Visiting Windsor Castle

Sherry, this is just my humble opinion but if you only have two days (realistically only 1.5 days) I would skip Windsor. As it is, you're going to have to miss a great deal in central London with that little amount of time. On Sunday, do the Tower of London instead: virtually as old and historically important, and much closer to where you'll be staying in the city. On Saturday afternoon, do Westminster Abbey: older than St George's chapel, and a fascinating piece of architecture not to mention the burial place of oodles of Kings, Queens and other notables.

I've been to Windsor twice, and it takes more than two hours for a proper visit. There's a lot of history wrapped up in that one!

Hi Kathy, I guess I should have mentioned that I have been to London and have done all the tourist things. I thoroughly enjoyed the Tower of London and Westminster Abby like you have suggested. Windsor Castle is the one thing i didnt have time to do so was trying to figure out how to do it this trip.

Oops, I had to assume this was your first time to London!

I still don't think 2 hours is nearly enough time for Windsor but I'm a big history buff so I probably spent 2 hours in the chapel alone! :O)

Even walking VERY briskly, in 2 hours you won't be able to see enough to make it really worthwhile. Guess that means you'll just have to save it for the next trip :-)

Thanks for your input everyone. I probably won't be back to London so I think I will see what time i arrive to my hotel and I'll make the decision at that time whether to head to Waterloo Station and make the trek to Windsor.

Sherry,

As you weren't clear on HOW and WHERE you are arriving London on Saturday, I'll assume you are flying into either Heathrow or Gatwick and your plane lands at 1100. That being said, I don't think you'll have time to visit Windsor Castle on Saturday because by the time you clear border control and customs, get to your hotel in the city and get checked in, you won't be able to make it back to Windsor via the train before it closes for the day.

The only way a Saturday visit would work is if 1) your plane is on time (unlikely), 2) you take a taxi or bus directly from the airport (Heathrow), and 3) you can find a “left luggage” service in Windsor. Then, you might be able to squeeze in a couple hours that afternoon. But, then you have to worry about schlepping your luggage all the way back to London on the trains.

My suggestion is to catch the Tower of London and either St Paul's or Westminster on Sunday. Spend Saturday afternoon walking around London getting over your jet lag so you can enjoy a full day of sightseeing on Sunday.

I just returned from London and Windsor 2 days ago, the Waterloo to Windsor *Riverside Station train was what we rode, but it's a longer trip and more of a commuter train than the faster Paddington to Windsor *Central Station, which takes half the time. We stayed at the Travelodge right near that Windsor Central station right next door, good prices and quality, just don't arrive there by taxi without the ability to call the reception desk to ask them to activate their private elevator/lift. The town's shopping area started closing their lift down after 7PM, leaving Travelodge Windsor customers to heave their luggage up 3 flights (they don't have signs telling you that there's lifts in the parking garage next door and the train station, to connect you to the main floor where main door is). I would recommend a night there at that Travelodge to keep travel plans simpler, just on the odd-numbered rooms/side of the building away from the train station, there's a night club that parties til 3AM at least on that Friday night we were there. During the week the nights were quiet, we could even hear churchbells :)

I was also under the impression that St George's Chapel is open for worshippers on Sunday, just not for sightseers that want to leave in the middle of the service. The Windsor Castle employees also said it's open for Evensong each night at 5PM? i think. So they encouraged people to go see it before then, if they didn't want to attend but to just look around.

Windsor was a great place to be last week, since the Queen become the longest reigning monarch on Wednesday. We were in the Horse and Groom Pub right at the same time the Towne Crier was spreading the news. They opened a huge exhibit of huge photos of the Queen, around 2 sides of a green near St George's Hall under a clock, which is NOT open to the public all the other years.

I would definitely order tickets online, that's what I had done, it was a short line to go pick them up. I also overheard a traveler from Los Angeles being told by a guard that the ability to get in late was only available to people who ordered their tickets online *directly from the Windsor Castle web site. Since that man from CA had bought his tickets from a 3rd party vendor, he was NOT allowed in to the castle for just the last 2 hours of the day.

My daughter and I went into the castle for the last 2 hrs on Wednesday, and we WERE able to get to the dollhouse and State rooms OK. We did go back again on Friday because if you get to the end of the State Rooms and go get your ticket stamped and validated, they convert it into a one-year pass, so we could go back for free. Then we went back on Friday to see things again, in more detail, and to find one of our Garter Knights' Coat of Arms in the St George's Hall. It's all made the application process for the Descendants of the Knights of the Garter more real (genealogy geek).

Shopping in Windsor was GREAT prices just over a bit from the hotel on Peascod St, the Royal Windsor Shopping area was good too, in the concourse. Discounts and sales are Amazing right now! M&S store has groceries/sandwiches upstairs.

If you're getting a nudge to go, then take the 26 min Paddington to Windsor Central train (not the 1hr plus Waterloo to Windsor Riverside) OR taxi from Heathrow to Windsor was only 22GBP, or bus #77 gets you there in 45 min for cheap. Get tickets online waiting at the desk. Good deals at Travelodge. Cheap mobile phones at EE T-Mobile on Peascod were 15GBP. Carluccio's next to Travelodge GREAT prices/quality on all meals. The more time spent at castle the better, East Tower's Changing of Sentry every 2 hrs & great garden.Changing of Guard every other day,11AM. Hop on Hop off bus not time effective,goes to Datchet,all over.Get horse carriage ride to see Long Walk. I brought an binocular,great for outside AND inside,saw more details quicker.4 gift shops, waited til end to buy gift books. Go if you want to, have a GREAT time!!!

Sherry, I would suggest taking the train from Paddington Station in London to Windsor, you will have to change in Slough (very, very small station), just change platforms (takes about 3 minutes) it's a 35 minute trip. When you get to Windsor exit the train go to your left, walk up to the street and you come out across from Windsor Castle. After you tour the castle and St. George's Chapel you will exit thru the King Henry VIII gate. There is a pub right across the street from the gate if you want a drink or meal. After you exit the gate if you turn to your right and go down to the corner, turn to your left and follow the side walk down (5 minute walk) to Great Windsor Park, go thru the gates you come to, walk up to your left and you will have an fantastic view of the Royal residents of Windsor Castle. The long road you see is called The Long Walk, which is the private road, the royal family uses this to enter and exit the castle. I love Windsor. I hope you enjoy Windsor.