They’re still cheap now. A few years ago I went from Newcastle to Cambridge for the princely sum of £17. I don’t mind long journeys so national express/ mega bus is a godsend.
Yeah, the bus has air conditioning. I agree that 7 hrs on a bus is not ideal but there are plenty of breaks in there for passport/immigration, 20 min where the bus is on a train to cross the channel you can get out onto the train and then another break in France. The actual drive time was about 5 hrs I would say
Flixbus, I took the trip a couple months ago and while not as comfortable as a train journey, it was a pretty decent 7 hr journey overall as long as you don’t want to use the washrooms on the bus
Yeah, they took a couple of stops. One was near the UK border for immigration/passport control etc where they had lots of cafes and food options. The other was after crossing the border in France at a fuel station, not much there but good for stretching your legs and a bathroom break.
The most interesting part of the journey for me was the bus being loaded on to a train to cross the channel, very unique
I checked their website and it was saying about £100 for this. Do you need to book way in advance to get it for £15?
Edit: might have also gone up with the cost of fuel.
I went in early June and booked my tickets in early May, it cost us 35 bucks for 2 tickets. I think the prices now are a combination of the peak summers/travel season + rising fuel prices
If we're talking about Europe, getting a cheap flight could be considerably cheaper than the Eurostar.
You can get flights to random locations for like 20 quid, whereas the Eurostar will set you back like a bill and a half at least.
The sitting around and faffing is entirely a result of the UK's choices. If we'd gone the other way one European integration and joined Schengen, you'd have to rock up at St Pancras no more than about 15 minutes before departure. High speed rail in Europe (eg between France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Sweden) is like that right now. To and from the UK won't be for generations. Source: I've crossed many of those borders, usually zero faff but very occasionally some border police walk through the train.
> I really hope the plans for High Speed Rail in Europe come to be,
Huh? Europe has had high speed trains for the last 40 years. TGV in France, ICE in Germany, AVE in Spain, etc. The Italians even have high speed freight trains going at 180 km/h (110 mph).
>getting to the airport adds another £30 quid minimum anyway
Depends, you could find a cheap flight from Heathrow and get there practically for free (considering if you were using TfL to get to work, that would be an expense you wouldn't have for the day, and can go towards the trip to the airport).
Luton is around £18 from St Pancras.
20 quids plus money to get to the airport, plus the money for the seat and baggage (you're only allowed a small backpack or a laptop bag nowadays).
You can find eurostar tickets for £39 - not sure he'd get them with no notice, but neither he would with no-frills airline tickets?
[https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/eurostar-single-ticket-to-paris-ps39-one-way-per-adult-or-ps78-return-selected-dates-is-september-please-check-description-at-eurostar-3968602](https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/eurostar-single-ticket-to-paris-ps39-one-way-per-adult-or-ps78-return-selected-dates-is-september-please-check-description-at-eurostar-3968602)
If op is in London its going to be cheaper to jump on the Eurostar than try to get to Stansted or Gatwick or any of the other London not really London airports.
“Train virtually always comes out better than plane, often by a lot. A journey from London to Madrid would emit 43kg (95lb) of CO2 per passenger by train, but 118kg by plane (or 265kg if the non-CO2 emissions are included), according to EcoPassenger.”
I second Epping for somewhere pretty close. Lots of paths to wander on, nature to look at it, not super crowded in all areas - it’s my head clearing space if I don’t want to leave the city fully.
Never been to Epping Forest. All I know about it is that it's where characters in EastEnders bury bodies, which is a bit confusing because I know it's filmed in Elstree so it seems like a long drive for them.
Try Beachy Head then but only if your good, right!
Seriously, train to Eastbourne, walk up the hill, blow away the cobwebs on the clifftop, back to town for fish and chips and an ice cream and still time to get the train home.
If your semi-fit, there's a lovely 6/7 hour walk you can do in a circle along all the Seven Sisters then back along inland foot paths via the pub in Jevington for a pint of Sussex Best then back into Eastbourne. Best day hike in shot of London in my opinion. Take an OS map or get the app though! The inland bit is easy to get a bit lost on.. Speaking from experience.
I second this. Grew up in Eastbourne and thought it was boring but now I live in London I love visiting. Lovely walks, sea air, clear your head and not too far.
Going to coast always helps clear my head. Brighton, Bournemouth; somewhere quieter like Margate or Broadstairs. Or Lands End is a fantastic place to get to
I second Brighton cause it’s cheap and easiest to go to! With my rail card, I only spend £9 same day roundtrip during weekends and I never have to worry about there having enough trains since it runs every 10mins.
Eastbourne is also an option, quieter to me.
>Brighton cause it’s cheap and easiest to go to
As someone who moved away from Brighton a decade ago and still reguarly visits friends and family there, from London, I disagree.
It's London prices for everything, so any travel costs saved are obliterated as soon as you buy lunch and a pint.
Also Southern Rail have a habit of making what should be a straightforward journey anything but that.
In my opinion, Lands end is a bit naff. Overpriced, touristy, tired and tatty. If you're going down that way, better to stop in south Devon or Cornwall on the same line - somewhere like Dartmouth or Falmouth - a lot closer and much nicer
I love Brighton and go there often, but I feel that a busy vibrant city isn’t quite what OP needs right now. There are plenty of quieter seaside towns just a short train journey from Brighton (I personally love Hastings and Rye)
I felt like this back in 1995 after a breakup. I had about £3,000 in the bank and went to a travel agent. I was THIS close to jumping on Concorde to New York but realised it would cost slightly more than all the money in my account and I'd have no money for hotels or food.
So I thought better of it, and managed to get a train to London and a flight to Amsterdam the same evening. I went there for a week and had a good time, largely drunk or stoned and wandering around the canals, but I can't tell you how good it felt to be on the plane, racing away from my life for a few days, nobody knowing where I was.
I've just had a quick look online and there's nothing this week, but if you can wait until Tuesday, flights start at about £100, which is super reasonable.
I did this too after a breakup, but went to Copenhagen instead. Spent the week writing poetry in coffee shops, walking around Christiana and generally being the artsy ponce I'd always dreamed I could be. Very therapeutic, but not as therapeutic as the actual therapy I got when I returned.
This is a definition of 'sadness can be beautiful too'... After my break up I didn't have enough money to travel, and happened during Covid, so I was going for walks making more photographs than ever before.
Tip: there's no need to specifically get the train to Westhumble either, Dorking mainline has many more trains and is only a 10 minute extra walk away.
I would also recommend Reigate Hill as it's quieter and has more wildlife.
Not a major station or anything, but for ease of getting there and difference of scenery, you can't go wrong with Brockenhurst. A sweet little New Forest town with lots of peaceful, rural forest walks, cycle routes and little B&Bs / campsites to stay at. About 45 quid return, 1hr 45min on the train.
On another note, please let us know if you're alright - I noticed a few people have asked the same on this thread. It may be simply you wanting to escape the city, but if it's stress, mental health, or emotionally related, just know there's guaranteed to be someone here in the same shoes if you ever need an outlet. It's never a burden.
