A Cowgirl's Guide to Windsor, England
- cheeriocowgirl
- Sep 12
- 10 min read
Updated: Sep 20
I've Been to Windsor 3 Times and
I'd Honestly Come Back for More
For anyone traveling to London (or the broader trip around England), I highly recommend making this stop. Between Windsor Castle's history, the bunting-lined shopping streets, the bustling high street eateries, and the gorgeous walks—for this American tourist, Windsor has all the things I'm personally looking for in a day trip (and that's not including the other things it has to offer nearby, like the Legoland amusement park, Royal Racecourse, or its seasonal family-friendly events). You can check out all objective things Windsor at their website.
I've also experienced this town in 2 different ways—either of which could be your best option! The first trip was simply a stop on a classic multi-stop bus tour I'd booked online (not affiliated or sponsored—just linking for full transparency!). While the Windsor Castle stop was aptly named with only enough time to quickly wander through the State Apartments before heading back to the bus and onto our next destination, I do think the direct drive, ease of someone else parking, the seamless group entry time with no pressure to stay together, and the overall passenger princess ease of 'someone else is telling me where to go, what to do, and when to be back' is such a valid perk! If you're really only interested in touring the main highlights of Windsor Castle, the bus tour could be your best pick.
If you're interested in a self-guided, fuller experience, read on for everything you could possibly want to know about a day in Windsor!
Getting to Windsor from London Without Renting a Car
Taking the Great Western Railway to Windsor
If you've read about any UK train travel from me, you'll know I use the Trainline App (or website, if you prefer). This app is super seamless to use, especially if you're paying with foreign currency. Getting every train ticket you need (in case of station changes, etc.) right on your phone & paying through the app is just so easy, especially with the currency exchange issue. Also, if you're a scrapbooking-type (I get it), you can sometimes opt to "collect at station" to collect a paper ticket at your departing station from a kiosk rather than trying to screenshot and print the eticket you'd receive for your future collage. To each their own!
To make this the most seamless trip, you'll want to navigate yourself to Paddington Station as your starting point. Set your ending destination for Windsor & Eton Central Station. Depending on which time you choose and how the connecting trains line up, you could be in Windsor in 28 minutes! Timing tends to range from 28-45 minutes for GWR from Paddington.
In the app, you would book a return ticket: aka roundtrip, selecting your preferred time there & back. You could also book an "open return" ticket: you would select your first train's departure time, but receive an open return ticket that's valid for any of the return trains that day to give you more flexibility should you be loving Windsor and hope to stay a bit longer (or hating it and ready to leave when you'd like!). It tends to be the same price!
TRAVEL NOTE: You will typically need to get on two different trains to complete this journey, usually changing platforms at Slough Station, classically the very next stop after Paddington. When the train reaches Slough (each train stop is announced via speaker and you can see each stop your train will make on your Trainline App), depart the train to find your next train heading to Windsor & Eton Central. Your tickets will detail this, and also try to give you estimated platform numbers and train departing times to further help you find your way! But fear not, Slough Station is small—even if you're lost, you'll be able to look at each of the platform signs to see which says your final destination. Bonus points for Windsor & Eton being the next stop after Slough and the last stop on the tracks! You can't miss it once you're headed in its direction.
Taking the Elizabeth Tube Line to Slough Station
There is a tube line via the London Underground that heads all the way to Stop 1: Slough Station. This is an option to consider if you're coming from East London (or another area) where you'd already be taking my personal favorite tube line to get to Paddington Station. It could make more sense for you to settle into one seat to get to Slough Station; the final 3.5 miles have a few options!
First, you'd need to ensure that you're heading West on the Elizabeth Line toward Reading. You'll exit at Slough Station, which could be many stops after depending on your starting point: if leaving from Paddington, for example, Slough will be the 7th stop.
From here, you could:
1) Follow the signs to transfer to the National Rail platforms and board the Great Western Railway toward Windsor & Eton Central as detailed above. You will need to purchase a ticket for this; either via Trainline or at the station itself. This train ride is about 6 minutes.
