Getting to Cambridge and SLCU
Air
London Stansted:
The closest major airport to Cambridge is London Stansted. It is around 25 miles away.
There is a railway station inside the terminal at Stansted. A direct train service goes to Cambridge approximately every hour between 5am and 11pm. The journey time is around 30 minutes, and you can purchase train tickets from the station or on Trainline.
National Express operates coach services from London Stansted to Cambridge every two hours. The journey time is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, and you can purchase coach tickets from the National Express website, at the ticket desk in arrivals (open 06:00 to 01:00), in the coach station (24 hours, seven days a week), or on board.
Taxi: Taxis are available outside the airport terminal, and the journey time to Cambridge is approximately 40-60 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.
London Luton
London Luton Airport is around 40 miles away.
Although there is no direct train route from Luton airport to Cambridge, the Luton DART is a fast shuttle service available from London Luton airport to Luton Airport Parkway railway station, which takes about 4 minutes. From there you can take a train to London St Pancras, which has a travel time of approximately 30 minutes. You can reach Cambridge through direct rail services from Kings Cross station, which is located a brief walking distance from St Pancras station.
National Express operates coach services from London Luton airport to Cambridge a few times a day. The journey time can be 3-4 hours as the coach will also stop at Stansted airport.
Taxi: Taxis are available outside the airport terminal, and the journey time to Cambridge is approximately 60-120 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.
London Heathrow:
London Heathrow is around 70 miles away.
The Heathrow Express, a speedy train service, connects the airport to London Paddington station in just 15 minutes. From there, you can transfer to the Circle or Hammersmith & City line of the London Underground and ride to Kings Cross station for train services to Cambridge, which takes less than 15 minutes.
The timetable details for the London Underground can be found on the Transport for London website. Alternatively, you can take the Piccadilly line service from the Terminals 1, 2, 3 Underground Station at Heathrow Airport to Kings Cross, although this option takes longer, around an hour, compared to the quicker Heathrow Express.
National Express operates direct coach services from Heathrow airport to Cambridge a few times a day. The journey time can be 3-4 hours, depending on traffic conditions.
London Gatwick:
London Gatwick is around 100 miles away.
The Gatwick Express is a rapid train service that connects the airport to London's Victoria train station in 30 minutes. From Victoria, you can take the northbound Victoria line on the London Underground to reach King's Cross station for train services to Cambridge. Alternatively, National Express coach services run straight from Victoria coach station, which is located next to the railway station, to Cambridge.
Moreover, National Express offers a direct coach service to Cambridge from London Gatwick.
Train
The city of Cambridge is easily accessible by train, with the primary station located about a mile from the city centre, which takes approximately 20 minutes on foot. The Sainsbury Laboratory is located only 1 km, or 0.6 of a mile, from Cambridge Station.
For train schedules and ticket reservations, visit National Rail Enquiries or Trainline.
Driving
There is no car parking available at SLCU other than two spaces reserved for those who require disabled access. If you are planning to drive to Cambridge, we recommend you either book accommodation that includes parking or use the Park & Ride scheme. If you need to park in the area, full-day pay and display parking is available at the Cambridge Rail Station and Trumpington Road (0.3 miles). For more information, please visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/parking.
Bus
Local bus services usually run to/from Cambridge bus station in Drummer Street, and/or the adjacent Emmanuel Street and St Andrew’s Street. There are frequent buses from the railway station to the city centre.
The 'U' Universal bus service bus service runs from Eddington, next to the Madingley Road Park and Ride site, through to our Biomedical Campus from Monday to Saturday, and from Eddington to Cambridge Railway Station on Sundays.
Accommodation in Cambridge
In Cambridge there are multiple options for accommodation including hotels, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, college rooms, and serviced apartments. To find suitable accommodation, we recommend checking the following hotels and websites:
- Travelodge Cambridge Central
- Travelodge Newmarket Road hotel
- Clayton Hotel Cambridge
- Ibis Hotel Cambridge
- University Rooms
- Booking
- AirBnb