Hello - I'm planning a solo trip to England in September, 2021 (if Covid is not an issue). I want to visit Windsor Castle (or possibly Hampton Court instead). After the tour, I'm planning on traveling to Bruges (via Brussels). I was thinking of taking the train from Windsor (or Hampton Court) to the St. Pancras station and then Eurostar to Brussels, but I'm wondering if it makes sense to fly from Heathrow to Brussels instead. Any suggestions?
Dan
I was thinking of taking the train from Windsor (or Hampton Court) to
the St. Pancras station and then Eurostar to Brussels, but I'm
wondering if it makes sense to fly from Heathrow to Brussels instead.
Probably not, the train from Windsor to St. Pancras takes around an hour. The bus from Windsor to Heathrow also takes around an hour. A taxi might save a bit of time, but not that much. So in total I think the travel time will be roughly the same, but the train will be a lot more comfortable. And if you buy the tickets in advance, it can be pretty cheap as well. And if you buy an ABS-ticket from Eurostar it will be an easy change in in Brussels (just board the next train to Bruges) and no need to get a new ticket for the last part of the trip.
I agree with Badger's result - Windsor - St Pancras - Eurostar to Brussels is the correct connection, but for a different reason. The key time factor is not the travel time to Heathrow vs. St Pancras. It is that once you are at Heathrow, you have to be there so far in advance, pass through security, get to your gate, wait at your gate; and then get bags at Brussels, and get into Brussels from the airport, that by the time you have done all that, the train will already be at Brussels. Or close enough to be worth the cheaper cost and increased comfort of the train.
I agree with both responses - take the train.
The route to the train is slightly more complex than mentioned because trains from Windsor or Hampton Court Palace don't go to St Pancras - a tube/bus/taxi/bicycle journey between two London train stations is required.
From Windsor there are two routes by train to London - a slower, less convenient route by South West from Windsor and Eton Riverside Station into London Waterloo, and then Waterloo to St Pancras by tube (Northern Line to Leicester Square change to Piccadilly Line to Kings Cross/St Pancras, or Northern Line to Warren Street change to Victoria Line to Kings Cross/St Pancras) and then a quick walk to the Eurostar check in desk. In Brussels it is a very easy change to a train to Brugge/Bruges.
The better train from Windsor is the Great Western service from Windsor and Eton Central Station directly across from the castle, into London Paddington (quick easy change a Slough, the train between Slough and Windsor is a tiny branch line service which just goes one stop around the corner and shuttles back and forth constantly) and from Paddington it is easy to get get to Kings Cross/St Pancras by Circle Line or Hammersmith and City Line which share the same track.
From Hampton Court Palace it is very easy too, just walk across the river and the station is right there. That train is South West and goes into Waterloo - then follow the Waterloo directions above.
Another warning is that Ryanair (for one) does not use BRU, but an inconvenient secondary airpot with poor public transportation. Note that Bruges is some distance from Brussels. This is an appropriate and comfortable train trip, but it is not a quick one. Check Eurostar times for the lowest price. Some people buy the "Any Belgian Station" endorsement to eliminate buying a second ticket for Brussels-Bruges, but you have to check price and convenience to see what is best for you. Do not fail to allow (see website) substantial time for Immigration and Customs before boarding at either end of Eurostar. If you don't allow for the line, you could lose your non-refundable bargain ticket.
Edit: (Note that Badger (just below) is making a comment about ARRIVAL formalities. He is not contradicting anything stated by me about Pre-Departure formalities.)
Another warning is that Ryanair (for one) does not use BRU, but an
inconvenient secondary airpot with poor public transportation.
Neither do they use Heathrow. In fact, there are no low cost flights between London and Brussels so there is no need to worry about far away airports.
Do not fail to allow (see website) substantial time for Immigration
and Customs before boarding at either end of Eurostar. If you don't
allow for the line, you could lose your non-refundable bargain ticket.
There is currently no customs or anything else that takes time upon arrival after a Eurostar trip. Although it is possible that this will change after the end of the Brexit transition period.
Thanks everyone for the great info! I'll be taking the train to Brussels.
Dan
I did Windsor to Brussels myself 2 years ago and I decided to take the Eurostar train. After weighing in all my options to get to St Pancras to catch the Eurostar, I picked the one that had the least amount of transfers. We took a taxi from Windsor to Heathrow and had the driver drop us off at the arrivals area in Terminal 5. It’s easy to catch the Piccadilly line from there to Kings Cross/St Pancras station. Since you’re at the origin point of the Piccadilly line, you’ll be one of the first passengers so you’ll have a choice of where to sit and stow your luggage. Once you get off at Kings Cross it’s about a 5-10 minute walk to go next door to St Pancras to catch the Eurostar to Brussels. The taxi ride to Heathrow was about £12 at that time. The tube ride will take about an hour or so. Make sure you arrive at least an hour before your departure time. These days you may need to be there earlier as you do have to go through passport control.
