Hi all!
Has anyone done the Hampton Court Palace day-trip with London walks? I've heard and read such great things about this company so was planning on going on several walks with them during our October trip and noticed that they have a Hampton Court trip. We were planning on going out to HC anyway so if this trip with London walks is nice, then we might just go ahead with them instead of doing it ourselves.
Also, can a trip to Windsor Castle be done in half a day or should we allot a whole day to this venture? From what I have read, there isn't much else to do in Windsor besides see the castle and the trip on the train is fairly short. We will have nearly 7 full days in London so we have plenty of time, but would like to keep our itinerary flexible to do more than just normal touristy things.
Any input or advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Liza

London Walks is a great firm - but I would not do HCP with them. The Palace/Grounds/Gardens is a place everyone goes at a different pace. There is soooooo much to see - some people rush through in a couple of hours while others take the entire day. I would hate to have my schedule dictated by a group tour. besides - the audio guides they have at HCP are wonderful and the real live guides-docents are terrific.

As for Windsor - I really don't understand when folks say there isn't mucht to see/do except the castle. again you can "do" the castle in a couple of hours if you just want to rush. But the castle including St Georges CChapel and Queen Mary's Doll Houuse really take at least 3 hours to see a a reasonably leisurely pace. Then you have the option of walking through Windsor Great Park, Visiting Eton which is directly across the river - the chapel is a mini "cathedral" and is wonderful. In Windsor itself there are some wonderful restaurants, antiques shops, interesting old buildings - it is very easy to spend a whole day in Windsor. But if your time is limited you could do it in a 1/2 day from London by skipping Eton and just getting a quick fast food or pub lunch.

I agree with Janis, you should plan on doing Hampton Court yourself. It's a fantastic site and not being on a set schedule is the best way to enjoy it to it's fullest. The gardens are large and beautiful and I would not want to be rushed through them. Incidentally, if you go by yourself purchase your ticket at Waterloo Station where you can get a combined train (takes 30 min to get there) and palace ticket and save yourself a few pounds. Likewise for Windsor, the combo ticket is available at Waterloo Station also. There is a lot to see at both these sites and I'd never want my time to be dictated by a tour. Windsor is a nice town as well with many places to eat and shop. Take your time and enjoy these beautiful places. Windsor can be done in 1/2 day but honestly I'd plan on longer if you want to truly enjoy the castle and town. With only 7 days you might want to keep it to 1/2 day but only if you are pressed for time.

Here's another vote for not using London Walks for Hampton Court Palace. We loved our tour with the costumed guide -- they were entertaining and interesting.
Here's a link to the list of daily schedules:
http://www.hrp.org.uk/Downloads/9899...-30%20Sept.pdf

Enjoy!
Annette

Liza,

We went to London this past June and did the London Walks Hampton Court explorer day. I think it ran on Monday. If I remember correctly,we met our guide at the Waterloo train station. The group then took the train to Richmond. We spent a little over an hour in Richmond. Our guide gave us a short tour of Richmond and some history. But for this tour, I don't think I would have ever gotten to Richmond, which I would characterize as a more suburban part of London. We did see the remains the palace where Queen Elizabeth died. We were also amazed at the real estate prices in Richmond! We then bought sandwhiches at a shop recommended by our guide and walked down to the river where we caught a boat which took us to Hampton Court. Our guide then gave us a tour of Hampton Court which lasted about two hours. After the tour was over, everyone was free to explore Hampton Court on their own. We then took the train back to London. The train station is located directly across from Hampton Court. We thought it was a very easy and interesting tour.

I agree with the previous posters, do both on your own. I loved HC palace and especially the costumed guides who brought it all to life. The kitchens were incredible right through to the galleries upstairs.
Windsor is absolutely gorgeous from the pristine railway station to the white swans on the river. And it has lots of delightful little shops and tea rooms. It is possible to see most of it in half a day or if possible stroll to Eton over the river and see the black and white tudor style buildings.

I guess I'll be the lone dissenting voice... we went on the Richmond-Hampton Court London Walk and really enjoyed it.

You start out taking the train to Richmond, where the walk highlights some of the stately residences, followed by a stop to order sandwiches (absolutely awesome sandwiches) to be delivered later, and a little bit of time to explore a few shops. Then more on the royal residences and a little history, before a short walk along the Thames to the boat. You eat while on board on the boat, and then relax to admire the waterfront homes. After arriving at Hampton Court the guide walks you through the courtyards, many of the halls, the chapel, and many of the chambers, after which you're free to explore on your own. (It was open about 2-3 hours after the guide was finished.) We walked the gardens and did the maze, but there were so many choices.

We liked it because we're not audioguide people, and because the information from the guide was interesting and fun throughout. And those sandwiches were so good.

We were there at the beginning of May 2000, and there were guides (in costume) provided by the Palace itself. Tours every half hour. The fellow were were with was quite knowledgeable. Little asides about medieval hygene to keep the youngsters interested... Of course, this was only for inside; for the gardens, tennis court etc. you were on your own.

Here is my 2 cents! Just came back from a week in London and did Hampton Court on our own. Very easy! Would never need a special tour.

Hampton Ct. has costumed guides and very fine audio tours for every section of the palace all part of your entrance fee. The trains run to and from every 1/2 hour, so it is easy to set your own schedule. If you WANT the walks tour pay the money for it, but you do not need it at all! NOTE: If you plan to do the Tower or Kensington Palace as well you can buy a combined ticket to for any combination of Hampton Ct, Tower or Kensington Palace. It is a significant savings and is good for any day within 3 months.

Just completed a half day tour with evanevans.com of Windsor Castle and Hampton Court last week. I would definitely use them again. We spent about 90 minutes with a guided tour of Windsor and on the way back Stopped at Hampton Court Gardens with afternoon tea and scones for about 1 hr and fifteen minutes. One may easily opt to stay longer at Hampton Court and catch the tube back to London. We have also done several London Walks but preferred evanevans for this excursion. Tours depart each morning and a few afternoons per week. Worth looking into.