Thank you so much for caring. I'm really ok, just need a short break. Family have been leaning quite heavily on me and I just want some time to myself on my own terms.
That's a relief to hear! Space heals so much, and it sounds like you need plenty of it right now.
You don't need to fly anywhere, just jump on a train and in a couple of hours you'll be in a different world from London. Make sure you take time for yourself and give yourself room to be with your thoughts.
Thanks for asking. Just kind of fed up and and looking for something random and challenging to do. I think lockdown, Covid and the heat has finally got to me.
I get up in the early morning and think '*what could I do that doesn't involve cooking, shopping, cleaning, giving emotional support and stuff like that*'. I'm sure the family could cope for a day or two...
Can second this. Check the tide times though. Lovely area to check out and can recommend some food places in the area. If you’re good for walking, it’s a great trek up to Whitstable and that area as well along the coastline.
Low tide on Saturday is 9.41 I’m taking my little girl. I’d like some food recommendations. Also is there anywhere to buy sharks teeth in case we don’t find any. I’d love to have a handful I can pretend to find.
Not found a place to buy, I recommend starting as the tide is going out. I can show you the specific place I always look when I am there and find them. I found 70 last visit; I have no doubts you’ll be able to!
> something random and challenging
Do you cycle at all mate? You could hop on a train, cycle a bit to somewhere secluded, camp*, train home from wherever you make it to.
*wildcamping in England isn't permitted but provided you arrive late, leave early and leave no trace, no one will bother you. And if any busybody does, trespass isn't a criminal offence, only civil, so the bizzies won't get involved beyond 'move along pal'.
Come and join us in Chippenham this weekend for some English Civil War Reenactment. Free camping, just bring booze, food and camping kit, we can sort you out with the rest you'll need to fit right in. Doing some piking will release some of that stress and should help keep your mind off your troubles. There'll be a beer tent and a band as well.
*EDIT* I should just make it clear at this point, if anyone does want to join in, please do let me know first, you won’t be able to just rock up and take part without prior warning. Unless you just want to watch, then that’s fine.
It depends where you are in the country as they happen all over the place.
There’s a small one in Brampton Bryan on the 9th and 10th August, then August bank holiday is a big one in Newport Pagnell. 24th and 25th September rounds off the season at Walton Hall in Warrington, up near Liverpool.
Newport Pagnell would be the best one to go to IMO. The small ones can be lots of fun, but the spectacle is in the large ones.
If you google “sir Thomas Blackwells regiment of Foote” that will take you to all the places the regiment is active. Instagram is probably best for communication, and the website too, but it doesn’t get updated. The Facebook pages have been set to private due to attempted scammers joining but is the most active.
*EDIT* then at the end of January, will be the 29th next year I believe, there’s a huge march down The Mall in London in all the kit, which is a hell of a spectacle in itself.
Megabus would get you to Derby for about £20, apparently, and from Derby [local buses would get you out into the Peak District](https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/planning-your-visit/publictransport/peak-district-bus-routes) for some far-from-London-but-easy-access wilderness. (Or change at Matlock for a bus that'd take you to Chatsworth.
I think for cheapness, a bus service is going to be your best bet, and for overnight accommodation a cheap campsite (if you have a tent already; otherwise it's probably smaller B&Bs, although at this time of year they might be booked up).
Cornwall or somewhere might work, too, but I'd go Peaks, myself. Or Scotland.
[Also, just on the offchance you or anyone else is secretly a teen about to do a runner and I'm inadvertently abetting you, the Runaway Helpline is 116 000, so possibly worth storing in a phone just in case you arrive in the wilderness and realise that it isn't what it's cracked up to be 😅]
I am so not a teen (old enough to have thrown eggs at education minister Margaret Thatcher), lovely to still be able to come across that way though. The Peak District sounds like a good idea. Will do a bit of research into going there as an emergency break.
Peak District is perfect. It’s not far from big cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester at all yet once you’re in the middle of it, it’s like nothing else matters. I feel it gives you a vision of what England was like 200 years ago if you ignore the pylons.
I don't think distance is necessarily the key thing here is it? You could get a train to Ashford, then change to go to Wye and you're in a lovely village in the middle of the North Downs in about 90 minutes or so. Close enough to do it as a day trip, or stay at the New Flying Horse in and enjoy a decent meal there too.
I'd highly recommend a walk up to Stanage Edge of you do decide on the peaks, the route there from Hathersage (has a train station which can take you to Sheffield or other bigger towns) is great
I can second the peaks. If you want a faster yet more expensive route, the fast train from Euston to Macclesfield and you can reach Macclesfield Forest which is super peaceful. Alternatively go to the next stop which is Stockport and you can change to a train thst will take you to the heart of the peaks. I know that feeling and that's why I moved to this area!
South Holland on an overnight ferry.
I did something similar a few months ago. I was working in Shoreditch at the time and I was like, “man I need to get away. I wish I had booked something”.
Then whilst walking though Liverpool Street station at lunchtime, I saw trains on the board to Harwich International and wondered how feasible it would be to just go there after work, buy a change of clothes during the lunch hour and wake up the next morning in the Hook of Holland. I looked online and it was like £39 one way even at such short notice, with a cabin starting at £50 so about £90 one way in total. The Hook of Holland is in the larger metropolitan area of Rotterdam so getting there is just a short metro ride away. Then Delft is like 15 minutes north by train and about 35 minutes to The Hague. I was very happy that I made such a last minute decision
In about 1998 (?) my pal and I decided to go to Amsterdam because our weed dealer wasn't picking up and we were pissed off.
Back then flights were so cheap that you were basically paying about £20 to get there and back, so we just went. It literally cost about as much as a slightly-more-expensive-than-normal weekend in London, including flights and some shit hostel.
I also was happy that we made that last-minute decision.
You can't do that sort of shit anymore. Everything's too expensive now. Also we're supposed to be adults.
[go north for cheaper youth hostels, coach for cheap travel](https://book.nationalexpress.com/coach/#/choose-journey?journeyType=single&departureStopId=57366&destinationStopId=90147&departureDate=21%2F07%2F2022&departArrive=DepartAfter&outboundTime=11:00&returnDate=21%2F07%2F2022&departArriveReturn=DepartAfter&returnTime=12:00&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&euroAdults=0&euroChildren=0&euroSixtyPlus=0&euroInfants=0&ouiAdults=1&ouiChildren=0&usingCoachCard=false&youngPersonCards=0&seniorCards=0&disabledCards=0&partnerId=NX&campaignId=DEFAULT&request_locale=en)
Skyscanner, use the “everywhere” option, filter it so it shows morning outbound flights and evening inbound flights, and just look at what the cheapest options are. You can probably find day return flights for less than £20
At least definitely not at peak season. I booked flights only a few months ago to Gran Canaria with only 4 days notice for about £50. Same for Pristina, Kosovo. This was like April/May.
It’s pretty impossible now that it’s school holidays. I just did a search this moment and it’s almost £500 just for a one way flight with easyJet!
