Staines has no ice rink, but Windsor on Ice opens Friday 13 November and Hampton Court Palace's rink on 20 November, from £14.50 a child. Dates, prices, rules.

There is no ice rink in Staines-upon-Thames or anywhere else in Spelthorne this Christmas, so the two to plan around are both a short trip away. Windsor on Ice in Alexandra Gardens opens first, on Friday 13 November 2026, and the Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink opens on Friday 20 November. Both run until Sunday 3 January 2027 and both close on Christmas Day. Everything below comes from the rinks’ own pages, read on 13 October 2026.

The quick answer

  • Nearest by train: Windsor on Ice, Alexandra Gardens, Windsor. Open 13 November to 3 January, covered rink, fairground alongside. Staines has direct trains to Windsor and Eton Riverside on the Windsor line.
  • The palace one: Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink, 20 November to 3 January, sessions from 10am to 8pm. Adults £19.50 off peak, £21.50 peak; children 3 to 12 £14.50 / £16; a family of four £59.50 / £65.50.
  • Tickets for both are on sale now. Sessions last 45 minutes and skate hire is included at both.
  • Under-3s cannot skate at Hampton Court; at Windsor the minimum age is 4, except at the Tiny Tuesday sessions.

Is there an ice rink in Staines this year?

No. Nothing in Spelthorne has announced a rink for Christmas 2026: the council’s Christmas events page still shows last year’s programme, and the Visit Staines events listing carries no rink. The town’s Christmas season starts with the Staines Christmas Parade on Sunday 22 November. If a pop-up rink is announced locally, it will go on this page.

Windsor on Ice

Windsor on Ice sets up in Alexandra Gardens, by the river in Windsor, and its main rink is fully covered, which the operator says means it runs in all weather and only cancels for exceptional high winds (Windsor on Ice, FAQs).

  • Dates: the rink’s own 2026 calendar opens public skating on Friday 13 November, 5pm to 9pm, and runs to Sunday 3 January. It is closed on Christmas Day. (The banner on the operator’s other site still reads “26th November - 2nd January”; the dated calendar, which lists every day from 13 November, is the one to trust.)
  • Times: on November weekdays public sessions run from 12pm to 9pm, and from 10am to 9pm at weekends; in the Christmas holidays it is 10am to 9pm daily.
  • Sessions: 45 minutes on the ice, skates included, sizes from children’s 7 to adults’ 15. Arrive about 20 minutes early to collect skates.
  • Age: the minimum is 4, and children under 12 must be with a parent or carer. Tiny Tuesdays (10am to 1pm on Tuesdays) have no minimum age and are just for the little ones and their adults. Wednesday mornings, 10am to 12pm, are access skating sessions for disabled skaters.
  • Santa visits on 12, 13, 19, 20 and 24 December, 12pm to 5pm.
  • Fairground: opens at 4pm on weekdays and 11am at weekends and in the school holidays, with unlimited-ride wristbands sold separately.
  • No refunds unless the rink itself closes; you can move to another session. There is no cloakroom, only small items stored with your shoes.

Ticket prices are set on the booking site by session and are not published as a price list on the rink’s own pages, so check there for your date.

Getting there from Staines: the branch line runs direct from Staines to Windsor and Eton Riverside in 14 minutes, twice an hour (see our Staines train times page). Check our roadworks and travel page for line closures before you go.

Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink

The palace rink is back from Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, closed on Christmas Day, with sessions from 10am to the last at 8pm (Historic Royal Palaces). It is run by Icebox Live with Historic Royal Palaces, and it is a separate ticket: palace admission is not included.

Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink prices 2026-27, from the rink's own price list
TicketOff peakPeak
Adult (13+)£19.50£21.50
Student (ID needed)£18.00£21.50
Child (3 to 12)£14.50£16.00
Family of four (2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children)£59.50£65.50
Wheelchair user (one carer free)£15.00£15.00

(Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink, opening times and prices)

The rules that catch families out:

  • Children under 3 are not allowed on the ice. Under-13s must be with an adult aged 18 or over on the ice, one adult to a maximum of five children, and adults need their own ticket to get into the skate exchange.
  • Sessions last up to 45 minutes, and the rink asks you to arrive 30 to 40 minutes early to fit skates and use the cloakroom.
  • The rink is outdoors, so the ice can carry a film of water. Bring gloves and spare socks.
  • Skate aids cost £6, first come first served on the day, and cannot be booked.
  • The site is cashless, and spectating is free from the viewing platform.
  • Quieter sessions: reduced-capacity sessions with static lighting and softer music run from 10am daily; the rink suggests weekdays before 3pm for wheelchair users.
  • Bookings can be moved to another slot up to 48 hours ahead; booking fees are not refunded.

(Plan your visit and FAQs)

Also at the palace: the Festive Fayre, with more than 100 producers, is on 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 December, 10am to 5pm, and the new Winter Palace Christmas trail runs from 28 November to 3 January. Both are included in palace admission rather than the rink ticket (Historic Royal Palaces).

Planning around the rest of Christmas

Father Christmas also has grottos closer to home: see Santa’s grottos near Staines. The full list of what is on in town over the next six weeks is on our What’s On in Staines page, and if you are driving to the station, parking in Staines has the current car park tariffs.

Sources