We went on a tour to Windsor Castle with Premium Tours today. I hadn’t originally planned to go, as I’m traveling with my 5-year-old and Windsor was a bit out of the way. But last night, he told me he’d really love to see Windsor—he remembered seeing it on a school paper and was excited to go. So around 10pm, I started researching. It seemed that Windsor Castle only accepts pre-booked tickets, and the earliest available entry was for 12pm. There weren’t many other options.
Around 1am, I booked a tour with Premium Tours that departed at 7:45am and returned around 1pm, for approximately £190 for the two of us. I also moved our train to the Lake District from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Then I began packing while my son was sleeping. I was so exhausted that I had to stop around 3am—completely half-conscious. I got up again at 6:30am, finished packing, dressed my son while he was still asleep, and checked out of our hotel, London Marriott County Hall. The front desk had already noted my early checkout request when I spoke with them around 2am, and by the time we were downstairs, the cab was already waiting.
We left at 7:31am. The hotel is about a 10-minute ride to Victoria Coach Station. While en route, I called Premium Tours and let them know we might be a couple of minutes late—we’d arrive before 7:45 but might need time to locate the coach. A woman answered and said the coach usually leaves right at 7:45, but she would call them to hold for up to 5 minutes.
We arrived at Victoria Coach Station at 7:43. The driver told me Gate 19 was on the opposite side of the station, and kindly offered to wait a few minutes in case the tour had already left. I called the office again and was told to push through the station. When we got to Gate 19 at 7:49, they told me the coach had already departed. I said it was okay—I’d just go back to my cab. But the station staff insisted I wasn’t on their tour and that I had to stay while they called the office. Eventually, someone said, “Oh, this is a late booking,” and then told me there was nothing they could do.
I immediately rushed back to the front with my child—only to see our cab driving away at the intersection. It took me 20 minutes to find another one. We finally got back on the road at 8:14am. I called the office again and asked to speak with the tour guide. They said, “Absolutely not—it’s their private phone number.” I was told to go to Windsor Coach Park and wait under the clock.
Around 9am, I called to check in. I explained I had two large suitcases. The same woman told me, “Don’t worry about the suitcases, just go straight to the group entrance and find Richard, your guide.” She sent me a location where I should find him. When we got there, a staff member at the castle said it wasn’t the group entrance—we had to go around. We did, and eventually found the group entrance with dozens of tours waiting. Richard was about 20 feet from the location I was originally given.
I approached him, explained that I had two large suitcases and a boy waiting in the cab, and asked how I could locate the coach to drop off our luggage. He told me to bring the luggage over. I ran back, and fortunately, the driver was willing to circle around. He unloaded the bags, helped my son out, and removed the car seat.
Then Richard told me there was no way he could handle my luggage and that I needed to have the driver bring it back to the coach park and wait under the clock. I offered to stay right there at the group entrance with my luggage, and asked if he could hail a cab to take the luggage to the coach—I’d be happy to cover the fee. He refused, saying he had a whole group to manage and that I needed to follow his instructions. I asked if I could go to the coach myself and load the luggage—he said there was “absolutely no way” I could do that.
By this point, I had a pounding headache. A kind woman from the tour helped me move the luggage back to the cab. We drove again to the coach park. The clock was on the opposite side of the lot. I dragged the luggage across the park while holding my 5-year-old’s hand.
While we were waiting, the office called and told me to go find the coach and meet Richard at the entrance. I said I was physically and mentally unable to memorize a coach number—something they should have given me many phone calls ago. I told them this was the worst tour I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve traveled a large part of Europe. The woman’s tone immediately changed, and she said she’d ask Richard to find us.
When Richard found us, he questioned why I had so much luggage, why I didn’t leave it at the hotel, and why I was late. I told him I was not in the mood to discuss these things. We finally entered Windsor Castle at 10:25am.
That was my experience with Premium Tours for the past 3 hours.
They should never have promised a 5-minute delay without confirming it with the driver.
They should have told me to stay in the cab instead of pushing through the station.
Their station staff should not have held me up just to call the office and give me no help, which caused me to miss the waiting cab.
They could have provided the tour guide’s contact or at least the coach number or license plate when I was en route.
Richard could have hailed a cab to transport my luggage.
If even one of these things had happened, my day could have turned out very differently.
Their arrogance, indifference, poor communication, constant contradictory instructions, and complete lack of compassion are shocking—especially for a hospitality business.
In all my decades of traveling across Europe, this was hands down the worst tour I’ve ever been on. I strongly urge others to avoid Premium Tours. This was a truly terrible experience that has forever changed how I view what it means to serve customers.
I have met many wonderful people on this trip—but this experience soured my 5-year-old’s first visit to England.
very good tour, meeting point was easy to find, we took the bus to windsor castle, we got there close to 9 am, we stood in line, it was a long line but once the castle open at 9:30, the line moved very fast , inside it was a self guided tour with headphone, the castle is amazing including the state apartments and the St George Church, also observed the changing of guard ,also we had some extra time to have lunch and walk around, we were picked up by the bus at 1 PM back to london, the castle is amazing and worth the visit
We did only the windsor castle (did not do the Bath or the stonehedge or any upgrade), the tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable and gave us good information on the way to the castle, but once inside the castle were on our own, I think for travelers who only wants to visit the castle, they could have done the trip on their own if they can figure out the transportation and buying tickets in advance