How can I export photos from iPad Air to PC?

I purchased the iPad especially for a 3 month holiday to Europe rather than carry about a heavier and more valuable laptop PC. I used the iPad to store my 25000 plus photos (taken on a Nikon camera and imported via an SD card reader) from the holiday (in fact ran out of storage on the iPad). I paid for iCloud storage space to add security against loosing my photos through damage or theft of the iPad. This too maxed out early when at 55Gb I learned that I could not get any more iCloud storage. So that back-up method was inadequate. Now I've arrived home with half of my photos backed up on the iCloud, which I am yet to be able to see on the iCloud and the bulk of my photos are on the iPad, which I can see yet can't work out a way of exporting them. All in all I'm feeling like I made a serious mistake getting an Apple product.These are my photos and I just want to copy them across to my PC yet they seem to be imprisoned within the Apple world. I'd appreciate advice as to how to retrieve my photos back to a more user friendly place.

Thanks, Greg.