Around over two hours from London by car, the Jurassic Coast makes a wonderful day or weekend trip from London if you are looking for stunning seaside views and cute towns.
Wait! Jurassic Coast? Am I going to see dinosaurs?
You wish! The 154km long Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It spans from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset.
Why is it called Jurassic Coast? Well, this site has around 185 million years of geological history. Erosion in the coast has exposed rock formations from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, and this is why it is a World Heritage Site. The fossils of the various creatures who lived here have been preserved in the rocks. You can actually see sea shells, and who knows what else, encrusted in them.
I’ve visited Birmingham from London more than seven times already and lived there for a couple of weeks while I was renovating my Airbnb. When I asked in my Instagram stories I realised no one really visits Birmingham, but it’s quite an interesting city! Some of the things that make it special are that it’s actually the second largest city in the UK and also the youngest city with over 40% of the population being under 25 (fun! right?).
Also, Birmingham is home to more canal waterways than Venice and is home to the Bullring Shopping Centre which is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe. If you ask me personally, I really like the industrial vibe of Birmingham, the mix of old and new architecture and the artsy vibe the neighbourhood of Digbeth breathes. On top of that, Birmingham boasts of fine arts, fine dining and greenery. It is the home for some of the most ground breaking music in the world (metal was born here!), Cadbury’s chocolate factory and the Peaky Blinders!
BIRMINGHAM, UK: ONE DAY ITINERARY & THINGS TO DO – Victoria Square
VISITING BIRMINGHAM: THE ESSENTIALS
Transport / Birmingham is a very walkable city, there’s great transport links to it and a great bus system in the city. Many still choose to drive there using a rental car as some attractions are a bit spready out. Book your rental using DiscoverCars, the website I recommend for all car hires. If you are not renting a car, should you require an airport transfer from Birmingham airport, I always use WelcomePickups.
Connect / You’ll need mobile data while you are in Birmingham, I always recommend using an eSIM (there’s absolutely no need for a physical one!) – here’s some eSIM options for UK.
Get Insured / Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
A TRAVEL GUIDE TO WELLS, ENGLAND FROM LONDON: Wells Cathedral
Located in the foothills of the Mendip Hills, Wells is the tiniest cathedral city in the UK with only 11000 inhabitants. Wells lies close to the border with Wales and is not far from the iconic Glastonbury Tor and Cheddar. In this guide you’ll find the best things to do in Wells, where to stay, as well as things to do nearby.
How To Get To Wells From London
The best and easiest way to reach Wells from London is by car. You can rent a car in London or various other UK locations using Discovercars which offers the best and cheapest rentals. If you don’t want to drive, Wells is indeed connected to the rest of the UK via public transport. That said, Wells doesn’t have its own train station, the nearest one being Castle Cary (13 miles away).
Dunster Castle & Dunster Village are a great day trip if you are staying somewhere in Somerset or Exmoor National Park in England. Dunster has a range of heritage sites and cultural attractions which combine with the castle to make it a popular tourist destination. Dunster is a village, civil parish and former manor within Somerset’s English county. It’s just within the north-eastern boundary of the Exmoor National Park.
The area has been occupied since the Iron Age, but the village grew up around Dunster Castle which was built on the Tor by the Norman warrior William de Mohun shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
How To Get To Dunster
Many visitors arrive on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway running from Minehad to Bishops Lydeard. If you are not planning to do this, then the best way to get to Dunster is by car. You can rent a car in London or various other UK locations using Discovercars which offers the best and cheapest rentals. It’s possible to get to Dunster from London using public transport by taking a train from Paddington to Taunton and then a bus from Taunton to Dunster.