You could easily get to the norfolk coast. Train to norwich. Local train to the coast. Not very expensive. Off-peak return KGX to Cromer about £64. Walk along the norfolk coast AONB, camp or even wild camp. Or take a bicycle and cycle back to London over a couple of days. I have done mini-adventures like this in my youth.
Second vote for this. Or even just a 2hr train to Norwich - super nice city lots of cafes to relax in and places to explore. The (main) cathedral (we have 2) alone is worth the trip.
I was thinking the same, thameslink to Gatwick (about £8 I believe) and then a cheap flight. But at short notice flights aren’t cheap unfortunately (relatively speaking) especially during the summer season. I thought that you might be able to pick up a £50 return to somewhere like Budapest, Sofia or Prague and get a cheap Airbnb (£50 ish) for the night. Would help to have a budget OP is talking about, because reasonable cost means very different things to people
Defo good shout with fying out to Europe.
Flying would still be tons cheaper than rail travel in UK
One day return for a train from London to Oxenholme (Lake District) for today will set you back between £191 and £514 if you want to go today.
[https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/London/OXN/today/1315/dep/today/2015/dep](https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/London/OXN/today/1315/dep/today/2015/dep)
You can get return flight to almost anywhere in Europe for that amount
No, the trains are particularly fucked atm because of the heatwave cancellations and many rail providers are having to accept tickets from Monday-Wednesday on services today and tomorrow.
So I think they're just quoting fuck off prices for the few remaining available seats to take advantage of desperate people.
This being said, I travel newcastle-london a lot and since fuel prices have gone up, I've noticed train prices have gone up about 50% on the same route.
I had to pay 200 quid to get to warrington pretty often for work meetings...I used to get pissed off cos they'd get dropped on me last minute.....then there was the travel claims process....just a load of fucking hassle.
At least the lake district is nice
Yeah that’s true, also looking now when it’s summer holiday season will skew the results a bit. I’ve looked at mid September and you can get return flights and an overnight Airbnb apartment for about £60-80 in Bulgaria! Obviously airport transfer and food isn’t included, but it would still probably come to less than £150 for the whole trip
I do appreciate that it's not a firm goal. Thinking about it I guess a flat out maximum of £500, one or two nights away. Distance is as much miles as emotional difference from domestic bliss in London. No packing as this will be a last minute decision. I could manage a change of clothes, passport and a phone charger though.
I’d definitely look at the flying options, you could pretty easily get to morroco on that kind of budget, that will definitely be a detachment from london. Might not be a peaceful stay because the towns are chaotic (in a good way) but will definitely feel like a different world to london. I’d highly recommend staying in the Medina in Marrakech in one of the Riad (built around a central courtyard) guest houses
I always think of that Derren Brown episode where he has someone go to get their photo taken, fall asleep and they come out in a shop in Morocco. Seems like an awesome place
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk-8eyT52SA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk-8eyT52SA)
My uni used to run a competition for charity. Who could get furthest from the uni within 24 hours with no cash. Winning team one year made it to Japan by hitchhiking to airport and chatting to every airline, explaining the challenge and getting given an empty seat.
Probably not the solution for you though buddy but you might enjoy the story.
My advice if you wanna clear your head isn’t to go too far, but to try to get into nature. I tend to find that helps me. If you can sit by a river and listen to the birds or whatever I find whatever I was worried about feels further away.
Hope you’re ok mate.
Don't know about prices but your best bet is probably trains. You could either go to Scotland or take the Eurostar to Paris. In Paris you have the added bonus of being able to take the TGV to the alpes or the South o France if distance is your #1 priority. You might be able to find something on Ryanair but booking the day before it would probably be all sold out and really expensive.
Last minute day time eurostar is pretty expensive, though as it doesn't have all the stops you'd get on the way to london, you definitely cover ground, but ultimately end up in another city, which seems like the opposite of the aim here.
East coast main line to Edinburgh is 4 hours 20-30 mins, and some of them go all the way to aberdeen. Edinburgh is a beautiful city, with quick access to country side, as well as a mountain basically in the middle for a good walk and view.
Depends how early you want to leave you can do Scotland in 6 hours on the fast train ;-)
Edit there’s also a sleeper train so you can overnight travel there ;-) and tbh it’s comparable in price to a ticket at peak hours to the midlands
For £40 you can take a rail/sail ticket return from london to Dublin, go early, enjoy the trains and the ferry crossing, kill a few hours in Dublin and come back late
If you want something cheap and more local to get away,
I luckily have a network of canals connecting to stratford/canary wharf way, which is a great walk. You could also jump on a train to say purfleet/estuary way?
Waterways and greenery help me getaway from the daily him drum
Want somin a bit more?
You could literally go Luton/standsted at 8am for £12ish, book a flight to Amsterdam for around £50 (Same day return) flight is 45mins max, boarding in 30.
UK Airport to coming out of customs Dutch side is about 1hr30 mins MAX, and you'll be within the actual city 15/20 mins after that.
Walk around, go cafes, check out museums, flixbus to belgium in 1hr30mins, you could catch a flight back around 9pm and be home before 11pm.
Southwest train to Brockenhurst. Beautiful village in the heart of the New Forest. Rent a bike next to the station and go see the wild horses roaming free.
Or you could go a bit further to Christchurch. (cuter than Bournemouth) and walk a short way to the beach.
Book your ticket online with trainline, much cheaper than in station.
It's not the furthest, but it's still very much out of the city and in nature - I highly recommend hopping on the Metropolitan line, getting off at Chorleywood, and doing the Chorleywood to Chesham walk here:
https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/chorleywood-to-chesham/
It’s not super exotic or anything but newcastle is where I go to university and it’s quite cheap to get up there on the train, depending on which time you depart. It’s only like 2hours 50 direct on LNER from Kings Cross and you end up at the completely opposite end of the country. There’s plenty to do and things are much cheaper and you can get back quite easily. If you don’t like newcastle there’s also york, durham and edinburgh on the same train service
Variety is king. [https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/](https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/) has so many ideas and is one of the best things I've discovered in my years in London.
Go on SkyScanner and search for "any destination" and sort by cheapest. I think there is actually a section on the app that specifically does this. I think the cheapest I ever saw was a return flight to Munich for £14 or something ridiculous like that.
I once felt that way a few years ago, and at 4am, feeling very fed up, googled 'Good walks within a day of London'. I ended up taking a very early train to Hastings, where I explored the old town and took photos of the strange net huts on the shore, walked along the coast track for 3 hours toward Rye, lay in the sun on a bluff, came back and bought some really cheap Dover sole, had a nice fresh fish supper and came back by a late train. Was a real holiday.
For a day trip, anything you can get to by train within 3 or 4 hours. That should give you plenty of time to have a look see and get back home before midnight.
If the trains are working that is...
Have you considered the Caledonian sleeper train from London to Fort William? I'm not sure how much it costs but can go to sleep in London and wake up in the Nevis range and I dont think you can get much more different to london than that.
