Day Trips From London By Plane
When does a day out require your passport?
Most likely, not very often. But when a day out to Margate from London takes upwards of two hours, to then be challenged with finding parking space, it makes great sense to transfer that same travel time to jetting to another country.
With at least five airports within London and its wider surrounds, the options are endless. These are five-day trips, all departing from London's airports with flight times ranging from one hour to one hour and fifty minutes. Chosen not just for their varied activities but for the ease of journey from the arrival airports to the city centre. That is, all under thirty minutes by train or taxi.
No day trip is complete without a spot of dining and included is at least one dining option at each destination. In some cases, lunch may even be the defining reason for the day out!
TOULOUSE
The red-pink bricks of this city are it's stand out feature leading to the moniker La Ville Rose or pink city.
The sunsets of Toulouse are an experience in themselves - a plethora of pinks and reds. With a flight departing as late as 21:30 and the sun setting earlier in the autumn, join the Toulousains at Quai de la Daurade and watch the sunset on the banks of the Garonne.
Just as exciting is a sunset dinner on the terrace of
Ma Biche Sur Le Toit with uninterrupted views over the roof tops of Toulouse.
Ever wondered how an A380 is assembled or intrigued by the cosmos. Satisfy those curiosities with a visit to Airbus' headquarters and witness not one but up to five Airbuses being assembled. Or step into their zero-gravity simulator for a moon walking experience.
Take a leisurely stroll, bike ride or a canal cruise along Canal du Midi a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Average Temperature: 19 - 10°c
Getting There: London Stansted to Toulouse with Ryanair. Scheduled arrival into Toulouse 10:15. Scheduled departure from Toulouse 21:30.
Flight Time: 1h 50
JERSEY
With a flight time of one hour, you will be touching down in St Helier before the in-flight Wi-Fi connects. It is also the shortest flight time on the list.
Equally as quick is the journey from the airport to the capital St Helier - around 15 minutes.
Nine miles by five miles, Jersey is easily traversed. Hire a vehicle for the day (ensure to check what documents are required to drive in Jersey) and make your way over to La Mare Wine Estates.
Explore the estate which has been in operation since 1972, then indulge your sensory with a spot of wine tasting. (And I'm in no way encouraging drinking and driving.)
Jersey is after all an island. Take in the views of the island from a different vantage point. Step onboard a catamaran for a three-hour cruise around the south coast with Go Sail Jersey.
And did I say no currency changes required for your bank of England notes?
Average Temperature: 14 - 11°c
Getting There: London Gatwick to Jersey with easyJet. Scheduled arrival into Jersey 08:15. Scheduled departure from Jersey 19:20.
Flight Time: 1h 05
LUXEMBOURG
Landlocked between Germany, France and Belgium is the multi-cultural and multilingual Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
I hasten to add it is the only Grand Duchy in the world!
So, what to do in Luxembourg City? Head to Place d'Armes with its many restaurants and cafes and take pleasure in watching Luxembourgers and visitors alike go by.
From Place d'Armes take on a self-guided walking tour of the Old Town - a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city straddles hills and gorges, so this is no walk in the park but the views from both atop and below are picturesque.
This much strenuous activity could only be rewarded with lunch from the international menu at La Maison Le Fevre - one Luxembourg's upscale restaurants. Located in Alzette, it is worth noting that this area is part of the old town walking tour.
Average Temperature: 13 - 7° c
Getting There: London Heathrow to Luxembourg with British Airways. Scheduled arrival into Luxembourg 09:40. Scheduled departure from Luxembourg 21:25
Flight Time: 1h 20
BASEL
A jaunt from London to Basel gives a generous 5 hours on the ground.
Long enough to take in an art museum or two. With over 30 to choose from there are no shortages of museums here.
A visit to Kuntsmuseum - a museum of fine art can be climaxed with a late afternoon lunch at one of the world's top 100 fine dining restaurants - Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl overlooking the River Rhine.
If guilt kicks in about the impact the jaunt to Basel may have had on the environment take a trip across the Rhine on the Basel Ferry. The crossing is fuelled only by the current of the river.
But what is missed on the ground is made up for with visual treats of lakes and snow-capped mountains when flying over Switzerland.
Average Temperature: 16 - 7°c
Getting There: London Heathrow to Basel Mulhouse Frieburg with British Airways. Scheduled arrival into Basel 11:00. Scheduled departure from Basel 18:40.
Flight Time: 1h 40
AMSTERDAM
No 'Dutch Courage' required here.
Lastminute.com notes Amsterdam as one of its top ten European destinations favoured by Brits for a quick escape.
Amsterdam has no shortage of bars, waterways and museums. With time being of the essence quirky museums such as Houseboat Museum or the statelier Museum Van Loon where you could indulge yourself in in 19th century Amsterdam have shorter queues.
A trip to Amsterdam is incomplete without a cruise along its waterways. Exclusively reserve Tourist - Hotel Pulitzer's elegant vessel and watch Amsterdam go by on your personal tour. Or go for a long lunch at one of Amsterdam's hot spots Hèt Terras and watch the rest of Amsterdam go by on water.
Average Temperature: 15 - 8°c
Getting There: London Luton to Amsterdam with easyJet. Scheduled arrival into Amsterdam 08:15. Scheduled departure from Amsterdam 20:10.
Flight Time: 1h 15
And a 'Wild Card'.
Fancy a ticket just that bit more glamorous? Charter a private jet from London Biggin Hill to Cannes Mandelieu Airport. It is 10 minutes from the airport to the centre of Cannes. What you do with the rest of the day on the Cote d'Azure well that is up to you!
Remember 'A mile of highway will take you a mile, but a mile of runway will take you anywhere' Author Unknown
Where would you jet to for a day out?
With the exception of Villiers Jets - GirlwellTravelled blog is in no way affiliated with any of the companies noted. All flight details correct as of 27th August for a travel date 27th October 2018 via Skyscanner. All temperatures relate to the month of October via Holiday Weather.
