Is it possible to take the train from Victoria Station to see Hampton Court then take the River Cruise to Westminster changing to the River Tours to Greenwich and still have enough time to see both places in one day?
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Assuming seamless connections, a half day might be enough for Hampton Court Palace, a full one isn't even enough for Greenwich, so it wouldn't work if you magically proofed yourself from one to the other.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33991 posts
If you try to get to Hampton Court Palace from Victoria you will have to change at Clapham Junction because Hampton Court is served by Southwest Trains out of Waterloo station, with a possible change at Surbiton.
Hampton Court Palace is big, the gardens are extensive and a reasonable visit there will take a considerable amount of time, especially if you want to come close to getting your (expensive) money's worth.
Greenwich is right across London. Using a boat may allow time to recover from all the walking at Hampton Court but I would be concerned about taking such a long time to get there.
I guess in order to decide if you have enough time is sort out exactly what you want to do in Greenwich.
I think trying to do all three in one day is courageous.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
We recently did Greenwich as a day trip from London, took an easy full day and were glad we did.
If you ran through Greenwich, and left out half of the things to do, then possibly you could reduce the time some, but I don't know about a half day (4 hours?).
A variable affecting the time for Greenwich is whether you go by river one, way, both ways, or take surface transportation one or both ways. The boats run on a schedule, which will slow you down. There's a lot to see at Greenwich.
Rick discusses all of this in his London 2014.
Sometimes with travel, less is more.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
135 posts
Hi
adding to Nigel's comments, and speaking as a Londoner and someone who has taken the boat from central London to Hampton Court, trying to visit both places in a day is just about possible but will be very rushed and tiring. I'd pick one or the other, and explore either at a more leisurely pace.
Posted by
Leesburg, VA, USA
342 posts
Just because it's theoretically possible, doesn't mean you should.
The last time my husband and I were in London we spent almost an entire day at Hampton Court and still wished we could have stayed longer. On an earlier trip we took the boat to Greenwich, thinking we would spend only an hour or so there, and ended up spending about 4 hours - and the Cutty Sark wasn't even opened then!
So, yes, I agree with all the previous posters. Pick one and really enjoy it. If you don't have time to visit the other on this trip, there's always next time.
Posted by
100 posts
I'm going to pile on...I've done both as day trips from Kensington (Greenwich just this past July). You can't do justice to both in one day. Loved Hampton Court, and Greenwich was a nice leisurely Sunday (and the boat ride is slower, yes, but part of the attraction). There's the free attractions, a couple paid ones I skipped, the walk to the top of the hill (great view), plus the Greenwich market, nice places to eat/drink. For more, my thoughts are on TripAdvisor ("nagled").