FAQs
Here are some of the questions most often asked by people planning a visit to Sandringham; we hope you may find it helpful, but if you have a question this list does not answer, please send us an email from the Contact Us page.
Q: Do I have to book my tickets in advance?
A: If you are planning to bring a group of more than 20 people, it is very helpful to book in advance. If you are visiting with fewer people than this, there is no need to book; the tour of the house is not a guided tour (there is a guide in every room instead), and there are no timed tickets, so you can buy your ticket and walk straight in.
Q: I've heard it's a long way from the car and coach parks to Sandringham House; how far is it, and is there any help available?
A: It is approximately 200 yards from the car and coach parks to the Ticket Office entrance to the Gardens. From the Ticket Office, it's about another 400 yards to Sandringham House; the land train runs a shuttle service backwards and forwards between the Ticket Office and Sandringham House, which you may find helpful. Further information on the land train and on the distances between various points is given on the Accessibility page. Please be aware that the land train runs only to Sandringham House, it does not go to the Museum.
Q: Can I go in and out of the gardens more than once (to go back to the Visitor Centre Restaurant, or to my car, for example)?
A: Yes, you can go in and out; just make sure you keep the receipt you will be given when you buy your ticket, and show that each time you go through the ticket office entrance.
Q: Can I take photographs at Sandringham?
A: Photography of any kind is not permitted inside Sandringham House, nor in the church. You are welcome to take pictures in the Museum and in the Gardens.
Q: Is Sandringham suitable for a visit using a wheelchair, scooter or baby buggy?
A: Sandringham House, Museum and Visitor Centre are all fully accessible; we have adapted toilets and baby-changing facilities and we allow baby buggies inside the House and Museum. The paths in the Gardens are tarmac and gravel; there are two slopes which people using manual wheelchairs may find difficult - these are shown on the map in the Accessibility Guide.
Q: Are there wheelchairs or scooters available at Sandringham?
A: We have manual wheelchairs available for visitors to borrow; these are kept at the Ice-cream Kiosk at the Visitor Centre, where staff will ask for a £20 deposit which will be refunded in full when the wheelchair is returned. There is not normally any need to pre-book a wheelchair, but if you would like to do so, please ring or send an e-mail to the Public Enterprises Office (details on the Contact Us page). We regret that we do not have scooters available for visitors to borrow.
Q: I would like to bring my dog when I visit Sandringham - are dogs allowed in the Gardens?
A: We regret that dogs are not permitted in the Gardens at Sandringham, though they are welcome, under close control, in the Country Park (where the car parks are). Please always clear up after your dog. There is nowhere to leave your dog other than in your car; the car parks are very shady, but of course dog owners will be aware of the dangers of leaving pets in cars in hot weather.
Q: My family includes a small baby – what facilities do you have for parents and families?
A: Baby buggies and baby slings or carriers can be taken inside Sandringham House, Museum and Visitor Centre. There are (unisex) baby-changing facilities inside the Restaurant toilets, and bottle warmers are available at the Restaurant – just ask a member of staff.
Q: Can we bring picnics or barbeques to Sandringham?
A: You are welcome to picnic in the Country Park, where there are picnic tables in various locations, but we do not allow picnics inside the gardens of Sandringham House. For safety reasons, we do not allow barbeques anywhere in the gardens or in the Country Park; barbeques if lit may be extinguished by Country Park staff.
Q: Can I get to Sandringham by public transport?
A: Yes, and we offer discounted admission to public transport users. The nearest railway station is at King’s Lynn, and the number 41 bus service running from King’s Lynn Bus Station to Hunstanton and back stops at the Sandringham Visitor Centre. It leaves King’s Lynn about every 30 minutes, and the journey takes about 30 minutes; website details for further information about train and bus services are given on the Location page. If you show your bus or train ticket at the Ticket Office you will be charged for admission at the reduced rate.
Q: Can I get to Sandringham by bicycle?
A: Sandringham is close to National Route 1 of the National Cycle Network (there's a link to the Sustrans map on the Location page). There are wooden bicycle racks near the Gift Shop, the Plant Centre and the Ticket Office entrance to the Gardens, but please be aware that you may not take bicycles into the Gardens, and that we have no left-luggage facilities for panniers (see below).
Q: Do you have left-luggage facilities?
A: We regret that there are no left-luggage facilities at Sandringham, and we do not allow visitors to bring large bags or cases inside Sandringham House, Museum or Gardens.
Q: Will the Country Park Tour take me from the Visitor Centre to Sandringham House?
A: No. The Country Park tour winds through woodland and rhododendrons and then down through the open spaces of Sandringham Park offering views of Park House, the childhood home of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and of Sandringham House. It then returns to the Visitor Centre along the Scenic Drive; it does not go inside the gardens or to Sandringham House. The Land Train will take you to Sandringham House from just inside the Ticket Office entrance to the Gardens.
