Windsor Horse Show -- where to stay

Look at the Premier Inn chain. There is absolutely no need to limit yourself to Paddington although there are two Premier Inns near the station.

Sounds great!!

I'm looking on Booking.com (no I'm not suggesting you book through them) for comparison, and the prices for a hotel in Windsor on those nights is well within budget.
So you could stay in Windsor for those 6 nights, and be a commuter into London from Windsor on 12 and 16 May (depending how early the Eurostar is on 17 May).

Remember that the double deck express bus #702 from Windsor gets you straight to the V and A, and the Natural History Museum at £3 each way (use the Royal Albert Hall stop).

https://passenger-line-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/readingbuses/RBUS/701-timetable-20260328-de010614.pdf

In fact next year the fare should only be £2 each way.

Or, rather than Paddington, you could stay near Waterloo, and use the Waterloo to Windsor train- the PI at County Hall (a forum favourite) is a stone's throw from Waterloo. The benefit of that is much longer trains (8 or 10 car)- on Windsor Horse Show days the Slough route with it's little 2 car trains could be very busy.

The horse show website, below, indicates that the waterside station is nearer the show than the central station.

https://rwhs.co.uk/visitor-info/royal-windsor-horse-show-travel-parking/

It's so easy to get to Windsor from London- I would just stay in London and travel in each day.

Agree with CatVH. Windsor is an easy commute from London. You can even get a bus! There are several Route 702 stops in London, and the price is only £2.90 - https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/services/RBUS/702

Of course most people will suggest the train, and that is also cheap and easy. Elizabeth line (from Paddington, if you’re staying nearby) to Slough. Change to GWR. Easy transfer. GWR train is the cutest little shuttle ever, and it’s 2 stops from Slough to Windsor.

I vote for staying in Windsor. Quaint, charming town. A nice break from the big city.

I vote for Windsor too. Move on May 15. That gives you one day to commute into London as opposed to two if you stay in London.

Kathy, I would vote for London, although it's kind of six of one, half a dozen of the other. You sacrifice a bit either way with either choice. I just think it's easier to commute without a bunch of luggage, so that's why I would vote for staying in London, especially since it's really easy to get to Windsor from London.

I would also recommend Premier Inns. Yes, they are a chain, but they're consistently clean and comfortable, especially the beds. I've stayed at a number of them throughout the UK and really like them. Especially because I know there won't be any surprises. There are several in the Paddington area, including Paddington station, which is a fairly new PI. Mustlovedogs stayed there a year or so ago and liked her experience. You can find out more information in her trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/london-again-day-1-part-1

It sounds like a great trip! That will be a lot of fun. Here is a link to the Paddington station PI: https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-paddington-paddington-station.html

Since that is newer, the prices can be a bit higher. If that's too much, you might want to check the Paddington Basin Premier Inn as well, which would probably have lower prices. https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-paddington-paddington-basin.html

May 2026 - I stayed at Travelodge Windsor Central. Had a cheap and nice stay.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your input. Sorry I'm a little slow getting back to you. I was up at 2am this morning (middle of the night) to buy Windsor Horse Show tickets. Their website and ticket app are not user friendly, especially at that time of the night! I don't know where the seats I reserved are but I'm sure it will work out!

Because I bought reserved seats, I can come and go as I please during each day so I plan to do a little sightseeing during qualifying and local classes, Eton one day and Windsor Castle the next if it's open for tours. So I'm going to take Cat VH, Volva, Trelawney and Mardee's advise to stay in London. I'm looking at Premier Inns and areas now (not really I'm working on my Italy trip report first.) Two days at the horse show are enough since I can't hang out at the barn with the riders or watch the warm-ups.

I appreciate the train and bus advice isn31c, BillS719 and Volva. I'm good at getting lost so that's very helpful.

Thanks again for your help!
Kathy