Yep, I use RemoteVNC to control the Linux box (in Essex) when in Norfolk. It does that well.
I have it set up on both Windows machines (primarily to link to Linux) and can use it between them. I just find Remote Desktop Connection easier.
The Essex place has a fixed IP address, and the machines there are fixed IP from the router, so it's all very straightforward to operate.
The only wacky side-effect that I've never bothered to fix is how it handles printers.
The main desktop in Essex has two printers on it, and there's a printer in the Norfolk house (used by the laptop when I'm up here). The Essex printers are shared on the network, so I can use them from the laptop or the Linux machine. When the laptop connects to the Essex PC via the VPN, the PC adds the printers it sees on the laptop (no idea why). It ends up with its own two printers as viewed through the VPN via the laptop. It also picks up the Norfolk printer and the WinFax settings from the laptop.
Then, when I disconnect from the VPN, it gets all upset that four of its printers have vanished, and spends the next little while searching for them. The event viewer displays its panic! It's not a problem, since I'm not there anyway, but it is odd.