Slough printable guide

Slough

Skip Slough as a sightseeing base: use it for one night only if you need a cheap bed near Heathrow, Legoland or Windsor.

Slough is a large working town west of London and just outside the M25, about 15 minutes from Heathrow by bus and 15–20 minutes from London Paddington by fast train. It has few sights of its own: a small town museum, a listed park and an ice rink. Its value is practical — cheaper rooms than Windsor or central London, a fast rail link, and easy access to Windsor Castle, Legoland and the Thames Valley. Treat it as a bed, not a destination.

Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.

Country

United Kingdom

Best months

May–Sep

Avoid

Dec–Feb (cold, wet, dark by 16:00)

Stay

1 night

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency: GBP
Money: Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
Daily spend: Budget £45–75 excl. bed · Mid £75–130 excl. bed · High £130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data: EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
Emergency: Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police, fire, ambulance (EU number) 112 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
Plugs: Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
Tipping: Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
Water: Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
Toilets: Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.

What things cost

Item	Price
Coffee	£3–4.50
Pub main course	£12–18
Curry house main with rice	£10–16
Pint of beer	£5–6.50
Bus ride in town	£2–3
Train Slough → London Paddington	£10–15 off-peak
eSIM or data SIM, about a week	£8–20

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

LHR · Heathrow: Bus 60/61/71/75/76/77/78 or National Express coach; about 20–30 min. No direct Elizabeth line from Slough to Heathrow: change at Hayes & Harlington or London (check).
LTN · Luton: Train via London, or National Express coach; route check before you book.
LGW · Gatwick: Train, changing in London or Reading.
STN · Stansted: Train via London, or National Express coach; route check before you book.

Typical fares

Slough → London Paddington, Great Western: about £10–15 off-peak, about 15 min
Slough → London Paddington, Elizabeth line: about £10–15 off-peak, about 25–30 min
Slough → Windsor & Eton Central: about £3 single, about 6 min
Taxi Slough station → Chalvey: £6–10

Get around

The town centre is compact and walkable — station, bus station and High Street are within a few minutes of each other — but the wider town spreads out, so use buses or taxis for Chalvey, the ice arena and the trading estates. Local buses leave from Slough Bus Station, a 2-minute walk from the railway station. Uber and local taxis operate; there is a public cycle-hire scheme. For Windsor, Legoland and Heathrow, train or bus beats driving.

See and do

Known for

Rail link to London Paddington and Heathrow buses
Proximity to Windsor Castle and Legoland
Slough Ice Arena and the Bees ice hockey
South Asian restaurants on the High Street

Day trips

Where	How	Time
Windsor and Eton	Train to Windsor & Eton Central (change at Slough), or bus 8/702	About 20–30 min
Legoland Windsor	Bus 702 or taxi from Slough; about 15 min by road	About 30–40 min
Reading	Great Western or Elizabeth line from Slough, about 20 min	About 30 min
Maidenhead	Train from Slough, about 8 min	About 20 min
Ascot	Train from Slough, changing at Windsor or Reading; about 40–50 min	About 1 h
London Paddington	Great Western Railway from Slough, about 15 min; Elizabeth line is slower, about 25–30 min	About 30–40 min

Sleep

Town centre (High Street and Windsor Road): Walk to the station and buses; Premier Inn and chain hotels; best for a car-free night.
Chalvey: West of the centre, walkable to the station; Holiday Inn Slough Windsor is here, handy for Legoland and Windsor.
Near the station: Shortest walk with bags to the Elizabeth line and Great Western services.

Phrase card

English	Say or show
Excuse me / Sorry	Excuse me / Sorry
Thank you	Thank you
Please	Please
How much is it?	How much is it?
Can I pay by card?	Can I pay by card?
Where is the toilet?	Where is the toilet?

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'

Scams and watch-outs

Slough station is not step-free to every platform: check before you travel with heavy bags.
Legoland and Windsor are busiest at weekends and school holidays: book dated tickets ahead.
Some High Street bars and takeaways are cash-only or card-minimum: ask first.
The M4 and A4 run through the area: traffic into Windsor and Heathrow is heavy at peak times.

A normal commuter town and generally safe by day; the centre is quiet late at night, so stick to lit main roads and use a licensed taxi or Uber after dark.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Slough yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

Rail link to London Paddington and Heathrow buses
Proximity to Windsor Castle and Legoland
Slough Ice Arena and the Bees ice hockey
South Asian restaurants on the High Street

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

National Rail — Slough station: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/slo/details.html
Wikivoyage: Slough, revision 5238486 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5238486

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Slough

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Police, fire, ambulance999
Police, fire, ambulance (EU number)112
NHS non-urgent111
Police non-urgent101

No embassies in Slough; they are in London. US citizens: the US Embassy is in Nine Elms, London (check the address).

English is the only language you need here.

Voykit · checked 2026-09