Day trip from London Windsor
A royal castle still in use, with State Apartments and St George's Chapel, about 35 minutes from London Paddington with one change at Slough.
Is Windsor worth a day trip from London?
Half a day. Not Tuesday or Wednesday.
Go, but it is a half day. The castle takes 2 to 3 hours and the town adds one more. Trains from Paddington take about 35 minutes with a change at Slough and run roughly every 20 minutes. Tickets cost £ 32 in advance or £ 36 on the day. The castle is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday, and as a working palace it can close on other days at short notice, so check the dates before you buy. St George's Chapel is shut to visitors on Sundays. Last admission is 75 minutes before closing.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 35 min1 change at Slough · one way · Great Western Railway
- Transport
- Train, 1 change
- Self-guided cost
- £ 58–622 x £ 13.00 single from Waterloo (South Western Railway's lowest fare) + castle ticket, £ 32 in advance or £ 36 on the day · Visit Windsor (Royal Borough tourist office)
- Tour price
- From € 81.17Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 3–4 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Tuesday and Wednesday
- Best time
- Thu, Sat or Mon; open 10:00-17:15 Mar-Oct, 10:00-16:15 Nov-FebDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Windsor
- 01
State Apartments
The formal rooms still used for state visits, hung with paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Holbein. The route takes about an hour with the free multimedia guide and ends in St George's Hall.
- 02
St George's Chapel
The 15th-century chapel where Queen Elizabeth II, Henry VIII and nine other monarchs are buried. Allow 30 minutes. It is shut to visitors on Sundays and closes earlier than the rest of the castle.
- 03
Queen Mary's Dolls' House
A 1:12 scale house built in the 1920s with working lifts, running water and a library of real miniature books. It has its own queue, often 20 to 30 minutes long.
- 04
The Long Walk
A straight, free avenue running 4 km from the castle gates to the Copper Horse statue in Windsor Great Park. Fifteen minutes out and back gives you the classic view of the castle.
- 05
Eton
Cross the pedestrian bridge over the Thames and walk 10 minutes up the High Street to Eton College. The school's buildings are seen from the street; tours run on limited dates.
Good forCastles and palacesWith kids
How to spend the day
Leave Paddington at about 09:15, change at Slough and reach Windsor & Eton Central before 10:00, in time for the 10:00 opening. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the guard change is usually at 11:00. Do the State Apartments and St George's Chapel, leave around 13:00, eat, then walk over the bridge to Eton. Catch a train about 15:00 and you are back in London for the late afternoon.
Windsor in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustThe castle is open 10:00 to 17:15 from March to October. Security queues at the entrance are longest between 10:30 and 12:30 in July and August, so arrive for 10:00 with a timed ticket. The Semi-State Rooms are closed in summer. Mid June brings Garter Day, when the castle shuts to visitors. The Long Walk and the river are at their best.
Winter
December to FebruaryFrom November to February the castle opens 10:00 to 16:15, with last admission 75 minutes before closing. This is when the Semi-State Rooms, the most richly decorated in the castle, are open. A large Christmas tree stands in St George's Hall through December. Queues are short. Since the visit is nearly all indoors, winter is a good time to come.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Jul-Aug, Saturdays, and guard-change mornings from 10:30 to 12:30
- Quietest
- Monday and Friday; after 14:00; November to February
The guard change on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays draws the largest crowds, on the street as well as inside. If you do not care about it, come on a Monday or Friday, or enter after 13:30.
How do you get to Windsor from London?
Train (Paddington)
- Travel time
- About 35 min
- Frequency
- Almost every 20 min
- Departs from
- London Paddington
Take a GWR or Elizabeth line train to Slough, then the 6-minute branch train to Windsor & Eton Central. The station is across the street from the castle entrance. Check the connection time at Slough, a bad one adds 15 minutes.
Train (Waterloo)
- Travel time
- About 55 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 min
- Cost
- From £ 13.00 each way
- Departs from
- London Waterloo
South Western Railway runs direct to Windsor & Eton Riverside, with no change, calling at Clapham Junction, Richmond and Twickenham. Slower, but simpler if you are staying south of the river. Oyster is not valid beyond Feltham, so buy a ticket.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 4 to 5.5 hours door to door
- Frequency
- On castle opening days
- Cost
- From € 81.17
- Departs from
- Bulleid Way, stop 1 (Victoria)
A coach with castle entry and an audio guide, no guide inside. It costs more than train plus ticket and saves you nothing in time. It makes sense only as part of a combined day with Stonehenge and Oxford or Bath.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
You pass airport-style security, so travel light and leave large bags behind. Wear flat shoes for the steep hill and cobbles in the castle precincts. Much of the queueing is outdoors. Bring a raincoat.
What to eat
There is a cafe inside the castle, but most people eat afterwards in the lanes opposite the gate, around the Guildhall, or in the old station arcade at Windsor Royal. Pubs across the bridge in Eton are calmer. In fine weather, picnic at the start of the Long Walk.
What you will spend
Nearly all the cost is the castle ticket: £ 32 in advance or £ 36 on the day. Trains are short and cheap, from £ 13.00 each way on the direct Waterloo route. The multimedia guide is included. The Long Walk, the guard march through town and Eton High Street are free.
How to get the most out of the day
- Watch the guards march up the High Street to the castle at about 10:45. You can see that part free, without a ticket.
- Ask at the exit to have your ticket stamped. It converts into a pass giving free re-entry for a year.
- Do St George's Chapel before the State Apartments in winter. The chapel's last entry is at about 16:00 and it shuts for Evensong.
- The two stations are five minutes apart on foot. If one line is disrupted, go home from the other.
How long do you need in Windsor?
Plan 3–4 h on site, plus 35 min of travel each way from London.
When is Windsor closed?
Tuesday and Wednesday. Best time: Thu, Sat or Mon; open 10:00-17:15 Mar-Oct, 10:00-16:15 Nov-Feb.