Brighton, to the south, is a lively and artistic coastal town. Visitors will enjoy walking around the area known as the Lanes, an old area of town with plenty of shopping, restaurants and pubs. Along the boardwalk and Brighton Pier are more shops and restaurants as well as lovely views. The Royal Pavilion, built largely during the 19th century, is an extraordinary piece of Indian-style architecture.
West of London lies Bath, a city particularly known for its Roman baths, which are nearly 2,000 years old. The
entire city is a World Heritage Site, and visitors can visit many more historical sites, a museum devoted to Jane Austen and more.
Bookish types will enjoy a visit to Oxford, just northwest of London and home of the world-famous university. In addition to a lively city center, with many opportunities for restaurants and shopping, the city boasts a number of museums and cathedrals. Fans of the work of the Inklings, a writing group that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, will want to make a visit to the pub called The Eagle and Child where many of their meetings took place.
Winchester is another southern town worth a visit. This historic city counts the nearly 1,000-year-old Winchester Cathedral among its attractions, which include medieval architecture such as Wolvesley Castle and what remains of Winchester Castle.
East of London lies Canterbury, which has a number of World Heritage sites. The town is the focus of the classic medieval poem "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, in which pilgrims en route to Canterbury Cathedral exchange stories, and Canterbury Cathedral is still a popular tourist destination today. Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare's, was born in Canterbury, and today the Marlowe Theatre is named for him.
Each of these cities is an easy day trip from London by car or other transport, and all can add an extra dimension to a London trip with a look at some other parts of the United Kingdom's landscape, heritage and history.
This has been a guest post on behalf of Skedaddle Car Hire who are the experts in travelling by
car.