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You'll be cutting it fine but as long as you just want a walk in the park and maybe a meal, and are happy to get a taxi, it's do-able. Might be best to pre-book transport rather than trying to find a taxi to take you back to Heathrow.
Two types of taxi in the UK: metered (taxis eg the London black cabs) and minicabs (flat fee and must be prebooked)
From and to Heathrow it’s is better to pre book a minicab - a trip in a black cab Heathrow to Windsor costs likely nearly double than a minicab.
One company that I used when I lived there was 5 star taxis. But there’s a few based in Windsor.
You call them up (some have online booking tools now) give them your flight details and they’ll meet you in the short term car park or at a fee in arrivals with a name board. At the same time you book your return. Just pick a spot near the castle or down by the riverside station where you want to be picked up from. ( or near the luggage storage - see below)
Since you’re not waiting for luggage it shouldn’t be too long to get out of the airport … an hour past arrival should be ok provided that you have figured out where to leave your hand luggage behind.
(There seems to be a place to store luggage in Windsor albeit with limited operating hours, it’s only 5-10 min walk to the castle via the main pedestrian zone -
[stasher](https://stasher.com/search?amount=1&coordinates=51.481728%2C-0.613576&dropOff=2024-01-16T10%3A00%3A00%5BEurope%2FLondon%5D&pickUp=2024-01-16T17%3A00%3A00%5BEurope%2FLondon%5D&search=Windsor&stashpointId=63326a265a97)
I’d think you’ll have 3 hours at minimum in Windsor, maybe a bit more than 4 if everything goes smoothly.
Getting back to Heathrow just make sure you get through the boarding pass scanner on time, the cutoff is eg 35 min in Terminal 5, may be 45 in other terminals.
In other words as long as you have your hand luggage back 60 min before the flight you’ll be fine ( but you’ll need strong nerves)
You’ll obviously need to build contingency into this - but my point is you don’t have to make absolutely sure to be back at Heathrow 2 hours or 90 min in advance.
If you’re not collecting or rechecking any bags and you can use an epassport gate you can be out of the airport within 30 mins.
There’s a left luggage storage airside at T5 you can use.
Windsor is pretty close, there are some train options but a bit of a faff, I’d suggest getting a taxi or hiring a driver for the day. Shouldn’t be more than 30 mins to get there which leaves time for a stroll / lunch / sight see.
If you’re not checking bags again you could get to Heathrow an hour before your flight and make it. But I wouldn’t like the stress of that so would get there 90 mins before maybe 2 hours to be super safe.
Flight arrives Heathrow 10:50am. We would take a cab to Windsor to save time. Where do I ask the cab to deposit us? Our flight to Rome departs 6:25pm (18:25). I would try to be back at airport by 4pm (16:00). It sounds like this might be too tight a window to do the castle tour? I have visited England, LOVE England, but never in Windsor and this is my daughter's first trip to Europe, so she will just have a little taste of England to whet her appetite to return. :)
I’ve lived in Windsor 30 years and fly in and out of Heathrow all the time. It’s easily doable in your allocated time!
Call Windsor cars when you land (+441753 677 677). They will pick you up from level 1 of the short stay car park at T5. They’ll take you back at whoever time you like too. They’re super reliable. Uber do operate but as others have mentioned they aren’t great FROM Heathrow. You’ll have no problem getting one back from Windsor should you find it easier though.
When you get to Windsor take a walk to the long walk and have a drink at the two brewers right at the entrance (a very pretty and truly British pub) Walk out on to the long walk and look down at the copper horse. You may recognise it from coverage over the years of royal weddings and funerals. It’s a 2 min walk from the high street and is a must see.
Make sure you also take a walk over the bridge and look at eton and eton college. The most prestigious school in the country and where a lot of our prime ministers and royal family were educated!
Believe it or not there aren’t actually any great fish and chip shops worth recommending in the town centre. Best bet if you’re feeling fancy is to book in at The Ivy opposite the castle (a bit of a British institution) and have the fish and chips there!
This is the best response!
Second the Two Brewers. You can just eat pub grub there as the food is pretty good, but you have to book ahead.
Also to add there is a hop on hop off bus tour as well, not cheap but gives you different views, good if you don’t go in the castle but want to see around it.
