Days Out Guides
For a fun filled family day out, jump on the train and head down the Great Western Railway to one of the exciting attractions below!
Check out our handy days out guides for all the information you need on 15 fantastic attractions and a variety of attractions for you and your family to visit within the region.
Explore each location and download the full guides for our top suggestions, including useful facts and logistical information to help make sure your day out is an unforgettable one.
Featured Attractions
M Shed
This fab museum in a dockside transit shed tells Bristol’s story through the centuries. With 3,000 artefacts on display documenting Bristol’s past, M Shed has everything from Aardman’s little Wallace and Gromit models to gargantuan working cranes. There’s plenty for the whole family here, all year round, but the weekend’s definitely the time to go. That’s when you can take a trip on two different antique tugboats and hop aboard the dockside steam railway (originally built by GWR)!
Portsmouth Museum
A treasure trove of exhibits from every aspect of Pompey’s past, from literature to footie. Portsmouth Museum’s fairy-tale castle turrets and pointed roofs protect the town’s precious collections of art and historical artefacts. While looking at the museum’s paintings and fossils is cool, it’s not at as much fun as solving a mystery, so if you fancy yourself as a young Sherlock Holmes, make a beeline for the Conan Doyle gallery. The museum also has an awesome social history collection full of household items from the 17th century to the present day.
Museum of the History of Science
An Oxford University museum with a world-class collection of historic scientific instruments. Ogle at astrolabes, sundials, quadrants, microscopes, telescopes and many more instruments used by scholars of the past. Why not plan your visit on a day when the museum is holding one of its free fortnightly, family-friendly sessions? The museum’s team alternate fun drop-in sessions with more intensive 2-hour workshops in which you can make your own models of museum objects and learn how they work.
All locations
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Bath
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Bristol
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Cardiff
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Cheltenham
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Exeter
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London
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Oxford
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Penzance
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Portsmouth
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Reading
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Salisbury
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Swansea
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Swindon
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Taunton
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Weymouth
Bath
A chic UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Bath packs it in when it comes to contemporary culture, food and entertainment.
Bristol
Bristol is full of exciting attractions and bursting with events and festivals throughout the year, from waterfront regattas to ballooning spectaculars.
Cardiff
If you’ve never been to Cardiff, now is the time to go. The city and its waterfront have been totally transformed in recent years. People are friendly, the transport is excellent and the local cuisine absolutely top-quality.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham came into being when its natural springs were discovered in 1716 and the elegant Regency town was specifically designed as a pleasure health resort for wealthy visitors.
Exeter
Devon’s county town of Exeter is a vibrant, friendly city first established by the Romans back in AD55 and you can still walk on top of the Roman walls today if you’re feeling brave!
London
London is a capital city like no other. With excitement at every turn and the greatest concentration of attractions in Britain (238 of them free of charge), deciding just what to do is a challenge!
Oxford
The ‘City of Dreaming Spires’ is sure to inspire – the halls, courtyards and towers of the 38 colleges of England’s oldest university are stunning and many are free to visit!
Penzance
Penzance means ‘holy headland’ in the Cornish language, and it’s famous for being the most westerly major town in England, not to mention being the setting for Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic ‘Pirates’ opera.
Portsmouth
The UK’s only island city is practically overflowing with reasons to visit. From HMS Victory and the Mary Rose ‘celebrity ships’ at the Historic Dockyard, to the towering Spinnaker Tower, world-class museums and outstanding arts.
Reading
Founded way back in 800AD by the Saxons, you’ll find over 850 listed buildings around the town, including the famous Reading Abbey, medieval churches and old coaching inns. It’s also not far from the magnificent Windsor Castle.
Salisbury
With timbered buildings and a Gothic cathedral set amidst some of England’s most beautiful landscapes, Salisbury is known as ‘the city in the countryside’. It’s a thriving market town with more than its fair share of museums and historic places.
Swansea
Swansea, the second-largest city in Wales, sits in a fantastic setting on a sweeping bay with stunning coastal scenery and beautiful sandy beaches.
Swindon
Swindon, once a small market town where two Roman roads crossed, was completely transformed by the arrival of the Great Western Railway. So what better way to celebrate its locomotive heritage than arriving by train?
Taunton
The first wonderful thing you’ll notice about visiting Taunton is the stunning scenery as you approach by train!
Weymouth
Weymouth’s beautiful, safe, sandy beaches, rich heritage and spectacular coastline make it a firm favourite.
Bath
A chic UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Bath packs it in when it comes to contemporary culture, food and entertainment.
Bristol
Bristol is full of exciting attractions and bursting with events and festivals throughout the year, from waterfront regattas to ballooning spectaculars.
Cardiff
If you’ve never been to Cardiff, now is the time to go. The city and its waterfront have been totally transformed in recent years. People are friendly, the transport is excellent and the local cuisine absolutely top-quality.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham came into being when its natural springs were discovered in 1716 and the elegant Regency town was specifically designed as a pleasure health resort for wealthy visitors.
Exeter
Devon’s county town of Exeter is a vibrant, friendly city first established by the Romans back in AD55 and you can still walk on top of the Roman walls today if you’re feeling brave!
London
London is a capital city like no other. With excitement at every turn and the greatest concentration of attractions in Britain (238 of them free of charge), deciding just what to do is a challenge!
Oxford
The ‘City of Dreaming Spires’ is sure to inspire – the halls, courtyards and towers of the 38 colleges of England’s oldest university are stunning and many are free to visit!
Penzance
Penzance means ‘holy headland’ in the Cornish language, and it’s famous for being the most westerly major town in England, not to mention being the setting for Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic ‘Pirates’ opera.
Portsmouth
The UK’s only island city is practically overflowing with reasons to visit. From HMS Victory and the Mary Rose ‘celebrity ships’ at the Historic Dockyard, to the towering Spinnaker Tower, world-class museums and outstanding arts.
Reading
Founded way back in 800AD by the Saxons, you’ll find over 850 listed buildings around the town, including the famous Reading Abbey, medieval churches and old coaching inns. It’s also not far from the magnificent Windsor Castle.
Salisbury
With timbered buildings and a Gothic cathedral set amidst some of England’s most beautiful landscapes, Salisbury is known as ‘the city in the countryside’. It’s a thriving market town with more than its fair share of museums and historic places.
Swansea
Swansea, the second-largest city in Wales, sits in a fantastic setting on a sweeping bay with stunning coastal scenery and beautiful sandy beaches.
Swindon
Swindon, once a small market town where two Roman roads crossed, was completely transformed by the arrival of the Great Western Railway. So what better way to celebrate its locomotive heritage than arriving by train?
Taunton
The first wonderful thing you’ll notice about visiting Taunton is the stunning scenery as you approach by train!
Weymouth
