Five fabulous car-free Spring adventuresfrom London
Seafront galleries with light airy rooms. Landscaped parks and baroque palaces. Valleys of daffodils and fairytale turrets. Boat trips to riverside pubs and museums of maritime history... these are just a few of the car-free adventures within relatively easy reach of London.
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1. Coastal culture trail: Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings
This route covers three stunning galleries and seventeen miles of coast. Plus, there are ancient alleys lined with great pubs and colourful half-timbered houses. Experience cutting edge conceptual art or simply bars and beaches. This is a winning day or weekend trip – and it’s easy to get to. Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings are not far apart on the Sussex coast. They’re joined by train and bus routes, coastal walks or cycle rides.
- Catch a train from London Victoria to Eastbourne. Trains leave frequently and take 1.5 hours to get there through pretty countryside. Book ahead to get cheaper tickets!
- Head for the friendly Towner art gallery, a stylish contemporary building that won awards when it first opened. It’s just a ten-minute walk from the station and has changing exhibitions. The seafront is nearby, lined with palm trees and grand hotels.
- Next, hop on the 99 bus opposite the pier and buy a day ticket. Ride along Eastbourne’s miles of sand to Bexhill’s De La Warr pavilion. This 1930s cliff of white has curving glass balconies, a free art gallery and a wonderful sea-view café. Follow Good Journey’s directions.
- Hop on the 99 again (or walk/cycle five miles with the sea on your right) to reach another gallery. The shining glazed tiles of Hastings Contemporary (previously the Jerwood gallery) have reflected the colourful old town since 2012. The cool spaces offer unbeatable views from the window and art on the walls. There’s a great café (no gallery ticket required), where you can sit on the balcony and watch boats in the Sussex sunshine. Follow Good Journey’s directions.
- When you’ve finished, head for All Saints Street, two minutes away in the old town. There’s a choice of cosy pubs in characterful buildings. The station and nearby 99 bus stop are about a twenty-minute walk.
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2. Blenheim Palace and Oxford
Whether you simply want to wander through the dreaming spires or spend a day at mighty Blenheim Palace, you’re better off visiting car-free. Oxford’s streets are so choked with traffic that drivers will struggle to get anywhere quicker than visitors who go by foot, bus or bicycle. And Blenheim offers car-free visitors 20% off entry.
- There are trains to Oxford from Marylebone and Paddington. The Marylebone line has some good advance fares. The journey takes an hour and the city is a short walk away. There are plenty of suggestions for things to do in our car-free guide to Oxford.
- To visit Blenheim Palace, hop off the Marylebone line at Oxford Parkway and catch bus S7 from Stop E. The bus journey takes about 20 minutes and drops you at Blenheim’s gates on the main road. Stroll along the driveway, with views over Capability Brown’s landscaped park, to the palace. Show your bus ticket at the gate to get a 20% discount off entry.
- Heading inside the palace, follow the red-carpet walkway through the Great Hall, with its painted ceiling. See writing rooms and saloons, state rooms and the spectacular Long Library.
- Stepping out into the gardens, walk through the west colonnade into the lovely water terraces. Turn left across the South Lawn for more views of the palace and into the elegant Italian Garden. The gardens stretch south, through rockeries and roses to a beautiful cascade.
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3. Waddesdon Manor
March is a special treat at Waddesdon manor near Aylesbury. The daffodils fill the valleys and the spring bulbs bloom in the formal gardens. This chateau-style manor house hung with 18th-century art now has a dedicated cycle route so you can arrive safely by bike.
- To get to Waddesdon, catch the train from London Marylebone to Aylesbury Parkway Vale. The 2.5-mile Waddesdon Greenway is a traffic-free route for walkers and cyclists from the station.
- You can also get there by bus from Aylesbury, Monday to Saturday.
- Stroll towards the mansion’s entrance or take a turn through the rolling park, past the elegant rose garden. Look for the exotically leafy aviary full of red-crested, yellow-green turacos and blue-crowned laughing thrushes.
- For more adventures in the area, have a look at our feature on car-free Aylesbury.
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4. RHS Garden Hyde Hall
Pink-blossomed cherry trees and white-flowered apples. Tulips and irises. Lacy Japanese snowballs and flamboyant magnolia… springtime at Hyde Hall garden in Essex is a beautiful sight. You get a 30% discount off entry when you show your train or bus ticket or a bike helmet.
- Follow our car-free travel directions to get to RHS Garden Hyde Hall.
- There’s a good stroll through the cottage garden, up through the wildflower meadow and out past the beehives into a huge grassy field with wide views. Head back through the blossom-hung woodland walks to the upper pond. Don’t miss the unusual dry garden, blazing with yellow-green spurges and red-hot pokers.
- You can explore more of the area with our car-free guide around Chelmsford.
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5. Greenwich and Docklands
This trip is not even outside Greater London, but you can still feel like you’ve escaped for the day. You can ride the boat to Greenwich from central London or follow this sightseeing route. Head for Royal Victoria station, on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) and catch the “air line”. It’s cheaper and cooler than the London Eye, without the queues.
- London’s cable car takes seven minutes to lift you high over the Thames to the Greenwich peninsula and the O2 arena. After 7pm every day, the cable car travels more slowly, giving you more time to enjoy the night-time views. In summer (and on Fridays and Saturdays all year) it runs until 11pm at night.
- With an Oyster or contactless card, it costs less for a single journey – or when you show a railway travel card at the ticket office. At 90 metres high, it has great views of the surrounding area. There’s an on-board video about the East London sights below you.
- On the far side, follow signs to North Greenwich Pier. Boats set off from here for Westminster via the green slopes and neoclassical elegance of Greenwich every twenty minutes. The sleek, speedy Uber Boat by Thames Clippers are a great way to travel through London. They offer an on-board bar, comfortable seats and huge picture windows looking out onto the water.
- It costs less to travel from the North Greenwich pier to Greenwich itself if you touch in and out with a contactless or Oyster card. If you have a travel card, show it at the ticket office to get 1/3 off the standard price.
- Arriving in Greenwich, two people can visit the Cutty Sark for the price of one when you show a train ticket and voucher. Follow Good Journey’s directions.
- Climb up through Greenwich Park towards the observatory for classic London views and the chance to stand on the meridian line, from which all global measurements begin.
- Coming back down towards the Maritime museum, don’t miss the refurbished Queen’s House next door. Completed by architect Inigo Jones in 1636, it was the first Italian-style building in England. It’s free and open daily, but booking is recommended. Cutty Sark DLR station is not far away.
- For more ideas in the area, see our car-free guide to Woolwich, Docklands and Greenwich.
