🇬🇧 London · Living here

Weekend getaways in London

Places within easy reach of London, with how long they take, how to get there and what a weekend costs. Filter by time and mode.

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10 getaways from London

  • Cambridge

    50 min · Train, Car

    College courts, the Backs and a punt on the Cam. The meadows up to Grantchester make a good afternoon walk.

    Stay
    Day trip / 1 night
    Per person
    £35–£240
    Fast train from King's Cross or Liverpool Street
    Spring and early summer; avoid the exam weeks for a quieter town

  • Canterbury and Whitstable

    55 min · Train, Car

    The cathedral and the medieval lanes, then oysters on the seafront at Whitstable half an hour away.

    Stay
    Day trip / 1 night
    Per person
    £40–£240
    High-speed train from St Pancras
    Spring to autumn

  • Brighton

    1 h · Train, Car

    A pebble beach, the pier, the Lanes and a town that never quite grew up. The South Downs start just behind it.

    Stay
    Day trip / 1 night
    Per person
    £30–£220
    Train from Victoria or London Bridge, several an hour
    May to September; out of season it is quieter and cheaper

  • Oxford

    1 h · Train, Bus, Car

    Honey-coloured colleges, the Bodleian, and pubs where the rest of English literature was argued over.

    Stay
    Day trip / 1 night
    Per person
    £35–£250
    Train from Paddington or Marylebone, or the coach from Victoria
    All year; autumn term is at its best

  • Rye and the Sussex coast

    1 h 10 min · Train, Car

    A cobbled hilltop town, the dunes at Camber Sands and long walks along the marshes.

    Stay
    1–2 nights
    Per person
    £90–£320
    High-speed train from St Pancras, changing at Ashford
    Late spring to early autumn

  • Bath

    1 h 25 min · Train, Car

    Georgian crescents in golden stone, the Roman Baths, and a rooftop thermal pool open to the public.

    Stay
    1–2 nights
    Per person
    £90–£320
    Direct train from Paddington
    All year; December has the Christmas market

  • The New Forest

    1 h 30 min · Train, Car

    Heathland and ancient woods where ponies and donkeys wander the lanes. Hire bikes at the station.

    Stay
    1–2 nights
    Per person
    £100–£340
    Train from Waterloo to Brockenhurst
    Spring and autumn

  • The Cotswolds

    1 h 35 min · Train, Car

    Stone villages, rolling hills and country pubs. A car or a bike makes it; the trains reach the edge.

    Stay
    1–2 nights
    Per person
    £120–£400
    Train from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh or Kemble; a car helps
    May to October

  • Paris

    2 h 20 min · Train

    A long weekend in another capital without an airport. Book early: Eurostar fares climb sharply.

    Stay
    2–3 nights
    Per person
    £250–£650
    Eurostar from St Pancras, centre to centre
    All year; spring and autumn are best

  • Edinburgh

    4 h 20 min · Train, Flight

    The castle, the closes of the Old Town and Arthur's Seat above it all. The train ride up the east coast is part of it.

    Stay
    2–3 nights
    Per person
    £200–£550
    LNER from King's Cross, or a flight from any London airport
    May to September; August is the festival, busy and dear

Budgets are per person for the whole trip: return travel, a mid-range double room shared, and food.