A great day trip from London is to Rye and Camber Sands in East Sussex, UK.
The city of Rye is famous for its charming houses and history as an important port.
How to get there
To get to Rye from London you will need to take two trains but the total travel time is 1 hr 9 minutes. Don't let the train switch scare you! This was the first train route I took in Euope and I managed just fine. The time between the two trains is about 10 minutes which makes the interchange less stressful. Let's walk through how you get there:
You will be taking a SouthEastern Train from London St. Pancreas (King's Cross) to Ashford International and switching to a Southern Train from Ashford International to Rye (Sussex)
Tickets can be purchased ahead of time from any UK train website. Linked below is the SouthEastern Rail website
There are options to leave London/Rye every hour. This makes it somewhat flexible. The train schedule also works out nice because you have a little over 10 minutes stop at Ashford International so you aren't rushing too much between trains. If you plan on making this a day trip, be sure you pay attention to when the last trains leave so you don't get stuck!
What to do in Rye
The two main reasons I was drawn to the city of Rye is Mermaid Street and the nearby beach. While I was there, I found so many things to do in the small city.
I visited Rye in late February. It was a nice spring day and since it was the off season there were not many visitors. This allowed me to have different areas of the city to myself at times which was great!
I have seen pictures of the streets with flowers and other decorations so I think the city gets even cuter as the weather warms up. You just have to remember there will start to be more visitors, too.
The cobblestone roads of Mermaid Street make you feel like you jump back in time. Each house has its own character which makes it really interesting to see. Note: It is a steep road, but short road so be extra careful on the uneven surfaces.
One of my favorite parts of my time in Rye was seeing the city from above. This can be done by climbing the Church of Saint Mary's Bell Tower. For a small fee, you can go up narrow staircases and out a small door to walk around the outside of the top of the church. You can see the city building's character from above, look out to the grasslands, and see all the way to the ocean. Check mass times (and open hours of the church) because I do not believe you are able to pay to go up during those times.
In addition, walk along High Street and Cinque Ports Street to visit the many small shops and restaurants.
How to get to Camber Sands
There are a few options to get to Camber Sands.
1. Walk
As you approach the beach it will become more hilly. You are able to keep walking to the main beach entrance near the restaurants or hop on the beach early and take one of the sand hill paths.
2. Bus
There are 5 bus stops in Camber Sands and 5 bus stops in Rye that you can get picked up/dropped off at. The bus you want is 102. Click on the link below to be taken to a website showing the bus route.
The 102 bus runs every hour from 06:49 and ends at 19:59 most days of the week. Check the schedule to be sure there are no exceptions for the day you plan to visit.
I chose to walk to Camber Sands and take the bus home which I would recommend as the best option if you are able to.
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