Now you’re all grown up, you want to revisit the magic of Christmas. Maybe you want to share it with your own kids. What better way to do that than visiting Windsor Illuminations?
Windsor Great Park Illuminated is the annual Christmas light show put on by the incredible grounds crew at Windsor Great Park. The experience is designed to take about 45 minutes, so it’s not too hard for smaller children or older visitors.
What to expect at the Windsor Illuminations
The staff has worked hard to try to anticipate visitors’ every need. The Windsor Park Illuminations are along an accessible route, with amenities and toilets at regular intervals.
There are places to get food at the entrance and inside the park, and the options are quite enticing. With crêpes and pizza on the menu, there is sure to be something for everybody. The lines are well-organised and designed to handle large crowds.
The Windsor Light Show is, by many accounts, nothing short of magical. Every year sees different displays. Recent favourites were the fairy lights featuring actual fairies. There was a dog selfie-spot, where you could take a photo of your pup with angel wings.
And the holographic forest scene was unbeatable. There’s also a carousel and a gift shop, so you can get in the last bit of Christmas shopping.
Travelling to Windsor Illuminations
As with all events that take place at the end of the year, a little bit of a crowd is to be expected. You’ll find that advance planning will go a long way to making your visit hassle-free.
Windsor Illuminations are open every day except Christmas starting in mid-November. You can expect smaller crowds if you book your trip earlier in the season. You’ll also get cheaper tickets that way.
Likewise, when booking your tickets, consider the very first or very last available time slots.
Getting to Windsor Illuminations by Train
For kids, getting to see the Windsor Light Show by train just adds to the experience. For grown-ups, watching the world go by through a foggy window can be preferable to sitting in Christmas traffic.
London to Windsor
From Paddington Station, take the train to Slough, then change to Windsor & Eton Central. Trains leave every 20 minutes and you can expect the entire journey to last a little longer than one hour.
Once you arrive at Windsor & Eton Central, you’ll have to hire a taxi to take you to the Windsor Illumination entrance.
Manchester to Windsor
From Manchester, you’ll take the train to London Euston. Ride the Tube from Euston to Paddington, where you’ll hop on the train to Slough. At Slough, change to Windsor & Eton Central.
Once you arrive at Windsor & Eton Central, you’ll have to hire a cab to take you to the Windsor Illumination entrance. You can expect the entire journey to take about four hours.
Getting to the Windsor Illuminations By Car
The drive from London can take anywhere from 50 minutes to one hour and 40 minutes, depending on traffic. The park is about halfway between the M3 and the M4, so you’ve got some flexibility when planning your route.
Windsor Illuminations Parking
Parking is limited, and you need to buy your parking pass when you book your tickets. There’s an extra charge, which varies in price depending on when you plan to visit.
Windsor Great Park Illuminated Tickets
To get tickets, it’s easy: just visit the Windsor Great Park Illuminated website and purchase tickets once they become available. Ticket prices vary, depending on your age, how many people are at your party, and when you’d like to visit.
Getting to Windsor Great Park Illuminated with Avanti
If you’re travelling by train, you can get there easily with Avanti West Coast. Get the cheapest train tickets possible by booking in advance, or making use of a Railcard.
You can also download the Avanti West Coast app, which helps make travelling easier by helping you find the best fare, keeping your tickets safe in one place, and more.
It also has an Apple and Google Pay feature, Seat Picker, and Track My Train tools, so you can pay and travel your way with no stress or booking fees.
