England, from stone villages to London.

Which England should you choose?

England is the biggest country in the United Kingdom and the one that is easiest to get around by train. For a first week-long trip, the combination that works is city plus countryside: a few days in London and two or three nights in a stone village.

• If you're travelling with children or it's your first time, start with London. The big museums, such as the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, are free; children under 11 travel free on the Tube with an adult, and an hour away is the studio where Harry Potter was filmed. Four days gives you plenty.
• If you're after villages, footpaths and country pubs, head to the Cotswolds: limestone hills west of London, drystone walls and villages such as Bibury, Castle Combe or Chipping Campden. You can tour them by car in two or three days, or by train and bus if you choose your base well.

You can link the two without a car: from Paddington station in London, direct trains run to Moreton-in-Marsh, in the north of the Cotswolds, in about an hour and a half.

Day trips from London

London is also the best base for seeing the south of England without a car: fast trains leave its stations for cities you can see in a day and then return to sleep at your hotel.

• Oxford, an hour by train from Paddington: stone colleges, free museums and punts on the river. Half an hour away by bus, Blenheim Palace.
• Cambridge, 48 minutes from King's Cross: King's College Chapel, the college gardens from a punt and a walk across the meadows to Grantchester.
• Bath, 1 h 20 from Paddington: Roman baths, the Royal Crescent and a thermal soak on a rooftop. From there, a trip to Stonehenge.
• Windsor, about 35 minutes from Paddington: the royal castle, a boat on the Thames and LEGOLAND next door.
• Brighton and the Seven Sisters, an hour from Victoria: the Royal Pavilion, the pier and the white cliffs a bus ride away.
• Canterbury, 55 minutes by high-speed train from St Pancras: Becket's cathedral, medieval alleys and a Roman mosaic under the street.
• Whitstable, an hour and a quarter on a direct train: the oyster harbour, colourful beach huts and a stone causeway that appears at low tide.
• Salisbury, an hour and a half from Waterloo: the tallest spire in England, an original Magna Carta and the bus to Stonehenge from the station.
• Rye, a little over an hour via Ashford: cobbled streets, the smugglers' inn and the dunes of Camber Sands.
• Stratford-upon-Avon, about two hours from Marylebone: Shakespeare's houses, his grave and the Royal Shakespeare Company's theatre; better with an overnight stay.

And for fans, the Harry Potter studio is in Leavesden, 20 minutes by train from Euston; Greenwich and Hampton Court Palace, without leaving London, are also in the London guide.

How do you get there from Spain?

By plane. There are direct flights to London's airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton) from almost all Spanish airports, taking a little over two hours from Madrid or Barcelona. For the Cotswolds, Bristol is the other gateway: it has direct flights from Málaga, Alicante, Madrid and other cities, and from there you are an hour by car from the south of the area.

Paperwork. You need a passport: the Spanish ID card no longer works for entering the United Kingdom, except for residents with EU Settlement Scheme status. Also, since April 2025 you need an ETA, an electronic authorisation you apply for before travelling on the British government's official website or app. It costs £20 and allows visits of up to six months. Since 25 February 2026 you aren't allowed to board without it: apply days ahead and steer clear of websites that process it for more money.

Health. The European Health Insurance Card is still valid in the United Kingdom, but it is no substitute for travel insurance.

How to get around

In London, you don't need to buy tickets: you pay for the Tube, buses and many trains with your contactless card or phone, and there is a daily cap. Each adult needs their own card.

Outside the city, the train is fast and frequent, but expensive if you buy the ticket on the day: book long journeys in advance. In the countryside, buses exist but are infrequent.

For villages, a car gives you freedom. You drive on the left, with roundabouts going clockwise and narrow roads between stone walls. Hire a small car, and an automatic if you aren't used to changing gear with your left hand.

When to go and what it costs

May, June and September are the best months: long days, mild temperatures and fewer people. In July and August everything is full, especially during the English school holidays. In December London has lights and markets, but the days are short and in the countryside some attractions close. It rains often and briefly at any time of year: bring a waterproof.

The budget is high. Accommodation in London weighs most, and unreserved train tickets are expensive. What makes up for it: the free museums and the fact that almost everything is paid for by card, even a coffee. The currency is the pound sterling, and in many places they no longer accept cash.