Vol. 28 No. 4 May 2010 - The Travel Society

A Day Out of Londonsuggestions from VisitBritainIt's hard to leave London, England. You could spend a lifetime there, let alone a holiday,without getting bored. But London isn't England, and getting out of town on a day trip or twocan give glimpses into other famous towns and some rural areas. The same train routesthat bring millions of commuters into the capital daily can be used to advantage as highwaysto out-of-town explorations. We've selected ten of the best and, within minutes of breakfastingin the capital, visitors can be on their way to a stately home, seaside resort or historic city,confident they will be back in time for the nightlife. (Unless otherwise indicated, the traveltimes shown are for the journey via rail.) Brighton, for seasidedelights (52 minutes).It was the funlovingPrince Regent,later King George IV,who made this resortfashionable, buildingthe exotic, orientalstyleRoyal Pavilion ashis pleasure dome in 1822. Brighton hasn't been out offashion since. City and seaside combine in a heady mixture.Go out to sea without getting your feet wet bystrolling along the pier. Renowned for its shopping andnightlife, Brighton's population is predominantly young,its pace frenetic. www.visitbrighton.com Oxford and Cambridge- centres of learning (60and 50 minutes respectively).Two of the world's oldestuniversities are northwestand north of the capitalrespectively. Oxford wasfounded in the 12th century,beating its rival by a fewdecades. At both, you cango punting along the river,though the bicycle is thepreferred means of transport. Neither has a central campus:Oxford - the 'city of dreaming spires' - has 39 separatecolleges while 31 make up the University ofCambridge. Stroll around the quadrangles or 'courts' atselected times - usually in the afternoons (times vary).The cities have remarkable museums: Oxford'sAshmolean (www.ashmolean.org) is the grand-daddy ofmuseums, dating from 1683; Cambridge has theFitzwilliam (www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/). Walkstreets trod by innumerable famous folk: from J.R.R.Tolkien and Lewis Carroll (Oxford) to Charles Darwinand Maynard Keynes (Cambridge). www.visitoxford.organd www.visitcambridge.org. Bath - historic spa city(85 minutes). The Romanswere quick to make use of thehot thermal waters gushingout of the rock that Bathstands upon. Tour their baths,then bathe in modern thermalpools (complemented by wideranging spa treatments) at theThermae Spa (www.thermaebathspa.com).Longfashionable, the city is full ofelegant 18th century neoclassical architecture that hasearned it World Heritage City status from UNESCO. Just20 km west is a bigger neighbour: Bristol (www.visitbristol.co.uk)with its landmark suspension bridge acrossthe Avon Gorge; a lively arts scene; a new shopping hub,Cabot Circus; and the world's first iron-hulled oceanliner, the s.s. Great Britain (www/ssgreatbritain.org)www.visitbath.co.uk Stratford-upon-Avonfor Midsummer Night'sDreams (130 minutes).This Heart-of-Englandmarket town put itself onthe map in 1564 whenpoet and playwright,William Shakespeare wasborn. Tour his birthplace(www.shakespeare.org.uk) and other properties linkedto the Bard. A new Royal Shakespeare Theatre is set toMay 2010 17