Britain's Oldest Royal Residence

If one asks you to name two places in the United Kingdom which are firmly associated with royalty and aristocracy, you might struggle to find a more relevant pairing than that of Windsor and Eton. If you have kids in tow, you can try to tempt them with the Legoland theme park, and I would not be surprised if you succeeded :)

Windsor stars due to its impressive castle, which has been (and still is) a British royal residence for over 900 years, although during the years it changed a lot in shape and size. Eton, situated just across the river (and linked by a pedestrians-only bridge), is renowned for Eton College, the largest of the great public schools, which in the spirit of contradiction actually means fee-paying/private, of England.

The triangle of Windsor/Eton/Legoland has been Berkshire’s major tourist drawcard for years now, and if you value your time, health, and sanity, I would advise (if possible) avoiding it on summer weekends.

Enough introductions, though--down to business. So what do you absolutely need to see on your (most likely) day trip from the capital?

- State Apartments in Windsor Castle (but you cannot see them when the Royal Family is in residence, so you will have to check that)
- St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle
- Albert Memorial Chapel, once again within the castle itself
- Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House–-another feature of the Windsor Castle
- Windsor Great Park
- Other Windsor sites, including the Guildhall, the Market Cross house, the Burford House, and the Long Walk
- Eton College buildings (open from April till September)
- Legoland Windsor

There are also options for other interesting excursions from the Windsor area, including the one to Ascot, the capital of the United Kingdom’s hat-making and horse-racing.

Quick Tips:

If you've set your heart on visiting the place in summer, I more than strongly recommend you book your tickets in advance–-especially for Legoland. This will save you much valuable time that otherwise would be spent queuing. Legoland bookings are through websites or via phone at 0990040404.

Best Way To Get Around:

Windsor/Eton itself is very much a place for walking, not driving, so you are likely to find that a car is only a hindrance, not a help. In addition, the bridge between Eton and Windsor is pedestrian only, so draw your own conclusions!

Although this – one of the world’s most famous – school is actually called public, what is really meant by it is that it is a private, fee-paying institution – the one for which you’ve got to put down the names of your children years in advance. Basic fees are over £15,000 per year, there are only 1,200 to 1,300 places, and it’s boys only.

If you just want a glimpse, that’s much easier (and substantially cheaper) to accomplish. You only have to schedule your visit so that it falls between April and September. The school was founded by King Henry VI in the years 1440 and 1441 for 70 boys of high potential/achievement, who received scholarships from a fund financed personally by the monarch himself. The model was that of the Winchester College public school. Up to date, the place has educated 18 future prime ministers, countless leaders of other countries, and there is surely more to come. Some of the best known names teach here. For example, the composer Thomas Frederick Dunhill was a music master there.

The vast buildings, chapel, museum, and playing fields can be visited, including with a 1-hour guide-led tour, for which you naturally pay a fee of several pounds. The tours start at 2:15pm and 3:15pm. If you would rather take a guidebook and wander around on your own, make a note of the opening times (although these are always subject to change and should be confirmed at least a couple of days before you make your trip).

- If you are visiting during term time, the opening hours are very restricted, from 2pm till 4:30 pm.
- If your trip takes place during the holidays, you can enter at 10:30am.

The fee for self-guided tour is a couple of pounds smaller than for the full guided tour.