Windsor - Transportation and Itinerary Help

Your best bet is to catch the Green Line #703 straight from Terminal 5 (it is headed for Bracknell), at 10 minutes past each hour. If you look at Google maps there is a stop opposite Windsor Boys School.
(I have checked the full timetable, not the summary one above, and the bus does stop there)
Be sure to ask the driver to set you down there, as the main stop in town is 2 stops further on at the Theatre Royal, not that it would be a total disaster to end up there, just walk back!
The School is closer than the Railway Station. The journey time is 39 minutes which is a tad faster than the 2 change train route.

There is also the #8 (operated by First Bus Berkshire) but that goes round the houses and takes 1 hour 7 minutes to get there. It comes through Windsor Town Centre FIRST so the Boys School is 2 stops after the Town Centre, not before.

The last French brothers boat trip is at 1700 so I doubt you will be there in time.

For ease you might also consider a prebooked car service. For example, we used Windsor Cars to bring us from Terminal 3 to our hotel in Windsor last month. They charged £36.

Thank you, much appreciated. I made a mistake and see that it's actually Terminal 3 for arrival, not 5... So, some further investigation is needed there. What is the name of the bus company or is there more than one that services Heathrow and Windsor? Not sure if the buses stop at each terminal, or if you have to shuttle over to #5...You were gracious to look up the specific timetable and the closest bus stop! Yes, Windsor Boys School is really close to our Duke St. B & B. Really kind of you to go through all that trouble. Thanks also for the suggestion for Windsor Cars. Will consider that as an option. We appreciate the suggestion about the tour. We have all day to enjoy the castle, grounds, and chapel but we tend to spend a long time studying items of interest. Could probably use at least half a day to a day for just one of those. Would like to add the tour to the itinerary, if time permits. As for the leeway with the timed tickets, can't find definitive info on that. We've emailed Royal Collections Trust to find out about that and to ask if there's liberty to visit the sites in whichever order you choose. Thanks RS community for helping us. So kind of all of you.

The 'Green Line' bus is actually operated by Reading Buses, but the livery is (or should be) Green Line. Green Line is an amalgam of several different companies who run a number of London longer distance buses, and used to be a much bigger operation.
Unfortunately both the Green Line and the Service 8 only run from Terminal 5, so you would need to use the free train shuttle between Terminals.

Thanks for the info on the buses. So kind of you to respond. There was one other reply to my post which mysteriously disappeared although there was nothing controversial in it. I wanted to reread it since I only had a chance to briefly skim it late last night. It answered all my questions about leeway for timed tickets, info on the amount of time one is allowed to see the castle rooms, and info on the layout of St. George's Chapel, which is our priority. Unfortunate, it was deleted. Thank you again for helping.

I didn’t see the deleted post but I was just in St George’s chapel on May 18. Touring during the day was awkward as everyone is funneled in a slow moving line past Queen Elizabeth’s tomb. I listened to the multimedia presentation but actually got confused on what I was seeing because we were moving so slowly.

I also went to Evensong, well it was actually a sung Eucharist for Ascension Day which was terrific. You should line up about 4:30-4:45 at the gate where you exited the Castle. The gate is staffed by police and they will tell you where to stand. The last of the day visitors are being ushered out for the 5 PM closure. You can’t stay inside even if you are going to Evensong. You also can’t tour inside the chapel before or after the service.

I had a timed entry for 9:30. I was there about 9:15. They have separate lines for groups and individual timed entry. If you just have a purse and not a day pack they may wave you around the xray machines. Or not, lol.

Have a great time!

To answer some of your questions from your initial post.
"With your timed entry, are you free to explore the grounds, castle, and chapel in whichever order you wish?"
Yes.

"If that's the case, we may as well get the earliest time slot."--Yes.
"We read that the castle and chapel are most crowded between 11am and 1pm. Should we plan to see the apartments, etc. later in the day in that case?"--NO. See the apartments first thing and get it over with.

"Do you have a certain amount of time to see things in the castle and then are prompted to keep moving?"--Yes. Employees of the castle are constantly urging you to keep moving on, in the apartments.

"Or, is it like Westminster Abbey, where you can spend as much time as you like and wander about?"--Once you are done with the apartments and doll house areas, the interior, and are outside, you can wander as you wish. Also, NO PHOTOS inside the apts. Strictly enforced.

