Frequently
Asked Questions

This year, we are working with a new provider which automatically creates your fundraising page as part of your registration so there is no need to create another online fundraising page. If creating or signing up as part of a team, a team fundraising page will also be automatically created too or linked to.

We would prefer you use the fundraising page created for you through the registration platform Funraisin. This is automatically created for you and linked to your team page making fundraising even easier for you. However, if you would like to use another provider please do speak to us so we can ensure we'll recognise your fundraising efforts when they arrive (not all sites send through fundraiser details).

We are here to help you fundraise every step of the way. The Prince’s Trust ask that everyone taking part raises a minimum sponsorship of £150 each; this helps us to cover the costs of putting on the event and ensures we maximise fundraising for young people.

Check out our fundraising tips for ideas to help you hit your target. We also have Prince’s Trust branded fundraising merchandise available to download on our website.

All sponsorship collected on through your online fundraising page will be directly transferred to us. If you have collected any cash or cheques in support of your fundraising you can send in this offline money to us at the following address:

Palace to Palace Team, The Prince’s Trust, South London Centre, 8 Glade Path, London, SE1 8EG

Please make sure cheques are made payable to ‘The Prince's Trust’ and include a reference (i.e. your full name and your bib number) so we know which record to allocate the money to.​ 

If you do not feel you can raise the minimum sponsorship then please do get in touch. We are here to help in any way we can to support your fundraising efforts. Or you may make a personal contribution of £150 to ensure that The Prince’s Trust can continue supporting disadvantaged young people across the UK.

Registering for Palace to Palace is quick and simple. Simply head to our Palace to Palace website and click the sign up now button. You’ll need to have decided which distance – the 45-mile or 90-mile – that you’ll be doing, then it’ll just take a few minutes to register (don’t forget to have your credit or debit card handy).

If your company is paying for your registration fee then you will need to select ‘claim a pre-paid corporate place’ and your team claim code, which will be provided to you by your company Team Captain or by the Non-Participating Team Administrator, over email upon registering. 

Please note that the registration fee is non-refundable.

Registration fees vary depending on when you sign up and which route you sign up for.  

Corporate partners bulk buying min of 5 places are automatically given a 10% discount. Prices including the discount are:

There are two ways of entering a corporate team:

• Promote the event within your company and encourage employees to purchase their own places via the main registration page.
• Purchasing places in bulk via our corporate team places option, so that your employees don’t have to pay the registration fee. Once a bulk buy has been brought, you will be sent a link and a claim code to forward on to your employees. 

Find out more information on our corporate page.

Yes, you can join or create a team when you sign up for the event. If you’re already registered and want to create or join a team, just log into your account and search for the team you want to join.

All participants must be aged 16 or over on the date of the event. Any participant under 18 at the time of registering must take part with a parent or guardian over the age of 18. 

Yes – we’ll be in touch regularly with any updates you need to know about, so please make sure you read our emails. We’ll also give you some great tips on training, nutrition, bike maintenance and fundraising.

If you’re no longer able to take part in the event or would like to defer your place, please email the Palace to Palace team or call 0207 543 1370 to let us know.

Please note that your registration fee is non-refundable.

Thursday 26^th September 2024.

Palace to Palace is a cycle ride from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle taking place on Sunday 6th October 2024, in aid of The Prince's Trust. There are two route options, the Classic 45-mile route and the 90-mile Ultra route. 

Palace to Palace is open to anybody over the age of 16 who is enthusiastic about cycling and raising money for a great cause. If you are under 18, you must attend the event with an adult. You must be confident to ride on open roads and in traffic and obey the Highway Code at all times. Please note that Palace to Palace is not a race, most people take part to enjoy a fun cycle ride.

Each rider taking part in the event must commit to fundraising a minimum of £150 per person. All riders must fundraise exclusively for The Prince’s Trust.

We will you send your Palace to Palace rider pack around 2-4 weeks prior to the big day. We will notify you when to expect your pack via email so please do look out for emails from us. The pack will contain your rider t-shirt (if you opted in), your bib and timing chip as well as any merchandise you have ordered. Your full event guide will be emailed separately.

Yes. You must wear a correctly fitting cycle helmet in order to participate.

If you are Sikh and wear a turban there’s no legal requirements of wearing a helmet. However, we do strongly recommend for everyone to use them on the day. All riders need their own insurance and if you choose not to wear a helmet for religious reasons you need to be aware the event is on open roads.

