Sophia12

I had planned to take the train to and from Windsor and spend the day there. Someone has suggested that we go one way by boat - has anyone done it? I understand the trip will be longer, but am thinking it would be nice to go there by boat and to return by train?

Any thoughts?

Many thanks.

janisj

ain't possible -- would take an entire day. Plus no companies offer that option. . . . And I'm pretty sure what you read was recommending traveling by boat one way to <i>Hampton Court Palace</i> not Windsor.

For HCP you should take the train TO the Palace and if the weather is nice you can always take a boat back to London. Vice versa doesn't work very well due to the time involved.

PalenQ

It's a long float even down Thames from Windsor to London - I'd say 4-5 hours - leaving you less time in a Windsor that is far more than Windsor Castle - Eton across the Thames is a quaint old town with ancient pubs and of course the famous college whose lads prance around the main drag in their fancy uniforms.

Is there even regular boat service London to Windsor. A more practical boat ride would be to Hampton Court Palace, which me and many others here say we enjoyed even more than Windsor, the castle that is. Even then it is a long boat ride with scenery that is nice and leafy but pretty much the same - I have not taken a boat but have walked the Thames Path to Hampton from Kingston - nice but after a while more of the same.

IMO forget the boat ride to Windsor even if available.

hetismij2

If you would like a short boat trip consider getting the boat from Windsor to Runneymede and back.

Sophia12

Thanks so much - will take train to and from!!

janisj

>>I'd say 4-5 hours<<

It would take MUCH longer than 4-5 hours. The max speed limit on most of the river is 8 knots. Plus the time for all the locks.

PalenQ

Yup much longer - even to Hampton is would be a too long boat trip to me - I'd suggest if wanting to boat to Hampton Court take the train to Kingston and take a much shorter boat ride from there to Henry VIIIs former home, still allegedly haunted by the cries of one of his beheaded wives!

MmePerdu

There are also boats to Kew Gardens in Richmond (April to Nov.), if you'd like a boat ride, not as far as Windsor or Hampton Court and it's a fairly short walk to the Kew Station to get back, or a bit farther to Richmond Station if the town interests you. I actually like Richmond better than Windsor as a town and the gardens are great, for those who like botanic gardens.

http://www.londontoolkit.com/blog/tr...n-court-palace

http://www.kew.org/

PalenQ

Kingston-on-Thames is also a bustling town that I enjoyed - and the walk from there to Hampton is not that far and all along the Thames (north side) by Thames Path.

Odin

This is the other link for the timetable Hampton Court/Kingston/Richmond service:-

http://www.turks.co.uk/river-trips/timetable/

Surfergirl

Like the others say, take the train to and from. However, if the weather is nice, I'd highly recommend taking one of the 40 minute boat tours on the Thames at Windsor. The dock is very convenient from the castle, and in summer especially, it's a beautiful ride . . . passing large homes with their own docks, kids jumping into the river, and so forth. I've done this trip many times, and have always enjoyed it. I don't know if the link below is the one I took, but my guess is that it is.

http://www.frenchbrothers.co.uk/publ...ute-round-trip

janisj

The OP will only be in London for 3 days - so taking time for any extended river trip (HCP, Richmond, whatever) most likely won't work.

MmePerdu

To Kew by boat is an hour & a half, not "extended" as I see it. Very pleasant and relaxing. I suggest we supply options and she make the decision as to how she'd like to spend her time.

I too recommend a walk along the Thames Path. If you decide to boat to Kew, see some of the gardens, there's a section of the Path that goes along the river from the bridge near where the boat lets you off, around the garden to Richmond where you could get a train back to London. Nothing nicer, but then I especially like all those things.

janisj

We all could give her a huge list of wonderful things to see/do.

But from her other thread the OP is only in London 3 days and w/ the other major sites she wants to visit - no - there probably isn't time for 1.5 hour boat trips and walks along the Thames Path. (the river is tidal and it doesn't necessarily take 90 minutes - depending on the tides it can take quite a bit longer)