"One concern is, what happens if you miss your timed entry? We are going to be suffering some jet lag. If we snag the 0930 time slot, it will be challenging since it will be 2 am our time.... Please advise. Thanks!"
I cannot say absolutely, but my opinion is that if you miss your timed entry, you MAY be denied entry. If you feel you cannot make the 9:30 time slot, don't buy it.
You might look at a later entry time if you can't make the 9:30. Perhaps mid afternoon, what would be 2:00 or 1400.

To answer some things you mentioned in your second long post....
"We have all day to enjoy the castle, grounds, and chapel but we tend to spend a long time studying items of interest. Could probably use at least half a day to a day for just one of those."
I really doubt you will find enough to keep you all day. You will be surprised at how few rooms of the castle interior are actually open to you. The crowd is lined up, and the employees keep urging your line to move along. You won't be lolling around in there for hours, believe me. There won't be any "half day" spent in those rooms.

The grounds....some of them are cordoned off and you can't go there. The walkway from the entrance past The Round Tower and on up to the apartments are mainly what you're allowed to see. You can gaze at the parade grounds from behind a chain that blocks you from entering. Not much to see there. 3 minutes of looking, staring at the parade grounds.

The most interesting part of Windsor Castle is St George's Chapel. Do research all the graves/tombs in there because there are quite a lot.
Henry VIII is under the slab with wife number 3, Jane Seymour.

"The priority for us is St. George's Chapel to soak in the architecture, find Edward IV's resting place, and then come back for evensong."
Standing in front of the formal entrance door, the door which Harry and Meghan exited at their wedding, with your back to the door, look to the leftmost aisle of the church.
Follow it until you see the black marble slab embedded in the floor. There lie King Edward IV and his Queen.
The letters embedded in the slab, bearing his name, are solid gold.

Many other kings and queens are buried here, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, as I'm sure you know.

Whether you can kill enough time to still be there for evensong....I doubt it. You may have to leave, get something to eat, and come back into the grounds.
There is a cafe within the grounds serving lunch, coffee, tea, snacks.

Once you have permanently exited Windsor Castle, walk around and find The Long Walk behind the castle. Walk quite some distance, then turn and look back for a perfect photo of that side of the castle.
Pick up maps of Windsor at the visitors center.

You are way over-estimating the time needed to "do" Windsor Castle properly.
I'd guess an hour & 30 minutes max for the interior of the castle, 20-30 minutes to see the grounds you have access to, but perhaps an hour for St. George's Chapel.

If you entered at 9:30 AM, my estimate is you would easily be out by noon or 1:00 PM.
And that is taking your time, looking at everything.

You have many hours to kill before Evensong.

Windsor map to print;
https://www.windsor.gov.uk/dbimgs/Windsor-2023_Panel_Map_25042023_Low-Res.pdf

Pick up maps of Windsor at the visitors center.
This is located at the Guildhall.
Some hotels in Windsor will have them at the front desk and will give you one.

If you are late by 20-25 minutes they will let you in.

Thank you Lake District, Rebecca, Pam, and Robin. Your information is so helpful; love the insiders' tips. Rebecca, your post got reinstated. I think it was deleted alongside another one which had some choice words about Windsor staff's attitudes. To their credit, I actually got a response from my contact form inquiry which answered some of my questions. They wrote that it's recommended you arrive 10 minutes prior to your timed ticket and that it's up to the warden's discretion if you are allowed in if late. The grounds, chapel, castle rooms, etc. can be seen in any order. There is no wristband to let you back in once you leave the area. Regarding how much time you can spend in the rooms, etc., there was no comment. I imagine it might be like visiting the area where Henry VIII, Margaret Beaufort et al are laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. It's so crowded that you have to keep moving as though on a conveyer belt in a sushi restaurant. Not ideal. However, knowing it's like this, we will be either to 1) drop the Windsor plans altogether and go somewhere else (Hampton Court Palace and gardens) or 2) stick with the plans, knowing we won't see much in the castle, then find a nice park or gardens to stroll in. Maybe take the French's boat tour. A priority is evensong at St. George's, for the beauty and spirituality of the experience. We had great experiences at Bath Abbey and Wells' evensong a few years back, but found it way too distracting at York Cathedral. Tourists constantly coming in and out, popping up and down. 5 minutes and they're done. Oh well. Up to us to not pay attention to distractions. Thanks again to all the kind posters. It does help to know these kind of details before making final decisions.

