Strings 2002, How to get to Cambridge

GETTING TO CAMBRIDGE

This page describes methods for getting to Cambridge by rail, coach, car, air, Eurostar or boat.

Once in Cambridge, consult the arrival information to find out where the accommodation and the conference locations are.

Rail

General information about UK train services is available at the Railtrack web site. In general, trains are quicker but more expensive than coaches.

Stagecoach Cambus runs services between Cambridge rail station and the city centre, or take a taxi from the queue just outside the station.

There are regular train connections to Cambridge from London. Trains depart from King's Cross or Liverpool Street stations in London. The journey time of the faster King's Cross trains (Cambridge Cruiser trains) is about 45 minutes, while the other trains are slower and take around 70 minutes, or longer.

For convenience, maps of the London underground are here.

Coach (i.e. Bus)

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.

The Cambridge coach station is close to the city centre and there is an adjacent taxi rank.

Long-distance coach services are run by JetLink and NationalExpress. A combined timetable can be found at the GoByCoach web site. Stagecoach Cambus runs services in Cambridge and to/from nearby villages and towns.

Car

Directions on how to find Cambridge by car from various directions can be found on the DAMTP pages here.

Air

London Stansted Airport
This is the closest major airport, about 25 miles (40 minutes by car) from Cambridge. It is well served by airlines flying to european destinations. For flight information contact the BAA Stansted website or contact the airlines directly.

Cambridge is within easy reach by rail, coach or taxi. The railway station is part of the terminal. The services to Cambridge are operated by Central Trains and take about 30 minutes. The service operates seven days a week, the first train departing at 05:51 (Monday to Sunday). The last direct train to Cambridge departs at 21:18 Monday to Saturday and 22:40 on Sundays. If you arrive late, you can take the Liverpool Street train and change at Bishops Stortford for the Cambridge train. This may involve a wait of 30 to 60 minutes so it is then better to take the coach (see below).

The coach services to Cambridge run with the same frequency as the trains, and take about 1 hour (JetLink lines 757 or 797). Tickets can be purchased from the coach ticket desk in the arrivals area of the terminal or on the coach.

London Heathrow Airport
Many airlines fly to London Heathrow. The easiest way to get to Cambridge is to take a direct coach service. There is an hourly coach (Jetlink 787 or 797, see the GoByCoach web site) which takes a scheduled 2.5 hours to reach Cambridge (often longer, depending on traffic jams).

A fast train service, the Heathrow Express, connects the airport with London Paddington station. From there use the underground to connect with rail or coach services listed above to reach Cambridge.

The airport is also served by the Picadilly line of the underground which will take you directly (in about one hour) to King's Cross station, from which the fast trains to Cambridge depart (see instructions above).

London Gatwick Airport
This airport is located to the south of London. A fast train service, the Gatwick Express connects the airport with Victoria train station. From there, use the underground (Victoria line, northbound) to reach King's Cross station, and follow the instructions above. Alternatively, coach services run directly from Victoria coach station (next to the railway station) to Cambridge.

There is also a direct coach service to Cambridge (Jetlink 797, see the GoByCoach web site) which takes around 4 hours.

London Luton Airport
Some budget airlines (e.g. EasyJet) use Luton airport, which is about 35 miles from Cambridge. No intercontinental flights operate from Luton. Contact the Luton Airport web site for a list of operating companies.

There is no efficient train connection from Luton airport to Cambridge, but there is a coach service (JetLink 787) once every two hours, departing just outside the terminal building. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach Cambridge.

London City Airport
The City airport is located very close to the centre of London. It serves major european cities. See the London City Airport web site for details. There is a shuttle bus from the airport that connects with the underground network.

Train or boat from the continent

London can be reached from Paris or Brussels by the Eurostar train which uses the channel tunnel. You will arrive at London Waterloo station. Use the underground to reach King's Cross station (Bakerloo line, northbound until Oxford Circus, then Victoria line northbound), and follow the directions above.

There are also various boat connections from Ireland, France, Belgium and Holland which have train connections to London or directly to Cambridge. See the sites of P&O, StenaLine and SeaFrance for more information.