As I'm sure you all know that the Royal Wedding is this week, and instead of doing a blog on Royal London, which I'm sure is the subject of all travel articles this week, we've decided to suggest a few interesting day trips outside of London that you might fancy on your next trip to jolly ol' England.
1. OXFORD-The City of Dreaming Spires
Located about 60 miles northwest of London, it's most famous for its prestigious university (which also happens to be the oldest university in the English speaking world), I swear just being here made me feel smarter and if time permitted I would've applied at one of Oxford's 36 colleges during my day visit. My first choice: Christ Church College, reason being that I'm a big Harry Potter fan, and I instantly recognized the Great Hall of Hogwart's Castle was the same hall found in Christ Church College, so that was a deal breaker. Oxford offers a number of guided tours, some having specialized themes (inlcuding a Harry Potter themed tour) like children's storybook tours. Did I mention some of the most popular children's books of the 21st century were written here? Does Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Northern Lights Triolgy (filmed as the Golden Compass) ring a bell? Oxford City itself is a charming place, make sure to take note of their architecture, and shop at the plethora of boutiques for all of your Oxford parafanailia needs. Also, visit the Carfax Tower (for views of the town), the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera (it's not open to the public unfortunately, but the outside is worth a visit too). If you want to get to Oxford on your own, there are direct train services from London Paddington that leaves approximately every 30 minutes, and takes about 58 minutes to get there.
2. STRATFORD-UPON-AVON-The hometown of William Shakespeare
Stratford-Upon-Avon is Shakespeare's birthplace and home of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal Shakespeare Theatre; it lies on the River Avon in the Warwickshire countryside. Even if you don't care too much about poetry or plays, it's still worth a visit. It's as pretty as a postcard, and still gives the vibes of an Olde Medieval England. Full of beautiful parks and gardens, its a perfect place to just take a stroll. It takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get to Stratford-Upon Avon by train from London Marylebone Station. Trains leave about every 2 hours. Want to be a little more comfortable? There are several day trip coach buses that run from London's Victoria Coach Station.
3. STONEHENGE-A place of mystery and myths
I'm sure your wondering what's so interesting about some slabs of rocks in what seems to be in-the-middle-of-nowhere-England? Well, even with science and technology this prehistoric ruins are still a mystery today! Of course there's myths, legends and educated guesses on what the actual meaning/purpose of building this monument was but none have been confirmed. Who did this? Why? And how did they move these massive stones? It's even been associated with Merlin and King Arthur; legend has it that Merlin brought the stones from Ireland to serve a burial ground. Others think Stonehenge served as a sacred place of worship, or was as a type of calendar, marking prehistoric events. But you can decide for yourself when you visit these ruins. If you have an extra day to spare in England, you may as well make your way to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best way to get to Stonehenge is to take a coach bus that leaves from London's Victoria Coach Station directly to the site. You can also take a train from London Waterloo Station to Salisbury (which is 9.5 miles away from Stonehenge) and take a bus or cab to the site.
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