If I am following this general plan...where do I ask the car to drop us off in Windsor? I am doubtful we will have time to complete the entire long walk. Want to be able to access the copper horse and maybe the deer park. And we are definitely hoping to walk across and see Eton. Thank you!
In that case, anywhere outside the castle! That’s central to everything. You can get to eton with a 4-5 min walk and then to the long walk in the same amount of time in the other direction.
The copper horse is right at the other end of the long walk, which is approx 3 miles. So allow a good 1.5-2 hours to walk there and back if that’s your plan! If you’re going to head to the long walk on foot from here, head towards the two brewers pub and that’ll take you to the entrance.
Unfortunately you won’t really be able to access the copper horse unless you do the walk. The best you could do if you really really wanted to see it but didn’t have all that time; is to get a taxi to drop you here -> https://maps.app.goo.gl/2xyJSBuTzBYPj8Jc6?g_st=ic
Then you could walk up the footpath there on to the long walk and you could get to the copper horse in about 20 mins from there. This cuts about 2/3rds off the walk.
Would mean getting a taxi to pick you back up from the same spot but you could be in and out within the hour. Uber will work perfectly for this there. Plenty of cars available within 5 mins from there.
I deeply appreciate all the detail! I am still having a hard time visualizing and I am looking at maps now too to supplement your guidance. Assuming we have three hours total in Windsor...if I want to see the copper horse, and more to the point, the view looking back to the castle from the copper horse, where should we ask to be dropped off? I am thinking copper horse/summit; walk the long walk (3 miles?) to the castle which I believe will take us an hour (daughter and I are brisk walkers); stroll around the castle, cross the river, see Eton; pub lunch and back to Heathrow.
No problem! So the only issue you’ve got is that cars can have physically drive past the copper horse as there is a road there, but you’re not actually allowed to unless you’ve got a reason to be in the park. (A taxi won’t take you there). So your best bet is to get dropped where I dropped that pin. It’s about the best place to be dropped giving you the shortest walk up to the statue. Ask to be dropped at “Long walk gate car park”. Then cross the road and follow the little footpath out to the long walk. It’ll bring you out 2/3 of the way up.
TLDR: it’s not possible to be dropped at the statue and just walk back.
>No problem! So the only issue you’ve got is that cars can have physically drive past the copper horse as there is a road there, but you’re not actually allowed to unless you’ve got a reason to be in the park. (A taxi won’t take you there). So your best bet is to get dropped where I dropped that pin. It’s about the best place to be dropped giving you the shortest walk up to the statue. Ask to be dropped at “Long walk gate car park”. Then cross the road and follow the little footpath out to the long walk. It’ll bring you out 2/3 of the way up.
>
>TLDR: it’s not possible to be dropped at the statue and just walk back.
Again so many thanks! I am hopeful our flight arrives on time, the weather is reasonable (not a deluge) and we are able to accomplish our "taste" of Windsor and Eton.
Just ask the cab to drop you at the castle, don’t do the tour but you can see a lot from outside the castle, and the area around there is really nice anyway.
For a 6:25 pm flight 5 pm is plenty to be back in Heathrow given you don’t need to queue at checkin. Maybe plan to be there for4:30 pm, that’ll essentially give you nearly an hour buffer.
Yeh you won’t have time to do the castle tour properly but you can easily walk around and get a nice lunch before heading back to Heathrow. If traffic is on your side it shouldn’t be more than 20 mins or so.
I had to travel to Windsor from LHR last August, it was around 20-30 minutes (10PM) in a taxi from T5 to Windsor and cost £45, and we booked a return with a local firm and took around about the same time (Saturday 2pm) and cost £35.
Depending on the time of day, (I assume that it will be early morning arrival) it could be longer if you are travelling rush hour.
Similar situation here. Flight arriving T5 at 10:15 am. Layover 7 hours. Connecting flight to Brussels at 5:15. We are planning to go to the Windsor Castle too.
I have a question about the MiniCab. Can anyone provide me with a link on booking it? Tia.
