Getting to Hampton Court Palace from London

The palace is 12 miles south-west of central London, and the journey is half the fun — by train it takes 35 minutes, by river boat up to three unhurried hours.

By train — the simple way

South Western Railway runs direct from London Waterloo to Hampton Court in about 35 minutes, two trains an hour. From the station it is a five-minute walk over Hampton Court Bridge to the palace gates — the river crossing gives you the Tudor front at its best. Check services on National Rail before travelling; the guides who meet groups at the station give the same advice.

Hampton Court tours from London

If you would rather not navigate at all, a coach day trip from central London bundles return transport with your entrance ticket. The half-day trip departs Neathouse Place near Victoria at 9:15, allows three hours at the palace and costs From $109 per person — travellers praise the punctual, air-conditioned ride, and note that the palace visit itself is self-guided. Private-vehicle options go further: a black-cab heritage day trip with four hours on site, or a chauffeured car with admission included and a pickup time of your choosing.

Bus tour or public bus

A bus tour to Hampton Court Palace is the no-planning option above. On public transport, local buses 111, 216, 411 and R68 serve Hampton Court from Kingston and the surrounding area — useful if you are staying locally rather than in central London.

By river boat

In season, boats run on the Thames from Westminster, Richmond and Kingston to Hampton Court Pier beside the palace. The full Westminster sailing takes around three hours with the tide — a slow, scenic approach past Richmond and Teddington. Services are seasonal, roughly April to October; check the operator’s current timetable before building a day around it.

By bike

The Thames Path reaches the palace at river level, and the surrounding royal parks are flat, open cycling country. The Hampton Court Palace bike tour makes a morning of it: an 8-mile guided loop through Bushy Park — deer descended from Henry VIII’s own herds — past Long Water and along the Thames. Note it circles the palace grounds and does not enter the ticketed palace itself.

By car

The palace is on the A308, about an hour’s drive from central London in normal traffic. Paid parking is available on site and travellers report it straightforward — though the train avoids the question entirely.

How long the journey really takes

Budget door to door, not station to station. From a central London hotel you need roughly 20 minutes to reach Waterloo, 35 on the train, and 5 walking from Hampton Court station — an hour in practice. A coach trip removes the changes but adds pickup time at the start: the half-day departure leaves at 9:15 and returns mid-afternoon. Driving is the same hour as the train on a clear run and considerably longer on a summer weekend.

Whichever way you come, aim to arrive by 13:30 in the summer season. Last admission is 16:30 and three hours is the honest minimum inside — the visitor information page sets out the hours in full.

Which arrival suits which visit

Travelling with children? The train wins: it is short, there is a bridge to look over, and no one is trapped in a coach seat. Coming for a specific event or a timed guided tour? A private car removes the risk of a delayed service. Visiting on a Sunday with engineering works on the line — check before you commit — and the coach or a car becomes the sensible answer.

Groups of five or more should compare the arithmetic before defaulting to train tickets: a private vehicle priced for the whole group can land close to five individual returns, with your bags in the boot and no timetable to catch.

Once you know how you’re arriving, the visitor information page covers hours, prices and what your ticket includes, and the Hampton Court Palace Tours homepage compares every private Hampton Court Palace tour in one table.