National Trust days out from London without your own car: the ten nearest houses and gardens, and a driver for the day
National Trust membership is one of the best-value cards in Britain — £100.80 a year for an adult, £176.40 for a family, free entry and free parking at more than 500 places. The problem for a Londoner or a visitor without a car is that the great houses near the capital sit at the end of country lanes with a station three miles away. A car with a driver for the day, at a fixed price, turns the membership into what it was meant to be.
Membership in 2026
| Membership | Annual price | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (26+) | £100.80 | £8.40 |
| Young person (18–25) | £50.40 | — |
| Joint (two adults) | £168.00 | — |
| Family (two adults + children) | £176.40 | £14.70 |
| Family (one adult + children) | £109.20 | — |
| Junior (0–17) | £12.00 | — |
From nationaltrust.org.uk, 2026. Short-stay visitors can instead buy an Explorer Pass for 4, 8 or 14 days (from £36 individual, £64 family with two adults for 4 days).
The ten nearest, and how far by car from central London
| Property | County | Car from central London | Nearest station (and the gap) | Best paired with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliveden | Buckinghamshire | 60–75 min | Taplow, 2 miles, no bus | Windsor Castle |
| Hughenden (Disraeli's house) | Buckinghamshire | 60–75 min | High Wycombe, 2 miles uphill | West Wycombe Park |
| West Wycombe Park & Village | Buckinghamshire | 60–75 min | High Wycombe, 3 miles | Hughenden |
| Polesden Lacey | Surrey | 55–70 min | Box Hill & Westhumble, 2 miles | Box Hill |
| Chartwell (Churchill's home) | Kent | 60–80 min | Edenbridge, 4 miles | Emmett Garden, Knole |
| Knole | Kent | 50–70 min | Sevenoaks, 1.5 miles | Ightham Mote |
| Ightham Mote | Kent | 60–80 min | Borough Green, 3 miles | Knole |
| Ham House & Garden | Richmond | 40–55 min | Richmond, 1.5 miles + walk | Kew, Hampton Court |
| Osterley Park | Hounslow | 35–50 min | Osterley (Piccadilly), 15-min walk | Heathrow — 15 min away |
| Morden Hall Park / Sutton House | London | 35–50 min | Morden / Hackney Central | — |
Ham, Osterley and Morden are reachable by public transport; the rest are car territory. Opening days vary by season — check each property page before booking.
How a car-and-driver day works
We collect you from home or hotel at an agreed time, drive to the property, wait (or return at a set time), move on to a second property or a pub lunch, and bring you home. It is priced as a fixed total for the day rather than by the mile: a Surrey or Kent day (Polesden Lacey plus Box Hill, or Chartwell plus Knole) from about £260 in a saloon for up to four people; a Buckinghamshire day (Cliveden plus Hughenden) similar; an MPV for six from about £320. Members get free parking, which the driver uses; non-members pay at the gate.
For visitors: the Explorer Pass and a Heathrow start
Visitors on a short trip can buy a 4-, 8- or 14-day National Trust Explorer Pass (entry plus free parking at most places) and start the day from Heathrow: Osterley Park is 15 minutes from the terminals, Cliveden 25, and Windsor sits between them. See Heathrow layover ideas and Windsor Castle from Heathrow.
- Quote and book online at any hour — the fare is fixed at the moment you confirm.
- Driver details (name, vehicle, registration, direct mobile) arrive the day before.
- Flight tracking on every airport pickup: if your flight is early or late, the pickup moves with it at no charge, with 60 minutes' free waiting after landing.
- Pay by card when you book. No cash, no meter, no surge.
Sources
- National Trust — join
- National Trust — places in and near London
- National Trust — Explorer Pass for short-stay visitors
Frequently asked questions
- How much is National Trust membership in 2026?
- £100.80 for an adult, £168 joint, £176.40 for a family with two adults, £50.40 for 18–25s and £12 junior, with monthly payment options.
- Which National Trust places near London can I reach without a car?
- Osterley Park, Ham House, Morden Hall Park and Sutton House are on or near the Tube and rail network. Cliveden, Chartwell, Polesden Lacey, Hughenden and Knole are realistically car-only.
- How much does a car and driver for the day cost?
- A fixed price quoted for the itinerary — typically from about £260 in a saloon for a Surrey, Kent or Buckinghamshire day with two properties and waiting included.
Car and driver for a National Trust day
Tell us the property or two you want to see and where you are starting from; we quote a fixed price for the day with waiting included.