laustic

I've been having a hard time wrapping my mind around this one. My 2 girlfriends threw and monkey wrench into my itinerary planning. They both really want to visit Wimbledon while we are in London and see some matches. I'm not really a sports fan and I was not really thrilled about the idea of lining up and paying high prices for tickets. However, apparently the tickets are greatly reduced by the evening (5pm). Also, one can just get a ground pass and wander around, Is this correct? Will there still be lines at this time? We don't really need to see anyone famous. I think we just want to wander and soak in the atmosphere mainly, maybe catch a match or 2.

We were thinking of doing Wimbledon in the evening after a day at Hampton Court on the first Monday of the tournament. Is Wimbledon easily accessible from HCP? (Planning on taking the train) Can we walk from the station to the tournament? Is there anything else to do in the area? Any and all advice is appreciated

Chandra

Cicerone

Grounds tickets will NOT let you into Centre court or Court No 1 and I believe you have to stand at Court No 2 with these tickets. However, if you will be there early enough in the tournament (like the first week) you have a good chance of seeing some very decent early-round matches on the outside courts to which the Grounds ticket will admit you. You won't see the tops seeds (as they play on the Centre Court and No 1 and No 2 courts) but you will get to see some good tennis IMO. (Sort of like at the US Open where you can get similar tickets). In addition, some of the old-timers who are no longer seeded play, and they play on these outside courts. Finally, sometimes a few of the top seed singles players also play doubles in which they are not the top seed, and you can see those matches, as they won't play on Centre or No 1 and No 2 court.

On a nice day in June, going out to Wimbledon is actually a lot of fun. It will be light until ridiculously late in June, so I think the evening would be fun too.

If you come by train to Wimbledon, you take a bus from the station to the grounds, it is too far to walk, IMO. I believe there are also buses running directly from London to the tennis club. Sorry, I don't know about getting there from Hampton Court.

Cicerone

Sorry, to answer your line question, I still think you are going to find a line at 5 pm for Grounds tickets, based on what I have seen when leaving day matches. I can't really estimate time, I would say at least 45 minutes, but perhaps others have actual experience.

One thing you might want to do is get there a half hour or so BEFORE the ticket prices change and pay the full day price. My assumption is that there would not be much of a line then because people would be waiting for the price to go down before buying a ticket. As the ticket price difference is 5 or 6 pounds (about US$10), if there is no line or a very short one this might well be worth the cost. (I could be totally wrong that there would be no line at changeover time, but I do think know a little bit about human nature...)

WillTravel

I'd say if you aren't a fan, don't waste your precious time in London visiting Wimbledon. Two grown women will be able to manage on their own, and you can have a lovely time somewhere else.

CotswoldScouser

There are trains roughly every half hour from Hampton Court station to Wimbledon railway station, taking about 20 minutes.

This isn't actually very near the tennis grounds: Southfields, not Wimbledon, tube, is the handiest if you're coming from central London, and the tennis is 10 mins' walk away from there.

But if your plans stay unchanged, there are buses every 5 mins or so from Wimbledon station to the tennis. Say another 10 mins, depending on the traffic.

m_kingdom2

I agree, if you're here for London then stick to exploring London rather than "wasting" an entire day trying to get into Wimbledon, and at best ending up with awful seats. If you're not going to get a good view, then tell them to watch it at "home".

If you'd have arranged pre-booked tickets (which as you say aren't cheap) then it's different, but going on the offchance really isn't the way to do things when your time is valuable and will be lost at the expense of tennis over a hundred people's heads (the seats).

alanRow

You could always watch matches from "Henman Hill" - or is it "Murray Mound" these days

walkinaround

i have been to wimbledon many times in the evening using ground tickets --in addition to the odd finals match that i've been to.

for the evening, i would leave work early and get there by about 5:00 or 6:00. there is always a big queue but it does move very quickly and the people watching would probably be interesting to any tourist. the whole event is extremely well organised and you will not be kept in queue if you will not be able to enter.

if you are not a tennis fan, it hardly matters what match you are viewing...just being on the grounds is exciting.

i highly recommend an evening at wimbledon even if you are not a tennis fan. the atmosphere within the all england is great and it is an experience that i think you will greatly enjoy.

i cannot understand how anyone could say that a few hours on the grounds of wimbledon would be a waste of your london time. if you go in the evening, you will not be wasting a whole day trying to get tickets. and with ground tickets, there is no worry of getting "awful" seats. in fact, you can get very close to the action on most courts. whilst it is always nice to get into a court 1 or centre court match, ground tickets encourage you to move around the all england and soak it all in.

surfmom

I agree with walkinaround re: visiting Wimbledon.