2) Walk about 4 minutes to the Wellington Street Bus Stop (Stop G) & tap a contactless payment card to board the 8 bus toward Windsor-Heathrow. After about 12-15 minutes, you'll arrive in Windsor Town Center—I'd recommend getting off at the Arthur Road stop. A perk to this option is that you'd be taken through the Slough Town Center as well as past Eton College, an extremely famous boys' school that taught extremely famous men: from actors like Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne, royals like Princes William and Harry, literary giants like George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, and, of course, fictional book boyfriends like Mark Darcy and Lord Peter Wimsey.
3) Grab that 10-minute cab or Uber into Windsor (and along the same route as the bus)! Note: these may not be plentiful in certain times of the year, so do have the first two options as mentally-prepared backup plans if this option is most appealing to you.
This option tends to range from 38 minutes to 1 hour, depending on train times, your option 3 preference, and your Elizabeth Line starting point.
TRAVEL NOTE: Each method of travel listed may fluctuate in ease and cost, so be sure to compare overall timing, pricing, and what feels easiest to you when deciding how to travel to Windsor! My personal pick is the all-in-one GWR train ticket from Paddington.
A Sample 'Day-Trip from London' Itinerary
9:15am: Plan to arrive at Paddington Station for the 9:38am (*hypothetical) train
(Note: Most websites recommend arriving 30 minutes early to your train station; for me, 20-ish for Paddington Station is plenty enough to establish which is my leaving platform and to stare at it until it is my time to board. It's an extremely straightforward station. However, if this is your first time there, go ahead and give yourself 30—especially if you're not comfortable getting a cab or using the tube quite yet. Worst case scenario, the station itself really is a sight to see: there's some incredible people watching and plenty of Paddington Bear merch to ooh and ahh over!)
10:16am: Arrive at Windsor & Eton Central and head directly to Windsor Castle (and/or grab a quick snack on the way!)
(Be sure to book your Windsor Castle tickets prior to arrival to ensure seamless access and to save a bit of money! Though children under 5 get in free, each member of your group needs a ticket! Also: beware of fraudulent third-party sites. Use their direct booking site!)
*If coming on a Thursday, Saturday, or peak-season Tuesday, and you'd like to experience the Changing of the Guards, head there quick! The 45-minute ceremony usually begins at 11:00am. Check the British Army website for up to date schedules.
Otherwise, if you're hungry, you can opt to eat before venturing to the castle (especially if you want to spend a lot of time there—though, p.s. there is a cafe on site). There are several cafes/coffee shops in the station you could quickly sit at for a pastry or spot of breakfast. My dad and I found ourselves having a perfectly respectable cream tea (a scone with clotted cream & jam and a cup of tea) from Cinnamon Cafe on our visit!
There are also plenty of more proper sit-in restaurants, if you prefer, right on the high street: local cafes such as Cup of Rosie. I can personally recommend The Ivy's brunch on a weekend visit—plenty of options at a decent price in a gorgeous setting. They also serve breakfast every weekday!
Because no food or drink is allowed on Windsor Castle grounds, you may need to avoid the idea of just grabbing a to-go coffee on your way through the station, unless you're really hoping to chug it or throw it away after drinking what you can. The castle is right outside of the station exit (see cover photo), so there won't be much time! Plus, eating and walking is so American: the rushed on-the-go lifestyle is a dead giveaway.
While I do recommend getting there as early as possible, you'll also want to consider what's best for your group. The lines can get longer through the day, especially on weekends and peak holiday seasons. However, the queues also tend to move fairly quickly! I've personally been on both a Summer Tuesday and a Sunday afternoon rush and still loved each time.
Booking tickets in advance, going on a weekday (M, T*, Th, F) if possible, and getting there early are your best ways to combat the lines. If you hate waiting, you're just really hardcore, or headed there around a major holiday, you might opt to head there prior to Windsor Castle's opening time (i.e. taking the 9:00am train for a 9:30-45am line up).
*NOTE: Windsor Castle is closed on Wednesdays (all year) and Tuesdays (October-June). Be sure to double check the website for any additional closures before planning your trip, as well as the practical information for your group here.
Once at the Castle, you'll then follow the signs to the visitor entrance where you'll go through a security check (metal detectors and bag scanning—do not bring luggage or large backpacks with you! For more practical info regarding this, again, check their website.)
10:45am-12:30pm: Explore the Castle Grounds!
