but it is interesting. Take your time, try to ignore the crowds of tourists and try to feel the serenity and history of the baths!
Stonehenge is another interesting day trip destination not too far from London. Once again, tickets for this can be pre-purchased for approximately £21/adult or you can brave the long queue if you get there on a busy day without a ticket. A ticket will get you free parking at the carpark for the Stonehenge Visitor Centre. You will also get to view the exhibition at the Visitor’s Centre. No ticket required for the toilets or the gift shop. You can then choose whether to join the queue to be herded onto one of the giant coach buses that will drive you 2km to Stonehenge or you can walk the 2km. This walk is a delightful amble across some well kept paddocks and is quite lovely on a sunny day. Many people who paid for tickets chose to walk one direction and bus back once they had seen Stonehenge. It is important to note that even with a paid ticket, you will be unable to get close to the stones and you will never be able to touch them.
The cheaper alternative is to do the 2km walk to Stonehenge. Without a ticket, you may have to pay to park. Once you are within sight of the stones, you will see the crowds in the paid section. There is actually a small, heritage trail that runs parallel to the paid trail. This is free for the public. This trail is further back from the stones compared to the paid area but not by much. It’s a great free alternative to see the stones. You can read up on the history of the stone formation online and then check them out for free!
Whilst we were there, we did see some vehicular roads that get quite close to Stonehenge. If you don’t have a great desire to walk and don’t need to get close, it might be worth using your GPS and driving around the area. It is probably possible to get a good view from the road and then perhaps pull over for some photos.
A visit to Windsor Castle is also an easy day trip from London. This castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Once again, pre-booking of tickets is recommended on busy days as they do sell out. Tickets are around £28-30/adult.
