Any advice for Wimbledon?

[iknowitsthePittsbutiloveit]

I have been lucky enough to get two centre court tickets for the first day of Wimbledon.
i don’t know yet the exact seat numbers etc but am very excited and wondered if there’s any do’s or don’t s?
I’ve never been before so not sure what to expect.

Take a picnic and a bottle of wine if you like. It’s allowed and a lot cheaper! There are places to refill a water bottle. Sun cream and a hat…. Or waterproofs and a jumper. Maybe both… check the forecast! And enjoy. How are you getting there? Public transport is definitely the best option.

Absolutely take a bottle of wine/champagne each. Get there when the doors open so you can have a good wander around and soak in some of the atmosphere. I take a big scarf with me that I can use as a blanket to sit on henman hill and drink pimms but a lot of people take proper picnic blankets.

Wear comfy shoes as you will want to wander around the outside courts before play starts on Centre. Strawberries are reasonable, Pimms ££! Take a picnic and layers to wear including a sunhat.

Take money. Lots of money.

Dress according to the weather. You don’t have to go smart and fancy but you do want to be comfortable.

Sun cream even if it is cloudy. Parts of the court can be a sun trap. If it rains, Centre Court will close the roof so play continues.

It will be busy. Very busy. You will queue for the loos, for drinks, for sandwiches, for Pimms etc etc.

Be very careful with how much you drink. Every year, someone gets carried away and faints, throws up etc and misses the tennis.

Public transport is the best way of getting there. Tube to Southfields and walk up. Or taxi/ Uber.

Play will probably start at 2pm but aim to get there before mid day at the latest. It gives you time to look around, soak in the atmosphere, catch a few games on an outside court etc.

Enjoy the day.

Walk from Wimbledon station. Takes about 15mins and a nice walk. Don’t fall for the shuttle bus or taxi from the station

Definitely comfy shoes...no heels!
There's so much walking and so many steps, particularly for the show courts.
And a picnic!
Enjoy your day, OP.

Don’t forget photo ID in the same surname as your ticket.
Been a couple of times with my Mum and seen people having lots of drama trying to get in!
we also brought our own strawberries but bought one portion of strawberries and cream there then topped up with our own. Took our own sandwiches too to avoid queuing up for too much.

comfy shoes
sun hat

When I went, about 10 years ago now, water bottles were not allowed. At least, not the fancy metal one I had. Maybe clear plastic was allowed? I don't know if that was a one off rule or whether that holds good now but I do remember I had to surrender the bottle and never got it back. It was very hot that day and they were giving out free clear water bottles and there are plenty of refill points.

Lucky you! Wimbledon is a very special sporting venue with its own unique atmosphere.

I would suggest getting there early (Southfields is the closest tube station) & be prepared for queues & security bag searches. Obviously, dress & prepare for whatever weather is forecast. The outside courts start earlier than the show courts & you can get incredibly close to the action. Men’s doubles can be a breathtaking spectacle up close, even if the big names aren’t playing.

Centre Court is so much smaller than you expect. You can only enter & leave your seat at the change of ends. A lot of the corporate types leave around 6pm & the crowds thins out noticeably in the evenings because people have trains to catch etc. The whole place becomes much more chilled out so is by far my favourite time of day at Wimbledon.

There’s a reason why TV coverage of tennis matches is from the ends of the court. If you’re sitting along the sideline, the men in particular hit the ball so unbelievably hard that it can be hard to follow it.

Enjoy!

Do - Enjoy the day
Don't - Watch the Tennis through your phone

It’s a fab day out made all the better when the sun is out.
Although if you wear a big sunhat, please remove when the game starts as they really impact the view of the people seated behind you.
The drinks are expensive but I do love a Wimbledon Pimms 🍹
Enjoy! X

Metal water bottles should be fine, I took one last year. I think they just need to be empty. The Wimbledon website will have a list of what is and isn't allowed this year.

WEAR A HAT

Sitting in Centre court watching tennis in the evening sunshine is quite possibly my favourite thing in the world to be doing.

Thankyou all!! Really good info
I live in London so v easy for me to hop on the tube!! Good tip about staying late

If you need the loo during a match, get prepped to leave (pick up bag etc) as the game before the change of ends is getting towards the end. As soon as the game is won get up and head to the toilets, you should miss the worst of the queuing because many people don't leave that quickly - they wait till the players have sat down, or they have a chat to their companion before deciding to go to the loo.

If you need to go at the end of a match, queues will be huge unless you leave as soon as the match is over. In that case I quite often head for toilets elsewhere - usually the ones under No 1 Court. Unless that match has just finished too the queues will likely be either non existant, or shorter than Centre.

You can spend a lot of money at Wimbledon, or you can spend none. It’s perfectly possible to take a picnic and not spend anything at all.

Have a look at the order of play at the start of the day. If there is a match you really want to see on a court (3+) you’re not on that is possible. Keep an eye on the app for scores and try and head over when the match before looks to be in the final set (not always easy to tell).

The toilets under No 1 court are a good shout @RichardMarxisinnocent

And I agree with not rushing off. Plan to spend as long as possible there as it’s a special day and getting tickets is so hard. Make the most of it.

Been a long time since I went.

Dress smart but comfortable. Freeze bottles of water and use as ice packs. Take lots of food. A scarf is a great idea to use as a blanket or protect your neck from the sun or a chilly evening. Sunglasses and a hat. Get there early and enjoy looking around. Take a fold up small raincoat if rain forcast.

The strawberry and cream are actually pretty good value so treat yourself to a portion. There will be loads of play as you are there early in the torment and you will have some big names as you are on centre court.

Enjoy. I'm so jealous. I got tickets a few years ago but for no 1 court late in the second week so there was one doubles match scheduled. We still had a fantastic day watching juniors and veterans on the outside courts and the mens semis on the big screen from Henman Hill.

To get the most out of the day, arrive for gates opening at 10am.
Do not forget your ID, or you won't get in.
Study the list of banned items - they will confiscate.
Take an empty water bottle - lots of refill points.
Prior to play starting on Centre Court, you can watch outside courts from 11am (but will have to queue to get on, and you lose your seat when you leave).
Take time to walk around the grounds and take in the atmosphere.
I recommend morning coffee & cake at Cafe Pergola, just behind Centre Court.... lovely fountain!
Wear comfy shoes, dress in layers, take a hat and weather protection.... even tho Centre Court has a roof, the grounds don't, plus you have a 15 minutes walk to/from Southfields Tube.
Don't take cash - everything is card payment.
Don't bother with a picnic blanket..... you won't use it, because you'll be in your seat by 1pm. I'd also take minimal food & drink, because you have to drag everything with you.
Follow the rules about when to leave your seat, and don't talk during play.

I've just googled. Hopefully this link will work.
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/visit/prohibited_items

Opaque bottles still not allowed. Just make sure you take a clear plastic one if you want to take water with you.