Best day trips from London: how to get there and what to see

Four trips cover most of what a visitor wants from a day out of London: theatre in Stratford, a slow river town in St Marys, a beach day on Lake Erie, or a full city day in Toronto. The table below gives the shape of each one; the detail sections explain how to do them.

Stratford is the strongest single day trip from London: a small city on the Avon River with a theatre company that draws visitors from across North America, plus a walkable downtown of shops and restaurants. Most people come for a matinee and stay for dinner.

By car, take Highway 7/8 east; the drive is about 45 minutes outside rush hour. Parking near the theatres fills on show days, so arrive early or use a lot a few blocks out. Without a car, check the current train and bus options: service exists but timings change by season, and a same-day return can be tight for an evening show.

Book theatre seats before you fix the date, especially for weekend performances in summer. If you are not seeing a show, the river flats, the Shakespearean gardens and the downtown are still worth the drive on a warm day.

St Marys is a small town about 30 minutes northeast of London, useful when you want a short, low-cost outing rather than a full day. The centre is compact, the river runs through it, and the old quarry swimming area is a local summer fixture.

This is a half-day trip at most. Pair it with a drive along the Thames valley back toward London, or with a stop in Stratford if you are already heading east. Fuel and parking are the main costs; there is no big-ticket attraction to book.

Port Stanley and Grand Bend are the two beach towns Londoners use most in summer. Port Stanley is closer and smaller, with a harbour, a main beach and a strip of casual food. Grand Bend is bigger, busier and better known for its long sandy beach and evening scene.

Both are car trips. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic on the way in and out, so leave early and plan to stay for dinner rather than driving back at peak time. Water quality at Lake Erie beaches is monitored in season; check local postings before swimming, since closures happen after heavy rain.

Outside June to September, these towns are quiet and many seasonal businesses close. A winter visit is a walk, not a beach day.

Toronto is doable as a long day trip, but it is a full one: roughly two hours each way by car or train, which leaves about eight hours in the city if you start early. Go for a specific target, such as a museum, a neighbourhood or a game, rather than trying to see the whole city.

The train is the lower-stress option because you avoid downtown parking and Highway 401 traffic. Check current schedules and book return times in advance; the last train of the day is the constraint on how late you can stay. Driving works if you leave before 7am and accept paying for parking downtown.

If Toronto is the main reason for your trip rather than a day out, it is worth an overnight instead. See the Canada travel guide for how Toronto fits into a longer eastern route.

Day trips from London are cheap unless you add a ticketed attraction. Fuel for a 100–150 km round trip is roughly CAD 15–30 in 2026, parking CAD 5–40 depending on the destination, and a Stratford theatre ticket is the one cost that can run into the hundreds. Train fares to Stratford or Toronto vary by how far ahead you book.

Start early. The difference between a relaxed day trip and a frustrating one is usually leaving London before 8am, especially on summer weekends when everyone heads the same way.

Check seasonal openings before you drive. Beach towns, theatre seasons and some rural attractions run on summer hours, and a Tuesday in February looks nothing like a Saturday in July. If you are relying on public transport, confirm the return trip as well as the outbound one, because the last bus or train often leaves earlier than you expect.

For a longer stay in the region, see the London itinerary and where to stay in London pages, and check the best time to visit London before fixing dates.