train: Bath to London to Paris

KIng's Cross and St. Pancras share an underground staion and are technically next door to each other.

I thought trains from Windsor go to Paddington Station and not King's Cross?

I just checked the train schedule and it looks like the train stops at Paddington then goes on to King's Cross. But I'm not sure I'm reading it correctly because it shows arrival at Paddington 12:29, departing Paddington 12:29. Maybe it goes through there but doesn't stop? Depending on the train, it will go through Slough or Vauxhall as well, from 1.25 hr to 2 hrs time.

What site are you using to look at Train Schedules?

Two choices:

Windsor Riverside station to London Waterloo (no change) then tube to Kings Cross/St. Pancras Tube station. (This is the easiest journey)

or

Windsor & Eton central to Slough. Change trains to Paddington. Tube to King's Cross/St. Pancras tube station.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

You read it wrong: (It can be confusing)

Leg 1: Windsor CENTRAL to Slough 12:00-12:06

Change Trains (you'll see the train numbers are different.)

Leg 2: Slough to Paddington 12:10-12:29

leg 3: Underground to King's Cross

(Look carefully, it says "underground" next to "travel by")

The other option is:

Windsor RIVERSIDE to Vauxhaull

Change to underground to Kings Cross.

(Note, Windsor has two train stations.)

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

And you do realize your train from Bath to Windsor has two changes:

Bath Spa to Reading 7:13 - 8:15
Reading to Slough 8:31-8:57
Slough to Windsor Central 9:13-9:19

You will change trains in Reading and Slough

Whenever you read a train schedule, and they talk about "legs" that means a separate train.

Obviously I need to study this some more! Is there an easier way to get from Bath to London? Or is this easy but just sounds difficult because I'm a first-timer?

Yes...a direct train from Bath to Paddington (takes an hour and a half), then the tube to King's Cross.

But that would mean missing Windsor Castle.

Diana, you can easily do Bath, Windsor, Padd, to St.P. with a 1530 Eurostar to catch. But do you want to do it, carrying luggage, with at least one change of train to Windsor, then tour the castle, catch the train(s) to Padd and then the tube to St. P. I have no idea if there is luggage storage at Windsor or Slough, but I'd save Windsor for another time, stay a bit later in Bath that morning, take a Bath/Reading/Padd train, perhaps check the luggage at King's Cross/St. Pancras, and have a nice curry lunch while waiting for the Eurostar departure for Paris.

I wanted to visit Windsor that day because I'm heading to Paris and then home from there. I'll be in London all during the previous week but the State Apts aren't open. I just thought it would be much better if those are available to tour.

With everyone's input, maybe I need to work Windsor in another time and go straight from Bath to London to Paris.

I guess I need to go back to the drawing board. You're right about the whole luggage thing. According to the web site, Windsor doesn't have luggage storage so that's out. Sometimes I think it would have been easier to just book a tour- but then I would have missed out on all this fun! Thanks, everyone, for your help.

Diana, it's clear the visit to Windsor is important to you and for sure it's doable. You've got the pro's and con's, connections, etc., put on your roller blades and go have fun at the castle. Say hello to our 'Liz if she's in residence (check the flag over the castle). Geoff

A visit is doable...however, the luggage "thing" as you put it is the problem. It's doubtful that they will let you bring your luggage into Windsor Castle and you already checked that there is no luggage storage. Your only other choice is to see if you can store your luggage at the train station.

Windsor is definitely doable as a half day trip from London. Even if the State Apartments are closed, it's still worth seeing the rest of it. Train from Waterloo Station to Windsor Riverside station (no changes), takes just under an hour. Very short walk to the castle. Do it in the morning and you could be back in London for lunch. Or eat at one of the pubs near the station in Windsor. If I remember correctly, there were a couple--but they may very touristy. I don't remember.

I was last there in 1993 just a few months after the big fire and that was really something to see.

If you will be in London the week before Bath I would tour Windsor Castle then [ even without the State Apartments] and allow a half day so that you can really enjoy the Castle, walk the town and Eton , take one of the Boat cruises and have tea or lunch.

I love this forum! I like the idea of taking a half-day and even a short cruise. As I'm learning, there is so very much to do that I need to prioritize and then start planning my second visit - Cheerio!

Sorry Diana, neither Windsor nor Slough train stations have luggage storage. Save the State Apts for next time but do the castle/town while you're in London.

If you don't mind a little backtracking, take the train from Bath to Paddington. Store your luggage. Take the train to Windsor. Return to Paddington and retrieve your luggage. Take the Tube to Kings Cross and walk to St. Pancras International.