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What's the best day trip during Wimbledon — Windsor, or a day in London?

Windsor Castle, or a rest day without leaving London

With the Championships running two full weeks, there's real room to build a genuine day away from SW19 into a longer trip — either a proper outward day trip to Windsor and Eton, or a shorter rest day inside London itself.

Windsor & Eton — a real day out

Direct South Western Railway trains run from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside in under an hour — the same terminus you're already using for the 21-minute Wimbledon train (see the Getting There guide), so no need to switch bases for the day. Windsor Castle and Eton sit five minutes apart on foot across Windsor Bridge — a realistic single day covering both.

Windsor Castle & The Long Walk

★4.7(64,868 Google reviews)

The world's oldest inhabited castle, a few miles from Wentworth — approached via a 2.5-mile tree-lined avenue.

I think what makes Windsor worth building real time into a BMW PGA trip for, rather than treating it as an optional afterthought, is that it's not a manufactured tourist add-on the way some "nearby attractions" lists can feel. This is a working royal residence, still in active use, a few miles from where you're watching a golf tournament. That proximity is unusual and worth taking advantage of.

Windsor

Worth knowing

—Book tickets in advance online — it's cheaper (£32 vs £36 for adults) and guarantees entry on your chosen date rather than risking a sold-out day.
—Time your visit around the Changing of the Guard (roughly 11am, Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays year-round, daily except Sundays April-July) if the ceremony matters to you — check the specific day's schedule before travelling, as it's weather-dependent.

Eton — Across the River from Windsor

A five-minute walk from Windsor Castle to a 580-year-old school and a genuinely old high street.

What I like about Eton as an addition here is proportion, it doesn't ask for a full day, and it doesn't pretend to be more than what it is: a genuinely old, distinctive small town with a five-minute walk separating it from one of England's most-visited royal sites. Most visitors to Windsor never cross the bridge, which makes the walk itself feel like a small discovery rather than an obvious tourist stop.

Eton

Worth knowing

—Treat this as a one-to-two-hour add-on to a Windsor Castle visit rather than a separate outing — the walk itself is only five minutes from Windsor Bridge.
—Look for the Cockpit Inn on the first stretch of the High Street, a genuine 1420s timber-framed building — most visitors walk past it without realising its age.

Or a rest day without leaving London

For a shorter break that doesn't need a full day committed to travel, London itself is right there — a short train ride from the grounds.

The Rest Day: A Day in London Away from the Courts

South Bank to Borough Market to South Kensington — a Wimbledon rest day that uses the city properly

The South Bank route works as a rest-day structure because it's continuous. You're walking in one direction, along one river, and the city presents itself without demanding decisions every five minutes. Borough Market is the right anchor because the food is genuinely good — not just convenient — and it gives you a reason to stop that isn't a famous sight requiring a timed ticket.

Central London

Worth knowing

—Leave Waterloo by 9:30am to walk the South Bank before the tourist crowds arrive — the riverside path between Waterloo Bridge and Borough Market is genuinely quiet before 10am.
—Borough Market is closed Sunday and Monday — if your rest day falls on either, skip the market and go straight to the V&A or Kensington Gardens instead.

Brixton Village & Market Row

Two covered 1930s arcades off Brixton High Street: global food, honest prices, and more character than Borough Market

Borough Market has 1,000 years of documented operation. It also has professional photographers, guided tours, and a tourist infrastructure refined over two decades. You are clearly a visitor there, and the market knows it.

Wimbledon, SW19

Worth knowing

—Electric Lane off Electric Avenue is the most direct entrance from the tube — about 2 minutes from Brixton station, right off Brixton Road.
—Okan (Osaka-style okonomiyaki) and House of Momo (Nepalese dumplings) are the strongest vendor recommendations; both sit in Brixton Village proper rather than Market Row.
—Club Mexicana is in Market Row, accessed via the internal passage between the two arcades — first-time visitors regularly miss it.
—Thursday to Saturday evenings are the most atmospheric: all traders open, the bars running, and the passages busy from around 7pm.
—Monday is reduced trading — most food vendors close for their rest day; not the right time to visit for the full market experience.
—Walk Atlantic Road on the way in or out: the open street market here is the older Brixton, with Caribbean produce and fabric shops that predate the 2009 rebranding.
—Several vendors allow BYOB for drinks bought at the off-licences on Brixton Road — worth asking at the counter before you order.

Sources: rct.uk (Royal Collection Trust — Windsor Castle hours and pricing), South Western Railway published timetables.

Get the full picture

The real destinations and travel times are all free above — no guessing on distances or train times. What it can't tell you is which day of your specific trip to actually give up for Windsor without costing you a match you'd regret missing. Unlocking adds that verdict, plus the exact booking window for Windsor Castle before Fortnight demand pushes you onto the pricier on-the-day rate.

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