Hotels in Windsor

Famous for its royal connections, Windsor's steeped in history and surrounded by lush green, rolling countryside. Occupying a picture-perfect position on the banks of the River Thames, you'll find fashionable boutiques, designer stores, and antiques shops lining its bustling high street. Windsor Castle dominates the cityscape and views of the ancient stone-clad fortress can be had all around the town. The smell of freshly-baked breads waft out of its many artisan cafes and restaurants with courtyard gardens, pavement-side tables, and river views serve up everything from creamy pasta dishes to spicy curries to British classics like pheasant.

Things to see

The oldest continuously occupied castle in the world, Windsor Castle has been providing Kings and Queens with a roof over their royal heads for hundreds of years, and today remains one of the Queen's official residences. Its impressive and imposing turrets, towers and battlements loom large over the town, and visitors can tour the State Apartments, which are flanked by fine works of art by the likes of Rembrandt and Rubens, and St Georges Chapel. For a good dollop of pomp and ceremony, the colourful Changing of the Guards is not to be missed. The only racecourse in the UK to be set on an island, Windsor Racecourse offers views of the River Thames, a warm welcome and plenty of galloping gee-gees to cheer on, while Windsor Great Park, with its sprawling landscaped gardens, delightful deer and lake is perfect for relaxing in the shadow of the castle. A stroll over Windsor Bridge will take you to Eton where you can glimpse tailcoat-clad school boys from the famed college pottering around and tour the tiny town's art galleries and antiques stores.

Hotels in Windsor

From country house hotels set in sweeping gardens to elegant Georgian-era townhouses to chain hotels, Windsor offers visitors a good variety of places to stay while in town. On the luxury end of the scale you can expect refined service, enviable locations and often river or castle views and indoor pools. If you're budget won't stretch this far, there are also a good number of mid-range hotels in Windsor with a handful of well-known family-friendly chains offering modern amenities like flat-screen televisions and WiFi as well as local B&Bs where you can wake up to a cooked English breakfast.

Where to stay

If you want to be in the thick of it, a stay in the historic city center is ideal. Many of Windsor's centrally located hotels offer views of the castle (you will have to pay a premium for this, though) and it's possible to stay right on the high street itself. If you'd prefer to be away from the crowds, there are countryhouse hotels within just a few miles of the town center set in manicured grounds and offering plenty of space to breathe.

How to get to

Windsor is well located for those arriving via Heathrow Airport being just an 8 mile journey down the M4. If you don't have your own transport, there are a number of bus services that link the town and the airport that will whisk you to the historic center in around 40 minutes. There are two stations in Windsor, both within a short stroll on the castle and town center. Housed in a Grade II listed building, Windsor and Eton Riverside station is served by South West Trains linking Windsor with London Waterloo while Windsor and Eton Central station runs trains between Slough and Windsor.