If you thought the UK’s old-world charm was exclusive to London, think again!
In fact, there’s more to see just half an hour outside the city.
Seeing a 40% surge of international visitors, it appears we have ourselves an exciting new day trip — or even weekend getaway — from the UK’s most iconic city.
As we all know, London isn’t exact budget friendly. It’s more of a budget buster.
I’ve made that mistake both times visiting by trying to navigate all the famous sites without spending a fortune, and failed drastically.
That’s one of many reasons why travelers are venturing beyond London, especially if you’re able to use it as a springboard to nearby locales such as Bath, Oxford, and now the timeless town of Reading.
30-Minute Train Ride To Remarkable Ruins
Be sure to check the latest Travel Alerts & Entry Requirements before your trip.
If you’ve been to London, then you know getting into the city can be quite a headache, especially now that the UK requires an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) upon entry.
I never get tired of traveling, but my least favorite part is the immediate post-flight gauntlet — you know, the bureaucracy of answering “why are you here?” type of questions, followed by figuring out a new country’s transit system, even if it’s just a simple ride to the city center.
A bus into the city seems to take up a whole day — at least that’s my experience.
The reality is, London’s trains are pretty awesome, and some take less time to get out than it did for you to get in.
One such train is the Great Western Railway service from London Paddington to Reading, a town you wish walls could talk.
As the BBC’s tourism report lays out, they’re actually implying a great option is to base ourselves here to save money, all while immersing in the wondrous cityscape we’ve all dreamt of visiting:
“People can stay in one of Reading’s many excellent hotels, knowing they can easily catch a train to London to see all the sights the capital has to offer before heading back to Reading, enjoying a meal while they’re at it”.
To catch the train, you’ll want to head to London Paddington, where travelers can choose between the fast service to Reading in as little as 22 minutes or the slower Elizabeth line for a more wallet-friendly, stop-by-stop ride that feels a bit more local.
Once here, you’ll be welcomed by one of the UK’s most unique cityscape chockfull of history, particularly the remarkably preserved Abbey Ruins.
No More Daylong Excursions: Ruins In The Heart Of The City
Look, we get it — there are some ancient marvels that have stood the test of time, making them incredible to visit.
Whether it’s Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, or whatever that disc-shaped object buried deep under Egypt’s pyramids really is, going out to see some of these bucket-list ruins can take a huge chunk out of your trip.
So, let’s do some math, shall we?
A train ride from London only takes half an hour at most, which brings you to Reading Station.
From there, it’s only an 8-minute walk to the Abbey Ruins, meaning you’ve only taken about 40 minutes of your day so far.
You’re probably wondering what is so special about this site. Here’s why:
It was once one of Europe’s largest royal monasteries, founded by King Henry I in the 1100s.
Better yet, the Abbey Quarter packs in 900 years of history right in the heart of town, including Henry I’s burial place, Jane Austen’s schoolroom, and Oscar Wilde’s former prison nearby.
You may catch modern amenities in Reading nowadays, but there’s still plenty that makes the city center a timestamp.
But it’s not a huge city. You can easily tackle all the worthwhile sites in a day, especially since the ruins are free of charge to enter.
In fact, BBC also reported 4.6 million people visit Reading just for the day.
How Safe Is The UK Right Now?
This is where things get a little dicey.
If you missed it, the UK issued a “Severe” terrorism warning, the second-highest on their scale.
While the official U.S. Embassy alert did not specifically state London was the main target, common sense certainly says so since an attack already took place, which triggered the alert in the first place.
Piggybacking off the Embassy, our very own real-time Safety Index tells a different story — at least for now, with a current score of 88/100.
Travelers are saying the UK is passing the vibe check, scoring it as one of Europe’s safest destinations from a traveler’s perspective, while the U.S. State Department has designated it as Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.
