Getting around Watford
Watford is a compact town, and the good news for visitors is that most of its attractions sit within walking distance of one another. For the times when you do need wheels, the town is well served by rail, London Underground, buses and taxis, and it has straightforward links to the capital's airports.
On foot
Walking is the simplest way to get around central Watford. The main shopping drag runs along the High Street, and the town's key sights cluster closely enough that buses and trains are often unnecessary for short trips. Two useful reference points: Watford High Street station sits right on the main shopping street and is a short walk from the football ground at Vicarage Road, while the Watford Met Underground station is close to Cassiobury Park but a longer walk from the Atria shopping centre. If your plans centre on the town centre and Cassiobury Park, you can comfortably cover them on foot.
Rail
Watford Junction is the town's largest station and its main gateway. It sits to the north-east of the town centre and offers direct connections to London Euston, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and destinations in Scotland, plus local services. Several operators run from here:
- Avanti West Coast – fast services to and from London Euston, Milton Keynes, Coventry, Birmingham International (useful for Birmingham Airport) and Birmingham New Street, with limited daily services from Crewe and Edinburgh. These long-distance trains can be expensive, especially if you haven't booked ahead, and most include a café area, first-class seating and free Wi-Fi.
- London Northwestern Railway – regular services from London Euston and from Harrow & Wealdstone, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton and Birmingham New Street, plus daytime trains from St Albans Abbey, Bricket Wood and Garston.
- London Overground (Lioness line) – trains from London Euston that call at all stations on the route, including South Hampstead, Willesden Junction, Wembley Central, Bushey and Watford High Street. They run frequently throughout the day.
- Southern – a daytime hourly service from Clapham Junction, calling at West Brompton, Kensington Olympia, Shepherds Bush, Wembley Central and Harrow & Wealdstone.
- Caledonian Sleeper – a daily overnight sleeper to and from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh.
Watford High Street station is on the main shopping drag and is served by direct London Overground trains from Watford Junction, London Euston, Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central and Willesden Junction, with trains running frequently in both directions. Bushey station is also served by London Overground Lioness line trains and some local London Northwestern Railway routes from Euston. In the northern part of town, Garston and Watford North are served by daytime London Northwestern Railway trains from St Albans Abbey, Park Street, How Wood, Bricket Wood and Watford Junction, running roughly once an hour.
London Underground
Watford is on the Metropolitan line. Watford station (known locally as Watford Met) is close to Cassiobury Park and offers direct trains from a range of London destinations including Harrow-on-the-Hill, Wembley Park, Baker Street, King's Cross St Pancras, Liverpool Street and Aldgate in the City of London. Croxley is on the same line. You don't need paper tickets: touch in and out using an Oyster or contactless card anywhere on the Underground.
Tickets and payment
Oyster and contactless cards can be used to travel between Watford Junction and stations in London, and on the Underground. Note that Oyster and contactless cards cannot be used for travel to or from Garston and Watford North. If you're travelling by bus around Hertfordshire, all Hertfordshire buses offer an 'Explorer' ticket giving unlimited travel for a group — up to two adults, two adults and two children, or one adult with three children. It's often worth buying even if you're travelling alone, as it can still save money.
Buses
Buses fill in the gaps between the rail network and the surrounding towns. Useful routes for visitors include:
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour shuttle – a free shuttle bus for ticketholders, running from Watford Junction at least every 30 minutes during the daytime. There's also a bookable bus transfer from London King's Cross and London Victoria through Golden Tours.
- Arriva 20 – Hemel Hempstead to Watford, into Watford Junction and Vicarage Road from Hemel Hempstead town centre.
- London Buses 142 – Brent Cross to Watford, into Watford Junction and Watford High Street from Stanmore, Edgware and Burnt Oak.
- London Buses 258 – South Harrow to Watford, into Watford Junction and Watford High Street from Harrow & Wealdstone and Harrow bus station.
- Sullivan 306 – Borehamwood to Watford, into Watford High Street from Bushey and Borehamwood.
- Arriva 321 – Luton to Rickmansworth/Maple Cross, into Watford Junction and Vicarage Road via Harpenden, St Albans, Chiswell Green and Croxley Green.
- Arriva 508 – Hemel Hempstead to Northwood Mount Vernon Hospital, into Watford Junction from Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley and South Oxhey.
- Uno 602 – Hatfield to Watford, into Watford High Street from Hatfield, St Albans, Radlett and Bushey.
- Green Line 724 – Harlow to Heathrow Airport, passing Watford Town Hall and Watford Junction via Ware, Hertford, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, St Albans and Uxbridge.
Taxis and ride-hailing
For the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, the free shuttle from Watford Junction is usually the most convenient option for ticketholders.
Getting there from the airports
Watford's position near London makes airport transfers fairly straightforward:
- Heathrow – roughly a short hop by car along the motorway, typically a comfortable drive outside peak periods but longer when traffic builds. The Green Line 724 bus connects Heathrow directly with Watford town centre.
- Luton – reachable by car along the motorway.
- Birmingham – just over an hour away by train from Watford Junction, on the Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway networks.
By car and by canal
Watford sits at the junction of the M1 and M25 motorways, with direct road connections to towns and cities across the country. There are car parks throughout the town centre, including at the Atria shopping centre, Avenue Car Park and behind the Town Hall. If you're arriving by water, the Grand Union Canal passes through Watford between Uxbridge and Hemel Hempstead, with longer-distance routes to Paddington in London, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Birmingham; a leisure mooring at Cassio Bridge Lock is equipped for shorter-term stays.