I don't know the specifics of getting an evening pass (I've always had tickets).

I've walked from the train station, and while it is a long walk, its enjoyable and there are many fans doing it. I recall a bus from the train station, but the line was so long that we decided to hoof it.

While I can't endorse this, I will tell you one of my fun experiences. I was there in the 1997 (maybe 96?) and had just arrived in London on the Saturday of Ladies' Finals for a week-long business trip. I decided to walk out to Wimbledon and just get a 'grounds pass' and enjoy the strawberries and cream, experiences, etc. At that time, I wasn't even sure I could see any outside court matches if any would be going on. I was about halfway to the stadium and a man was selling a single ticket (this was about 15 min. before the start of the match). I looked at it, (admittedly, didn't really know what I was looking for) and decided to buy it. L80 pounds later, I was the proud owner of a ticket. I had heard that Wimbeldon was VERY strict on scalping and that tickets can be confiscated, so I knew I was taking a risk. I *booked* to the stadium to get there... As I took my seat, the players entered the court. I was in the 3rd row on the service line - WOW! I kept waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder, "Sorry, miss. I need to kick you out." never happened! It was an amazing 3-set match that Steffi Graf prevailed in...

Anyway, I would recommend getting a grounds pass - it is worth the experience. Get some strawberries and cream. Watch a match on the outer courts (fyi - to see top players out there, look for them playing mixed doubles or doubles). Just revel in the experience.

wombat7

I am assuming that you are from North America - in which case another advantage is that there will be three more people in North America who will realize that it is Wimbledon and not Wimbleton - I am constantly (okay slight exageration - my amazement is not constant) by how many sports announcers say Wimbleton

Jenski

When IS Wimbledon? I'm going to be in London in June, never considered going-figured getting tickets would be a very expensive hassle. However, it does sound like a great way to spend a long summer evening! Can I buy them ahead of time online?

david_west

Right first things first. I live in Southfields and I BLOODY HATE TENNIS. I hate wimbledon fortnight and everything that goes with it – I can’t get in my local pub and the place is full of yanks and women in comfortable shoes.

To get there, get off the train at Wimbledon and get the District Line up to Southfields (two stops – about eight minutes). The two lines are in the same place. Folllow the crowds of yanks and unmarried ladies down Arthur Rd and you’re there.

People do get in later in the day. God alone knows why they bother, but each to their own I suppose. (As a local I get preference for tickets and I’ve never been)

jbass

Henman Hill should now be Federer Foothill. Once inside Wimbledon, you can queue again for tickets that have been "turned in" from Center Court or Court 1. Nice people who leave early and "recycle" their tickets.

laustic

Great information everyone! Thanks! Especially loved the commment about "yanks and women in comfortable shoes"!! HA HA HA! Gotta love being an American abroad where your reputation always precedes you! I'd like to think we are not typical American tourists, but maybe I am dellusional. So, where is this local pub so that I might meet up with all my fellow obnoxious Americans? Are there any other fun spots anyone might recommend for visiting before or after the matches? Thanks again for all of the help!

david_west

There are only two pubs in Southfields and I wouldn't recommend either of them - one is a brightly lit, noisy hell hole aimed at alcopop drinkers, the other is the grottiest Wetherspoons in Christendom (quite an achievement) aimed at angry alcoholics who like to argue with themselves. If pushed I prefer the Wetherspoons.

However there are decent pubs nearby - walk down Replingham Rd (the road with the shops on it) and at the bottom turn left at the school. You will soon come to the Gardeners Arms - a typical "local" and the Earl Spencer - London's Gastropub of the year last year.

Having said that, the best places to go afterwards are either Putney or Wimbledon Village (if the weather's nice) - Both are on the District line (as is Southfields) and only a few minutes away. Both loads of pubs bars and restaurants (neitherr are cheap though).

Fulham Broadway's lively too - but mainly caters for a younger crowd.

I still hate bloody tennis though, and I LOATHE wimbledon fortnight.