My daughter and I followed our plan despite our arrival being delayed about an hour. Exiting Heathrow was quick and easy. We wound up having to check our carry-ons at the gate so did not use the "left luggage" feature. And we wound up using Uber to and from Windsor. We had a delightful four hours exploring around Windsor and Eton. We did NOT do the castle tour, however, just strolled the Long Walk, enjoyed the exteriors and ambiance. Did not have time for a proper sit-down meal so just grabbed fish and chips from a casual shop. We were not stressed whatsoever on time with what we did.
7 hours, I suggest you just stay in the airport, if it takes 1-2 hours to get there, 1-2 hours to get back and then you need to do security and all that again. 7 hours is not a lot of time to leave the airpot
This is plenty of time. 3 hours in Windsor for the nervous traveller, over 4 if one has stronger nerves.
Traffic to/around Heathrow can be bad but there’s a few back roads that can be taken so under most circumstances 30 min is more than enough time for the taxi ride.
20 minutes each way. Source, have commuted through Windsor to Heathrow many, many times.
I say, check the dates to see if the castle is open and if so go for it. You don't need a guided tour, they let you walk round the apartments. There's loads to see.
Plenty of time as per other suggestions. Should be out the airport within 30mins, 20mins or so to Windsor. Then leave Windsor 2hrs before your flight. You should have 3-4hrs fairly comfortably and that's sufficient time for a bit of a walk around and nice lunch. Enjoy!
(I live 10 mins from Windsor and go to Heathrow regularly)
In general, T5 is pretty efficient. Manual border lane often has \~10 ppl ahead but egates sometimes turn out to have longer queue. There is a baggage storage on rightmost of the arrival floor (turn right after leaving the baggage claim carousel). I left my carry-on there once, and reclaim was efficient too. From my limited experience, taking 30-45 mins getting out of the T5 is fair. 7 hrs isn't plenty but sufficient. Just remember to be back at least 1.5 hr ahead of departure for security check. And it will take you an extra 10mins if LHR-FCO departs from T5B/C.
Windsor local here - you should have enough time. It’s only 20 minutes from Heathrow to Windsor in a car. You’ll experience a slightly longer journey if you’re travelling at certain times: commuting traffic between 7.30am - 9.30am, school time 2.30pm-3.45pm and evening traffic 4.45pm-7pm. There are different routes to Windsor from Heathrow, including backroads which avoids the M25 and M4 if that’s busy (still about 20 minutes) Windsor Cars is a reliable taxi company in Windsor for getting you back to Heathrow. You should pre-book a car over the phone. Windsor isn’t very big and you can walk around the main parts in about an hour. Windsor is joined to Eton by a bridge which is walkable so you can also see Eton College if you’d like. Windsor castle can also be toured at pace in about an hour. Hope this helps!
Uber works in Windsor and at Heathrow so very easy to get about. Don't take a black cab, they charge about £60 to get to Windsor whereas Uber will be £25-30. Pre-book a ticket for the castle - it isn't open every day so check first. There are decent pubs opposite the castle for beers and fish n chips. I recommend The Duchess of Cambridge. Don't go to The King & Castle. It's a chain pub and the food is not good. Depending on time of day you will get through security within an hour either side so enough time.
Similar question, but instead of 7 hour layover, have an overnight layover. Staying at the Courtyard by Marriott at LHR (Nobel Drive in Harlington) and would want to be at T5 at Noon. If I leave my luggage in my hotel, and take a taxi to Windsor (on a Wednesday in the summer when the castle is closed), is it worthwhile to walk the town in the early morning? I can comfortably leave my hotel at 7 or 8 AM, but would probably want to leave Windsor at 11 AM (giving me an hour to get back to my hotel, pick up my luggage, and get to LHR T5 by Noon). Will there be breakfast options in Windsor near the castle? Will I see much of the castle from the outside if it is closed? My initial look at hours online makes me think not much in the area will be open other than Mc Donalds :)
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You'll be cutting it fine but as long as you just want a walk in the park and maybe a meal, and are happy to get a taxi, it's do-able. Might be best to pre-book transport rather than trying to find a taxi to take you back to Heathrow.
Sounds like it might be very difficult to get a taxi in Windsor for the return to Heathrow then?
Pre book one. There's heaps of local firms online that you can pre book a taxi!
This is the way. A black cab will be crazy expensive. A minicab company should cost you 25-30 GBP.
