6 Days in England: The First-Timer Itinerary
Six day trips from London, extending our 5-day plan with a low-key Brighton day. The order: Warner Bros Studio Tour, Windsor, Cambridge, Oxford, Bath and Stonehenge, then Brighton. We leave the Cotswolds out of this week on purpose, it’s the one entry that wants a car or a booked tour rather than a plain train ticket; see our England day trips guide if you want to swap it in. Need the full week? See the 7-day version .
Book these before you go
- Warner Bros Studio Tour : entry from £56, zero walk-up tickets, lock in the date first
- Windsor Castle entry : £32 advance, £36 on the day, can close short notice for state visits
- King’s College Chapel : from £16.50, an early-bird discount rewards booking a week ahead
- Bath and Stonehenge day tour : the simplest way to cover both in one booking
| Day | Day trip | Travel time from London |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warner Bros Studio Tour, Leavesden | ~20 min train to Watford Junction, then a £3 shuttle |
| 2 | Windsor Castle | 22-28 min (Paddington/Slough) or 55 min direct (Waterloo) |
| 3 | Cambridge | 45-49 min direct from King’s Cross |
| 4 | Oxford | 45-60 min direct from Paddington |
| 5 | Bath and Stonehenge | 1h15 direct to Bath Spa (Paddington); Stonehenge by tour or Salisbury train plus shuttle |
| 6 | Brighton | ~1h direct from Victoria or St Pancras |
Day 1: Warner Bros Studio Tour
Euston to Watford Junction runs about 20 minutes, then a £3 shuttle to the Studio Tour. Entry alone starts from £56, book through wbstudiotour.co.uk directly.
Day 2: Windsor Castle
Paddington to Slough then the branch line into Windsor & Eton Central runs 22-28 minutes, or direct from Waterloo in about 55 minutes. Book entry or through rct.uk , £32 advance against £36 on the day.
Day 3: Cambridge
King’s Cross to Cambridge runs 45-49 minutes direct. King’s College Chapel entry runs from £16.50 weekdays, plus a shared punt on the River Cam.
Day 4: Oxford
Paddington to Oxford runs 45-60 minutes direct. Colleges charge their own entry with term-dependent hours; the Bodleian’s reading rooms and the Bridge of Sighs are free to view from outside.
Day 5: Bath and Stonehenge
Bath Spa is 1 hour 15 direct from Paddington, Roman Baths tickets from roughly £20/$27 on dynamic pricing. A combined Bath-and-Stonehenge tour
handles both legs in one booking; standard Stonehenge admission
runs £27.20/$37 and keeps you at a roped perimeter.
Day 6: Brighton
Victoria or St Pancras to Brighton runs about an hour direct, fares from roughly £8-11/~$11-15 booked ahead. Everything worth doing here is free to wander, the pier, the Lanes’ shopping streets, and the seafront; the Royal Pavilion is a separate paid ticket if you want the interior.
Why does Brighton close out the week instead of opening it?
Because it’s the lowest-effort day on this entire list, no timed ticket, no advance booking, no coach dependency, so it works as a decompression day after five days of scheduled entries and shuttle buses. Walk up, buy a same-day ticket at the station, and let the day be unstructured.
Before you go
A car helps nowhere on this six-day plan; every day trip here runs on direct or one-change trains, or a booked tour for Bath and Stonehenge together. A contactless bank card or phone works like an Oyster card on the London legs. Pack an umbrella regardless of season.