Getting Around Norwich
Norwich is a compact cathedral city and the county town of Norfolk, and much of what a visitor wants to see sits within a walkable core. The River Wensum winds through the centre, and the medieval street pattern of lanes and cobbled streets means the best way to experience the city is often simply on foot. For longer hops, or for reaching the surrounding coast and Broads, the city has a single main railway station and a central bus station, both close to the shopping and castle quarter.
Rail
Norwich railway station is the city's only railway station, and it is a short walk from both the city centre's Castle Quarter and Norwich City FC's Carrow Road stadium. It is part of the National Rail network, so tickets can be bought from any National Rail station or online, including via the National Rail website.
Most trains arriving into Norwich begin their journeys in London or the East of England. Direct services connect Norwich with London Liverpool Street and London Stratford, with stations in Essex such as Stansted Airport, Chelmsford, Colchester, Audley End and Manningtree, and with Ipswich and Lowestoft in Suffolk. Cambridge and Ely are also served directly, and these offer onward connections from a wider range of places, including London King's Cross, Gatwick Airport, Brighton, Birmingham New Street, Leicester and Peterborough. Longer-distance direct trains also reach Norwich from Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Nottingham.
Within Norfolk, regular trains run to Norwich from the North Norfolk Coast stations including Sheringham, West Runton, Cromer and Roughton Road, along the Bittern Line, which offers views of the coast and the Broads. The Bittern Line also serves Hoveton and Wroxham, in the northern part of the Broads National Park, along with Gunton, North Walsham, Worstead and Salhouse. The Wherry Lines cut through the flat Norfolk Broads and connect Norwich with Acle, Lingwood, Haddiscoe, Reedham, Cantley, Buckenham, Brundall and Brundall Gardens, as well as Great Yarmouth on the coast. Other Norfolk stations with direct trains to Norwich include Diss, Brandon, Thetford, Harling Road, Eccles Road, Attleborough, Spooner Row and Wymondham.
Note that there are no direct trains from King's Lynn or Downham Market to Norwich; journeys from those stations require a change, usually at Ely, and take longer.
Metro and Tram
Norwich has no metro or tram network. Visitors rely on walking, buses, trains and taxis instead.
Buses and Public Transport
Norwich bus station sits off Surrey Street and Queens Road in the city centre, near the Chantry Place shopping centre and a short walk from the Castle Quarter. Local bus routes depart from here, and it is also the hub for longer-distance services.
Longer-distance coach and bus routes into Norwich include the Coastlink services from Lowestoft, Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth and Acle, and from Lowestoft and Beccles. First's Pink, Turquoise and Yellow lines connect Norwich with places such as Hoveton, Wroxham, Hethersett, Attleborough, Wymondham, Spixworth, Fakenham, Bawdeswell, Lenwade and Taverham. Sanders services run from Holt, Sheringham, Cromer, Aylsham and North Walsham, and the excel services connect Norwich with Peterborough, Wisbech, King's Lynn, Swaffham, Dereham and Thetford. National Express coaches link Norwich with London Victoria, London Stratford, Thetford, Great Yarmouth, Heathrow Airport, Stansted Airport, Cambridge and Newmarket.
For drivers, there are several Park and Ride sites on the edge of the city, with buses running between the car parks and the city centre. Parking at these sites is free, but bus fares apply. The sites include Airport, Harford, Postwick, Sprowston and Thickthorn Park and Ride, each with routes serving destinations such as Anglia Square, Castle Meadow, Norwich bus station, the railway station, St Stephens Street, City College and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material does not describe Norwich's taxi or ride-hailing provision in detail. As in most British cities, taxis are available, and visitors should expect to find them at ranks such as the railway station and in the city centre, or to book by phone or app. For specific operators and fares, it is best to check locally on arrival.
Walkability
Norwich is well suited to exploring on foot. The city centre is compact, with the railway station a short walk from the Castle Quarter and the bus station close to Chantry Place and the Castle Quarter. The historic core includes cobbled streets such as Elm Hill, Timber Hill and Tombland, medieval lanes, and the winding River Wensum flowing through the centre towards Norwich Castle, all of which reward walking.
For those wanting to walk further afield, long-distance paths connect Norwich with other places. Marriott's Way is a path following disused railway lines that links Norwich to Aylsham to the north, and the Boudicca Way connects the city to Diss to the south. National Cycle Route 1 also runs through the city, heading north to the North Norfolk Coast and south towards Beccles, Ipswich and beyond.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Norwich International Airport is a minor regional airport, with worldwide connections available via Aberdeen (with Loganair) or Amsterdam (with KLM). Buses connect the airport with the city centre, including routes 35 (CanaryKonect), X40/X44 and 501, and the journey typically takes less than 30 minutes.
Other airports with connections to Norwich include London Stansted Airport, which has regular Greater Anglia rail connections direct to Norwich as well as National Express routes 727/728; London Heathrow Airport, served by National Express 727/728 direct to Norwich, or via the Elizabeth Line to London Liverpool Street and a change for Greater Anglia rail connections to Norwich; and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which has regular East Midlands Railway connections from Liverpool South Parkway direct to Norwich, though the journey may take more than five hours.