Holiday Stays in Windsor

Why Windsor works as a holiday base

Windsor gives you a rare combination: enough on the doorstep for a full week, and half of southern England within an hour. The Castle, the Long Walk, Eton, the river and the town's restaurants fill your walking-distance days; Legoland is ten minutes by car or shuttle bus; and when you fancy a big day out, direct trains reach London Paddington (via Slough) in around half an hour. Come back each evening to an apartment with a living room, a kitchen and a washing machine, and the whole trip runs at a calmer temperature than a hotel-room holiday ever manages.

Windsor through the year

Spring (March–May)

The Great Park wakes up — the Valley Gardens' azaleas are genuinely spectacular in late April — and the Royal Windsor Horse Show brings the town alive in May. Book May weekends early; enjoy the quiet midweeks either side.

Summer (June–August)

Peak Windsor: boat trips, Eton's meadows, picnics on the Brocas with the Castle across the water, and Royal Ascot glamour in mid-June (when smart guests book months ahead or steer a week clear). School holidays are Legoland high season — staying in Windsor and driving the ten minutes beats the on-site crowds and prices.

Autumn (September–October)

Our favourite. The Long Walk turns bronze, the crowds thin, and apartment rates soften. If you want the classic Castle photographs without fifty co-photographers, come in October.

Winter (November–February)

Windsor does Christmas beautifully — lights the length of Peascod Street, a festive market by the Castle walls, and cosy pubs that take mulling seriously. January and February are the value months: the Castle is open, the walks are bracing, and nightly rates are at their kindest.

A sample three-day itinerary

• Day one: Windsor Castle first thing (book online, arrive for opening), lunch on Peascod Street, afternoon boat trip from the promenade, dinner in the town centre.
• Day two: Walk the Long Walk to the Copper Horse for the best view in Berkshire, picnic in the Great Park, then cross to Eton for antique shops and an early dinner on the High Street.
• Day three: Legoland with the children — or, without them, Savill Garden and Runnymede, then back for a river-side sunset.

For a much deeper list — where to eat, what's on and the walks locals actually take — see our Windsor area guide and our dedicated visitor site royal-windsor.com.

The right base for a holiday stay

For couples, a central or Eton apartment keeps everything on foot — the High Street penthouse even brings the Castle view to the bathtub. Families tend to do better a few streets out, where properties like Greenwich Court offer three bedrooms, ground-floor access and parking for the Legoland run. Every property is fully self catering, and longer holidays earn automatic length-of-stay discounts — see short lets if you're tempted to make it a proper stint.