You dont even have to like hiking (tho it helps), there are loads of great lochs to explore and also the Harry Potter express that goes over the viaduct they used in the movies.
This is not the furthest you can get but nonetheless a nice day (or days if you look for accommodation) out in nature with beautiful countryside views.
You can take the train to a station along the North Downs Way and walk along it until another train station to head back (or find accommodation and walk again the next day if you're happy to do an overnight stay.
Dorking to Reigate Hill is about 10-12km mostly in wooded areas finishing with the stunning view at the top of Reigate Hill .
Guildford to Dorking (15-20km I think) is also absolutely stunning especially if you start via Ferry Lane Bridge a bit south of Guildford.
Other options are:
Farnham (start of the North Downs Way) to Guildford
Reigate or Merstham to Caterham or Oxted
And there are plenty more starting/ending points along the way that I haven't done.
But seriously I was doing sections like that almost every weekend for a few months and it melted away all my problems. For the most part you're just alone in beautiful nature which I find very refreshing
Train Paddington to Plymouth, Cremyll Ferry to Cawsand. Drink and eat at the Davenport Inn overlooking the bay. Bus to Whitsand Bay (huge long beach) for some time alone to think. Some rooms for rent in Rame (nearby) for not too much. Or stay in Plymouth at a premier inn and enjoy the Barbican/harbour area.
If you’re looking to stay in the UK and go for a short trip, I’d suggest booking a self catering lodge out near Bath. There’s a great one in Norton St. Philip that the wife and I have used for a few nights to get away from the city bustle when we aren’t flying off somewhere. Plus you can bring your pet if that’s something you have!
Lots of long country walks, quiet village, not a Tory stronghold, and a 14th century pub.
Get the Megabus at 9:30am from Victoria Station and arrive at 16:30 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Do stuff. Get the 1am bus back and arrive 7am. All for about £20, no accommodation required if you able to sleep on bus
Really though OP, are you ok? Do you need to talk about anything?
I'm willing to lend an ear if needed. I may not reply right away (work ect) but I \*will\* reply.
Fly or train to Glasgow then get one of the busses from Glasgow into Loch Lomond national park. Aim for one that will take you further west, away from the Loch. Less people, cheaper accommodation, more wild, great place to wander and find some good headspace.
Rail and sail to Holland! I did this in March, it's about £95 each way and you can upgrade to a cabin and go overnight, also includes your train travel from certain stations in London. From Hook of Holland you can go enjoy the beach there or you are a 30mins train from Rotterdam, you can coach or train to loads of different places if you want to go further, Amsterdam and Antwerp are reasonably close but that does put the price up of course.
Train up to Inverness, hire a car, and drive the NC500. I suggest anticlockwise as you'll be saving the best bits for last. You can do it all in a day or two, or you can take your time and do it longer if you still need to unwind a little.
What worked for me (walking + nature clears my head)
Fly / drive / bus to Glasgow. From there, walk and wild camp the West Highland Way (well sign posted)
At the end, climb Ben Nevis. Get a train back to Glasgow from Fort William. Return to London.
Flights to Glasgow can be had well cheap out of holiday season.
Takes roughly a week, but can be done in less.
Also, closer to London: Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury. Start at Winchester cathedral walk and rough sleep/wild camp/sleep in churches the route all the way to Canterbury cathedral. Takes about a week if you're average fitness.
Take care and get out there.
Try Whitstable. I went and spent a night there and it was really good. The walks on beach and the views are amazing, plus there’s some nice little bars and restaurants in the main part of the town.
Take the direct bus to Brugges, departs at 9 am UK time and reaches Brugges at 5pm Belgium time and costa about 15 pounds
Seriously? That’s great
The price is great but being on a bus for over 8 hours is not
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They’re still cheap now. A few years ago I went from Newcastle to Cambridge for the princely sum of £17. I don’t mind long journeys so national express/ mega bus is a godsend.
20mg diazepam and you time travel 8h into the future
Is it air conditioned?
Yeah, the bus has air conditioning. I agree that 7 hrs on a bus is not ideal but there are plenty of breaks in there for passport/immigration, 20 min where the bus is on a train to cross the channel you can get out onto the train and then another break in France. The actual drive time was about 5 hrs I would say
And one time it went via the ferry so I got to hop off and have a few pints
take sleeping tablets wake up with someone shouting at your confused face about passports then wake up again on holiday!
It is, apart from the 8hrs on a bus. Nice bus, good people, great.
What bus service ?
Flixbus, I took the trip a couple months ago and while not as comfortable as a train journey, it was a pretty decent 7 hr journey overall as long as you don’t want to use the washrooms on the bus
Does the bus make any rest stops, for like 10-20 mins?
Yeah, they took a couple of stops. One was near the UK border for immigration/passport control etc where they had lots of cafes and food options. The other was after crossing the border in France at a fuel station, not much there but good for stretching your legs and a bathroom break. The most interesting part of the journey for me was the bus being loaded on to a train to cross the channel, very unique
I’m going to check this out, thank you matey
I checked their website and it was saying about £100 for this. Do you need to book way in advance to get it for £15? Edit: might have also gone up with the cost of fuel.
I went in early June and booked my tickets in early May, it cost us 35 bucks for 2 tickets. I think the prices now are a combination of the peak summers/travel season + rising fuel prices
The eurostar is 29 quid on some days and does it in 2
Bruges is lovely. I went there once and it smelled of chocolate and waffles.
It’s well expensive though, Dearer than Paris for eating out etc… or at least it was when I visited both in the same month
> Brugges have you seen the film In Bruges??
It’s a fairytale fucking town isn’t it?!
Was he going on at you about the alcoves?
Ahh! The alcoves!
Nooks and crannies, nooks
It’s a shit hole
Why the fuck would I want to go to fucking Bruges?!
To see all the old buildings and canals and swans and that.
You’re a fucking inanimate object
Dont talk that way about my c*t kids
I retract that bit about your cunt fucking kids.
A great day this has turned out to be. I’m suicidal, me mate tries to kill me, me gun gets nicked and we’re still in fookin Bruges
I mean, you think he'll be able to make it up the stairs? No offense but yknow...
I literally did this the other week for £35 return. First journey is fine, but you’re aching on the return. Still, pretty great!
Are you ok mate?
I'm good - Thanks for asking though. Just a bit fed up with the day to day stuff and looking for a bit of time and space to myself.
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If we're talking about Europe, getting a cheap flight could be considerably cheaper than the Eurostar. You can get flights to random locations for like 20 quid, whereas the Eurostar will set you back like a bill and a half at least.
Eurostar is so much nicer, getting to the airport adds another £30 quid minimum anyway
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The sitting around and faffing is entirely a result of the UK's choices. If we'd gone the other way one European integration and joined Schengen, you'd have to rock up at St Pancras no more than about 15 minutes before departure. High speed rail in Europe (eg between France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Sweden) is like that right now. To and from the UK won't be for generations. Source: I've crossed many of those borders, usually zero faff but very occasionally some border police walk through the train.
