May I trespass on your kindness? (Or, I have SO many questions)
 

Hello all. My husband and I are flying to London for 8 days in March. This is our second trip. The first one was many years ago in which we saw all the touristy "must see" things.

I'll just dive right into my questions. (Thank you in advance for helping me sort this all out!):

1. If you had to pick one "castle" experience, which would it be: Windsor or Hampton Court? Also, I'm assuming a tour of either would take only half a day?

2. We're planning two day trips, one to Stratford, the other to Oxford. We're adventurous and cheap ;), so we plan to go it alone. What is the fastest and most affordable way to travel to both locations (I've read about a bus to Oxford, but is does it take significantly longer than the train?)? Also, does Stratford have enough to see and do in one day? I see a lot of tours that combine it with other locales. Would that be necessary for us?

3. When we went before, tickets were sold out at the Globe. Since we're going in March, when it is less busy, is that likely to happen again? Should we buy them in advance? Also, for West End shows, is there a central physical location to buy tickets, or do we need to go to the individual theatres?

4. All this talk of oyster and paper train passes is so confusing. Will it even be relevant in March? I've read that the paper rail passes are being done away with. If not, and they're still a possibility, how does it work with the 2 for 1-- if I want to use 1 voucher, do I need a rail pass for one day? If I want to use 3 vouchers, does my rail pass need to be for 3 days? I'm still unclear on that. . .

5. We're staying at a hotel (the K & K George) in Earl's Court. I understand that we can take the tube directly from Heathrow to that station. I don't anticipate that we'll take *too* much luggage, but still, will that be the easiest option for getting to our hotel?

Thanks for your input!

1) Both Windsor and HCP are wonderful. If my feet were to the fire and I HAD to pick - I'd slightly prefer HCP.

2) The Oxford Tube is a cheap bus that ends up being almost as fast as the train. It is a little slower, but it lets you off in the very center of Oxford. The train station is maybe a 1/2 mile walk to the center. The train is also terrific w/ fares as low as £4 if you book ahead.

Yes - there is PLENTY in Stratford to fill a day. Sure, tours cram in more in one day -- but there are also tours that cram in Bath, Stonehenge and Windsor in one day. That is insane IMO. Just take the train to Stratford - but book ahead, walk up fares can be expensive. Many will advise skipping Stratford because it is so 'touristy'. Well - It has been tourist for 200+ years - there is a lot to see/do. There is a hop-on-hop-off bus that will take you to all the main sites including Mary Arden's House and Anne Hathaway's Cottage which are in nearby villages.

3) The Globe is open air - it's season doesn't start til late April.

4) The main rule is the paper ticket has to cover the date(s) you want to use the 2 for 1's.

5) The tube will be easy - especially if you have manageable luggage. But you will need to walk some distance at LHR and maybe 1/4 mile at the Earls Court end. "Easiest" would be a pre-booked car service which is door to door w/o any walking or luggage schlepping. But a car service would cost more.

If you do go to Windsor Castle, one side benefit is the charming town of Windsor. There is a great little community theatre there right across from the castle, and a very good Chinese restaurant called The Jasmine right next to the theatre. My husband and I spent about half our time for 2 years in the area and always enjoyed the towns of Windsor and Henley.

We took the Oxford Espress bus most happily. The Oxford Tube does the same thing, same price. If you care to read about our day in Oxford see my TR, Day 5

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-day-trips.cfm

As the trip report says, we got off the bus before the town centre but that's where we got on for return and it was most convenient. Oxford, with some planning, is definitely a town that can fill your day up and not cost a lot, all on your own. Depending on why you are going there (if there's a specific author or famous person whose steps you may be trying to retrace), be sure and do a bit of research so that your wanderings are a bit purposeful. Or just wander! The tours out of the TI office aren't too pricey and are all very good, too; some specific ones are not offered every day of the week, though, like the Morse tour we went on.

Too bad about the Globe--Next time!

I loved Hampton but haven't been to Windsor.

Also in my TR you'll see that we did the LHR to tube stop near our rooms, too. We each had one "normal" size rolling bag and one other bag and we managed just fine, even on the minimal steps we encountered. (We're in our 50's) You'll be tired but you'll probably be fine. Might try walkit.com and see "exactly" how far and the route from Earl's Court to your rooms. It's a fun website.

Be sure and try to do a TR to let us know how it all went!