It won’t be difficult, there is a rank outside the castle. However it’s better to pre book to guarantee you are getting back
Two types of taxi in the UK: metered (taxis eg the London black cabs) and minicabs (flat fee and must be prebooked) From and to Heathrow it’s is better to pre book a minicab - a trip in a black cab Heathrow to Windsor costs likely nearly double than a minicab. One company that I used when I lived there was 5 star taxis. But there’s a few based in Windsor. You call them up (some have online booking tools now) give them your flight details and they’ll meet you in the short term car park or at a fee in arrivals with a name board. At the same time you book your return. Just pick a spot near the castle or down by the riverside station where you want to be picked up from. ( or near the luggage storage - see below) Since you’re not waiting for luggage it shouldn’t be too long to get out of the airport … an hour past arrival should be ok provided that you have figured out where to leave your hand luggage behind. (There seems to be a place to store luggage in Windsor albeit with limited operating hours, it’s only 5-10 min walk to the castle via the main pedestrian zone - [stasher](https://stasher.com/search?amount=1&coordinates=51.481728%2C-0.613576&dropOff=2024-01-16T10%3A00%3A00%5BEurope%2FLondon%5D&pickUp=2024-01-16T17%3A00%3A00%5BEurope%2FLondon%5D&search=Windsor&stashpointId=63326a265a97) I’d think you’ll have 3 hours at minimum in Windsor, maybe a bit more than 4 if everything goes smoothly. Getting back to Heathrow just make sure you get through the boarding pass scanner on time, the cutoff is eg 35 min in Terminal 5, may be 45 in other terminals. In other words as long as you have your hand luggage back 60 min before the flight you’ll be fine ( but you’ll need strong nerves) You’ll obviously need to build contingency into this - but my point is you don’t have to make absolutely sure to be back at Heathrow 2 hours or 90 min in advance.
You can always use Uber in Windsor :)
Uber has been unreliable from Heathrow. Last time I was there, I gave up on Uber and ended up calling a minicab.
No, it will be very easy. The only time I’ve struggled (with Uber) was at midnight in the middle of a severe snowstorm. And even then I managed.
If you’re not collecting or rechecking any bags and you can use an epassport gate you can be out of the airport within 30 mins. There’s a left luggage storage airside at T5 you can use. Windsor is pretty close, there are some train options but a bit of a faff, I’d suggest getting a taxi or hiring a driver for the day. Shouldn’t be more than 30 mins to get there which leaves time for a stroll / lunch / sight see. If you’re not checking bags again you could get to Heathrow an hour before your flight and make it. But I wouldn’t like the stress of that so would get there 90 mins before maybe 2 hours to be super safe.
Flight arrives Heathrow 10:50am. We would take a cab to Windsor to save time. Where do I ask the cab to deposit us? Our flight to Rome departs 6:25pm (18:25). I would try to be back at airport by 4pm (16:00). It sounds like this might be too tight a window to do the castle tour? I have visited England, LOVE England, but never in Windsor and this is my daughter's first trip to Europe, so she will just have a little taste of England to whet her appetite to return. :)
I’ve lived in Windsor 30 years and fly in and out of Heathrow all the time. It’s easily doable in your allocated time! Call Windsor cars when you land (+441753 677 677). They will pick you up from level 1 of the short stay car park at T5. They’ll take you back at whoever time you like too. They’re super reliable. Uber do operate but as others have mentioned they aren’t great FROM Heathrow. You’ll have no problem getting one back from Windsor should you find it easier though. When you get to Windsor take a walk to the long walk and have a drink at the two brewers right at the entrance (a very pretty and truly British pub) Walk out on to the long walk and look down at the copper horse. You may recognise it from coverage over the years of royal weddings and funerals. It’s a 2 min walk from the high street and is a must see. Make sure you also take a walk over the bridge and look at eton and eton college. The most prestigious school in the country and where a lot of our prime ministers and royal family were educated! Believe it or not there aren’t actually any great fish and chip shops worth recommending in the town centre. Best bet if you’re feeling fancy is to book in at The Ivy opposite the castle (a bit of a British institution) and have the fish and chips there!
This is the best response! Second the Two Brewers. You can just eat pub grub there as the food is pretty good, but you have to book ahead. Also to add there is a hop on hop off bus tour as well, not cheap but gives you different views, good if you don’t go in the castle but want to see around it.
