Great Day Trips From London For Students

Choosing to study in London puts you in a fortunate position when it comes to extra-curricular sightseeing. The city itself deserves months of exploration, but if you are staying in student housing, London soon becomes home to you and before long you will be yearning to escape and explore the surrounding area.

With such good transport links from the capital, there are plenty of day trips that are definitely worth considering, especially if you fancy a break from life in your student housing. London is well served by trains from many other cities, so if you plan to make a few trips it is a good idea to consider a rail pass, for which there are several options.

Top Day Trips from London

Oxford

Well known as a college town, this beautiful city is famous throughout the world as a respected seat of higher education. It is an incredible place, marked by its towering spires, Gothic architecture and beautiful green spaces.

On arrival it is a good idea to do a walking tour, which you can find for a reasonable price. The tour will give you a good background to the city and its host of worthwhile attractions.

How to Get There

In around an hour, you can travel from London Paddington to Oxford, so set off early and you can enjoy a whole day out in this iconic city.

Thanet District

In complete contrast to a bustling city, a trip to Thanet Broadstairs in Kent is a fabulous way to take a break from your studies. The town is best-known for its stunning beaches, which are said to have inspired Turner, Van Gogh and Dickens in their respective arts.

There are three main towns in the district and you can travel by bus between them. Ramsgate is an architectural gem, while in Margate you can see some of Turner’s marvellous landscape works in the Turner International. The seafront in Margate buzzes with activity, and if you look out for one of the cultural events hosted here you’re in for a great day out.

How to get there

You can reach Broadstairs from St Pancras in less than 90 minutes on the train.

Windsor

You can’t stay in London and not make a point of going to see the Queen’s weekend residence. Despite the castle’s antiquity, the Queen still calls it home. You really should book a tour for your visit as this will help you make the most of all there is to see. From art works to medieval features, and from magnificent chambers to priceless treasures, this castle is as near as fairy-tale as you can find.

Stay around for the changing of the guards, before heading to the Great Park for a picnic, to read a book or to simply just sit back and relax.

How to Get There

If you time it right, on a fast train, you can get from London Paddington to Windsor in half an hour.

There are so many wonderful day trips you can do from the capital and we have only scratched the surface here. But start with our suggestions and they will inspire you to research more.

Author Plate

Sophie Smith works as an independent consultant and offers advice to young people looking for London-based student housing. London has a wide range of options when it comes to student living, and Sophie’s helpful suggestions make deciding where to stay even easier. Her expert tips and tricks stem from her first-hand experience studying in the city and living on a budget, so she is more than qualified to support others doing the same.