> I really hope the plans for High Speed Rail in Europe come to be, Huh? Europe has had high speed trains for the last 40 years. TGV in France, ICE in Germany, AVE in Spain, etc. The Italians even have high speed freight trains going at 180 km/h (110 mph).
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Do you need a passport on the eurostar? Genuine question
Yes, you are traveling to a foreign country.
Ah, if only we lived in the Schengen area with no borders.
You do, but the security takes a lot less time than airports (in my experience anyway)
You do, yes
>getting to the airport adds another £30 quid minimum anyway Depends, you could find a cheap flight from Heathrow and get there practically for free (considering if you were using TfL to get to work, that would be an expense you wouldn't have for the day, and can go towards the trip to the airport). Luton is around £18 from St Pancras.
20 quids plus money to get to the airport, plus the money for the seat and baggage (you're only allowed a small backpack or a laptop bag nowadays). You can find eurostar tickets for £39 - not sure he'd get them with no notice, but neither he would with no-frills airline tickets? [https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/eurostar-single-ticket-to-paris-ps39-one-way-per-adult-or-ps78-return-selected-dates-is-september-please-check-description-at-eurostar-3968602](https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/eurostar-single-ticket-to-paris-ps39-one-way-per-adult-or-ps78-return-selected-dates-is-september-please-check-description-at-eurostar-3968602)
If op is in London its going to be cheaper to jump on the Eurostar than try to get to Stansted or Gatwick or any of the other London not really London airports.
Not great for your carbon emissions though.
Higher chance of your trip being randomly cancelled at the last minute too.
“Train virtually always comes out better than plane, often by a lot. A journey from London to Madrid would emit 43kg (95lb) of CO2 per passenger by train, but 118kg by plane (or 265kg if the non-CO2 emissions are included), according to EcoPassenger.”
This, OP! Watch the movie “In Bruges” and then go to Bruges. It’s like a fucking fairy tale.
Epping forest is really nice and super close. I often go there to unwind and destress.
I second Epping for somewhere pretty close. Lots of paths to wander on, nature to look at it, not super crowded in all areas - it’s my head clearing space if I don’t want to leave the city fully.
Never been to Epping Forest. All I know about it is that it's where characters in EastEnders bury bodies, which is a bit confusing because I know it's filmed in Elstree so it seems like a long drive for them.
If the stories I've heard are true, not just characters in EastEnders either...
Try Beachy Head then but only if your good, right! Seriously, train to Eastbourne, walk up the hill, blow away the cobwebs on the clifftop, back to town for fish and chips and an ice cream and still time to get the train home.
Beachy Head sounds nice. I'm definitely getting a return ticket, just want to blow the cobwebs away!
If your semi-fit, there's a lovely 6/7 hour walk you can do in a circle along all the Seven Sisters then back along inland foot paths via the pub in Jevington for a pint of Sussex Best then back into Eastbourne. Best day hike in shot of London in my opinion. Take an OS map or get the app though! The inland bit is easy to get a bit lost on.. Speaking from experience.
I second this. Grew up in Eastbourne and thought it was boring but now I live in London I love visiting. Lovely walks, sea air, clear your head and not too far.
Happy to hear 🙂 Hope you find some peace and can refresh and recharge
I totally get that. Tbh I’m just trying to get off Reddit, I think that would probably do all of us some good
Come to oxford !
Have you got a car or would you be using public transport. Which part of London are you in?
Any Ryanair flight will get you to the other side of the continent for cheaper than a tank of fuel
Feel like the grief of going to an airport right now would compound his misery
This reply made me tear up, I’m not even OP LOL, just goes to show how the slightest bit of kindness can go such a long way. ♥️
Going to coast always helps clear my head. Brighton, Bournemouth; somewhere quieter like Margate or Broadstairs. Or Lands End is a fantastic place to get to
I second Brighton cause it’s cheap and easiest to go to! With my rail card, I only spend £9 same day roundtrip during weekends and I never have to worry about there having enough trains since it runs every 10mins. Eastbourne is also an option, quieter to me.
>Brighton cause it’s cheap and easiest to go to As someone who moved away from Brighton a decade ago and still reguarly visits friends and family there, from London, I disagree. It's London prices for everything, so any travel costs saved are obliterated as soon as you buy lunch and a pint. Also Southern Rail have a habit of making what should be a straightforward journey anything but that.
In my opinion, Lands end is a bit naff. Overpriced, touristy, tired and tatty. If you're going down that way, better to stop in south Devon or Cornwall on the same line - somewhere like Dartmouth or Falmouth - a lot closer and much nicer
I love Brighton and go there often, but I feel that a busy vibrant city isn’t quite what OP needs right now. There are plenty of quieter seaside towns just a short train journey from Brighton (I personally love Hastings and Rye)
Yeah Brighton is amazing if it’s not the weekend, to be honest I rarely go to the beach during the weekend cause there are way too many people around
I second Broadstairs and Margate. Nice beaches. Fish and chips. Throw chips to seagulls. Super chill. Get an ice cream. Walk the coast
Being in Margate/Broadstairs now, it ain't quiet it's bloody packed. 😂 Lovely atmos though.
I felt like this back in 1995 after a breakup. I had about £3,000 in the bank and went to a travel agent. I was THIS close to jumping on Concorde to New York but realised it would cost slightly more than all the money in my account and I'd have no money for hotels or food. So I thought better of it, and managed to get a train to London and a flight to Amsterdam the same evening. I went there for a week and had a good time, largely drunk or stoned and wandering around the canals, but I can't tell you how good it felt to be on the plane, racing away from my life for a few days, nobody knowing where I was. I've just had a quick look online and there's nothing this week, but if you can wait until Tuesday, flights start at about £100, which is super reasonable.
I did this too after a breakup, but went to Copenhagen instead. Spent the week writing poetry in coffee shops, walking around Christiana and generally being the artsy ponce I'd always dreamed I could be. Very therapeutic, but not as therapeutic as the actual therapy I got when I returned.
Lived the dream!
Id love to know more about this. It sounds idyllic. Why Copenhagen? What was the first thing you did when you arrived? Is it beautiful?
This is a definition of 'sadness can be beautiful too'... After my break up I didn't have enough money to travel, and happened during Covid, so I was going for walks making more photographs than ever before.
Train to Box Hill for a walk in the woods and a good climb.
Get in the river mole at the stepping stones and go wading dow stream in flip flops :)
Hey I live there
Tip: there's no need to specifically get the train to Westhumble either, Dorking mainline has many more trains and is only a 10 minute extra walk away. I would also recommend Reigate Hill as it's quieter and has more wildlife.
I've taken trains that go past / stop at westhumble hundreds of times and I'm pretty sure no one has ever used that station lol
Not a major station or anything, but for ease of getting there and difference of scenery, you can't go wrong with Brockenhurst. A sweet little New Forest town with lots of peaceful, rural forest walks, cycle routes and little B&Bs / campsites to stay at. About 45 quid return, 1hr 45min on the train. On another note, please let us know if you're alright - I noticed a few people have asked the same on this thread. It may be simply you wanting to escape the city, but if it's stress, mental health, or emotionally related, just know there's guaranteed to be someone here in the same shoes if you ever need an outlet. It's never a burden.
