With its high street lights and electrifying Christmas buzz, London and especially the centre of London are among the most festive places in the UK during the winter. For guests at the Montcalm Marble Arch, there’s a lot to see and do during Christmas and its lead up. But what if it’s your third, fourth or even fifth time in the English capital? Perhaps you haven’t explored further afield, and for that London is a prime home base.
As a transport hub, London acts as a throbbing heart of England with five different airports and dozens of train terminuses. You can reach much of Great Britain in just a few hours when driving, flying or railing it from London. As the country tentatively opens up post-COVID 19 and hotels enact strict cleaning regiments like the Montcalm care protocol, this winter is as good a time as any (pre 2020) to stretch your wings and explore what else a British winter can offer tourists.
This blog will outline some of the best places to visit during the winter season outside of London, and how you can get there in no time at all from the English capital. With nippy and updated rail services serving many cities, a London overnight trip or day excursion is easier than ever.
Oxford
In just over an hour, a train from Paddington Station in London will land you right in the heart of Oxford. This ancient city is beautiful in the winter, what with its glistening lights and medieval architecture brightening up the dreary winter sky. The world-renowned university is open to tours all year round, an especially handy – and educational – way to warm your bones from the cold whilst museums like the Ashmolean offer diverse and accessible forays into history, art and everything in between.
Brighton
Whilst you might not be going for a dip in the sea any time soon (unless you take part in the New Years Day swim that’s popular with Brighton locals), Brighton is a true winter wonderland complete with cosy pubs and cafes and a bustling city centre. Easy to reach from a variety of London train stations, Brighton’s warrenous lanes and retro and independent boutiques make it the perfect for a spot of Christmas shopping. Furthermore, the Indian inspired Brighton Pavilion, built by the eccentric Prince Regent during the late 18th century, is festooned with Christmas lights throughout winter, a spectacle in and of itself before you’ve even toured its refurbished Regency interior.
The Cotswolds
Another easy winter destination to reach for guests of West London getaway deals, the Cotswolds is an AONB designated nature reserve bristling with Jurassic coast limestone built villages, twee pubs and nature trails. Better pack your walking boots though, the Cotswolds pastures green can become rather muddy through the wetter winter period.
Norwich
Just under two hours from London Liverpool Street Station, Norwich is located in the heart of England’s East Anglia, a vast marshy plain of flatlands that lead to the North Sea. coastal retreats are only a half-hour journey from Norwich train station and if you don’t manage to get there, never fear because the city itself has you covered.
What with its bustling market in the city centre, a purported “pub for every day of the year” and lovely canalside walks to ancient cathedrals, Norwich is easily navigable on a day trip.