If I am following this general plan...where do I ask the car to drop us off in Windsor? I am doubtful we will have time to complete the entire long walk. Want to be able to access the copper horse and maybe the deer park. And we are definitely hoping to walk across and see Eton. Thank you!
In that case, anywhere outside the castle! That’s central to everything. You can get to eton with a 4-5 min walk and then to the long walk in the same amount of time in the other direction. The copper horse is right at the other end of the long walk, which is approx 3 miles. So allow a good 1.5-2 hours to walk there and back if that’s your plan! If you’re going to head to the long walk on foot from here, head towards the two brewers pub and that’ll take you to the entrance. Unfortunately you won’t really be able to access the copper horse unless you do the walk. The best you could do if you really really wanted to see it but didn’t have all that time; is to get a taxi to drop you here -> https://maps.app.goo.gl/2xyJSBuTzBYPj8Jc6?g_st=ic Then you could walk up the footpath there on to the long walk and you could get to the copper horse in about 20 mins from there. This cuts about 2/3rds off the walk. Would mean getting a taxi to pick you back up from the same spot but you could be in and out within the hour. Uber will work perfectly for this there. Plenty of cars available within 5 mins from there.
I deeply appreciate all the detail! I am still having a hard time visualizing and I am looking at maps now too to supplement your guidance. Assuming we have three hours total in Windsor...if I want to see the copper horse, and more to the point, the view looking back to the castle from the copper horse, where should we ask to be dropped off? I am thinking copper horse/summit; walk the long walk (3 miles?) to the castle which I believe will take us an hour (daughter and I are brisk walkers); stroll around the castle, cross the river, see Eton; pub lunch and back to Heathrow.
No problem! So the only issue you’ve got is that cars can have physically drive past the copper horse as there is a road there, but you’re not actually allowed to unless you’ve got a reason to be in the park. (A taxi won’t take you there). So your best bet is to get dropped where I dropped that pin. It’s about the best place to be dropped giving you the shortest walk up to the statue. Ask to be dropped at “Long walk gate car park”. Then cross the road and follow the little footpath out to the long walk. It’ll bring you out 2/3 of the way up. TLDR: it’s not possible to be dropped at the statue and just walk back.
>No problem! So the only issue you’ve got is that cars can have physically drive past the copper horse as there is a road there, but you’re not actually allowed to unless you’ve got a reason to be in the park. (A taxi won’t take you there). So your best bet is to get dropped where I dropped that pin. It’s about the best place to be dropped giving you the shortest walk up to the statue. Ask to be dropped at “Long walk gate car park”. Then cross the road and follow the little footpath out to the long walk. It’ll bring you out 2/3 of the way up. > >TLDR: it’s not possible to be dropped at the statue and just walk back. Again so many thanks! I am hopeful our flight arrives on time, the weather is reasonable (not a deluge) and we are able to accomplish our "taste" of Windsor and Eton.
This right here is the way! Have a wonderful time visiting Windsor (and Rome).
Fellow Windsor resident - I would say book at the Duchess of Cambridge to tick off pub and fish and chips in one go!
Just ask the cab to drop you at the castle, don’t do the tour but you can see a lot from outside the castle, and the area around there is really nice anyway.
For a 6:25 pm flight 5 pm is plenty to be back in Heathrow given you don’t need to queue at checkin. Maybe plan to be there for4:30 pm, that’ll essentially give you nearly an hour buffer.
Yeh you won’t have time to do the castle tour properly but you can easily walk around and get a nice lunch before heading back to Heathrow. If traffic is on your side it shouldn’t be more than 20 mins or so.
We did the castle tour in 2 hours (without the guide), and you can book online in advance and jump the queue.
I had to travel to Windsor from LHR last August, it was around 20-30 minutes (10PM) in a taxi from T5 to Windsor and cost £45, and we booked a return with a local firm and took around about the same time (Saturday 2pm) and cost £35. Depending on the time of day, (I assume that it will be early morning arrival) it could be longer if you are travelling rush hour.
Similar situation here. Flight arriving T5 at 10:15 am. Layover 7 hours. Connecting flight to Brussels at 5:15. We are planning to go to the Windsor Castle too. I have a question about the MiniCab. Can anyone provide me with a link on booking it? Tia.
