Weekend Breaks from London 4: Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire

Oxfordshire
Oxford may not seem like the best place to take a family, but it’s actually a fantastic destination for children of all ages.  You don’t have to drag them round colleges all day – try combining a quick peak at Christ Church with a run around the wonderful Botanic Garden, or a punt up the river with a ghost walk guaranteed to scare the pants off them. If you are here for the weekend, take a drive to Didcot Railway Centre, or the award-winning Roald Dahl Museum just over the border in Buckinghamshire.

Attractions: Oxford, Didcot Railway Centre, Roald Dahl Museum

Getting There: just over 1hr by car to Oxford, or 1hr by train to Oxford from London Paddington.

Stay:  Langsmeade House in Thame or Bath Place Hotel

Hertfordshire
Combine a trip to Whipsnade Zoo or Paradise Wildlife Park with a visit to the awesome branch of the Natural History Museum at Tring and a stay in the Hertfordshire gentle countryside with its unspoilt villages and make a special weekend of it.

Attractions: Whipsnade, Woburn Safari, Paradise Wildlife Park, Natural History Museum at Tring, Woburn Abbey Safari Park (Bedfordshire), Knebworth House & Gardens, Hatfield House, Scotts Grotto, Verulamium Museum

Getting There: 50mins by car to Knebworth, or about 20mins to St Albans from King’s Cross Thameslink

Where to stay:  Homewood, Old Knebworth or West Lodge, Hitchin (01438 832633)