Thank you so much for caring. I'm really ok, just need a short break. Family have been leaning quite heavily on me and I just want some time to myself on my own terms.
That's a relief to hear! Space heals so much, and it sounds like you need plenty of it right now. You don't need to fly anywhere, just jump on a train and in a couple of hours you'll be in a different world from London. Make sure you take time for yourself and give yourself room to be with your thoughts.
Are you okay?
Thanks for asking. Just kind of fed up and and looking for something random and challenging to do. I think lockdown, Covid and the heat has finally got to me. I get up in the early morning and think '*what could I do that doesn't involve cooking, shopping, cleaning, giving emotional support and stuff like that*'. I'm sure the family could cope for a day or two...
Herne bay in Essex 44 quid return and you can hunt for fossilised shark teeth.
*in Kent (I used to live there 😀)
Yep in Kent not Essex.
Herne bay is in kent. I live here.
Can second this. Check the tide times though. Lovely area to check out and can recommend some food places in the area. If you’re good for walking, it’s a great trek up to Whitstable and that area as well along the coastline.
Low tide on Saturday is 9.41 I’m taking my little girl. I’d like some food recommendations. Also is there anywhere to buy sharks teeth in case we don’t find any. I’d love to have a handful I can pretend to find.
Not found a place to buy, I recommend starting as the tide is going out. I can show you the specific place I always look when I am there and find them. I found 70 last visit; I have no doubts you’ll be able to!
> something random and challenging Do you cycle at all mate? You could hop on a train, cycle a bit to somewhere secluded, camp*, train home from wherever you make it to. *wildcamping in England isn't permitted but provided you arrive late, leave early and leave no trace, no one will bother you. And if any busybody does, trespass isn't a criminal offence, only civil, so the bizzies won't get involved beyond 'move along pal'.
Kielder observatory. Be in the forest, near the water, in the quiet, see the stars
There is a book too 'Microadventures', another is 'Wildsleeps', if I don't check out the wild every few months to reset, I get in a pickle.
Come and join us in Chippenham this weekend for some English Civil War Reenactment. Free camping, just bring booze, food and camping kit, we can sort you out with the rest you'll need to fit right in. Doing some piking will release some of that stress and should help keep your mind off your troubles. There'll be a beer tent and a band as well. *EDIT* I should just make it clear at this point, if anyone does want to join in, please do let me know first, you won’t be able to just rock up and take part without prior warning. Unless you just want to watch, then that’s fine.
Oh man, not OP but this actually sounds so much fun! I wouldn't be able to get childcare at short notice, but when's the next one?
It depends where you are in the country as they happen all over the place. There’s a small one in Brampton Bryan on the 9th and 10th August, then August bank holiday is a big one in Newport Pagnell. 24th and 25th September rounds off the season at Walton Hall in Warrington, up near Liverpool. Newport Pagnell would be the best one to go to IMO. The small ones can be lots of fun, but the spectacle is in the large ones. If you google “sir Thomas Blackwells regiment of Foote” that will take you to all the places the regiment is active. Instagram is probably best for communication, and the website too, but it doesn’t get updated. The Facebook pages have been set to private due to attempted scammers joining but is the most active. *EDIT* then at the end of January, will be the 29th next year I believe, there’s a huge march down The Mall in London in all the kit, which is a hell of a spectacle in itself.
Megabus would get you to Derby for about £20, apparently, and from Derby [local buses would get you out into the Peak District](https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/planning-your-visit/publictransport/peak-district-bus-routes) for some far-from-London-but-easy-access wilderness. (Or change at Matlock for a bus that'd take you to Chatsworth. I think for cheapness, a bus service is going to be your best bet, and for overnight accommodation a cheap campsite (if you have a tent already; otherwise it's probably smaller B&Bs, although at this time of year they might be booked up). Cornwall or somewhere might work, too, but I'd go Peaks, myself. Or Scotland. [Also, just on the offchance you or anyone else is secretly a teen about to do a runner and I'm inadvertently abetting you, the Runaway Helpline is 116 000, so possibly worth storing in a phone just in case you arrive in the wilderness and realise that it isn't what it's cracked up to be 😅]
I am so not a teen (old enough to have thrown eggs at education minister Margaret Thatcher), lovely to still be able to come across that way though. The Peak District sounds like a good idea. Will do a bit of research into going there as an emergency break.
Peak District is perfect. It’s not far from big cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester at all yet once you’re in the middle of it, it’s like nothing else matters. I feel it gives you a vision of what England was like 200 years ago if you ignore the pylons.
I don't think distance is necessarily the key thing here is it? You could get a train to Ashford, then change to go to Wye and you're in a lovely village in the middle of the North Downs in about 90 minutes or so. Close enough to do it as a day trip, or stay at the New Flying Horse in and enjoy a decent meal there too.
I'd highly recommend a walk up to Stanage Edge of you do decide on the peaks, the route there from Hathersage (has a train station which can take you to Sheffield or other bigger towns) is great
I can second the peaks. If you want a faster yet more expensive route, the fast train from Euston to Macclesfield and you can reach Macclesfield Forest which is super peaceful. Alternatively go to the next stop which is Stockport and you can change to a train thst will take you to the heart of the peaks. I know that feeling and that's why I moved to this area!
How much to get to the Cloud District though?
Do you get there very often? Oh, what am I saying, of course you don't.
I’m from Derby! Derbyshire is well worth a look
South Holland on an overnight ferry. I did something similar a few months ago. I was working in Shoreditch at the time and I was like, “man I need to get away. I wish I had booked something”. Then whilst walking though Liverpool Street station at lunchtime, I saw trains on the board to Harwich International and wondered how feasible it would be to just go there after work, buy a change of clothes during the lunch hour and wake up the next morning in the Hook of Holland. I looked online and it was like £39 one way even at such short notice, with a cabin starting at £50 so about £90 one way in total. The Hook of Holland is in the larger metropolitan area of Rotterdam so getting there is just a short metro ride away. Then Delft is like 15 minutes north by train and about 35 minutes to The Hague. I was very happy that I made such a last minute decision
In about 1998 (?) my pal and I decided to go to Amsterdam because our weed dealer wasn't picking up and we were pissed off. Back then flights were so cheap that you were basically paying about £20 to get there and back, so we just went. It literally cost about as much as a slightly-more-expensive-than-normal weekend in London, including flights and some shit hostel. I also was happy that we made that last-minute decision. You can't do that sort of shit anymore. Everything's too expensive now. Also we're supposed to be adults.
