Day Trip from London | Warwick Castle, Stratford + Oxford

This being my second trip to London {8 days last September + 8 days this year}, I wanted to do a little day trip outside the city this time around. After TONS of researching {and agonizing over all the possible options}, Luccia + I opted for a day trip to Warwick Castle, Stratford and Oxford. We booked with Premium Tours, and while the location line-up seemed promising, our tour guide was sadly not the best I’ve experienced. Nonetheless, it was fun bopping around the English countryside {a place I definitely want to re-visit} to see a few historical spots.

First up, about a 2 1/2 hour drive outside London – Warwick Castle. A midivil castle built in 1068, which has since undergone some re-building and renovations to be presented by the Tussauds Group today. For me personally, I prefer to visit historical sites in their more original state. Although it may not be as ‘glorious’ or pretty, it’s authentic. Warwick Castle isn’t quite like that. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of traditional artifacts present throughout the rooms and halls, but there’s also a lot of theatrical-esk aspects at this particular castle. Still a masterpiece to see in it’s own right!

Shakespeare’s birthplace {and resting grounds}. This place is filled with history, memories and stories of one of the greatest writers that ever lived. Not to mention some cutie patootie shops + cafes. We visited the official Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, where you can tour his actual home, room and grounds, along with a slew of memorabilia.

Lastly, and probably my personal favorite – Oxford. Even though I’ve never seen or read any of the Harry Potter series, many of you may be familiar with Oxford as the set location for several scenes from the series. Oh, and of course it being a wildly prestigious university. But aside from all of that, the campus grounds and surrounding streets are stunning. I wish we would have had more time to explore the city itself, but such is life when you’re on a strict schedule.