debstaj1

Hi
would appreciate some advice on the best way to get to the National Records Office in Kew from Old Windsor. I know they have parking but perhaps easier and more flexible to catch a train or bus.
We are also thinking of a day tour from Portsmouth to Osborne House. Have seen 1 post from 2006. Would it still be appropriate to drive to Portsmouth catch the Wightlink ferry and the no 4 bus?

thanks for any advise Deb

alanRow

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ - you go via Richmond

flanneruk

Assuming you're starting off from Windsor (and therefore really need to drive to the south coast), there's no obvious "best" ferry to get to Osborne House.

Cross-Solent ferries are among the world's priciest, mile for mile - but like all ferries on the south coast, there's a bewildering, and often changing, range of special offers. Personally, I'd say there's little difference in convenience between Southampton and Portsmouth if you're driving from the London area. You can get to Osborne house on the No 4 bus from Ryde and East Cowes, or the no 5 from East Cowes.

Fastest: Hover to Ryde from Southsea (an extension of Portsmouth). Otherwise: Wightlink ferry to Ryde from Portsmouth or Red Funnel ferry from Southampton to East Cowes. Check their websites for relevant offers.

On weekday mornings, getting both to Portsmouth/Southsea and Southampton from the M3 (and getting from the M4 to the M3 on the M25)can be congested: you need to add at least an hour to whatever the websites say to catch a prebooked ferry. My own limited experience is that the traffic congestion problem on weekday mornings is GREATER getting to Portsmouth/Southsea than getting to the Red Funnel terminal in Southampton (be sure to use the M271/A35/A3204). Southampton's also usually quicker to get to from Windsor than Portsmouth.

alihutch

There's also the Redjet from Southampton to W Cowes which takes 25 mins and is faster than the ferry. We got some offpeak deal before Christmas where 3 of us cost about £21 return total! But it's foot passengers only.

And you can always check out the Osborne House website http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/d...or-information

PatrickLondon

For the National Archives at Kew, you can get a train from Windsor and Eton Riverside to Richmond, and then tube/Overground to Kew Gardens station, or you can get a bus from outside Richmond station:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaro...rdens-2422.pdf

GeoffHamer

If you're travelling from Old Windsor, rather than Windsor, it would be better to take the 71 bus to Egham or Staines, then a train to Kew Bridge, or a train to Richmond then another train to Kew Gardens or the R68 bus.
To get to Osborne House, Southern Vectis bus route 4 goes between Ryde and East Cowes via the house (www.islandbuses.info).
Ryde can be reached by Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth. East Cowes has Red Funnel ferries from Southampton (Red Funnel's fast ferry goes to Cowes and there's then a ten-minute walk to the floating bridge to East Cowes, so is not so convenient).
www.redfunnel.co.uk
www.wightlink.co.uk
Trains from London go to Portsmouth Harbour, connecting directly with the Wightlink ferry to Ryde, or to Southampton Central where there's a free bus from the station to Red Funnel's terminal.