Thank you all so much for your replies! They have been most helpful. I will definitely do a trip report :) As far as purchasing rail passes in advance, do you mean to purchase them from the national rail website? Thanks!

We enjoyed both Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle and spent a whole day at each (have been back to Windsor a couple of times) and would recommend Windsor Castle if you only have time for one. I think it's a bit more impressive with more to see. Check on the official website to see if anything will be closed, it would be disappointing if you went and a lot of it was shut for some reason. Also they sometimes have special parades or concerts, details will be on the website.

The town of Windsor is right next to the castle and is good for a snack or meal and browsing the shops if you feel like it. There is nowhere to eat inside the castle but you can ask for a 'pass out' and they will give you a wristband so you can enter again. We popped out for a quick lunch and went back again. The Long Walk is also nice for views of the castle and Eton, founded in 1440 by King Henry, is a short walk over the river. You can visit the town any time but the school is only open at certain times.

Kay

Just had another thought for your day trips - www.walks.com have Explorer Days to places like Oxford, Bath, Canterbury etc which includes the train fare (group discount) plus 2 guided walks and some free time. We haven't done an Explorer Day but have done many of the London Walks and they are excellent.

Kay

Windsor would be my first choice as well-it was my favorite castle. We also took the London Walks tour of Salisbury/Stonehenge and loved it. Have a great time, whatever you choose.

I agree with janisj about Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. They are both wonderful but if I could return to only one for one last visit, it would be HCP.

Windsor has the edge because of the town, shops, tea rooms, etc, if you are interested in more than just the castle. HCP has the edge because of the gardens and the terrific Maze, if you are interested in those. And even in March, the formal garden around back (or is it actually the front, because it faces the river?) will be stunning. Here's just a little peek, if you're interested: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p22873441.html

I also think the audio tours offered at HCP are better, but the Castle tour at Windsor is also very good. And the Long Walk and wood at Windsor are impressive. I still have vivid memories of watching the Concorde taking off and soaring above 400-year-old trees out toward the end of the Long Walk.

Just to point out that HCP ISN'T a castle so if you want the castle experience you won't get it there

There's also zero chance that the paper travelcards (NOT rail passes) will be gone before March, so if you do want to use the 2-4-1s then you'll need to go to a train station booking office and not a Tube station

If you are also seeing the Tower of London, I'd miss Windsor and go and see Hampton court palace instead for a different type of experience. It's not a castle -as the name says, it's a palace, and a great trip. If you aren't planning on seeing Tower of London and want to see a castle, go to Windsor.

Any chance you could be convinced to rent a car to drive to Stratford and Oxford (and spend the night)? They're essentially in the same direction out of London and so I'm sure in the two bus trips you'll be covering a lot of the same ground, and losing a lot of time in transit (that you might otherwise perhaps spend working in another attraction in the same areas like Blenheim Palace or Warwick Castle, or just enjoying the time out of the City).

Perhaps you could do this on public transit also, if there is a connection between Stratford and Oxford. Train to Stratford, spend the day, get down to Oxford for the night, spend the day in Oxford and return on the Oxford Express.

Here's a TripAdvisor thread with train and bus options between Stratford and Oxford:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...e_England.html

if you're counting votes, I vote for Hampton Court Palace, which is not to say that Windsor and the town aren't wonderful; they are, and also deserve a visit someday.
Windsor is a still-used palace.
The public rooms are sumptuously furnished. HCP is a must if you are a Tudor history fan especially, and the gardens are very pretty in season. Then there's the Maze, which is fun.
Also very easy to get to by boat (thought that's a long ride) or by bus, which stops very near the entrance.

I meant to add, the HCP rooms are not completely furnished and decorated, the way the rooms at Windsor are.

Another benefit to HCP if you have the time and a halfway pleasant day, is its proximity to Kew Gardens. Tough choice!

HCP also has alot of events throughout the year eg various exhibitions or festivals.

You didn't ask about Kensington, but I'll recommend it. Especially to see the collection of Diana's gowns.

Kensington Palace is OK - but not nearly in the same league as Windsor or Hampton Court.

My family's favorite castle experience was Hever Castle in Kent, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

The season for Shakepeare's Globe doesn't start until April 23rd.

I would get a 7-day paper travelcard, which allows you to get 2-for-1 admissions at many venues- www.daysoutguide.co.uk.