Air • Rail • Road • City Centre Map
By air:
If you are coming to Cambridge from overseas you will arrive at one of the London airports: Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. Stansted is only about 30km (20 miles) from Cambridge.
From Stansted you can get a railway connection which brings you directly to Cambridge railway station. You can also take a taxi from the airport directly to Cambridge if you wish, though this is by far the most expensive option (about UK£30.00; pre-book by phoning Panther Taxis on +44 1223 424424).
You can get railway connections to Cambridge from both other London airports, but from Heathrow and Gatwick you will also need to get a connection on the London Underground. Consult the ticket office at the tube station nearest to the airport, and get a ticket for King's Cross station. From there you can get a direct, and very fast (52 mins), train to Cambridge.
You can also get to Cambridge via coach from any of these airports. Coach will mean that you don't have to use the underground, which can cause problems if you have a lot of luggage with you. It is also cheaper than the train.
- Coaches from Heathrow: take the Cambridge Coach Services bus no 78 or 79, which leaves the Bus Station and Terminal 4 every hour on the hour. Estimated price: UK£15 single, UK£25 return.
- Coaches from Gatwick: Cambridge Coach Services bus no 78 or 79, which leaves the Coach Station every hour on the hour. Estimated price: UK£20 single, UK£32 return. (Alternatively there is a fast train from Gatwick Airport to London Victoria Station which leaves every 15 minutes and takes about half an hour. From there take the Tube to King's Cross as above.)
- Coaches from Stansted: Cambridge Coach Services bus 75 or 79 leaves at 0815 and then every hour at approximately 30 mins past the hour. Estimated price: UK£8 single, UK£13 return.
Coach and trains to Cambridge take roughly the same amount of time each: 50 minutes from Stansted, two hours from Heathrow and three hours from Gatwick. Coaches arrive in Drummer Street, which is more central than the railway station, from where you will need to take a bus into the city centre or a taxi.
You can get up to date information about travel by train, coach etc from the Public Transport Information Website: http://www.pti.org.uk/
On arrival at Cambridge Station take a taxi (about UK£5.00, takes about 10 mins) from either the bus or train station to the college which is accommodating you (Trinity Hall or Sidney Sussex; check the map in case you wish to try walking the short distance from Drummer Street Coach Station to your college). You may check in at the college at any time of day or night. [Back to top]
Trains arrive in Cambridge from all over the UK. You can consult your local railway network for times, connections etc; or go to the Railtrack website and click on "Timetables for UK train information". From here you can enter any starting location, enter Cambridge as the destination, the dates and times you want to travel, and get exactly the information you need.
When you arrive in Cambrige you will find a taxi rank outside the station, from where you can be taken directly to your college (Trinity Hall / Sidney Sussex). The cost is about UK£5.00 and takes about ten minutes. You may check in at the college at any time of day or night. [Back to top]
If you are driving to Cambridge from any distance you should aim for the M11 motorway. From the north this is reached by the A1, from the south it joins the M25 London orbital. NEWS: There are about 5 km / 3 miles of roadworks around Junction 8, and traffic speed is restricted to 40 mph. Speed cameras are in operation. This should only slow you down slightly but you should take this into account when planning your journey, especially if travelling in busy periods.
You should leave the M11 at Junction 12. Take the slip road up to a roundabout signposting Barton. At the roundabout, turn right (3rd exit) towards Cambridge. You will reach another roundabout. This time go straight ahead onto the A603 (2nd exit; there is a private road beside it signposted to Dumpling Farm -- this is NOT an exit and should be avoided). In the near distance you will see the tower of the University Library, and you should be driving towards that.
This road is Barton Road, and is a 60mph limit when you first join it, but it drops to a 30mph limit when it becomes residential, so be ready after about 1 km/ ¾ mile for the 30 sign. (There is a speed camera on the 30mph stretch.) This is still Barton Road. You will pass houses on both sides and approach traffic lights, where there is a white Tolly Cobbold pub on the right called the Hat and Feathers. Turn left at these traffic lights.
This is Grange Road. This is a 20mph limit and there are speed bumps in the road. Carry on over a few of these speed bumps. You will see a road on your left called Sidgwick Avenue. Drive on to the next road on the right, which is West Road. Turn right down West Road.
Carry on down to the end of this road to the junction. (The University library is now on your left.) Turn left at the end of West Road into Queen's Road. There is a pedestrian crossing just after you turn. Carry along Queen's Road.
Car parking arrangements have been changed as of 3 July. The car park is now in the field on the left hand side of Queen's Road, before the little roundabout rather than after it. It will still be signposted and regularly visited but do not leave any valuables in view. The college charges UK£2.50 per car per day for use of its car park. You can pay this charge when you register on Monday, leaving your car registration no.
Car parking: St John's have told us that they are unable to provide security for the car park during the conference, so cars are parked at your own risk. Ensure that you lock it and immobilize it as securely as you can.
Once you have parked come out of the car park and St John's main gate on Queen's Road will be more or less opposite the car park entrance. It will be signposted for you. There is also a crossing nearby if the traffic won't stop for you. Go through the gate, which has brick pillars and a wrought iron header with the college crest inside, and follow the signs to the Fisher Building. You should also see signs to the School of Pythagoras, where registration is taking place.
St John's is where the conference will take place but not where you will be accommodated, so you should familiarize yourself with the route from St John's to Trinity Hall or Sidney Sussex, depending on where you are staying (both are within walking distance). You may check in at the college at any time of day or night. [Back to top]