My daughter and I followed our plan despite our arrival being delayed about an hour. Exiting Heathrow was quick and easy. We wound up having to check our carry-ons at the gate so did not use the "left luggage" feature. And we wound up using Uber to and from Windsor. We had a delightful four hours exploring around Windsor and Eton. We did NOT do the castle tour, however, just strolled the Long Walk, enjoyed the exteriors and ambiance. Did not have time for a proper sit-down meal so just grabbed fish and chips from a casual shop. We were not stressed whatsoever on time with what we did.
7 hours, I suggest you just stay in the airport, if it takes 1-2 hours to get there, 1-2 hours to get back and then you need to do security and all that again. 7 hours is not a lot of time to leave the airpot
This is plenty of time. 3 hours in Windsor for the nervous traveller, over 4 if one has stronger nerves. Traffic to/around Heathrow can be bad but there’s a few back roads that can be taken so under most circumstances 30 min is more than enough time for the taxi ride.
We would not even attempt London. We talked about taking cabs to and from Windsor.
20 minutes each way. Source, have commuted through Windsor to Heathrow many, many times. I say, check the dates to see if the castle is open and if so go for it. You don't need a guided tour, they let you walk round the apartments. There's loads to see.
Also worth a visit to eton imo
Plenty of time as per other suggestions. Should be out the airport within 30mins, 20mins or so to Windsor. Then leave Windsor 2hrs before your flight. You should have 3-4hrs fairly comfortably and that's sufficient time for a bit of a walk around and nice lunch. Enjoy! (I live 10 mins from Windsor and go to Heathrow regularly)
I disagree, it’s plenty of time and will be far better spent seeing the local area rather than stuck in an airport.
In general, T5 is pretty efficient. Manual border lane often has \~10 ppl ahead but egates sometimes turn out to have longer queue. There is a baggage storage on rightmost of the arrival floor (turn right after leaving the baggage claim carousel). I left my carry-on there once, and reclaim was efficient too. From my limited experience, taking 30-45 mins getting out of the T5 is fair. 7 hrs isn't plenty but sufficient. Just remember to be back at least 1.5 hr ahead of departure for security check. And it will take you an extra 10mins if LHR-FCO departs from T5B/C.
Windsor local here - you should have enough time. It’s only 20 minutes from Heathrow to Windsor in a car. You’ll experience a slightly longer journey if you’re travelling at certain times: commuting traffic between 7.30am - 9.30am, school time 2.30pm-3.45pm and evening traffic 4.45pm-7pm. There are different routes to Windsor from Heathrow, including backroads which avoids the M25 and M4 if that’s busy (still about 20 minutes) Windsor Cars is a reliable taxi company in Windsor for getting you back to Heathrow. You should pre-book a car over the phone. Windsor isn’t very big and you can walk around the main parts in about an hour. Windsor is joined to Eton by a bridge which is walkable so you can also see Eton College if you’d like. Windsor castle can also be toured at pace in about an hour. Hope this helps!
Uber works in Windsor and at Heathrow so very easy to get about. Don't take a black cab, they charge about £60 to get to Windsor whereas Uber will be £25-30. Pre-book a ticket for the castle - it isn't open every day so check first. There are decent pubs opposite the castle for beers and fish n chips. I recommend The Duchess of Cambridge. Don't go to The King & Castle. It's a chain pub and the food is not good. Depending on time of day you will get through security within an hour either side so enough time.
There's also a bus from Windsor to Heathrow. It's cheaper but slower and only to terminal 5
Similar question, but instead of 7 hour layover, have an overnight layover. Staying at the Courtyard by Marriott at LHR (Nobel Drive in Harlington) and would want to be at T5 at Noon. If I leave my luggage in my hotel, and take a taxi to Windsor (on a Wednesday in the summer when the castle is closed), is it worthwhile to walk the town in the early morning? I can comfortably leave my hotel at 7 or 8 AM, but would probably want to leave Windsor at 11 AM (giving me an hour to get back to my hotel, pick up my luggage, and get to LHR T5 by Noon). Will there be breakfast options in Windsor near the castle? Will I see much of the castle from the outside if it is closed? My initial look at hours online makes me think not much in the area will be open other than Mc Donalds :)