When summer starts knocking on the door with a series of light taps, Londoners know it’s time to go on road trips. Londoners can’t help but get thrilled at the prospect of going on day trips, out of the sweaty and crowded city, because these trips are not only a source of reprieve but also ways to get acquainted with the never-seen-before parts of the country. With excellent baggage storage in London solutions available these days, traveling stress-free and hands-free is now a reality. Check this website for more on that.
10 stunning road trips from London
1. Brighton
Distance from city: 53.6 miles
Driving time: 1 hour 42 minutes
If you are a sea person, with a penchant for pebbles, live music, and a thirst for poetic inspiration, then Brighton is your go-to place. Brighton is what Londoners love to describe as ‘London by the Sea’; the life of the city pulsates from the heart of its shingle beach. Get down to one memorable shopping spree at the charming North Laine, after enjoying the sight of the beauteous Royal Pavilion, and having breathed your fair share of the refreshing sea air.
2. Whitstable
Distance from city: 61 miles
Driving time: 40 minutes
Whitstable, with its gorgeous seaside spot, is to evoke feelings of being in tandem with the beats of nature in every romantic. Combined with the serene vistas, a day of relaxation at Blueprint Coffee and Books, sipping away something strong in taste intensifies the experience and pleasures the aesthetic senses for sure. Pedal away on a hired bike, the five-mile Oyster Bay Trail along the seafront, and absorb the goodness that nature has to offer you on her platter.
3. The Cotswolds
Distance from city: 21.6 miles
Driving time: 53 minutes
The rural magnificence of The Cotswolds has the power to transport you from your daily life, into a world full of wonder, with nature throbbing from within and life trembling at the seams of the city. The Cotswolds hides magic in its market town steaming with local produce, ancient stone-clad architecture, and stunning lakes. The Cleeve Common marks the highest point of the Cotswolds at 330 meters, offering spectacular sights of the Malvern Hills.
4. Wales
Distance from city: 149.8 miles
Driving time: 3 hours 90 minutes
You can go on a long trip from the Cotswolds by crossing the Welsh border and moving towards the mystical Wye Valley. The area once housed the Tintern Abbey, drenched in romanticism, which Wordsworth’s poetry had popularized, and Turner’s paintings had given life to.
5. The New Forest
Distance from city: 90 miles
Driving time: 1 hour 30 minutes
A visit to the New Forest is enough to make up for a lifetime of safari memories. The ponies that have grazed these lands for the past thousand years or so will look on in, as you get down the patched lanes. You can hire a Twizy buggy to explore the forest and have fun at the stables by pre-booking a beginner’s hack. Also, you can’t skip lunch at Fritham’s Royal Oak.
6. Canterbury
Distance from city: 61 miles
Driving time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Canterbury blossoms right in the middle of medieval history, with its petals touching the cheek of the Father of English Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer. A brisk walk down the King’s Mile later, be ready to get impressed with the wide variety of cuisine at the Pork & Co. For an incredible museum treat, get set for a trip to the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge with its stunning Egyptian mummified cat and a vast collection of fascinating cow paintings.
7. York
Distance from city: 209.2 miles
Driving time: 3 hours 53 minutes
A trip to the famous city of York would be more of a break than a road trip, but it is a must-visit city nonetheless. York, being a capital once, with its Norse heritage captivates the visitors, and the medieval city walls, along with the York Minster, whisper the city’s bewitching history. There are family attractions such as the National Railway Museum, which showcase the Mallard and the ‘Shinkansen’, the only bullet train outside of Japan.
8. Mersea Island
Distance from city: 69 miles
Driving time: Around 2 hours
If it is that time of the weekend, when your mouth waters at the prospect of food-tasting, then you must go on a trip to Mersea Island to rest your hunger cramps. The Company Shed is famous for drawing in a large number of crowds every weekend with their smoked fish, prawns, dressed crab, and oysters. You don’t get to make bookings, so make it in time and bring your bread. If you feel inspired to engage in catch-and-release crabbing, then look out for marked areas in the water and get yourself a kit from one of the shops.
9. Margate
Distance from city: 75.6 miles
Driving time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Head out in the direction of the east to the north of Kent to witness nature unveiling the best of the seaside towns that make up the UK. Margate stands proud at the top, with its diverse eateries and exotic sceneries bound to take your breath away. While you are at it, don’t say no to fun at Dreamland seaside amusement park!
10. Stratford-upon-Avon
Distance from London: 104 miles
Driving time: Around 2 hours
We can’t do without Shakespeare, so here is to you delving a bit deeper into his history. Shakespeare’s house and his wife’s cottage, along with RSC’s home theatre, are must-roam-around and get-acquainted-with sites. Unlike the general misconception, Stratford is so much more than a Tudor Disneyland.
Going on tours is indeed invigorating. It revitalizes the mind and creates a sense of wanting to go on even more trips. Tours are the magic formula for all your stress. Go happy, come happier!