This is a good amount of time, in my opinion, to experience the offerings of major highlights: the State Apartments Historic and Ceremonial Rooms, St. George's Chapel (where you can pay your respects to Queen Elizabeth II), Queen Mary's Dolls' House, and an ending stroll down (some of) the Long Walk (the whole thing is, well, long) among a reasonable crowd. If you see it being quite busy, or you're someone who tends to read every plaque, allot an extra 30 minutes to an hour!
You can wander on your own, hire a personal tour guide, or join a group tour, but I highly recommend opting in for the free guided multimedia tour. I absolutely love when it lets you customize your experience, only clicking to hear more about the items/rooms you want to know more about. You can hear/see more about every little detail, or just the bits that interest you.
NOTE: Photography is not allowed in almost any of the interiors. Please know this ahead of time and respect this rule! Let's rewrite the narrative on American tourists!!!
Additionally, St. George's Chapel is an operating church. Please do be mindful of this as you enter and view; additionally, because of this it is closed to visitors on Sundays.
12:30pm Head into town for some lunch, strolls, and shopping!
The town of Windsor, itself, has more to offer than just the incredible Windsor Castle. While they do have the aforementioned cafe on site, I recommend exiting the grounds now to see as much as possible.
To get back to town, you could exit Windsor Castle via the Visitor's Entrance/Exit and find yourself back near the station once more, where you'll find plenty of options for lunch from classic chains like Nando's, Honest Burger, or Pizza Express (and, hey, I'm not judging!) to local cafes and pubs (my personal pick). The Duchess of Cambridge has a wide menu and also takes bookings at their website, and The Horse & Groom is also highly rated and was first established in 1719—pretty cool. They're both right outside Windsor Castle gates and each of these do allow children!
If you're feeling something different, walk down High Street, Church Street, or Market Street to find plenty of great eateries, shops, and pubs. Note that some pubs do not allow children.
Another option for exploring post-Windsor Castle is taking the Long Walk a bit further... to Park Street! Leaving Castle Grounds, you'll see the incredible, tree-lined Long Walk—which I do recommend, even on a chillier day. We walked this 10-minute route in February and had such a wonderful stroll (in our coats!).
The Long Walk will continue straight for many, many more miles from its starting point, but it also branches off to the right, intersecting with a Windsor town road: Park Street!
NOTE: You will be exiting Castle Grounds! Be sure to collect any of your stored items from the Windsor Castle cloak room, etc. and have returned your multimedia guide before embarking on this route.
Right at this junction is a great lunch spot, The Two Brewers. The service and food are excellent, and those sitting outside can watch the other Long-Walkers continue their trek!
This pub also takes reservations, though they aren't necessary, however this pub does not allow children! The aforementioned pubs that do welcome families are still only a 7-8 minute walk from this spot, if you would still like to take the Long Walk to Park Street route.
Whether eating or passing along for another spot, if you follow Park Street the opposite way, the road will turn right into the High Street once more (about a 5 minute walk) for shopping and in-town strolling!
2:00pm*: Call it a day and head back to London! Or, if you have a later or an open return ticket, venture along the Thames, through Eton, or Greater Windsor to your liking.
Eton is quite small, and while I wouldn't plan an entire day trip for it, it's defintely worth a little stroll in conjunction with this one. There are several museums, pubs, and gorgeous sites to take in, only a 15-20 minute walk from Windsor Town Center. Why not?
While you can't enter the school, you can tour the exteriors spread throughout the town. There is also a Museum of Eton Life which provides a historical context to the school and its famous students, as well as a Natural History Museum, Museum of Antiquities, and other special exhibitions. The museums are free, but only open to public Sunday afternoons.
While you'll be heading through Slough, as well, I don't necessarily recommend adding it as a tourist stop, beyond the station or your bus/Uber window. While I'm sure it has its merits, Slough generally has a reputation for being miserable and mundane... I'm not being dramatic, it was genuinely voted "the most miserable town in the United Kingdom" this past year. It is the fictional setting of the UK's run of The Office, after all.
However, to play devil's advocate, my family randomly found ourselves driving through the miserable, mundane American Office setting of Scranton, Pennsylvania once...and while we would never plan a trip just for that city, it was kind of cool to stop in and eat at Cooper's since we were already there. Any Slough residents want to offer their thoughts?
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