The Top 5 Places for a Weekend Escape from London

Last Updated on January 7, 2024

In spite of London winning the hearts of many, its busy daily routine can get to you. As a Londoner or as a traveler, there is much more to England than London alone. But, where do you start if you’re looking for your London escape? In and around London, within the radius of an average one-hour commute, there are many places to visit on the weekend that can give leave you rejuvenated. Here are the top 5 picks for a weekend escape from London:

Five great weekend escapes from London:

1 Oxford

Oxford has as much to offer to visitors as it has to its students, which is why it is one of the most popular weekend escapes from London. Standing tall as one of England oldest universities, there is a lot to take away from this weekend getaway. You can check out the museums, the old stone architecture of the building, which is indeed very beautiful, and visit libraries such as Bodleian. Trains for Oxford leave regularly and take about an hour from London Paddington Station. There are also plenty of shops and food stalls to explore at The Covered Market on the High Street, the oldest in all of Britain.

2 Dover

Dover is one of Britain’s busiest ports and was the traditional front door to England upon entrance from continental Europe. It offers a lot to do to visitors, such as the beautiful White Chalk cliffs to spend time and clear your mind. Since Dover was a fort city, you can explore interesting military heritage and visit the beautiful Dover Castle.

The best way to experience the cliffs – stay at one of the nearby campgrounds. St Margarets Bay Holiday Park is the closest to the cliffs, but there are several others along the coast. That way you get the chance to see this spectacular part of Britain’s coastline during all times of day, including sunrise, golden hour and sunset, when they are bathed in a truly stunning light. And speaking of camping – if you’re looking to step up your camping gear game this year, why not try something different in the camping bed market. Britain’s got so many beautiful campsites – why not use the long Holiday weekends for more countryside getaways?

3 Bath

If you are a fan of ancient buildings and architecture, especially of the Roman era, Bath is one place you absolutely must experience. The site is home to the most magnificent ruins left in England thousands of years ago, offering plenty of learning opportunities about ancient Roman Britain. Trains from Paddington take about and hour and a half to transport you to the classic Georgian Architecture era sites.

4 East Grinstead

If castles and roman architecture aren’t your thing, and you want to find some peace and quiet in one of the smaller towns around London instead, consider escaping to East Grinstead in West Sussex, which is 58 minutes away from London. With only 25,000 inhabitants, it is bound to be the perfect peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of London. It’s also an excellent place to visit if you want to get completely off the beaten path, since this isn’t a very sought after location for a weekend getaway from London. For more small town escapes, check out this list of 20 places around London you can consider moving to.

5 Canterbury

Canterbury flaunts the beauty of churches with its thousand year old cathedrals. It is also the spiritual base of the Church of England, and the city offers not just divine freedom, but many other things to calm your mind such as restaurants, art museums and galleries to explore. You can get to Canterbury via train from St Pancras in only 50 minutes, or from Victoria Station in just under 90 minutes.