I find it quite sad that many people, when they think of England, immediately think of London alone. I’m not denigrating London as it’s a fantastic place, but there are so many other parts of England you can easily travel to within a few hours of London that make the absolute best day trips. I’ve personally been to just about anywhere you can reach from London and get back the same night, so I’d love to share some of these experiences with you – so that the next time you are in London, you might just take the opportunity to catch a train or a bus and see what the rest of England has to offer you.

Aside from the fact that getting up to the biggest northern towns like Liverpool can take a little too long for a day trip, we’ll concentrate on some of the regional hotspots in England that you can easily reach and enjoy for the day;

Oxford

One of the most diverse cities ethnically and economically in England, it has an outstanding mixture of truly grand architecture and then some very modern parts to it, with a huge number of IT centres residing here today. Oxford is world-renowned for two of the planet’s top universities; University of Oxford (amongst the oldest in the world) and Oxford Brookes University. It actually has a piece of architecture from every single period of English history right back to the Saxons – so if you like old British architecture, then Oxford is an absolute must visit for you! And it’s mere 49 miles (80 km) north of London.

Cambridge

The 54^th largest city in the UK, Cambridge has had people living within its area since the Roman era, and its first town charter was granted as far back as the 12^th Century. This old university town boasts some magnificent and truly old university buildings. Cambridge is an ancient part of English history, and well worth checking out, if you want to see some of the best settings in English landscape. Like its rival Oxford, Cambridge is also situated just 49 miles (80 km) north of London.

Bath

The city of Bath was originally started as a simple spa around AD 60s, and has grown all the way to being a World Heritage Site, status that was granted in the late 1980s. Bath is of the most visited parts of England with 3.8 million tourists a year, and well worth ticking it off the list. I was simply amazed at how pristine the entire place is – you would think you were in giant spa, since despite the way it has grown and developed, it has remained so clean! Bath is situated 97 miles (156 km) west of London.

Stonehenge

One of the most famous prehistoric stone monuments in the entire world, Stonehenge is a world-famous site with so many different connotations and beliefs behind it. The exact date of construction is not known, but this magical circle of 40-ton rocks is believed to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. From the idea of it being a portal to another dimension to the theory that it helps us generate incredible positive energy for the planet, the historical side of Stonehenge is well worth visiting if you want to see one of the truly fascinating and unique wonders of the world! Stonehenge is also a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Expect to pay for a 1-day bus trip to Stonehenge around £ 40, tickets inclusive.

These places are all rich in history, tradition and quality. The next time you find the massive scope and scale of London a little bit too hard to handle, you can make your escape to the outstanding world of England beyond the capital! Anytime I find myself outside of London, I’m constantly reminded by the quality and the depth that comes with visiting other parts of the country. England truly is one of the most magnificent places on Earth!