Should we split our stay

Unless you have a very early morning flight, I wouldn’t split the stay. Changing hotels eats into your time; you will be packing up twice instead of once, not to mention the time you spend getting to the second hotel and checking in. It is nice to stay in the same place for 6 nights.

Harry Potter tours book up very quickly. It may already be too late for June/July

Windsor Castle easy from Waterloo even though it takes a little longer than the train from Paddington.

Stonehenge via Salisbury easy from Waterloo.

If you don't have your Harry Potter tickets (do you?) it may be too late. Otherwise easy from Waterloo - Northern Line Charing Cross Branch direct to Euston station, LNWR train 1 to 3 stops direct to Watford Junction change to the Knight Bus waiting for you.

Unless your flight is a very early one moving to Heathrow would just complicate things.

Thank you! Our flight isn’t early so I guess we will stay put. Last I looked there were HP tickets I’ll look again now. I was debating which tour to get, any advice on that?

if you buy a Golden Tours tour you get a slow bus and tickets at a HUGE markup for the privilege of buying later and not understanding the rails (it is easy and will save you loads of money to take the train and buy your tickets). .

If there are still tickets available to HP jump soon or lose.

Got the tix. I didn’t realize when I looked before that they sold them by time slot. Earliest I could get was 5:30. I’m confused how to get there, is it by train and then they take you by their bus? We got the studio tour. If we show up earlier, are there things to look at or do there? What about food? I saw an option to add tea but wondering if there are other choices without committing ahead of time.

Nigel - just noticed your reply. Thanks. So the train will take us all the way there?

tube to Euston. Upstairs (escalators and ramp) to Euston railway Station. You need a train which stops at Watford Junction and doesn't take all day to get there. Don't take the Overground (recently renamed Lioness, yes Lioness) all-stops train even though it may be the next - it will be overtaken because it does stop everywhere.

LNWR trains (also known as West Midlands) which stop at Watford Junction will have a final destination of Tring, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton or Birmingham New Street. Watford Junction will be either the first stop or often the third stop,

Do not get on one which does not show Watford Junction as a stop - there are many of those. Just be patient and in 15 minutes there will be one for you.

Get off at Watford Junction and go outside the station. Bus stops are to the left. The dedicated and very painted bus for Warner Brothers HP is obvious and free for ticket holders. Hop on and presto.

If you have a morning flight out of Heathrow, you could comfortably spend your last night in Windsor after enjoying the castle. It's a pretty short cab ride from Windsor to LHR. In 2023, we stayed at the Castle Hotel Windsor on the last night of our trip so we could visit Windsor Castle, and be a short distance from the airport. After a couple of weeks of Premier Inns, the Castle Hotel Windsor felt like the Ritz but without the price tag. Nigel can tell you how to get there by train.

https://castlehotelwindsor.com/

Thanks Nigel - super helpful

Estimated prophet - we have an early afternoon flight but that still seems like a good option. It’s a Tuesday but according to their site, one that the castle is open. Are tickets needed in advance?

We didn't buy tickets in advance, and there was no problem with that - But your mileage may vary, as they say.

If your flight is early afternoon then Windsor Castle in the morning simply won't work. You need to be at Heathrow 3 hours before flight departure which means leaving Windsor 4 hours before to allow for any traffic issues.

Yes I realize about flight timing. Our flight is on Wednesday, if we stayed in Windsor the last night we would go to castle Tuesday