I think this itinerary will work . . . .

Wow - you have done your research! This looks doable to me, particularly given your reasoning about not necessarily staying in one quadrant/area and that meaning you might be on the tube more than some of us here might normally recommend. You’ve definitely allowed time to stretch out and enjoy places for more than a “flyover” visit, which IMHO is wise.

One note: on Day 7, you will have time to not just “meander through” town in Windsor, but will definitely have time to walk over the Thames and into Eton. IMHO, this is absolutely not to be missed!

Oh! And Day 10. Old Spitalfields is not just an antiques market. Sounds like you have been there, though, right? So you know that. Anyway, starting there you can easily grab a beigel at Brick Lane Beigel Bake for a really hearty breakfast and a bit more of a flavor of East London.

Sounds like you’re going to have a blast! Enjoy!

Day 4: Bletchley Park - I went in 2023. I downloaded the app for the West Midlands Trains and just bought the ticket when I got to Euston Station. No need to print out or buy ahead of time. You can just show the ticket on your phone to the conductor. There is now, as then, a train that takes just 38 minutes that leaves at 9:23. There are other departures that take nearly an hour so be sure to suss that out ahead of time. Once you get to Bletchley and have purchased your admission ticket, go over to the left to the information desk and sign up for the free guided tours they do. They are only about an hour and just walk around the outsides of the buildings but is a good orientation as well as getting some great information! I had lunch at the cafe there. There are 2 food venues - one small coffee shop near the front entrance and another larger cafe back in Hut 4 which is near the Mansion.

https://bletchleypark.org.uk/visiting-us/faqs/

Day 7: Windsor Castle - If you take the Great Western Railway from Paddington Station to Windsor and Eton Central you can use your phone to tap in for this journey. No need to buy a ticket ahead of time. There are big signs at the Windsor Station to remind you to tap out at the end of your journey.

https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/smart-tickets/contactless-payments

Looks like a fun time!

Day 7: Meander through town and Windsor Great Park and across the river to Eton. And of course the castle! Memories of meandering in Windsor makes me happy! Enjoy!

Sounds like you both have many long-walking and stair-climbing skills, good for you :)
Geographically, it might be better to put Bletchley Park and Harry Potter Studios during the same day trip, since they are close to each other.

I look forward to your review of your hotel and a trip report :) Isn't that the time of year that could have an option to see something of the Chelsea Flower Show?

Happy Travels
-Alison

Volva - thanks! I'm the planner in the family and get a little intense at times, but with each new trip I try to give us a good framework and then enough wiggle room if we need to change things up suddenly.

I didn't even consider going to Eton, but that's a great suggestion, and I'm adding it in! Because we don't have as much planned for that evening, we should have plenty of time to just explore the whole area a bit. Any suggestions for a meal (supper) if we decide to get lazy and not cook back at our hotel?

And, yes, I've been to Spitalfields before with my daughter. We usually don't buy anything, as I'm no expert in antiques and prices, but it was so much fun just looking! I might have to grab a small something this time as a souvenir!! And I've been hearing more about beigels lately, so I'm eager to try one and see how it compares with the bagels we have here at home. Thanks for that suggestion!

Now it's just a waiting game until May . . . . Sigh.

Hi Pam! I had a feeling I would hear from you! :)

I really appreciate the advice for our two train trips out of town, especially since these are two places I've never been. Dh went to Windsor Castle with our son a few years ago, but they had a car for that trip. Good to know everything works well with contactless. (More so than in the US still!) With the Bletchley Park train, is that a situation where we need to tap out at the end, too, or just showing the conductor is good enough? And it's good to know about the guided tour and food situation at Bletchley, too.

How's your Orkney/Shetland planning coming for July?

Bletchley Station was to have gone to contactless tap in tap out on 22 September. However that has been deferred due to the TfL Cyber security incident. A new date will be announced in due course.
So until further notice that remains as tickets- whether electronic or physical tickets.

KD - thanks! As I mentioned to Volva, I didn't consider Eton before, but am now definitely adding it on! Windsor is new for me (and it's been six years for dh) so it was a must-see in my opinion. Very much looking forward to seeing it!