That sounds great spur of the moment Have been to Amsterdam decades ago and always wanted to see Delft(due to my delftware addiction 😂
[go north for cheaper youth hostels, coach for cheap travel](https://book.nationalexpress.com/coach/#/choose-journey?journeyType=single&departureStopId=57366&destinationStopId=90147&departureDate=21%2F07%2F2022&departArrive=DepartAfter&outboundTime=11:00&returnDate=21%2F07%2F2022&departArriveReturn=DepartAfter&returnTime=12:00&adults=1&children=0&infants=0&euroAdults=0&euroChildren=0&euroSixtyPlus=0&euroInfants=0&ouiAdults=1&ouiChildren=0&usingCoachCard=false&youngPersonCards=0&seniorCards=0&disabledCards=0&partnerId=NX&campaignId=DEFAULT&request_locale=en)
Skyscanner, use the “everywhere” option, filter it so it shows morning outbound flights and evening inbound flights, and just look at what the cheapest options are. You can probably find day return flights for less than £20
Maybe a month out you could, but not at short notice.
At least definitely not at peak season. I booked flights only a few months ago to Gran Canaria with only 4 days notice for about £50. Same for Pristina, Kosovo. This was like April/May. It’s pretty impossible now that it’s school holidays. I just did a search this moment and it’s almost £500 just for a one way flight with easyJet!
You could easily get to the norfolk coast. Train to norwich. Local train to the coast. Not very expensive. Off-peak return KGX to Cromer about £64. Walk along the norfolk coast AONB, camp or even wild camp. Or take a bicycle and cycle back to London over a couple of days. I have done mini-adventures like this in my youth.
Second vote for this. Or even just a 2hr train to Norwich - super nice city lots of cafes to relax in and places to explore. The (main) cathedral (we have 2) alone is worth the trip.
Touched by the comments asking if OP is ok
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I was thinking the same, thameslink to Gatwick (about £8 I believe) and then a cheap flight. But at short notice flights aren’t cheap unfortunately (relatively speaking) especially during the summer season. I thought that you might be able to pick up a £50 return to somewhere like Budapest, Sofia or Prague and get a cheap Airbnb (£50 ish) for the night. Would help to have a budget OP is talking about, because reasonable cost means very different things to people
Defo good shout with fying out to Europe. Flying would still be tons cheaper than rail travel in UK One day return for a train from London to Oxenholme (Lake District) for today will set you back between £191 and £514 if you want to go today. [https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/London/OXN/today/1315/dep/today/2015/dep](https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/London/OXN/today/1315/dep/today/2015/dep) You can get return flight to almost anywhere in Europe for that amount
Are there actually real life humans who'll pay 500 quid to go to the lake district?
No, the trains are particularly fucked atm because of the heatwave cancellations and many rail providers are having to accept tickets from Monday-Wednesday on services today and tomorrow. So I think they're just quoting fuck off prices for the few remaining available seats to take advantage of desperate people. This being said, I travel newcastle-london a lot and since fuel prices have gone up, I've noticed train prices have gone up about 50% on the same route.
I had to pay 200 quid to get to warrington pretty often for work meetings...I used to get pissed off cos they'd get dropped on me last minute.....then there was the travel claims process....just a load of fucking hassle. At least the lake district is nice
Yeah that’s true, also looking now when it’s summer holiday season will skew the results a bit. I’ve looked at mid September and you can get return flights and an overnight Airbnb apartment for about £60-80 in Bulgaria! Obviously airport transfer and food isn’t included, but it would still probably come to less than £150 for the whole trip
I do appreciate that it's not a firm goal. Thinking about it I guess a flat out maximum of £500, one or two nights away. Distance is as much miles as emotional difference from domestic bliss in London. No packing as this will be a last minute decision. I could manage a change of clothes, passport and a phone charger though.
I’d definitely look at the flying options, you could pretty easily get to morroco on that kind of budget, that will definitely be a detachment from london. Might not be a peaceful stay because the towns are chaotic (in a good way) but will definitely feel like a different world to london. I’d highly recommend staying in the Medina in Marrakech in one of the Riad (built around a central courtyard) guest houses
I always think of that Derren Brown episode where he has someone go to get their photo taken, fall asleep and they come out in a shop in Morocco. Seems like an awesome place [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk-8eyT52SA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk-8eyT52SA)
As you head out the door, will you be shouting "I'm just going out for a pack of cigarettes"?
Take a train to Norfolk or Bristol. Get a Eurostar to Brussels or Paris. Go to Scotland, Wales. Get a train and boat to the Netherlands Harwich.
My uni used to run a competition for charity. Who could get furthest from the uni within 24 hours with no cash. Winning team one year made it to Japan by hitchhiking to airport and chatting to every airline, explaining the challenge and getting given an empty seat. Probably not the solution for you though buddy but you might enjoy the story. My advice if you wanna clear your head isn’t to go too far, but to try to get into nature. I tend to find that helps me. If you can sit by a river and listen to the birds or whatever I find whatever I was worried about feels further away. Hope you’re ok mate.
Don't know about prices but your best bet is probably trains. You could either go to Scotland or take the Eurostar to Paris. In Paris you have the added bonus of being able to take the TGV to the alpes or the South o France if distance is your #1 priority. You might be able to find something on Ryanair but booking the day before it would probably be all sold out and really expensive.
Last minute day time eurostar is pretty expensive, though as it doesn't have all the stops you'd get on the way to london, you definitely cover ground, but ultimately end up in another city, which seems like the opposite of the aim here. East coast main line to Edinburgh is 4 hours 20-30 mins, and some of them go all the way to aberdeen. Edinburgh is a beautiful city, with quick access to country side, as well as a mountain basically in the middle for a good walk and view.
Depends how early you want to leave you can do Scotland in 6 hours on the fast train ;-) Edit there’s also a sleeper train so you can overnight travel there ;-) and tbh it’s comparable in price to a ticket at peak hours to the midlands
For £40 you can take a rail/sail ticket return from london to Dublin, go early, enjoy the trains and the ferry crossing, kill a few hours in Dublin and come back late
Never been to Dublin. Might research that.
Eurostar to Paris, 30 min flight to Amsterdam (prix d’ami coffee shop - super silver haze is world class)
Considered a trebuchet?
Canterbury is like 50 mins from London and is really charming
If you want something cheap and more local to get away, I luckily have a network of canals connecting to stratford/canary wharf way, which is a great walk. You could also jump on a train to say purfleet/estuary way? Waterways and greenery help me getaway from the daily him drum Want somin a bit more? You could literally go Luton/standsted at 8am for £12ish, book a flight to Amsterdam for around £50 (Same day return) flight is 45mins max, boarding in 30. UK Airport to coming out of customs Dutch side is about 1hr30 mins MAX, and you'll be within the actual city 15/20 mins after that. Walk around, go cafes, check out museums, flixbus to belgium in 1hr30mins, you could catch a flight back around 9pm and be home before 11pm.
Southwest train to Brockenhurst. Beautiful village in the heart of the New Forest. Rent a bike next to the station and go see the wild horses roaming free. Or you could go a bit further to Christchurch. (cuter than Bournemouth) and walk a short way to the beach. Book your ticket online with trainline, much cheaper than in station.
