East London is having a renaissance. And it's not only because of the London 2012 Olympics. There are all sorts of new reasons to explore what was once a little visited part of London, from the restaurants and luxury hotels around Canary Wharf and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Maritime Greenwich, to the O2 and the ExCel exhibition center. If you find yourself with time to spare between your Olympic events, or want to escape East London to see a bit more of the UK for a day or two, there's plenty to do along the Essex and Kent coasts. And now, with the new high speed rail links from Stratford International Station (right on the edge of the Olympic Park), as well as conventional rail connections from Stratford London rail station, day trips from East London are really easy. You can have a great day out exploring castles, eating seafood on a beach, visiting a cutting edge gallery like the Turner Contemporary (pictured here) or poking around in antique markets - all within a short train journey from the Olympic Park. And you don't even have to go into central London to do it.
Check out a selection of London Day Trips from the Olympic Park.
© Ferne Arfin