Aly - yes, we do the walking thing very well! (You should have seen how many miles we covered over 14 days in Scotland in May!) As for stairs, well, I'm ramping up on the elliptical more at the gym, so fingers crossed there!!

I agree Bletchley Park and Harry Potter would be better location-wise in the same day, but we're planning that each site will be close to a full day of visiting, and they're both new to us (forgot to mention that we've never been to Harry Potter either) so we don't want to zoom through either one.

The hotel and where it's located are new for us to stay, so we're again excited for that (even though we will miss the Earl's Court area where we so often stayed in the past.) I will definitely write a report on the hotel, and should be able to get out a trip report as well! Sadly, we will be coming home just before the start of the Flower Show, although I have a feeling that while dh would have humored me and gone, he's probably breathing a sigh of relief he doesn't have to. He's not really a fan. (He always stays home when we go to the one in Philadelphia in the spring.)

isn31c - thanks! Good to know. I will keep an eye on that, so that if it gets resolved before we leave we have a heads up.

You are right to have Bletchley Park and the HP Studios on different days. Whilst on paper they might look convenient to be paired, being on the same train line, most people seem to send the best part of the day at each attraction so you would end up short changing them both.

I'm not sure I'd want to combine Harry Potter and Bletchley Park in one day. Both involve a fairly high priced big event. It is easy to spend 4 or 5 hours at Bletchley Park and Harry Potter studios is a many hour experience. It exhausts me just to think of it.

Bletchley Park has a nice cafe, really more of a cafeteria, where wartime food is available as well as more modern stuff. Near the Mansion it is a good place for a sit down and a nice cup of tea, or a lunch, or if the weather has pushed the thermometer up, an ice cream.

Tapping in and out on an Oyster or contactless is possible at both Euston and Watford Junction (for Harry Potter) but neither at Bletchley Park. You will need a ticket, virtual on your phone or paper to open the gates at both ends, both to enter the station and to leave it.

Bletchley Park train, is that a situation where we need to tap out at the end, too, or just showing the conductor is good enough?

In addition to my mention of the gates at Euston and Bletchley stations (and there are gates at Watford Junction which do, because it is still in TfL land, accept contactless and Oyster) there are Senior Conductors and Ticket Inspectors on board the trains. You may have to show both of them, or one, or neither, luck of the draw, and at the gates when they are closed. Even if they are open when you are at Euston or Watford Junction you need to tap in and out or you won't be charged appropriately. If you are on a virtual or paper ticket just show when asked.

John - just the way we were thinking re: needing a day for each the studios and Bletchley Park!

NIgel - same as above. Nice to hear the cafe at Blechley Park is good. Good cafes/restaurants seem to be a trend among many of the sites we've been to in the past - V&A, Tower of London, etc. We have old Oyster cards we will be bringing, and I knew we could use them for getting to Harry Potter, but always good to get clarification on the trains. As long as we remember to tap out (almost forgot when on the DLR arriving into Greenwich, but dd reminded me at the last minute!), so having gates at the ends is very helpful!

I imagine you already know you should reserve for tea at the British Museum restaurant. You can now also book an entry time for the museum itself, which should significantly reduce the time you spend in the security line.

acraven - yes, thanks, we know to always book for tea. Two visits ago while we were enjoying our meal, we watched as eight other groups were turned away for lack of a reservation. Very sad.

I'm glad to see we can book a time slot to enter, but from what I've been reading here and on other forums, is that still really necessary or just still a hold over idea from Covid? When dd and I visited last September, we just went around to the back entrance and got through in less than five minutes - and most of that time was going through security. If early May is very busy, we might consider booking but not doing so allows for more flexibility.

I use the back entry, too, and it's usually faster (but may be a longer walk from the Underground station at which you arrive). On my last trip, however, the scanner at the back door was broken, so that entry point could only be used by tour groups (which were hand-scanned). I had to walk all the way back to the front and get in line there. It took about 30 minutes just for standing in line as I recall, and that was pre-COVID, when not quite as many people were traveling.

I think the entry reservations are free, so I'd be inclined to make one, figuring it would probably help if I managed to get there on time. I do understand about flexibility, though. I absolutely hate timed sightseeing plans myself.