Brighton/Windsor/Cambridge: train station and cost
 

Thinking of taking day trips from London to Brighton, Windsor, Cambridge. From which station is the easiset direct train (without transfers), to what station, and what is the cost of a RT ticket?

Go to www.thetrainline.com and plug in your info, it's a very helpful website.
Cambridge trains go from Kings Cross, Brighton from Victoria and Windsor from Waterloo (and another that I cannot recall off hand, perhaps Paddington). We went from Waterloo to Windsor, it takes about one hour. I'd suggest buying a castle ticket combined with the train ticket, you save a pound or two.

There is a train to Windsor from Paddington. It requires an easy change at Slough. We did this last week and the trip takes just over a half an hour.

I thought it was Paddington! The train from Waterloo is direct, it's about a 10 min. walk from the station to the Castle.

I did two out of those three day trips in March. For Cambridge we left from Kings Cross station and it was 15.6 pounds round trip (return) - that was the price after 9:30 am, it's more if you go during rush hour. Although thetrainline.com site had only listed Kings Cross station, on the way home we found we could get off at a variety of places in central London at tube stops that were more convienient for us. Don't know if you can leave from anywhere except Kings Cross. The trip was just under an hour each way. (At Kings Cross check out Platform 9 3/4 if you've read Harry Potter). Once you get to Cambridge there is a shuttle bus for one pound that takes you into the center of town. We walked back to the train and it took at least a half hour.

For Brighton we left from the London Bridge Train Station. Cost was 12 pounds round trip, took 45 minutes. Again, we were able to return to another station, in this case Victoria. I don't know if you can leave from there, I just went to the station that the web site had said to go to and got tickets but when we were ready to come back there were a number of trains to Central London, to several different stations. In Brighton it's about a 15 minute walk to the Pavillion and a few minutes more to the Pier.

We thought Cambridge was a wonderful day trip, very worthwhile. Brighton can be done in only a partial day (shorter train ride, not as much to do there), thereby leaving time to do something else in the city. However if your time is short I didn't think it was anywhere near as enjoyable as my other day trips. Our third day trip was to Warwick Caslte and that was great. (You didn't ask but the train there is from Paddington Station, cost was 22 pounds return, and took an hour and a half, 10 minute walk to the castle and town center from the train station).

All of these trips were direct (no train changes needed). Have a great time.