Windsor Castle – Historic Royal Home

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 19:50:00 +0000

Known to be a popular residence of the current monarchy, Windsor Castle is a large complex that is open to the general public. By car, it takes about an hour to get there from London. There are plenty of paid car parks in the area, but it tends to get very busy in the summer so there’s more traffic and difficult to find a parking spot. Another option is to go by train which takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The train station is a short and pleasant 10-minute walk away from the castle.

Tickets can be booked online for a specific time slot and the booking process will note any restrictions on the day. You must book online to be able to visit and booking directly is the cheapest option. The ticket also comes with an audio guide that can be set to several different languages. As you walk throughout the site, you’ll see numbered signs that you can enter into the audio guide. This is a great way to learn about the history of the many different areas in the castle. It is also possible to book private and group tours if you prefer. The grounds are very well kept and all areas are very well signposted so it’s easy to find your way around. You can visit the different gardens and several different state apartments with many different things on display.

It’s easy to spend a full day here as there are so many places to visit. There are also activities for kids and a couple of cafes to grab something to eat. As you head towards the exit, you’ll pass by St George’s Chapel which is full of history. The Chapel is normally closed on Sundays for service, and you should check if it is open on the day you plan to visit as it’s a beautiful place. At the exit, there is also a soldier of the Queen’s Guard stationed in a booth. A small area is cordoned off and the guard will occasionally step out of his booth and march up and down the cordoned-off area. After leaving Windsor Castle, you can explore the town which has lots of restaurants and the riverside is especially popular. There are rowboats for rent and many ducks and swans floating on the river. Overall, it’s a great day trip from London to a place that’s full of history.

1066 Battle of Hastings

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 05 May 2019 21:35:00 +0000

Near the shores of Hastings, this historic battlefield can be visited on a short day trip from London. Only a one and a half-hour train ride from Charing Cross or about 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Entry to the site costs 13.60 GBP¹ or free with an English Heritage membership. There’s an audio guide included with the ticket to listen to the history as you walk throughout the site. There’s a visitor center a short walk from the entrance which you should start with. There’s lots of info here providing background on William the Conqueror of Normandy and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold of England.

Following the visitor center, you can head to the trail of the battleground. There are two options; a trail which goes on a circuit down to the battleground and then up to the Abbey, or the trail which goes straight across to the Abbey with a panoramic view of the battleground. There are several numbered information panels on the trail which you can input into the audio guides which narrate the events of the battle. It took us about 30 minutes to walk throughout the battlefield and up to the Abbey. We then walked around the Abbey learning about its history from the information panels there. We then visited the garden next to the Abbey before heading back to the entrance. At the entrance, you can head up the tower where there is a small museum with some artifacts. You can also climb to the top of the tower which has views of the town. We completed our visit in about an hour before heading for some lunch and back home.

Tower – Maldo Travels

Windsor Castle – Historic Royal Home

1066 Battle of Hastings