How To Get To Windsor Castle From London
This article will show you exactly how to get to Windsor Castle from London. Out of the three methods to go this famous British royal castle, the best way is to take the train. More details are below.
Three Ways To Get To Windsor Castle
Method 1. By Train
London Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central
The best way is to take the train from London Paddington Station to Windsor & Eton Central Station (you will need to transfer train once at Slough Station).
Once you exit the station at Windsor, you will see Windsor Castle.
A return ticket costs between £10 and £15. Trains run one to three times every hour, and the journey takes between 25 minutes to 1 hour. The trains are operated by Great Western Railway.
I used this method to get to Windsor from London. I bought my ticket in advance on the Virgin Trains website, but you can also buy it directly via Great Western Railway.
Note that it is also possible to buy tickets on the day itself because train tickets will not run out.
On the day of my trip, I went to Paddington Station and collected my train ticket from one of the machines labelled “Pre-paid ticket collection only”.
Note that you will need the Credit Card that you made your booking with, as well as the booking reference. You will NOT be able to collect the ticket if you do not have the card.
My train departed Paddington Station at 8.50am and reached Slough Station at 9.06am. I changed train here and reached Windsor at 9.16am.
Therefore, my entire train ride from London to Windsor took just 26 minutes. I guess the journey was so fast because it was an early morning train. On average the journey time is usually around 40 minutes.
London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside
There is another train route which runs directly from London Waterloo Station to Windsor and Eton Riverside Station.
After exiting the station at Windsor, you will need to walk for about 5 minutes to reach Windsor Castle.
A return ticket costs between £12 and £20. Trains run around three times every hour, and the journey takes between 35 and 55 minutes. The trains are operated by South Western Railway.
I don’t recommend this train route because it is slower and more expensive. However, if you are staying near Waterloo Station then it may be more viable.
Method 2. By Bus
The Green Line 702 bus departs from London Victoria Station and drops off directly outside Windsor Castle.
An adult return ticket starts from £10. Buses run throughout the day, and the journey time is around 90 minutes.
Taking the bus is definitely less efficient than riding the train, but if you would like to save some money and don’t mind the extra travel time, you can consider this method.
Method 3. By Car
It takes about 50 minutes to drive from central London to Windsor. You will be driving mostly along the M4 highway.
Once you reach Windsor, parking is available at Alexandra Gardens car park on Alma Road, and at King Edward VII and Romney Lock car parks on Datchet Road.
The parking fee is around £6 (maximum) per day. All the car parks are within a 10-minute walk to Windsor Castle.
However, do note that London traffic can be quite congested during peak periods, and you will need to pay toll fees along the way.
In addition, parking at Windsor is very limited, especially on the weekends.
Therefore, I do not really recommend this method.
Which Is The Best Method?
Taking the train is definitely the best way for getting to Windsor Castle from London. It is quite affordable and you can reach Windsor in less than 30 minutes. Taking a bus is slightly cheaper but the journey time is much longer. I do not recommend driving because it is expensive and inconvenient.
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