Getting Around Lincoln
Lincoln is a compact cathedral city, and its historic core is best explored on foot. The medieval spine of the city centre is not suited to anything more elaborate than a pack-mule or hand-cart, so visitors should plan on walking for most short trips. Be aware of Steep Hill, which links the lower city to the Castle and Cathedral Quarter: it is called Steep Hill for a reason and can be a challenge for anyone who is unfit or less able.
Rail
Lincoln's primary railway station, formerly called Lincoln Central, sits in the city centre on St Mary's Street, close to all the major attractions. It has a staffed ticket office, ticket vending machines, an ATM, toilets and a Costa Coffee shop. A secondary station, Hykeham, mainly serves the southwestern parts of the city and North and South Hykeham, but its services and facilities are much more limited.
The main intercity operator is LNER, running trains between London Kings Cross and Lincoln via Peterborough, Grantham and Newark Northgate. Regional trains are mostly operated by East Midlands Railway, with regular services toward Newark Castle, Nottingham, Crewe, Matlock, Doncaster, Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Peterborough. Northern Railway also runs regional services to Sheffield via Gainsborough, Retford and Worksop, many of which continue to Leeds via Barnsley.
For local travel, you can buy a Plusbus ticket, which gives unlimited travel around the Lincoln area for the validity period of the ticket.
Buses and Coaches
The main bus station, Lincoln Central Bus Station, is across from the railway station. It is a modern building with a covered waiting area, good signage, a cafe and paid public toilets. Within the city, the main operators are Stagecoach and PC Coaches, and most routes follow a radial path, starting or terminating at the bus station.
The most up-to-date bus information is on the LincsBus.com website, and a route planner is available through Citymapper. Stagecoach publishes a map identifying key routes and points of interest. The Walk & Ride bus runs a circular route connecting the lower part of the High Street to the Castle and Cathedral Quarter, operating approximately every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday, excluding bank holidays.
For longer journeys, National Express is the only long-distance coach operator serving Lincoln, with two return services a day: the 151 between Grimsby and Birmingham, and the 451 between Kingston upon Hull and London Victoria coach station. It is possible to use the 151 to reach London with a change in Leicester. Regional buses also converge on the city from across Lincolnshire, including from Grimsby, Market Rasen, Louth, Skegness, Horncastle, Sleaford, Grantham, Gainsborough and Scunthorpe.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The main taxi operators are Handsome Cabs, Direct Cars and A2B Cars. Uber also operates in Lincoln. There is a large taxi rank outside the railway station, making it easy to pick one up on arrival.
Driving and Parking
Driving within Lincoln city centre is not recommended if you can help it: it is very compact and walkable, and the road layout, especially in the uphill area, is confusing even for locals. If you want to explore more of Lincolnshire, you may want to rent a car; Lincoln has branches of Enterprise and Switch Car Rental, and local companies include Feathers Rental and Ready Rent a Car.
Most car parks in the city are operated by the City of Lincoln Council. The largest is Lincoln Central Car Park, at the end of the A57 near the railway station and close to the major attractions. Many car parks uphill, near the cathedral and castle, are small, so finding a free space can take a while. For a day trip, consider the Lincoln Park and Ride, which departs from the north east of the city. Street parking is limited, and many residential streets around the city centre operate a residents permit scheme.
Cycling
Lincoln has several cycle paths within the city, similar to other cities and towns in the UK.
Getting There from the Airport
Lincoln does not have its own airport, but it is relatively easy to reach from several UK airports.
- Humberside Airport (HUY) is the closest airport, located north-east of Lincoln and around a 50-minute drive. However, it is only served by KLM flights to Amsterdam, and public transport to Lincoln is poor.
- East Midlands Airport (EMA) is the closest airport with some choice of destinations, primarily served by low-cost and holiday airlines. Driving time is around 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can take the Skylink bus service from the airport to Long Eaton or Nottingham railway stations, then get a train to Lincoln.
- Manchester Airport (MAN) is the main airport in the North of England, with a good choice of airlines, destinations and onward connections. Driving time is around 2 hours. It is possible to get the train to Lincoln with a change at Sheffield.
- London airports, such as Heathrow (LHR), Stansted (STN) or Luton (LTN), are relatively convenient to get to from Lincoln.