Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire offers an easy mix of historic towns and practical bases within reach of London, all inland but varied in character. St Albans leads with its cathedral, Roman remains and lively market streets, while Hitchin and Berkhamsted bring smaller-scale charm through independent shops, old lanes and canalside walks. Bishops Stortford and Royston suit those wanting quieter market-town life, and Broxbourne and Hoddesdon offer riverside and lea valley surroundings for a slower pace.

For film and television connections, Elstree and Borehamwood are known for their studios, making them a practical choice for industry visitors. Watford and Stevenage serve as the county's larger, busier hubs, useful for shopping, transport links and overnight stops. Goffs Cak provides a more residential, low-key alternative nearby. Together these towns and villages suit short breaks, business trips or stopovers before heading further into London or the surrounding countryside.

Hertfordshire's hotels and B&Bs reflect a county built around commuter towns and business travel, with St Albans offering the most character. Sopwell House and St Michael's Manor Hotel sit among converted country properties near the cathedral city, making it the obvious base for anyone wanting a proper night out or a spa weekend rather than just a bed near a junction.

Stevenage and Bishops Stortford lean more towards practical stays, with the Cromwell Hotel, Holiday Inn Stevenage and a cluster of Premier Inns covering conference visits, airport transfers and motorway stopovers. Proximity to Stansted makes Bishops Stortford useful for early flights, while the M25 and A1(M) put chain hotels like the Holiday Inn Express within easy reach for those simply passing through.

Smaller independent options such as Ardmore House Hotel and Abbington Hotel offer a quieter alternative to the larger chains, particularly if you want somewhere closer to a town centre than the ring-road hotels allow.

Hertfordshire's attractions cover a wide range, from craft studios like The Craft Cabin and Glazed Creations to laser tag and gaming venues such as Laser Planet and Laser Quest in Watford and Hemel Hempstead. Families looking for a slower pace can head to the East Herts Miniature Railway near Ware, or try their hand at outdoor skills with Polaris Bushcraft.

St Albans and Hertford offer a good spread of options within easy reach of their town centres, while Knebworth and Royston tend to suit those planning a single day trip built around one specific activity. Bishops Stortford and Watford have a denser cluster of indoor venues, useful for wet-weather plans or evening entertainment.

Choosing between them often comes down to what sort of day you want: hands-on creative sessions at places like The Little Arts Workshop and Potstop, active pursuits at Apollo Activities Centre, or something more unusual like Wonder Village for younger children.

Hertfordshire's dining scene ranges from village tea rooms to buzzing town-centre kitchens, with the sheer spread reflecting a county that mixes commuter towns, market towns and quiet countryside. Watford and Stevenage carry the bulk of chain outlets and late-opening options, useful if you want reliable food after a train home, while Rickmansworth leans towards a more relaxed, canal-side pace with independent cafés and pubs.

Away from the main towns, smaller places such as The Bull Pen Tea Rooms show the county's appetite for traditional stops, and community-run spots add another layer beyond the usual high street names. Cuisines vary widely too, from Paprika's flavours to straightforward pizza and sandwich chains, so it is worth deciding whether you want a proper sit-down meal, a quick bite, or somewhere geared towards groups and events.

Hertfordshire's mix of farmland, riverside meadows and Chiltern hills makes for varied camping and glamping, much of it easy to reach from London yet properly rural once you're there. Around Tring and Chorleywood the sites lean towards the Chilterns, with woodland and hilltop settings at places like Chiltern Yurts and North Hill Farm, while the Lee Valley near Broxbourne and Goffs Oak offers a gentler, waterside feel, seen at Lee Valley Almost Wild Campsite.

Elsewhere the county's smaller farm-based sites, such as Fuzzy's Farm, Home Farm Glamping and Toad Abode, tend to favour quiet fields and family-friendly pitches over facilities-heavy parks. For something more established, the Hertford Camping and Caravanning Club Site suits those wanting a straightforward, well-run base near the town. Choosing between them often comes down to whether you want a working farm setting, a wooded glamping retreat like Three Lakes Glamping or The Secret Garden, or a simple field to pitch a tent for a night or two.