I know both HP and Windsor can be reached by train. However, as I read Journey Planner, they are on different lines. I used Journey Planner to find a connection between them, and it appears that if I go to Windsor first, it can be done, but if I go to HP there is no time appropriate connection. Also the train connection between Windsor and HP appears to take about an hour and a half.

Advice on how to get from London to both palaces and back in one day? Presently it looks like I could go to Windsor, get a connection around 12:30 or 1:30 or so to HP and then catch the train back to London.

Can I improve upon this? I hunted for a water connection but could not find one.

I know both palaces merit a whole day, but I am anxious to see both of them and would settle for a half day at each.

My trip is 3 weeks,so I hope this board will entertain frequent questions (even the "dumb" ones, although I try to do my reseach).

Thanks again for all the valuable advice.

Should read my trip is "in" three weeks...

I only have 8 days. Wish I actually had three weeks and could be less frugal with my time allotments.

My only thought here is that, since you are not using the full name of Hampton Court Palace, you may not be looking at the correct train station in your journey planning. There are 3 stations with Hampton in their name; the one you want is Hampton Court.

I do not think you can improve on what you have learned, unless you are willing to spend a lot more money.

If your spening 3 weeks in London trying to cram both into 1 day trip is foolish,why not do both on seperate days.

Sorry I didn't read your corrected post earlier but with 8 days if you like history and architesture my advice is the same.

Not only is each a great daytrip in and of itself, but the public transportation between the two makes it even more difficult to do in one day.

With time being a huge factor, you might want to take a taxi between the two. It's about 15 miles between the two.

OR... Instead of doing both in one day, plan to do them on separate days as 1/2 day trips. Take an early train from Waterloo, spend half a day there, then take the train back to London and then you'll still have time to see something in London when you get back in the early-mid afternoon. You won't get to see everything at either place, but it will give you a taste of each.

You might also want to consider one of the organized tours that include both.

Evan Evans: http://www.evanevans.co.uk/windsorhampton.htm

Golden Tours: http://www.goldentours.co.uk/tour.php?11

Its' easy to do both in one day - we did it and had plenty of time at each. Just rent a car.

smroan: While either Windsor or HCP can be done as 1/2 day trips from London - that does not mean together they are a realistic one day's trip.

You could do either one as a morning-early afternoon trip and then do something else in London in the late afternoon/evening. Maybe that way you can squeeze in both. But they are not a practical "two for". HCP and Kew is a better pairing - but even that is a VERY full day.

(renting a car would make HCP/Windsor at least possible - but in no way would it be "easy".)

I agree with Kayb95 - consider taking a tour. With just one day for both, it's not like you'll have a lot of time wandering around by yourself anyways. Why not just go with a tour?

As for train connections, there are hourly connection via Clapham Junction near London. Total journey time is 92 minutes. e.g.

12:25 Windor 13:38 Clapham Junction
14:03 Clapham Junction 14:27 Hampton Court

Same every hour.

Sorry. Should be:

Windsor 12:55, not 12:25.

The Transport for London web site (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/) indicates that if you go to Hampton Court Palace first, you can get a bus from Hampton Court Green to Feltham station, from which there is a train to Windsor/Eton Riverside. The estimated time, including a 17 minute walk from the station to Windsor, is about 1:10 to 1:15.

I highly suggest taking a tour also. All the transportation and lunch are included. The only drawback is that the tour co. either may not know or may know and won't inform you until afterwards if it's impossible to visit inside Windsor Castle.
We signed up for the tour which I think was Evans Evans but not sure now and only when they got our tickets to the castle told us the Queen was entertaining a dignitary so we would not be able to visit the interior. It was disappointing as that was supposed to be the main reason for visiting Windsor.

Here is some info from the Windsor Castle Website on the dates different parts of the castle will be closed. You may want to contact them just prior to your visit to see if anything will be closed when you plan to go.


