Don’t get me wrong, London is a great city full of fun activities and sights. In fact, you could probably live in London and still never see all of the amazing things it has to offer. However, it’s also a prime spot for weekend travel that you should definitely take advantage of. If you’re going to London any time soon, mark off a chunk of your travel bucket list by visiting these spots (and several more if you get the chance):

Paris: London to Paris is possibly the easiest and most popular trips in Europe. The Eurostar train ride takes about two hours and sets you in the heart of Paris at Gare du Nord. Just be sure to get to the train station at least an hour early to get through security and passport control. Making the train with three minutes to spare is a good story but not a good feeling.

Barcelona: Barcelona was certainly more expensive and more of a hassle than Paris because in order to have more time, we flew. The city is certainly a change of pace from London not only because of the language and culture but because of the climate. Barcelona – especially the beach – is significantly warmer than London (even when London is in a heat wave). Be sure to pack accordingly and expect fewer English-speakers than in London or Paris.

Sheffield: For all of the Pride & Prejudice enthusiasts like me, a day or weekend trip to the English countryside is well worth it. The best place to go is Sheffield where you can visit Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. Chatsworth House is where the movie Pride & Prejudice was filmed (it was Mr. Darcy’s house) and it is also close to other filming locations. The countryside is also a nice break from the hustle and bustle of London.

Check out these other must-see places if you have time, but don’t forget to enjoy London while you’re there!

Ireland (1 hour by plane)

Scotland (5 hours by train)

Amsterdam (5 hours by train)

Brussels (2 hours by train)

Brighton (1 hour by train)