Getting to Cambridge
How to reach Cambridge by train, bus, taxi, car, or bicycle.
Train
Cambridge railway station (CRS code CBG), on Station Road about 20 to 25 minutes' walk south-east of the Market Square (or a short taxi, bus or cycle ride), is served by Great Northern and Greater Anglia. Great Northern runs direct trains to London King's Cross in around 50 minutes at the fastest, roughly 68 services a day; Greater Anglia and Cross Country services connect to Stansted Airport, Ely, Norwich, Peterborough, Birmingham and beyond. Two newer stations, Cambridge North (CMB) and Cambridge South (opened 2025), serve the Science Park and Biomedical Campus respectively and are less useful for a visit to the historic centre than the main Cambridge station.
- Station Name
- Cambridge
- Station Code
- CBG
- Operator
- Greater Anglia (station operator); Great Northern and Greater Anglia both run services
- Getting From Station
- 20 to 25 minutes' walk to the Market Square, all reasonably flat; frequent Citi bus services and a large cycle-hire and taxi rank also run from the station forecourt
Tips
- •Advance fares from London King's Cross are cheaper than walk-up; book ahead for weekends and May Week.
- •The walk from the station into the historic centre is longer than it looks on a small map, allow 20 to 25 minutes or take a bus or taxi with luggage.
- •CRS code CBG verified against the station's own nationalrail.co.uk page during this build; the live departure board on this site reads from that code.
Useful Links
🚆 National Rail from Cambridge
Live departures
National Rail service from Cambridge. Updates every few minutes.
Bus & Coach
Cambridge's Drummer Street and Parkside are the main city-centre bus and coach stops, with Stagecoach East running local city and Park & Ride services and National Express operating long-distance coaches. National Express and other operators run direct coaches to Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow airports and to London Victoria, and the guided busway links Cambridge to Huntingdon and St Ives (Cambridgeshire) along a dedicated concrete track.
- Operator
- Stagecoach East (local and Park & Ride), National Express (coach)
- Coverage
- City services, Park & Ride, surrounding villages, and long-distance coaches to London and the airports
- Getting From Station
- City-centre stops (Drummer Street, Parkside) are a short walk from the railway station or a two-minute bus ride
Tips
- •The National Express airport coaches to Stansted depart from Parkside in the city centre as well as from the Trumpington Park & Ride site.
- •Confirm current local routes and times with Stagecoach East before relying on a specific service; timetables change periodically.
Useful Links
Taxi
Ranks operate at Cambridge railway station and around the city centre, and Panther Taxis is one of the larger local private-hire firms covering the city with phone and app booking. Taxis are the practical answer for Addenbrooke's Hospital, the Park & Ride sites out of hours, and getting between the station and accommodation with luggage.
- Operator
- Panther Taxis (private hire), plus hackney ranks
- Phone
- 01223 715715
- Based
- Citywide; rank at Cambridge railway station and the city centre
Tips
- •Book ahead for late evenings during May Week and graduation weekends in July, when demand spikes.
- •The walk from the station to the historic centre is flat but long enough that a taxi with luggage is a reasonable choice.
Useful Links
Driving & Parking
Cambridge is genuinely difficult and expensive to drive into and park in on purpose: the historic centre has narrow medieval streets, extensive pedestrianisation, and very limited and pricey central parking (Grand Arcade and Queen Anne Terrace are the main central multistoreys). The intended answer is Park & Ride: five sites around the ring road at Trumpington, Madingley Road, Milton, Newmarket Road and Babraham Road, with frequent buses into the centre. Cambridge is on the A14, A10, A11 and A1307, with no motorway running directly into the city.
- Main Road
- A14 (from the M11 and the east coast ports), A10 (from Ely and the north), A11 (from Norwich), A1307 (from Haverhill)
- Parking
- Park & Ride at Trumpington, Madingley Road, Milton, Newmarket Road and Babraham Road; central multistoreys (Grand Arcade, Queen Anne Terrace) exist but are expensive and fill fast
Tips
- •Treat Park & Ride as the default plan rather than a fallback; central Cambridge parking is scarce and pricey even on an ordinary weekday.
- •During May Week and the Beer Festival, expect central car parks to fill by mid-morning.
- •Several college car parks and the market square itself are not available to casual visitors; do not assume you can park near the college you are visiting.
Useful Links
Cycling
Cambridge is one of the most cycling-friendly cities in Britain, genuinely flat with extensive cycle lanes, and a very large proportion of both students and residents commute by bike. The Guided Busway path and National Cycle Network routes 11 and 51 head out into the surrounding fen country, and the riverside path to Grantchester makes an easy, mostly flat ride or walk alongside the Cam.
- Main Route
- Riverside path to Grantchester; National Cycle Network Routes 11 and 51; the Guided Busway cycle path towards Huntingdon and St Ives
- Town Centre
- Flat and highly rideable, though the historic centre's narrow lanes get busy with pedestrians, punt touts and other cyclists at peak times
Tips
- •Cycle theft is a genuine problem in Cambridge; always lock a hired or own bike with a good lock at a proper rack.
- •Several city-centre streets restrict cars but allow cyclists, which is part of why cycling is often faster than driving across the centre.
- •Confirm current cycle-hire options locally; providers change and none was independently verified in this build.
Useful Links
From the Airport
Live options for reaching the village from the nearest airports. Times and fares are a guide and can change with traffic or operator schedules.
London Stansted AirportSTN
48 km away- Duration
- As fast as 40 minutes
- Cost
- From £8.10 one-way booked in advance (includes booking fee; limited availability)
Verified on the operator's site (2026-08-04): up to 11 coaches a day, departing from Cambridge Parkside in the city centre and from the Trumpington Park & Ride site.
Operator: National Express
- Duration
- Around 1 hour, not verified against a live journey planner
- Cost
- Varies; advance fares cheaper
Journey time is a reasoned estimate; re-verify on a live planner before relying on a specific connection.
Operator: Greater Anglia
London HeathrowLHR
130 km away- Duration
- Around 2.5 to 3 hours, traffic depending
- Cost
- Varies; book ahead for the best fares
Confirm current timetable and fares on the operator's site before travelling; not independently verified in this build.
Operator: National Express
- Duration
- Around 2 hours including the cross-London transfer, not verified against a live journey planner
- Cost
- Varies widely; advance fares much cheaper
No direct service; cross London from King's Cross. Journey time is a reasoned estimate; re-verify before publishing a specific time.
Operator: Great Northern + Underground / Elizabeth line
London LutonLTN
55 km away- Duration
- Around 1.5 to 2 hours depending on route, not verified against a live journey planner
- Cost
- Varies; check current fares
No single dominant direct service was verified in this build; check current coach and rail options before travelling.
Operator: Various
Parking
Parking options in and around Cambridge. On busy weekends, arriving early or taking the train is recommended.
Park & Ride (Trumpington, Madingley Road, Milton, Newmarket Road, Babraham Road)
Bus fare payable; confirm current fares with Stagecoach East before travelling. The recommended way to bring a car into Cambridge: five sites around the ring road with frequent buses into the centre. Central car parks exist (Grand Arcade, Queen Anne Terrace) but are more expensive and the city centre itself is heavily restricted for private cars during the day.
Planning the wider trip?
Our country-level primer covers national rail, intercity buses, airports, the Leap Card, and whether you actually need a hire car for your trip around United Kingdom.
Getting Around United Kingdom →Top Tip
The train is the best way to get to Cambridge. You arrive right in the heart of Cambridge, there’s no parking hassle, and you can enjoy a meal and a drink without worrying about driving home.