South East England & London

The South East covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex — the most densely covered part of England for short breaks, given how close it sits to London.

Kent and Sussex give the region its coastline and its best-known day-trip towns — Rye, Whitstable, the white cliffs — while the Isle of Wight offers a proper island break without a long journey to reach it. Inland, the Chilterns (spanning Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire) and the Surrey Hills are the region's answer to a countryside cottage break, both easily reached without a long drive from the capital.

London itself divides into Central, East, North, North West, South East, South West and West London for self-catering purposes — an apartment rather than a cottage, but the same self-catering principle: your own space, your own kitchen, and the freedom to come and go on your own schedule rather than a hotel's.

Short breaks vs. longer stays

The South East's main advantage is proximity — most of the region is within two hours of London, which makes it well suited to long weekends rather than full weeks. If you want a genuine change of pace, the coastal towns of Kent and Sussex or the Isle of Wight go further than the commuter-belt counties closer to the city.