You need to be confident to ride on open roads and in traffic. All riders are chip timed for control purposes but please note that Palace to Palace is not a race, most people take part to enjoy a fun cycle ride. Many of our participants are not experienced cyclists, but some people who take part are experienced and do choose to try to beat personal best times. We encourage advanced cyclists to take part in the Ultra. 

No, apart from the start at The Mall and The Long Walk at the end, the Palace to Palace route is along roads open to traffic and the general public. Therefore, all riders should obey the Highway Code.

Yes, there are route maps for the Classic 45-mile route and the Ultra 90-mile route. These can be viewed on the website and we will send you a copy of the route in your race pack.

Please note that the routes are subject to last minute change.

Road bikes, mountain bikes and handcycles* are suitable for this bike ride, as the route is all on hard surfaces such as roads and paths. If you’re confident, you can also choose to cycle as a duo on a tandem bike.

All bikes need to be in a good working order and will be checked at the start line before you set off.

You can use an e-bike, however, it must comply with the following: The e-bike must be fitted with pedals that are capable of propelling it, the electric motor must not exceed 250 watts and the electrical assistance must cut out when the e-bike reaches 15.5mph.

*If you are using a handcycle or e-bike we cannot guarantee availability on the coaches to the start line from Windsor Racecourse and from the finish back to London. Please get in touch prior to registering for more details.

Yes, you can hire a bike through Bike Hire UK. Bikes can be collected at the start of the ride and dropped off at the Finish Festival. For more details and to book a hire bike, please visit this link.

The start line for Palace to Palace is on The Mall near Admiralty Arch on Trafalgar Square.

Underground

There are restrictions with taking bikes on the London Underground. Use this Bicycles on the London Underground map for details on which tube lines bicycles are permitted.

The nearest Underground stations that you can take your bike to are Westminster (Circle and District), St James Park (Circle and District), and Embankment (Circle and District). All are a short cycle from the start.

Trains

The closest overground stations to the start are Charing Cross, Waterloo and Victoria. These are all a few minutes cycle from the start.

Trains from Windsor & Eton Central are operated by Great Western Railway and trains from Windsor & Eton Riverside are operated by South Westerm Railway. For trains to Paddington via Ealing you will need to change at Slough. It is likely that there will be strict restrictions in place for carrying bikes across the rail network and you will need a reservation for your bicycle. Please double check your plans in advance and be prepared to make alternative arrangements.

Driving

There is no parking provided at the start, but there are several car parks nearby.

Please note that if you are being dropped off at the start you will not be able to access Horse Guard Road. Instead we recommend using Waterloo Palace, Carlton House Terrace or Marlborough Road.

It is then a short 2 minute cycle to the start. We do encourage the use of public transport over driving where possible.

Coaches

We are working with a coach provider to arrange coach travel between the start and finish, both before and after the event. You can purchase coach tickets during registration or if already registered, please log into your account to purchase your coach ticket. We recommend you book these as soon as possible as numbers are limited.

Getting home:

The finish line for Palace to Palace is at Royal Windsor Racecourse.

Trains

Windsor has two train stations – Windsor & Eton Riverside and Windsor & Eton Central. Trains from Windsor & Eton Central are operated by Great Western Railway. Trains from Windsor & Eton Riverside are operated by South Western Railway and run into Waterloo via Staines and Richmond.

For trains to Paddington via Ealing you will need to change at Slough.

It is likely that there will be strict restrictions in place for carrying bikes across the rail network and you will need a reservation for your bicycle. Please double check your plans in advance and be prepared to make alternative arrangements in case of restrictions and/or disruptions.

Driving

There will be car parking facilities at the End Village so that your friends and family will be able to park close by and cheer you across the finish line. The car park will be open 05:15 - 18:00hrs on Sunday 6th October. The carpark will also open on Saturday 5th for participants to leave their cars overnight. The carpark will open at 13:00 and close at 18:00hrs. 

To help with the planning of your day, we are offering a coach service for riders both to the start line from Windsor Racecourse and from the finish back to London. The services available are as follows:

• 5.45 Windsor Racecourse to The Mall
• 6.00 Windsor Racecourse to The Mall
• 7.00 Windsor Racecourse to The Mall
• 14.00 Windsor Racecourse to Hammersmith
• 14.00 Windsor Racecourse to Clapham Junction
• 15.30 Windsor Racecourse to Hammersmith
• 15.30 Windsor Racecourse to Clapham Junction

Coach tickets are priced at £20 each and can be bought during registration or by logging back into your account if already registered.

