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Region

Surrey

Base in Guildford or Woking; do Box Hill, Runnymede and Hampton Court as day trips, not hotel hops.

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Key facts · United Kingdom

Best months
Apr–May, Sep
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
Pound sterling (GBP, £)
Language
English
Plugs
G · 230 V
Time zone
GMT, BST from late March to late October
Month by month hereIn detail ↓
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.

Surrey is the wooded county immediately southwest of London, 30–65 km out, and it works best as one base plus short train hops. Guildford is the walking-and-food base with two stations and fast Waterloo trains; Woking is the fastest rail junction and cheapest beds. Almost everything worth seeing — Box Hill, Denbies, Runnymede, Hampton Court, Epsom Downs — is under an hour from one of those two. A car only pays off for the pub-restaurants and vineyards in the middle of the county.

Where to sleep

10 places in this region

Sleep base

  • GuildfordCity guide

    Cobbled high street, two stations, fastest Waterloo trains, best food and pub choice.

    Best May–Sep

    Open Guildford →

  • WokingCity guide

    Rail junction for the whole county; cheapest chain hotels; little to see itself.

    Best May–Sep

    Open Woking →

Day trip

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights
Guildford 2 nights: one day Box Hill + Denbies, one day Hampton Court or Runnymede
3 nights
Guildford 2 + Woking 1 (last night for an early Heathrow or Gatwick flight)
  • North Surrey sits inside the London commuter belt: weekday trains into Waterloo peak 07:00–09:00 and back 17:00–19:00, and hotel rates spike with them.
  • Box Hill, Leith Hill and the North Downs paths are muddy from October to March; trail shoes, not trainers.
  • Race days at Epsom, Sandown and Kempton Park fill local trains and pubs — check the fixture list before you book a quiet weekend.

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
Box Hill and WesthumbleGuildford60 minunknownTrain to Box Hill & Westhumble, walk the stepping stones and the zig-zag climb; check last train back.
Denbies Wine Estate, DorkingGuildford45 minunknownTours run through the day; the summer-only train tour needs booking.
Hampton Court PalaceWoking55 minunknownPalace and gardens fill a full day; book timed entry ahead.
Runnymede and the Savill GardenChertsey30 minunknownMeadows are free and open; the garden has an entry fee and shorter winter hours.

Bags between cities

Not a thing here — Surrey is a day-trip county. Leave bags at the hotel and travel light; most stations have no left luggage.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Guildford
Woking
Dorking
Epsom
Farnham
Camberley
Reigate
Haslemere
Chertsey
Weybridge
United Kingdom (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month
ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
SurreyWhole county, London commuter beltcoolcoolokbestbestokokokbestokcoolcool
best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, grey
Surrey
Mild and wet year-round; July–August average highs around 22–24 °C (72–75 °F), January around 7–8 °C (45–46 °F). Rain is spread evenly, so plan indoor sights as backup. Snow is rare and rarely settles.

May–June and September give the best walking weather with fewer crowds; April and October are fine but shorter and wetter.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate
FromToHowp50Note
Heathrow (LHR)Woking / GuildfordRailAir coach to Woking, then train~60–90 min doorBest for north and west Surrey; the coach runs through the day.
Gatwick (LGW)Guildford / DorkingTrain via Redhill or Clapham Junction~60–80 min doorGatwick sits just across the West Sussex border; no car needed.
London WaterlooGuildford / WokingSouth Western Railway fast service~35–40 min to Guildford, ~25 min to WokingOff-peak day returns are far cheaper; contactless is not valid this far out.
London VictoriaReigate / Dorking / EpsomSouthern service~40–55 minThe line for south and east Surrey.
By carCounty-wideM25 orbital, M3, M23, A3, A24, A25variesUseful only for the middle-of-county pubs and vineyards; parking in Guildford and Woking is paid and tight.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Off-peak day return

buy

The default for any Surrey day trip; buy at the station or on the app, not on the train.

Oyster / contactless

check

Works on London red buses in the far north and on TfL-zone stations (Epsom, Esher, Staines); not on Surrey county buses.

National Trust / English Heritage membership

check

Pays only if you are doing several paid gardens and palaces in one trip; check current prices.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works
DishWhereTiming / trap
Pub lunchVillages around Dorking, Shere and FarnhamSunday roasts book out by Friday; most kitchens close 14:30–17:00.
Indian and Italian independentsGuildford, Woking, CamberleyThe cheap eat in Surrey; town-centre places fill after 19:00.
Vineyard tasting platesDenbies (Dorking), Greyfriars (Guildford), Hogs Back Brewery (Farnham)Book tours ahead; brewery taprooms are weekend-heavy.
Game and chestnuts in winterButchers and pubs county-wideSeasonal, roughly October to February.

Go next

London

Train 25–40 min from Woking or Guildford

Hampton Court, Richmond and Kew are the nearest royal stops.

South East England

planned

Rail and road links county-wide

The region guide for Kent, Sussex and the coast.

Hampshire

Train ~40 min Guildford to Winchester area

Winchester and Highclere Castle are the usual next stops.

Isle of Wight

Train to Portsmouth or Southampton, then ferry

Needs a night, not a day trip.

Brighton

Train via Gatwick, ~1 h 30 from Guildford

The seaside run locals actually make.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep
2 bases
Day trips
4, 30 min to 1 h
Nights suggested
2–3 nights
Ways in
5 listed
Best months
Apr, May, Sep

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open South East England Up to United Kingdom

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

Ask about Surrey

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