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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Woking
Use Woking as a 1-night rail base for Brookwood cemeteries and Horsell Common, not a sightseeing town: 24 min from London Waterloo.
Woking is a large Surrey commuter town built around its station, 24 minutes by direct train from London Waterloo. Its draw is not the town centre, which is chain retail, but what sits around it: the Brookwood cemetery complex, Horsell Common and the Basingstoke Canal. Most visitors pass through; a single night covers the outliers properly.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (short, wet days)
- 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 £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ 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 and ambulance 999 · EU emergency 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 | £10–16 |
| Indian or Italian restaurant main | £11–18 |
| Draught pint | £4.50–6 |
| Town-centre bus ride | £2–3 |
| Train Woking to London Waterloo, off-peak return | about £22 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LHR · London Heathrow
- RailAir coach from Woking station, about 45–50 min depending on traffic; roughly twice hourly
- LGW · London Gatwick
- No direct link: train to Clapham Junction, change for London Victoria, then Gatwick Express; allow 1.5–2 h door to door
Typical fares
- Woking → London Waterloo, off-peak return
- about £22, 24 min
- Woking station → Heathrow, RailAir coach
- about £25, 45–50 min
- Woking → Guildford, return
- about £7, 10–15 min
Get around
The centre is compact and pedestrianised: walk it. Buses to Brookwood, Goldsworth Park and the villages leave from Woking station and Cawsey Way. For Brookwood Cemetery, take the train to Brookwood station (journey time check) rather than a bus.
See and do
Known for
- Brookwood Cemetery and Brookwood Military Cemetery
- Horsell Common and the War of the Worlds sandpits
- Shah Jahan Mosque, the first in the UK
- Basingstoke Canal
- The Lightbox gallery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Guildford | Direct train from Woking, about 10–15 min | About 30 min |
| Farnham | Train from Woking toward Alton, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Camberley | Train to Camberley via Ash Vale, about 40–50 min with a change | About 1 h |
| Epsom | Train via Clapham Junction or change at Surbiton, about 45–60 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Dorking | Train via Guildford or Leatherhead, about 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Chertsey | About 20 min by car; public transport route check | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Victoria Way / Peacocks)
- Walk to the station and both shopping centres; the practical choice for one night with bags.
- West Byfleet and Brookwood
- Quieter, cheaper chain hotels; Brookwood station is next to the North Cemetery.
- Guildford
- Better food and a more walkable centre, 10–15 min by train; use it as the base and day-trip into Woking.
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
- Chertsey Road pubs get rowdy on weekend nights; expect ID checks.
- Woking Palace has no vehicle access: walk in from Carter's Lane.
- Surrey History Centre is an archive, not a museum: book before visiting.
- Some listed venues and phone numbers in older guides are out of date: check the official site before travelling.
Woking is a low-risk town by day. The real issues are weekend drinking on Chertsey Road and unlit towpath and common paths after dark: keep to lit routes and stay with your group on a night out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Woking yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Brookwood Cemetery and Brookwood Military Cemetery
- Horsell Common and the War of the Worlds sandpits
- Shah Jahan Mosque, the first in the UK
- Basingstoke Canal
- The Lightbox gallery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Woking Borough Council: www.woking.gov.uk/woking
- The Lightbox: www.thelightbox.org.uk/
- Brookwood Cemetery: brookwoodcemetery.com/
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission — Brookwood Military Cemetery: www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/44400/brookwood-military-cemetery/
- Horsell Common Preservation Society: www.horsellcommon.co.uk/
- National Rail — Woking station: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/WOK.aspx
- Wikivoyage: Woking, revision 5324577 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324577
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Woking
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Woking; the US Embassy is in London (check the address). Consulates-general for most countries are in London.
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/woking). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.