I do hope you get to go into Windsor Castle.
The French Brothers boat tours are fun.
Hampton Court has a lot to see, but I would see Windsor if you can.
You may have time to do both.
It could be done.

You mentioned gardens and the possible option of substituting Hampton Court Palace.

I used to be a member at Windsor and am currently a long time member of Historic Royal Palaces which includes among others Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London.

I'll agree that while Windsor Castle is extremely interesting and I am glad that I have visited it several times, I'm not sure it is a full day-er.

Hampton Court Palace on the other hand can take a couple of hours or hours and hours if you let it. Gardens - the Wilderness, the ancient Maze, the Kitchen Garden (huge is the only way to describe it, and extremely well laid out and organized - aa delight), a magnificent rose Garden, the Great Vine, the displays of small potted flowers, the Sunken Garden, the Formal Garden, the Knot Garden, the Privy Garden, the Fountain Garden... and that's all from memory. Have a look at https://www.hrp.org.uk/media/2089/hampton-court-gardens-map-web.pdf for all the detail on the 60 acres of formal gardens to say nothing of the 750 acres of parkland.

Then there are all the nooks and crannies of the Palace buildings. Built over so many centuries the varying architectural styles are a sight unto themselves, the history of so many Kings and Queens and religious leaders just drips from the place.

I have returned countless times, sometimes just to attend a lecture or visit a particular section of the Palace or gardens, and I learn more every time.

You really can't go wrong with either Windsor Castle or Hampton Court Palace. Just if you go to Hampton Court wear your good walking shoes and take a break at the Tiltyard Cafe which does some very nice food in a great atmosphere outside in the Tiltyard (yes, Henry VIII liked jousting) or inside.

I was there last October, and there were seats in the Choir as well as between the choir and the nave that I just sat down and soaked it all up for many minutes. Yes, there were crowds that slowly moved along, but I also had the chance to 'step' out of the traffic lane and spent quite a bit of time just sitting there without being hassled at all.

Thank you Beverly for sharing your experience. Nigel, I couldn't agree more about Hampton Court. We went there for a day trip several years ago and loved it. It was a respite from the crowds and noise of London. We spent the whole day exploring all the castle areas and a special treat was to observe the specialists working on some ancient linen. Amazing work. We were able to wander around at will and stop as long as we liked in spaces of interest. We never felt like we were part of a madding crowd at any time. Lots of quiets spaces. The docents in the rooms were kind and helpful, answering any questions. The vast gardens were, as you said, all unique and we tried to spend at least a few minutes in each outdoor "room" to soak in the quiet and the beauty. We could've spent more time there, but had to rush through a few areas since it was closing and we had a train to catch back into London. We told ourselves we would return on our next visit, but then changed our minds to see something new, i.e. Windsor Castle and St. George's Chapel. Hope to return to Hampton Court, maybe stay in Moseley or Kingston Upon Thames and reverse day trip into London. Depends on time and other logistics. Thanks again for your input. Appreciate all the comments.

We were in Windsor in the beginning of June. I have two comments:

The visitor centre is difficult to find (at least it was to us) and it was closed Monday and Tuesday (when we needed it). Opening times may change in September.

We saw the https://www.windsorducktours.co.uk/ and decided we would try it Monday (Windsor Castle was Sunday), but it never turned up. On their website I could then see that it was cancelled. My advice is to read the websites more carefully than we did :-(

i.p.enersen,
The Royal Windsor Information Center is in the Windsor Guildhall and is open five days a week, Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00. It's on the High Street, and has columns out front.
You can buy tickets there for local attractions and events, many at discounted prices.
They have a hotline number 01753 743907 for information.

Look for a two-story building with a brick upper floor and a lower floor that is mostly an open porch surrounded by columns on three sides. Look for this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Guildhall#/media/File:Windsorguildhall.jpg

Sorry to hear you were unable to take the Duck Boat tour you wanted.
If you go to Windsor again, try the French Brothers boat trips.
Windsor Information should be able to tell you about the different trips they offer and sell you tickets.
Or you could check times and buy tickets at their website:
https://www.frenchbrothers.co.uk/