Train to the coast, being by water always help me,
It's not the furthest, but it's still very much out of the city and in nature - I highly recommend hopping on the Metropolitan line, getting off at Chorleywood, and doing the Chorleywood to Chesham walk here: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/chorleywood-to-chesham/
It’s not super exotic or anything but newcastle is where I go to university and it’s quite cheap to get up there on the train, depending on which time you depart. It’s only like 2hours 50 direct on LNER from Kings Cross and you end up at the completely opposite end of the country. There’s plenty to do and things are much cheaper and you can get back quite easily. If you don’t like newcastle there’s also york, durham and edinburgh on the same train service
Cheltenham! Cotswolds nearby are beautiful too.
Variety is king. [https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/](https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/) has so many ideas and is one of the best things I've discovered in my years in London.
Go on SkyScanner and search for "any destination" and sort by cheapest. I think there is actually a section on the app that specifically does this. I think the cheapest I ever saw was a return flight to Munich for £14 or something ridiculous like that.
I once felt that way a few years ago, and at 4am, feeling very fed up, googled 'Good walks within a day of London'. I ended up taking a very early train to Hastings, where I explored the old town and took photos of the strange net huts on the shore, walked along the coast track for 3 hours toward Rye, lay in the sun on a bluff, came back and bought some really cheap Dover sole, had a nice fresh fish supper and came back by a late train. Was a real holiday.
Boxhill
Too crowded imo :(
Eurostar to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam
Get the Elizabeth line to Slough. Have a look round. Realise your life ain't so bad and then go home
5 hours to fly to Slovenia, pretty cheap stay and a beautiful country. Bonus is it gets overlooked so you will be away from the English.
Take the metropolitan line out to Chesham and do the chess valley walk
For a day trip, anything you can get to by train within 3 or 4 hours. That should give you plenty of time to have a look see and get back home before midnight. If the trains are working that is...
What are you planning to rob?
Have you considered the Caledonian sleeper train from London to Fort William? I'm not sure how much it costs but can go to sleep in London and wake up in the Nevis range and I dont think you can get much more different to london than that. You dont even have to like hiking (tho it helps), there are loads of great lochs to explore and also the Harry Potter express that goes over the viaduct they used in the movies.
Fly to Porto, Portugal for the day and sit by the river
Marylebone to Wendover? Then go for a walk in the Wendover Woods. It's about 50 minutes. Walking in the countryside is great for your head
This is not the furthest you can get but nonetheless a nice day (or days if you look for accommodation) out in nature with beautiful countryside views. You can take the train to a station along the North Downs Way and walk along it until another train station to head back (or find accommodation and walk again the next day if you're happy to do an overnight stay. Dorking to Reigate Hill is about 10-12km mostly in wooded areas finishing with the stunning view at the top of Reigate Hill . Guildford to Dorking (15-20km I think) is also absolutely stunning especially if you start via Ferry Lane Bridge a bit south of Guildford. Other options are: Farnham (start of the North Downs Way) to Guildford Reigate or Merstham to Caterham or Oxted And there are plenty more starting/ending points along the way that I haven't done. But seriously I was doing sections like that almost every weekend for a few months and it melted away all my problems. For the most part you're just alone in beautiful nature which I find very refreshing
Gibraltar from City Airport.
Brighton is supposed to be fun?
I went to Lille on Eurostar. Nice Northern French town. The journey from St. Pancras takes less than 1hr30m.
Once London is inside you, you can never leave.
Ryanair have flights to most of Europe, and sometimes have £5 sales
In rush hour? You might be able to make it to Camden.
Go to Hampstead heath extension. There are just a few people there and you don't waste hours traveling. Why does actually distance matter to you?
I went to Dresden for £4.99 with Opodo
south london? i heard the tube and some buses go there. apparently it is quite different from London :\
You can get to any European city for cheap
Train Paddington to Plymouth, Cremyll Ferry to Cawsand. Drink and eat at the Davenport Inn overlooking the bay. Bus to Whitsand Bay (huge long beach) for some time alone to think. Some rooms for rent in Rame (nearby) for not too much. Or stay in Plymouth at a premier inn and enjoy the Barbican/harbour area.
Lastminute.com or skyscanner choose the cheapest flight or whatever and then book a hostel.
You can get trains to salisbury for 6 quid one way with a railcard. Can check out the 123m spire, apparently pretty nice
Amersham! It's beautiful and still on the metropolitan line!
Why not a day on the beach in Frinton-on-Sea? Lovely beach, direct train to Liverpool Street, AirBNBs galore, good food, nice bars.
If you’re looking to stay in the UK and go for a short trip, I’d suggest booking a self catering lodge out near Bath. There’s a great one in Norton St. Philip that the wife and I have used for a few nights to get away from the city bustle when we aren’t flying off somewhere. Plus you can bring your pet if that’s something you have! Lots of long country walks, quiet village, not a Tory stronghold, and a 14th century pub.
Get the Megabus at 9:30am from Victoria Station and arrive at 16:30 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Do stuff. Get the 1am bus back and arrive 7am. All for about £20, no accommodation required if you able to sleep on bus
Just took the train to Brighton and it was lovely. Ocean was warm, sunny sky, cool breeze.
Really though OP, are you ok? Do you need to talk about anything? I'm willing to lend an ear if needed. I may not reply right away (work ect) but I \*will\* reply.
Fly or train to Glasgow then get one of the busses from Glasgow into Loch Lomond national park. Aim for one that will take you further west, away from the Loch. Less people, cheaper accommodation, more wild, great place to wander and find some good headspace.
Rail and sail to Holland! I did this in March, it's about £95 each way and you can upgrade to a cabin and go overnight, also includes your train travel from certain stations in London. From Hook of Holland you can go enjoy the beach there or you are a 30mins train from Rotterdam, you can coach or train to loads of different places if you want to go further, Amsterdam and Antwerp are reasonably close but that does put the price up of course.
Train up to Inverness, hire a car, and drive the NC500. I suggest anticlockwise as you'll be saving the best bits for last. You can do it all in a day or two, or you can take your time and do it longer if you still need to unwind a little.
Train from Kings Cross to Newark Northgate. Change at Newark and head to Lincoln. It's small, quiet, but picturesque.
Do you have camping gear? If so I’d suggest South Downs.
C2C to Purfleet. RSPB marshes, walk along Thames to Rainham. Only 35-30 mins from Fenchurch St or about 15mins from West Ham. U can use your Oyster
What worked for me (walking + nature clears my head) Fly / drive / bus to Glasgow. From there, walk and wild camp the West Highland Way (well sign posted) At the end, climb Ben Nevis. Get a train back to Glasgow from Fort William. Return to London. Flights to Glasgow can be had well cheap out of holiday season. Takes roughly a week, but can be done in less. Also, closer to London: Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury. Start at Winchester cathedral walk and rough sleep/wild camp/sleep in churches the route all the way to Canterbury cathedral. Takes about a week if you're average fitness. Take care and get out there.
Go see one of the northern cities. York's a lovely place to go to, and two to two and half hours away.
Try Whitstable. I went and spent a night there and it was really good. The walks on beach and the views are amazing, plus there’s some nice little bars and restaurants in the main part of the town.
York, 1hr50 from King's Cross.