Hampton Court Question
 

I’m going to be in London with my husband in May. It’s our first time and we will have six full days there. I’d like to go to Hampton Court Palace for a daytrip. We are staying close to Victoria Station and I know the tube runs to Richmond and from there we can take a bus to the palace. Does the Travelcard cover the Richmond buses? Are these buses generally packed, standing room or so? Another idea would be to take a boat to the palace. Can someone tell me how and where we’d catch the boat? I do know that there’s a train from Waterloo to Hampton Court. But it seems we’d be backtracking to get to it since we’re so close to Victoria Station. Thanks for any help or ideas.

Get yourself to the Paddington station and you can take the train straight to Hampton Court. Once you get to the train station and it is a very short walk across the river to Hampton Court. You can easily take the tube to Paddington Station.

I don't know about the boats, I didn't do that, but it seems like that would be a nice trip as well.

I loved Hampton Court, the grounds were great! Enjoy.

CORRECTION ---- I just realized that it wasn't Paddington Station that goes directly. I think it is Victoria, I'll have to look at my journal and pictures when I get home and I'll post once again.

The easiest way would be train from London Victoria to Clapham Junction, transferring there to train to Hampton Court.

I took a direct train from Waterloo to HC and back. It took about 45-50 minutes one way and was absolutely dead. It cost me under 3 pounds, but I'm a student and was traveling with 3 other people, so I think we may have gotten a group rate. It's a great day trip.

I also took the train from Waterloo.

Train from Waterloo is probably the fastest. We took the riverboat years ago and it can be a long trip!

Travelcard covers whole train ride to Hampton Court - I did it last year with one, right to palace. Actually i took train back from Hampton Court - to get there i trained to Kingston and then walked the few miles from there along the north bank of the Thames to the palace - a neat walk largely on riverside paths. Hampton Court - a fabulous sight often overlooked by London visitors.

I'd just take the train directly from Waterloo, seems the easiest and that you'd save time compared to all the stuff with transferring.

I took the boat one way, going, and it took a really long time and wasn't that interesting. I wouldn't do it again.

A little search on Google would give you all you need at the following address. It would also be accurate information.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/hampton_home.asp

Most will take the train to get there. For a leisurely trip back, take the boat.

Thanks for all the good advice. Is it necessary to buy train ticket in advance or could I just show up and go?

No need to book in advance. Actually, with this one I recommend not in case you aren't exactly sure when you want to leave. Your plans may change that day based on what you are doing.

If you did want to book though, do so on therailine.com (or it might be therailline.co.uk)

We went last April on a day trip with London Walks www.walks.com We left Waterloo to Richmond had a walk around there and then took a boat from Richmond to Hampton Court. At Hampton Court the guide walked us around explaining the major sites then we were on our own to do whatever. We then took the train back to Waterloo. The train station is right across the Thames from Hampton Court. We had a great day.

tube from Victoria to Vauxhall and then get on the train to hampton court, it should be there at like :28 and :58 on the hour

Londonwalks sounds perfect but I don't think they will be having the Hampton Court explorer day when we're there.

Thanks again everyone. Right now I think I'll do tube to Vauxhall and train to Hampton Court.

The great thing about Hampton Court is once you pay the entry fee, you're entitled to all the great guided walks. Be sure to take a couple of the walks with guides in period costumes. Our guide for the William and Mary tour was particularly good, answering all the questions we cared to ask. The taped tour of the Tudor Kitchens is a must as well.

OK - the easiest way is train Waterloo to Hampton Court. Sure you could take the train from Vicotria and change - but it is fast and easy from Waterloo w/o any changes.

As for the boat - if the weather is nice a boat trip is terrific. But NOT to the palace. because of the river current the trip up river takes almost an hour longer than the trip downriver back to central London.

So just take the train, and IF the weather is nice you can take the boat back to Westminster Pier. If the weather is drippy - just take the train baks to town.

HCP is so easy to do on your own and has such good tours and guides (including terrific audio guides) it is a place I would not do on a group tour -- even the highly regarded London walks.

You will probably have a weekly zone 1 or possibly zone 1-2 travelcard (these are the best bargains and will save you money even tho' you'll only be there 6 days). So for the train to HCP you will just pay a small supplement to cover the zone 6 journey.

I know exactly what I meant and I even confused myself :)

Just to clarify re the boat trip. Yes, it is a great way to travel back to London (if the weather is nice). It will take just about 3 hours. Don't consider taking it TO the Palace. Going upstream takes almost 4 hours.

I have visited Hampton Court about half dozen times. Once when I stayed at Victoria Station (Thistle Victoria), I took District Line to Richmond (paid supplement with Zone 1-2 travel card), then took bus R68 (every 15 minutes, takes around half an hour) from bus stop D outside Richmond tube station (bought the ticket from bus driver), the bus stopped right outside the entrance.

Once I took boat back to Westminster (the boat stop was outside the Palace on the Thamas,bought ticket from a little hut, about 5 minutes walk from the entrance), It was a bit too long. It would have been better If off the boat by Kew Gardens, as the sceneries up the river were more beautiful, and the trip less tedious.

JudyC, thanks for the bus info. I wondered how often they came and how crowded they were.

janis, thanks for the info on the boat. I don't want to take the long one, just the one from Richmond to the Palace. And the weekly travelcard and a supplement to the Palace sound the way to go.

Grasshopper, those are good tips for the Palace. I really wanted to go there and see it with my own eyes and at my own pace.

Had an additional question regarding catching tube or train to Hamtpon Court Palace. If I have a weekly Zone 1-2 travelcard, how do I add the Zone 6 supplement to the card the day that I go to Hampton Court? Is there a machine in the London station that I would insert it and the cash? Or do I wait until I reach Hampton Court and pay there?

You pay the supplement before you get on the train. You can use ticket machines at Waterloo - but there are also ticket windows. So if the machines seem confusing - just go up to the window and the agent will sort things out for you.

If you are staying at Victoria, there is no sense in going to Hampton Court via Waterloo - there is no direct tube from Victoria to Waterloo. The train from Waterloo to Hampton Court stops at Vauxhall (on the Victoria Line), Clapham Junction (frequent main line trains from Victoria) and Wimbledon (on the District Line from Victoria). Another option is the District Line from Victoria to Richmond, then the R68 bus, but that will take longer (there's no problem getting a seat on the R68 bus). If you have a Travelcard for zones 1-2, show that when you buy the ticket to Hampton Court at Vauxhall or Victoria, and you will be sold a ticket from the boundary of zone 2 to Hampton Court (you cannot get this sort of ticket from a ticket machine). If you go via Richmond, buy a tube ticket from Zone 2 to Richmond (this is called an extension ticket). Your Travelcard covers the buses in all zones so can be used on the bus from Richmond to Hampton Court.
By boat, the journey time depends on the tide which changes every day. It can take between 2 hrs 15 mins and 4 hours. If you get the boat between Richmond and Hampton Court, it takes about an hour. Details of the boat service are on www.thamesriverboats.co.uk.

Thank you, janis and Geoff for the information. Since I'm not sure yet which route I'll take it's good to have the info you both supplied.

Thank you for this discussion. I think I have figured out how to do HC on my own and without too much fuss. I'll be there in July and will try to boat back to London after I wear my feet out tramping the palace!! Thanks again all for the tips!

Hi,
I'm back from my London trip and wanted to say that the Hampton Court excursion went off without a hitch. Bought the supplement at Vauxhall and caught the 9:10 a.m. train to Hampton COurt and enjoyed the palace very much. Thanks.