Looking to head from London to Windsor Castle to visit one of the most memorable monuments to the UK’s rich royal history, and soak up some scenery in the process? The journey from England’s capital is only 33 km, meaning there are plenty of quick and cheap ways to get there for the day, but which is the best? This guide aims to collect and compare all key methods of travelling to help you plan your regal day trip.
What is the best method of travel?
By train | By coach | By car | |
Average duration | 35 - 55 mins | 80 - 90 mins | 45 - 90 mins |
Average price | £5.60 - £16.30 | £3.64 | Petrol and parking prices |
Average frequency | 320 per day | 18 per day | N/A |
*All figures included are estimates and are liable to change
- Quickest way to Windsor Castle: Train
- Cheapest way to Windsor Castle: Coach
- Our recommended way to travel: Train
- Why?: Though there is a greater variance in ticket prices, if you book in advance, the price difference compared to a coach is minimal for a journey that is essentially half the duration. That being said, if you’re embarking on this day trip last minute, the flat rate offered by National Express coaches is tough to ignore!
London to Windsor Castle by train
There are a couple of options when getting a train from London to Windsor Castle and a few curveballs, too - most interestingly, the direct option is not the quickest.
London Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central (change at Slough)
If you’d prefer both a shorter journey time and to arrive at a station closer to Windsor Castle, we’d recommend the indirect route departing from London Paddington, which involves a changeover at Slough station.
The first leg of this journey from London Paddington can be taken either on the GWR service to Slough (around 15 minutes) or the Elizabeth Line (around 30 minutes). Price-wise, there’s no difference - both the GWR and Elizabeth Line services have a flat rate of £12.60 from London to Slough. So, we’d recommend choosing GWR where possible.
After disembarking in Slough, you’ll need to hop on another GWR service to Windsor & Eton Central, which should only take around 6 minutes and should cost £3.70. From there, it’s just a simple 7-minute walk to Windsor Castle.
This means, if you’re travelling during Off-Peak times and have good crossovers when changing trains, your journey duration could be approximately 35 minutes and cost around £16.30, which we think is pretty great! Of course, this all depends on whether you’re comfortable with making that change along the short journey.
London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside
If you don’t fancy jumping on and off various trains (but don’t mind a bit of a longer walk upon arriving), you can simply board the South Western Railway service, which takes passengers from London Waterloo directly to Windsor & Eton Riverside.
This journey will be approximately 53 minutes and cost only £8.90, though you can also embark from many other London stations for a shorter journey time, including:
Departing London station | Journey time to Windsor & Eton Riverside | Buy ticket here > |
53 mins | ||
49 mins | ||
44 mins | ||
40 mins | ||
34 mins | ||
30 mins | ||
26 mins |
*All figures included are estimates as of May 2025 and are liable to change
Other non-London stops you can expect to pass through include Feltham, Ashford, Staines, Wraysbury, Sunnymeads and Datchet.
Since you’re settling in, why not consider South Western Railway’s First Class offerings for the most comfortable journey possible? Don’t miss out on wider seats with extra legroom, large tables and at-seat wireless charging (on most services).
Upon arrival, you’ll have an 11-minute, 0.4-mile walk ahead of you to reach Windsor Castle. This means, if you’re embarking on your journey from Central London (London Waterloo), you can complete the journey in just over an hour for around £8.90. However, if you are beginning your journey in Whitton, which is further South West, the trip will only take around 40 minutes and cost £5.60! And don’t forget, a Railcard can help bring that cost down even further.
London to Windsor Castle by bus
Climb aboard a bus from London Royal Albert Hall (Stop RC) to Windsor Castle run by National Express, which costs only £3.64 and takes between 1 hour and 25 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes when disembarking at Windsor High St. One of the greatest benefits is this puts you just a minute’s walk away from Windsor Castle! Services run throughout the day (18 in total), with the earliest departure at 06:57 am and the latest at 11:43 pm.
Find out more about National Express’ coach services to Windsor and book your tickets here.
1126 booked
London to Windsor Castle by car
Given the relative closeness of both destinations, a royal day trip in the comfort of your own car is a popular method for enjoying this slice of history, You can expect a journey duration of around 45 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on the amount of traffic (which is impacted heavily by the time you decide to set off) and where you start your journey from in London.
If you’re planning to head off from Central London (such as Westminster or Hyde Park), we’d recommend heading west on the A4 or A40 and joining the M4 Westbound. Then, leave the M4 at Junction 6 and follow the A332 Windsor Relief Road, which will take you directly to Windsor town centre. The castle is not only well signposted but also pretty visible from here.
As for parking, there are several popular car park options in the area, such as Windsor Dials, Alma Road, and King Edward Court, all within walking distance of Windsor Castle, though expect to pay typical parking charges.