I'll be in London next month and have a free day I'd like to spend outside the city. I've seen Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Bath.

I was thinking of Brighton but would be open to other suggestions. I'm not a museum person unless there's a "once in a lifetime" type exhibit. I enjoy shopping - but with current state of US$, not so much....

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Thanks! It didn't occur to me that Cardiff would be close enough for a day trip.

What do you like doing?

Woodbridge, in Suffolk, is an old-fashioned town, with a stunning section of the River Deben alongside its tide mill, and easily reached by train (a few direct, but otherwise a change at Ipswich). From there, you can reach must of the Suffolk Coast rather easily (Aldeburgh, Orford, Thorpeness, Southwold) - a place that has recently become one of my favourite spots in the UK.

If you fancy the South Coast, one of my favourite spots down there is Bosham, where Canute managed to prove his point. You'll have to change in Havant or Chichester and walk a bit, but it's a really lovely spot, with some nice boating in the Chichester Harbour (a good cycling spot, too). Chichester itself is nearby, a nice little town with a lovely cathedral and some Roman ruins.

York is an all-round great city, I love it there. It's quite far from London (200 miles) but the train is fast enough (under 2 hours) to make a day-trip doable. You do need to get the cheap tickets, though, as close to 12 weeks in advance of the trip as possible, or it'll be rather costly.

Stratford-upon-Avon is somewhere I've always fancied going - and it's quite easy now from London Marylebone by train, with tickets from £5 in advance.

Brighton is well worth a day-trip. The Regent's Palace is amazing, the town is full of enjoyable antique shops, and the Pier is good, tacky fun. oxford is only an hour from Paddington by train & is absolutely wonderful: take the circular tour and hang out in the pubs & have a pricey but wonderful lunch at the Cherwell Boat House on the Isis.^

Thank you for the great suggestions. Woodbridge really sounds like what I had in mind for exploring.... and I wish I had more time to see more areas.

Well, if you like the sound of Woodbridge, see

http://www.visit-woodbridge.co.uk/

and some snaps:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stut/tags/suffolk

Thank you, stut for the links. I am now really looking forward to my trip !