Bikes will be transported in a trailer behind the coach and will be stacked in a way to prevent damage and will not be bubble wrapped. Please be aware that coach places are for riders only. Coach tickets will not be sent out. Your name will be checked on the list as you board the coach.

If you are taking part in the 90 Ultra mile ride we recommend taking the earliest coaches at 5:45 to allow plenty of time to get to the start line. If you are signed up for the 45-mile Classic you can sign onto any of the coaches from 6am onwards. If you think you might take a little longer to complete the ride we strongly recommend taking an earlier coach so you have more time to complete the event.

On the day, please meet at the Coach Point at Royal Windsor Racecourse 20 mins before your departure time to allow time for bikes to be packed into trailer. This will be clearly marked by a flag and a map will be sent to participants ahead of the event. Bikes will be stacked in a way to prevent damage and will not be bubble wrapped.

Your bib number and timing chip will be posted to you in advance so there is no need to register on the day. Please arrive around 15-minutes before your start time.

Palace to Palace is not a race however we will be using chip timers in order to ensure all riders are tracked from start to finish. Finish times vary greatly with some riders finishing in just a couple of hours whilst others take all day. There is no rush but the finish festival does close at 17.00. If you think the ride will take you most of the day, we suggest starting in one of the earlier waves.

There are three water stops along the Classic 45-mile route and four along the Ultra 90-mile route. These are shown on the route maps; 45 mile or 90 mile. We recommend that you check the map before you start to make sure you have enough water to last you between the stops.

Refreshments will be available on the course and at the end village. There will be plenty of water provided at the water stops too. In a bid to help reduce the use of plastic we will not be providing plastic water bottles at this year’s event. Instead we encourage all riders to bring your own water bottle to fill up.

At the end village there will be concession stands with food and drink available to buy, and we recommend that you bring some of your favourite snacks on route.

Yes, we provide toilets at each of the water stops and at the finish. There are also public toilets available at the start in St. James's Park.

There will be bike mechanics available en route so if you do have any concerns about your bike they will be on hand to check it over. You'll be given an emergency contact number on the day for any serious problems but we do advise that you carry a basic puncture repair kit, as it might take a while for our mechanics to get to you during busy times.

The end village will be located at Royal Windsor Racecourse. The address is Maidenhead Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 5JJ.

We recommend that they meet you at the finish so they can cheer you on as you cross the finish line and watch you collect your medal. There is a lot happening at our finish festival this year including live music, children's entertainment, a bar and plenty of food stalls, so please encourage your friends and family to meet you at the end.

There is plenty of parking at Royal Windsor Racecourse, so we do encourage your family and friends to meet you there and enjoy what's on offer at the end village, while you lay back and relax after your ride!

Yes. There is plenty of parking at the Windsor racecourse and you can either drop your car on the Saturday evening (13:00-18:00hrs) ready for your collection once you are finished on the Sunday, or we will open the car park early on Sunday 6th October (05:15 - 18:00hrs) if you would like to take advantage of one of our early morning coach transfers from Windsor to the start line.

Please note you are unable to stay with your vehicles or camp at Windsor racecourse overnight. There are several local campsites nearby though

There is plenty of parking for your friends, family and anyone else who collects you from the finish. Car park access times on both the Saturday and Sunday will be confirmed to you nearer the time via email and in the Ride Guide.

If you’re no longer able to take part in the event, please email the Palace to Palace team (palace@princes-trust.org.uk) or call 0207 543 1370 to let us know you’d like to withdraw your place. Please note that your registration fee is non-refundable.

Yes, your timing chip will track your journey from start to finish. Your time will be available to view online after the event day and we will keep you informed how and when your time is available for viewing. 

Yes, photos will taken throughout the event and made available after the event. We will send you a link with details on how to access these. 

T-shirts and jerseys will be sent out in your rider pack a few weeks before the event.

Race packs will be sent out 4 weeks before event day. In it you’ll find a route map, your timing chip, and bib numbers to attach to your shirt and your bike.

If you haven’t received your race pack by 30^th September please email us at palace@princes-trust.org.uk