Getting to Windsor Castle from London is easy. There is a good bus service to Windsor which is probably the best option as the same service also connects the castle to Legoland Windsor. Regular trains from central London mean you have a choice of transport options and good connections to other destinations in the South East. Use these resources to plan your trip. And don’t just plan on visiting the castle! There’s a new attraction in 2019, the Haunted House Monster Party at Legoland Windsor that seems like a safe bet for school vacation trips.
If you were captured by the magic of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, a visit now will give you a better chance to explore the place, St George’s Chapel, Windsor, than if you were actually there that day.
By bus
Greenline Service No. 702 is probably the most comfortable way to get to Windsor via Castle and Legoland, especially if you have children in tow. Frequent buses run from Victoria Colonnades near Victoria London Coach Station during the day approximately every half hour, seven days a week. The trip takes about an hour. Adult roundtrip tickets cost £ 19 before noon and £ 10 after noon. Individual and roundtrip (one-day round-trip) tickets are available in cash from the bus driver and can also be purchased through an app.
Discounts are available for children under 15 years old, and children under 5 years old, accompanied by an adult, are admitted free.
The bus companies that run this service have been playing annual musical chairs in recent years and their online information has not always been up to date. But this popular service has been around for 80 years, so you can count on it being there when you want to travel. The main thing to know is that Reading Buses operates the service and maintains a separate website for this route. The bus company also publishes a clear, helpful and downloadable Green Line 702 brochure that has full details of schedules, all prices, and maps.
There is a new Green Line 702 app available on Google Play or The App Store. Use it to keep up with schedules and delays and to pay for your ticket online. The route also accepts contactless payments from UK and European credit and debit cards that the facility offers. If you can use the app, there is a generous discount on tickets.
UK Travel Tip : The Legoland Connection – There’s probably too much to see and do at both Windsor Castle and Legoland Windsor to combine the two attractions into one day trip. But if you are staying at the family-friendly Legoland Resort, the same bus service number 702 will transport you between Legoland Windsor’s main entrance and Windsor Castle. Check with Reading Buses at +44 (0) 118 959 4000 for timetables and fare. You can buy your tickets from the driver.
By train
Southwestern Railway operates a direct service to Windsor & Eton Riverside Station from London Waterloo Station every half hour from 5:58 am throughout the day (every hour on Sundays). The journey takes less than an hour and round-trip winter rates start at £ 12.40 (in 2018).
Great Western offers faster, cheaper and more frequent service to Windsor & Eton Central Station from Paddington Station, every 10-15 minutes throughout the day. The journey takes between 29 and 47 minutes, but involves changing trains in Slough. (Don’t worry, although there is only a 4-minute gap between the two trains, it simply involves crossing from one side of the platform to the other. Round-trip tickets are £ 11.70. (There is a cheaper fare, but it involves leaving Paddington at 3am)
Either station is less than a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle, so your choice of travel will likely depend on whether you are closer to Paddington or Waterloo at the beginning of your trip.
UK Traveler Advice: For almost all British train travel starting in London, there is a price advantage to buying two one-way tickets well in advance of your trip. This destination is an exception. There is no advance purchase price advantage and off-peak round-trip tickets from London are cheaper than one-way tickets. Off-peak prices for this destination begin at approximately 9:30 a.m.
Train and coach companies traveling to Windsor Castle sometimes offer special offers that may include castle admission or other offers. It is definitely worth checking with them before you go.
By car
Windsor is 40 kilometers west of central London on the M4 motorway. Leave the M4 at Junction 6 and follow the signs for downtown Windsor. It takes about 45 minutes to drive. Parking throughout Windsor is controlled and relatively expensive. If you visit the castle, follow the signs to the long-term parking lot. It may involve a 20-minute walk, but it costs about a third the cost of short-term parking in downtown Windsor. An even better option is to use the Park and Ride services at Legoland Windsor or Windsor Home Park.
Check the website for current park and attraction rates, and use the Automobile Association’s Route Planner to map a route with suggested stopovers and gas stations. It’s also a good idea to check the daily gas prices.