Visitor information

Ticket Sales and Information Office
The Official Residences of The Queen
London
SW1A 1AA

Tel: (+44) (0) 20 7766 7304
Fax: (+44) (0) 20 7930 9625
E-mail: [email protected]

When to come

The Castle is open every day except:

25 April Castle closes at 13:30, last admission 12:00
14 June (Garter Day)
25 and 26 December

The State Apartments are open every day except:

12-18 June (inclusive)

As a working royal palace, the Castle is used frequently by The Queen for State ceremonies and official entertaining. Please check opening arrangements before planning a visit.

Reduced admission charges apply when the State Apartments are closed. Visitors can still enjoy the extensive Castle Precincts, St George's Chapel, Queen Mary's Dolls' House, the Castle Exhibition and the exhibition in the Drawings Gallery.

The Semi-State Rooms
The Semi-State Rooms close on Wednesday 24 March 2004 and will re-open on Saturday 25 September 2004.

St George's Chapel
St George's Chapel is open every day to visitors except:

1 May (Chapel closes at 13:00)
8 May (Chapel closes at 13:00)
4 June (Chapel closes at 13:00)
11-14 June (inclusive)
23 June (Chapel closes at 13:00)
3 July (Chapel closes at 13:00)
17 July (Chapel closes at 13:00)
4 September (Chapel closes at 13:00)
23 December (Chapel closes at 13:00)
24-26 December (inclusive)

St. George's Chapel is closed to visitors on Sundays as services are held throughout the day. Worshippers are welcome to attend the services.

My opinion might differ from others, but I think that Windsor is a worthwhile destination in its own right for a full day (half of which is the Castle and St. George's) - - and with eight days in London, I would make the argument that renting a car and staying OUTside of London for 2-3 nights could actually pay for the car rental (by getting lower priced accommodations outside the city).

We enjoyed the Fairlight Lodge in Windsor; made a nice side trip for tea to the Rose and Crown (in Amersham), too - - where Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell filmed one of their liaisons (the first one, I think) in the movie "Four Weddings and a Funeral".

Best wishes,

Rex

My humble opinion is that both Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle deserve a full day each, especially if you are at all interested in British history. I've even re-visited both because there is just so much to see it can't be done properly in half a day. At HC there are extensive and very beautful gardens that could absorb a whole day in themselves (as well as the maze). If you're into needlweork, HC is also home to the Royal School of Needlework (but it's closed on weekends as I discovered to my dismay). At Windsor the town surrounding the castle is charming and fun (despite the plethora of tacky tourist shops & McDonalds on the high street). Frogmore, where Victoria & Albert are buried, is open to the public on a few select days but it's possible those may be done for the year - I believe there are a couple open days in May around Queen Vic.'s birthday; the accurate info should be on the Windsor Castle website.
The organized tours that visit both sites will give you a quickie visit but if you can at all squeeze them into your schedule, I'd advise giving both these wonderful sites a full day.

We just returned from London and went to Hampton Court Palace. It was one of the highlights of the trip and am so glad we went there. I don't think it would be wise to do both in one day,- not because its not doable,- but because you will probably be exhausted after walking around Hampton Court Palace half the day.

The gardens at Hampton Court were the prettiest I saw while in London. It was a relaxing trip and seemed so away from the hustle and bustle of London even though it really wasn't that far away.

I don't think I would have enjoyed Hampton Court Palace as much if I had been part of a tour group.

The Changing of the Guard at Windsor is the best! The Guardsmen marched right pass you as they walked off from the open field. I didn't see the COG at Buckingham but another tourist at Windsor said at Buckingham you the iron fence/gate separated the audience and the guards.

There is a maze in the Hampton Court Palace. If you have kids they will love it!

FYI on train tickets to either Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace - If you bought a zone 1 - 2 day pass or an Oyster card, please tell the ticket agent when you purchase your tickets for the two attractions. You can save $$ because the agent will actually charge your fare starting from zone 2. Yesterday when I bought the rt ticket for Windsor, I was charged for full fare. This morning when I purchased the fare for Hampton Court Palace and the ticket agent asked what ticket I have. I showed him my Oyster card and scanned it with his hand-held and charged me only 3.20 for the rt ticket to and from Hampton Court and Waterloo. I was pissed that the first ticket agent didn't ask me the same question (and what do I know!) but I got over it. Hope you can learn from my story - don't assume! ~ a quick note from an internet cafe in London...