Travel Directions

By Air

London Stansted Airport

Stansted is the closest major airport, about 25 miles from Cambridge (40 minutes by car). It is well served by airlines flying from European destinations. EasyJet and Ryanair in particular operate direct flights to Stansted from many European airports.

Cambridge is within easy reach from Stansted by train, bus or taxi. The railway and coach (i.e. bus) stations are directly underneath the terminal, with the train taking 35 minutes to reach Cambridge and probably being the most convenient option. For further details, see below in the corresponding sections.

London Heathrow Airport
Longer-distance flights are more likely to fly you to London Heathrow. Heathrow is 70 miles from Cambridge, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes by car. The easiest way to get to Cambridge is to take the direct bus (i.e. coach) service, but it takes about 3 hours to reach Cambridge, depending on the traffic. Alternatively, you may want to connect by train via London, which reduces the duration to under 2 hours, but may be a bit of a hassle, especially if travelling with luggage.

If you plan to take the bus, please visit the National Express web site for further details. If you plan to connect via London, you may reach London by taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, and then take the underground to King's Cross Station, or take the underground to King's Cross directly from Heathrow. From King's Cross, take the direct train to Cambridge. There are other, longer connections through London by rail or coach, as listed below in the corresponding sections.

Renting a car to drive to Cambridge may not be a good option, unless you need a car later in your visit to the UK, and wish to return it to the airport. To reach Cambridge, you would need to use the M25, on which there are frequent traffic jams, not only during rush hours.

London Luton Airport
Luton is relatively close to Cambridge, 35 miles, but there is no efficient train connection. There is a National Express bus (i.e. coach) service that takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Cambridge.

London City Airport
The London City Airport is located very close to the centre of London, and it serves major European cities. A shuttle bus service connects the airport with the underground network.

London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick is somewhat inconvenient, as it is south of London and 100 miles from Cambridge. There is a direct bus (i.e. coach) service, but it takes over 4 hours to reach Cambridge, depending on the traffic. Alternatively, the connection by tube and train through London may take about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Thameslink connects the airport with St Pancras/King's Cross Station, from where you can take a direct train to Cambridge. The Gatwick Express connects the airport with Victoria Station, from which you can use the underground to reach King's Cross, or take a 2 hour bus to Cambridge.

By Train

There are regular train connections to Cambridge from Stansted Airport and from King's Cross and Liverpool Street Stations in London.There are also regular connections with New Street Station in Birmingham.

The journey from King's Cross is about 45 minutes for the faster trains, and over 1 hour for the slower ones. The journey from London Liverpool Street Station is about 1 hour and 20 minutes. From Stansted, the direct trains take about 35 minutes, while connections through Bishop's Stortford or Stansted Mountfitchet take 45-60 minutes.

General information about UK train services is available at the National Rail web site. To purchase tickets in advance, visit thetrainline.com.

From the train station, Sidney Sussex is a pleasant 20-minute walk away. There are also frequently run bus services to the city centre, lines 1, 3, 7 and 8. A taxi should cost 5-7 GBP, and is a good option if travelling with luggage. There is a taxi stop just outside the train station.

By Bus (Coach)

There are frequent coach connections from the centre of London to Cambridge. These depart from Victoria coach station (near Victoria railway station) and take about 2 hours (more in peak hours). Coach tickets can be bought from the driver. Please note that delays are common because of heavy traffic in and around London.

There are also coach connections to Stansted, Luton, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

In Cambridge, the central coach station is close to the city centre, and a 5-minute walk away from Sidney Sussex.

Long-distance coach services are run by National Express. Stagecoach runs services within Cambridge and to/from nearby villages and towns.

By Car

From the South and London, Cambridge is a short trip up the M11 motorway. From the North, the A1 and M1 link to the A14 dual carriageway straight to the city. Unfortunately, the College has no available parking space. Also, please be aware that parking in the city centre of Cambridge may be complicated.