Day Trips
The 6 Best Weekend Breaks Near London
Six overnight escapes within roughly two hours of London, from a 600-year-old Cotswolds coaching inn to a thermal spa hotel in Bath and a smugglers' inn in Rye.
In short: our top picks are The Lygon Arms, Broadway (the Cotswolds), The Gainsborough Bath Spa and Artist Residence Brighton. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
The case for a weekend away from London is usually made by Friday lunchtime, somewhere around the second cancelled meeting. The good news is that you don’t have to go far. A train from Paddington or Victoria, a couple of hours at most, and you can be checking into somewhere with proper fires, a thermal pool or oysters pulled from the water across the road. We have stayed in all six of these and would happily go back. None of them ask you to drive for half a day or pretend a budget chain by a ring road counts as countryside. The point is the switch in pace: a long lunch, a slow walk, a bath you actually use. Pick by mood. Bath for grandeur, Whitstable for salt air, the New Forest when you want to vanish.
| Place | Area |
|---|---|
| The Lygon Arms, Broadway (the Cotswolds) | Broadway, Worcestershire |
| The Gainsborough Bath Spa | Bath, Somerset |
| Artist Residence Brighton | Brighton, East Sussex |
| Hotel Continental, Whitstable | Whitstable, Kent |
| Lime Wood, New Forest | Lyndhurst, Hampshire |
| The Mermaid Inn, Rye | Rye, East Sussex |
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Editor’s choice
The Lygon Arms, Broadway (the Cotswolds)
Why we pick itA 16th-century coaching inn on Broadway's honey-stone High Street, with oak beams, stone fireplaces and a few four-posters that have seen six centuries of guests. The three-acre garden hides a heated pool and spa, and the village itself is a short stroll of antique shops and tea rooms.
historic coaching inn and spa
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The Gainsborough Bath Spa
Why we pick itThe only hotel in Britain with direct access to Bath's natural thermal waters, piped into two indoor pools you can drift between before dinner. It sits a two-minute walk from the Roman Baths and the Abbey, so the whole Georgian city is on the doorstep.
thermal spa hotel
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Artist Residence Brighton
Why we pick itTwo Regency townhouses on the square, 27 rooms each done out by a different artist, with wonky staircases and sea views towards the West Pier. Blake's bistro downstairs handles brunch and cocktails, and the train from Victoria takes about an hour.
boutique seafront hotel
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Hotel Continental, Whitstable
Why we pick itAn art deco frontage right on the shingle, run by the Whitstable Oyster Company, so the namesake natives come about as fresh as they get. Rooms look over the estuary, the town's galleries and fish shacks are a ten-minute walk, and the sunsets here are the real draw.
seafront hotel with oyster bar
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Lime Wood, New Forest
Why we pick itA Regency house deep in the National Park, with ponies wandering the grounds and Angela Hartnett's Italian cooking in the dining room. The Herb House spa runs to a forest-view hydro pool and an outdoor hot pool, and the walking starts at the front door. Roughly 90 minutes from town.
country house hotel and spa
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The Mermaid Inn, Rye
Why we pick itCellars from 1156, rebuilt in 1420, halfway down Rye's cobbled Mermaid Street with secret passages and one of the largest open fireplaces in the country. The 25 rooms lean creaky and characterful, and the medieval town beyond is all crooked rooftops and good pubs.
ancient timbered inn
Before you book
Most of these are a two-hour train ride or less from a central London terminus, so book rail ahead for the best fares (Bath and Brighton are direct; Rye and Whitstable change at Ashford or Canterbury). For the New Forest and the deep Cotswolds, a car earns its keep. Weekends book out months ahead in summer, so reserve rooms early, and check whether dinner needs a separate booking.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
The Lygon Arms, Broadway (the Cotswolds) is our editor's choice: A 16th-century coaching inn on Broadway's honey-stone High Street, with oak beams, stone fireplaces and a few four-posters that have seen six centuries of guests. The three-acre garden hides a heated pool and spa, and the village itself is a short stroll of antique shops and tea rooms. The Lygon Arms, Broadway (the Cotswolds), The Gainsborough Bath Spa and Artist Residence Brighton lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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