Hop on a train and be somewhere wonderful before lunch — five easy escapes from the capital.
Brighton
Seaside air, the Palace Pier and the flamboyant Royal Pavilion — under an hour by train from Victoria or London Bridge.
Oxford
Dreaming spires, historic colleges and the Bodleian Library — under an hour by train from Paddington.
Cambridge
Punting on the River Cam and the world-famous King's College Chapel — under 50 minutes by train from King's Cross.
Windsor
Windsor Castle, the King's official residence, and nearly 1,000 years of royal history — as little as 30 minutes from Paddington (changing at Slough), or just under an hour direct from Waterloo.
Bath
Roman baths, the Royal Crescent and honey-stone Georgian streets — about 1 hour 20 by train from Paddington.