Day Trips Outside of London

by Siena Schaller

Studying abroad is all about traveling. Throughout this semester, I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out how to get out of the United Kingdom. However, I’ve realized that it’s also important to explore the country you’re living in. England has a lot of charm and so much to offer. Here are some of the day trips I’ve taken to take advantage of it all!

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a historical phenomenon from 3100 BC that no one quite knows how it was built. While you can’t go up and touch the stones, you can get close enough to get really nice pictures. There was also a small museum that explained more of the history of the stones. It was around a 2 ½ hour bus ride from London and definitely worth it. 

Salisbury

Only a 30 minute drive from Stonehenge, and a 3 hour drive from London is a medieval city. Salisbury is a cute town with a beautiful cathedral. I came here with NYU after Stonehenge, so we spent about half a day there. This was plenty of time to explore the town, stop at a pub, and get a pastry from a local bakery. I always love visiting smaller towns because of how relaxed they are compared to the city. 

Seven Sisters

Along the coast of the English Channel, there is a series of seven chalk sea cliffs. Together, they are called the Seven Sister Cliffs. You can choose to hike all of the cliffs, or only to the top of one. My roommate and I decided to only walk over one and get the most amazing views. We took a 2 hour train to Eastbourne and took a bus to the cliffs from there. Then, we went back to Eastbourne to eat and explore before catching a train home. The pictures don’t even do the cliffs justice, the views were so gorgeous in person!

Windsor

Only 1 ½ hours away from London, Windsor is a historical area in the United Kingdom. I traveled with a tour group, so I didn’t have a lot of time to explore. However, I got to tour the castle which was beautiful and grand. There is also a town surrounding the castle that I would love to go back to and explore. 

Oxford

One thing I really wanted to do while in London was see Oxford University and I’m so glad I got to! The campus and little town was gorgeous. The buildings were historical and had a lot of charm. This was another small town that I greatly appreciated as a quick get away from the city.

Tulley's Pumpkin Patch 

One of the things I missed from home were all the fall festivities. So, I found a pumpkin patch right outside of London to visit. After only 1 ½ train ride, I got to roast marshmallows, sip a pumpkin spice latte, eat cinnamon donuts, and drink apple cider. I also bought a bunch of pumpkins to decorate with and carve at my dorm. It reminded me so much of the pumpkin patches from home!

Edinburgh 

Edinburgh felt like a must-see since I was studying so close to Scotland, but the plane tickets and lodging were always expensive on the weekends I was free. So instead, I booked an overnight bus during the week for $50. Because I only had classes on Tuesday and Thursday, I got on the bus Tuesday night, spent Wednesday in Edinburgh, and got back Thursday morning. This is the perfect example of maximizing your time while abroad! While a semester feels like a long time, it runs out quickly. A day felt like the perfect amount of time to explore and see all of the main sights. Getting to see the highland cows and castle was worth the 9 ½ hour bus ride.