Getting Around Cambridge
Cambridge is a compact university city in East Anglia, well-connected by rail, bus, and cycling routes. Most visitors find the city centre walkable, though several transport options exist for longer journeys or arriving from further afield.
Walking and Cycling
Cambridge's city centre is accessible on foot, and the flat terrain makes it an exceptionally cycle-friendly destination. The city has the highest level of cycle use in the UK, and many residents prefer bicycles to cars for navigating narrow, congested streets.
National Cycle Network routes connect Cambridge to surrounding towns. Route 11 links Saffron Walden, Duxford and Waterbeach to the city, while Route 51 connects Huntingdon, St Ives and Newmarket. A traffic-free section of Route 51 runs between St Ives and Cambridge alongside the Busway. You can hire bikes from City Cycle Hire on Newnham Road or Primo Cycles at Grand Arcade, and Voi e-bikes are available via app in designated zones.
Lock your bike securely—bike theft is common in the city. Report thefts to Cambridgeshire Constabulary on 101 or online. Cycling on pavements is not permitted unless blue signs indicate otherwise, and cyclists must obey traffic lights, though dedicated cycle lights allow earlier departure.
Buses and the Busway
Cambridge's main bus station is on Drummer Street in the city centre, though significant interchanges exist at the railway station and Addenbrooke's Hospital. The principal operator is Stagecoach.
The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, which opened in August 2011, is the world's longest guided busway. It runs on normal roads from Huntingdon and St Ives, then along a bus-only guided section on the former railway route south-east into Cambridge. It rejoins regular roads at Milton Road or Histon Road and continues to the railway station, where it is guided again to Addenbrooke's Hospital and Trumpington Park and Ride. A spur to Cambridge North railway station opened in 2017.
Five Park and Ride sites operate seven days a week at Babraham Road, Madingley Road, Milton, Newmarket Road and Trumpington. These sites offer free parking and electric car charging. Buses run from the Park and Ride sites to the city centre frequently, with return journeys starting from £3.
Railway Stations and Train Services
Cambridge has two railway stations, both run by Greater Anglia. Cambridge railway station, built in 1845, is located about 1.2 miles south of the city centre; Cambridge North, in the suburb of Chesterton near Cambridge Science Park, opened in May 2017 and lies roughly 1 mile east of the city centre. Both stations are accessible by bus routes and e-scooter hire.
Direct rail connections link Cambridge to London via two main routes: King's Cross (on the Hitchin-Cambridge Line and East Coast Main Line) and Liverpool Street (on the West Anglia Main Line). A direct shuttle service runs to King's Cross every half-hour during off-peak times, with additional stops during peak hours. Journey time to King's Cross on the non-stop "Cambridge Cruiser" service is between 40 and 45 minutes.
Beyond London, Cambridge is served by direct trains to King's Lynn, Ely, Norwich, Leicester, Birmingham New Street, Ipswich and Stansted Airport. Peterborough, less than an hour away, provides connections to Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.
You can purchase "PlusBus" tickets from National Rail ticket retailers or station offices for combined rail and bus travel. A third station, Cambridge South, adjacent to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, is planned to open in June 2026.
Reaching Cambridge from Airports
The nearest major airport is London Stansted, approximately 30 miles away. Trains from Stansted to Cambridge take roughly 35 minutes and are operated by CrossCountry and Greater Anglia. National Express coaches also run direct to Cambridge on routes 727, 728, 767 and 777. Car hire is available at Stansted's Car Rental Village.
London Heathrow is about 70 miles away. Direct National Express coaches serve Cambridge on routes 727, 728 and 788. Alternatively, rail routes include the Elizabeth Line to Farringdon then Thameslink to Cambridge; the Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines to Liverpool Street then Greater Anglia to Cambridge; or the Piccadilly Line to King's Cross St Pancras then Great Northern or Thameslink to Cambridge.
London Gatwick, around 93 miles away, offers direct Thameslink trains to Cambridge running at least twice per hour throughout the day.
London Luton, approximately 32 miles away, is served by National Express coach route 788 to Cambridge.
London City Airport, about 57 miles distant, is accessible via London DLR and other metro-style services to King's Cross, Liverpool Street or other National Rail stations with services to Cambridge.
Norwich International Airport, roughly 66 miles away, offers a small number of holiday and domestic flights, with overland connections to Cambridge via Norwich's rail and coach links.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material does not provide details about taxi or ride-hailing services in Cambridge.
Driving and Car Hire
Cambridge is connected to London and surrounding regions by the M11 motorway, which terminates north-west of the city where it meets the A14. The A14 is a major freight route skirting Cambridge's northern edge, connecting to the Midlands, North Wales and the west coast. Cambridge also lies on the A10, a historic Roman road, and is served by the A428 to Bedford and St Neots, and the A1303 to Newmarket and Colchester.
Some roads form a ring road with traffic restrictions inside. The city centre has five council car parks with limited metered bays offering parking for 1–8 hours.
To avoid city centre congestion, use the five Park and Ride sites, where parking is free and buses connect regularly to the city centre.