Visiting Rye & Camber Sands: The Perfect Day Trip from London
Visiting Rye & Camber Sands: The Perfect Day Trip from London
Rye, in East Sussex, is one of England’s best-kept secrets. It’s got the charm and beauty to match the country’s most popular spots, but somehow it’s still escaped the tourist hordes. Located between green rolling hills and the English Channel, it’s one of the best-preserved medieval towns in England — the kind of place where cobbled streets lead to half-timbered pubs, independent bookshops spill onto the pavement, and the pace of life genuinely slows down. Add Camber Sands, one of the closest stretches of golden sandy beach to London, and you’ve got one of the best day trips you can do from the city.
I’ve done this one more than once, and it still doesn’t get old.
VISITING RYE & CAMBER SANDS BEACH: THE ESSENTIALS
Transport / Rye is easy to reach from London — trains from Kings Cross take around an hour and run almost every hour and you can book them using Trainline. From Rye to Camber Sands it’s only a 10-minute drive or a 15-minute bus ride. For more flexibility, renting a car is a great (and often cheaper) option if you’re two or more — I use DiscoverCars.
Stay / The best options depending on your style include: B&Bs and cottages in Rye Town (see all options here) Beach houses in Camber Sands (see options here).
Connect / Stay connected with an eSIM — I use Sim Local (get 5% off with code TRAVELWITHPAU). Grab one here.
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
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).
For those who don’t want to rent a car or a little short on time it’s possible to experience the history of the city with an experienced guide via this Wells, Cheddar Cheese and Cheddar Gorge tour from Bath.
VISITING DUNSTER CASTLE & DUNSTER MEDIEVAL VILLAGE
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.
NON TOURISTY THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
Do you live in London or have been too many times? Had enough of Big Ben? Then you’re in the correct place.
London is undoubtedly the best city in the world. Well, I may be biased, but it is pretty awesome. Part of its awesomeness is that there are unlimited things to do which range from simply the unknown to the most ridiculous. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of non touristy things to do in London. The list is never ending: as soon as I experience more non touristy things to do in London, I will include them here, so remember to pin this post.
NON TOURISTY THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
QUIRKY THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
Have afternoon tea at a Cat Cafe
If you don’t know it already, Cat cafes are a thing. And London couldn’t be left behind in this feline trend. Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium offers a chance to have tea with kittens roaming around. To add more to the fun, it’s vegan friendly! Just remember to book in advance.
Hit up an immersive experience!
As a Londoner, one of my favourite absolutely non touristy things to do in London is immersive experiences! An immersive experience is the perception of being in one place when you are actually in another. It is essentially the suspension of reality, even if just for a few moments. London has tons of immersive bars, theatre and dining experiences. Check out the best here.
Rave before going to work
Yes, this is also a thing! Morning Gloryville is becoming increasingly popular in London. It offers you the chance to rave from ~6 to 10.30 AM, on an alcohol free environment. Superfood smoothies, massages and lots of dancing instead. And yes, tickets sell out early so do book.
Check out a house made with one million mosaic tiles: Chiswick Mosaic House
Carrie Reichardt’s is the artist behind this house, which is hidden away on a quiet, suburban street in Chiswick. It is covered from top to bottom in colourful mosaic tiles. It tells a thousand stories, each reflecting the various artists who have helped to create this masterpiece, ever since the project first began in the 90s.
BYOC: Bring Your Own Cocktails
The BYOC bars invite you to bring your own bottle of your favourite spirit to then have a skilled bartender create cocktails designed just for you. The bars, spread across four locations in London, are set with a 20s prohibition style to add more to the experience. And yes, in this one you also need to book quite in advance.