Windsor Castle with luggage

[PhillyTravelBug]

My mom and I were hoping to visit Windsor after we land at LHR instead of dropping the luggage off at our hotel in London and heading back.  Any suggestions for luggage storage? I am sure this has been brought up in the past, but haven't seen anything on it looking a little back.  Appreciate any guidance.

[Twickenham]

I would probably leave it at the left luggage facility at LHR.

[John Bull]

This from an internet search, not personal knowledge.:

 

King & Queen Gift Shop, 2 Castle Hill, Windsor, just a few yards from the castle entrance. Opening times are quoted as variously 9am or 9.30am to 5pm or 6pm.

It's a 5 minute walk from Windsor & Eton Central train station (trains to London Paddington via a change at Slough, I don't know how easy or difficult the change at Slough with luggage).

Or a 15 minute walk from Windsor & Eton Riverside station (direct trains to London Waterloo). There's a taxi rank at that station.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Fare £12,80 from Central, £8.50 from Riverside, journey timer about 45 minutes & service half-hourly from either.  Best choice of station may depend on your central London hotel location.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/FoT5tkUKWy7EE6kA6

 

I could find no direct contact details for the gift shop. Storage there is booked via a national intermediary https://usebounce.com/s/location/bd46f9b1-54f1-455c-8247-35ec6bdd2f93?backpacks=0&bags=3&query=Windsor SL4%2C UK

It quotes £4.30 per bag, but adds a £1.65 per bag fee = £5.95 per bag.

It also says no walk-ins accepted (that's probably to protect their fees 🙄 but it's up to you whether you want to take the risk). Payment with booking but promises a refund if cancelled at least an hour before check-in. (back to your card or vouchers, so be careful if/when you apply for a refund)

 

From Heathrow to Windsor is awkward by public transport - even more awkward with luggage.

IMHO it's best to book a taxi for the 10 mile / 20 minute drive - last time I heard a taxi pre-booked with a Windsor-based operator was around £30-£35 for a sedan. Alternatively there will be cabs on the rank at your Heathrow terminal, obviously more expensive but I don't know the rates.

 

JB 🙂

[PhillyTravelBug]

Thank you for taking the time for that response. We will most likely take a taxi to the castle. Open to all suggestions.

[John Bull]

18 minutes ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

Thank you for taking the time for that response. We will most likely take a taxi to the castle. Open to all suggestions.

 

No worries - I'm bored today 😀

 

The problem with storage at LHR is that you need to get from and back to the airport via either complicated  public transport or expensive taxi.

 

Hopefully a Londoner can suggest the different ways - they'll probably need to know your LHR terminal, I think there's a direct bus from T5.

 

JB 🙂

 

[Globaliser]

32 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Alternatively there will be cabs on the rank at your Heathrow terminal, obviously more expensive but I don't know the rates.

 

29 minutes ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

We will most likely take a taxi to the castle.

 

AIUI, licensed taxis ("black cabs") from the rank at the terminal will not be obliged to take you to Windsor, as that journey goes outside the TfL taxi area. In addition, if one agrees to take you there, the meter does not have to be used, for the same, reason, and the fare is therefore for agreement between you and the driver.

 

36 minutes ago, John Bull said:

It's a 5 minute walk from Windsor & Eton Central train station (trains to London Paddington via a change at Slough, I don't know how easy or difficult the change at Slough with luggage).

Or a 15 minute walk from Windsor & Eton Riverside station (direct trains to London Waterloo). There's a taxi rank at that station.

 

One note about this: There's a significant hill between W&E Riverside and the location of that gift shop. It probably matters less if you're going to the station, as that's at the bottom of the hill.

[PhillyTravelBug]

It’s starting to sound like it may just be easier to take the tube to London and drop the bags off at our hotel and then head to Windsor.

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

It’s starting to sound like it may just be easier to take the tube to London and drop the bags off at our hotel and then head to Windsor.

 

To be frank, that's what I would do. It would also allow you to gauge whether you actually have enough energy to go to Windsor that day. If I had to choose between an overnight flight from Philadelphia to London followed immediately by sightseeing in Windsor, or poking out my eye with a sharp stick, I'd still want to think about it.

[Cotswold Eagle]

2 hours ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

It’s starting to sound like it may just be easier to take the tube to London and drop the bags off at our hotel and then head to Windsor.

I'd agree, almost certainly, but an alternative would be to take the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line in to Paddington station, drop your luggage at the left luggage facility by Platform 12 there, take your return trip to Windsor from Paddington via Slough, pick up your luggage again and on to your hotel. Depends to an extent where your hotel is, of course.

[John Bull]

13 hours ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

It’s starting to sound like it may just be easier to take the tube to London and drop the bags off at our hotel and then head to Windsor.

 

 

Yes, it has its merits.

As @Cotswold Eagle says it might depend on the location of your hotel. 

But also your flight arrival time, since it will take longer than leaving your luggage at LHR or Windsor

 

JB 🙂 

[PhillyTravelBug]

We arrive around 8:30 in the morning and have a hotel near Waterloo so we have easy access to the train to Southampton.

[John Bull]

21 minutes ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

We arrive around 8:30 in the morning and have a hotel near Waterloo so we have easy access to the train to Southampton.

 

If the flight is on-time (often early from North America due to the jet-stream) that should mean out of the airport by 10am.

LHR to Waterloo by private transfer or tube I'll guess at an hour, but Londoners will know better than me.

Let's say 30 - 45 mins average to drop luggage at hotel, get to Waterloo station & catch the next train.

Trains from Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside take just under an hour.

That'd put you in Windsor by 1pm, which is good enough - assuming you haven't fallen asleep in the meantime 😏

 

But I'll defer to any Londoner who chimes in

 

JB 🙂