Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Coach Hire for Groups Visiting Cambridge

Coaches drop groups for central Cambridge on Queen's Road, along the Backs, and park at Madingley Road Park & Ride. For most visits, those two places are the whole transport plan.

Queen's Road and the walk in

The coach stands on Queen's Road are for setting down and picking up, and they operate every day, bank holidays included. From there the group walks across the Backs to King's College Chapel and King's Parade.

Punting, college tours and museum visits all run to their own clocks. Agree one pick-up time and spot before the group splits up, and have the leader count heads at the stand before the coach is called in from Madingley Road.

MAN Lion's Coach 49-seat touring coach, front three-quarter view
MAN Lion's Coach 49-seat touring coach, front three-quarter view

Places that look free but are not

A driver new to the city may be tempted by a car park or an empty bus bay. Queen Anne Terrace has a 2.1 m height limit that rules coaches out, and the council points them to Madingley Road instead. The bus layover bays around the city belong to local bus services and cannot be used to load a group.

Airports serving Cambridge

Stadiums and arenas

  • Cledara Abbey Stadium — Cambridge United; about 7,900
  • Cambridge Corn Exchange — Concerts, comedy and touring shows

Day trips and transfers from Cambridge

  • Anglesey Abbey — about 7 miles, about 20 min
  • IWM Duxford — about 10 miles, about 20 min
  • Newmarket — about 14 miles, about 25 min
  • Audley End House — about 15 miles, about 30 min
  • Ely — about 16 miles, about 30 min
  • Lavenham — about 35 miles, about 1 h

Coach rules in Cambridge

  • London Stansted (STN) is about 30 miles south via the M11, about 40 min in light traffic; Luton is about 40 miles (about 50 min) and Heathrow about 75 miles (about 1.5 h).
  • The coach drop-off point for central Cambridge is on Queen's Road (the Backs). Cambridgeshire County Council coach stands are for picking up and setting down passengers only, not parking, and operate every day including bank holidays.
  • Coach parking is provided at Madingley Road Park & Ride, west of the centre.
  • Coaches are not allowed in Queen Anne Terrace car park (2.1 m height limit); the city council directs them to Madingley Road Park & Ride.
  • Bus layover bays in Cambridge are for permitted local bus services only and are not pick-up or set-down points for coaches.

Stansted, Luton and Heathrow

Stansted is about 30 miles down the M11, roughly 40 minutes in light traffic. Charter coaches wait in a layover area and move to the pick-up bays only when the passengers are ready, with 20 minutes on the bay. Send the flight time and a mobile number for the leader.

Luton is about 40 miles, about 50 minutes. The bay there is limited to coaches of 20 seats or more fitted with reversing cameras; anything smaller uses the ordinary pick-up areas. Heathrow, at about 75 miles, is roughly 1.5 hours away.

Days out and college events

A twenty-minute drive reaches either IWM Duxford or Anglesey Abbey. Ely and Audley End take about half an hour, Newmarket about 25 minutes. Outside term, colleges take conference bookings, and graduation ceremonies fill the Corn Exchange, so book early for those weeks.

Questions

Can the coach drop us on King's Parade?

Central Cambridge's coach set-down is the Queen's Road stand. King's College Chapel is a short walk from there across the Backs.

Where does the coach go while we are in town?

It parks at the Madingley Road Park & Ride on the western side of the city. The driver comes back to Queen's Road when you call.

Is IWM Duxford a half-day trip?

It can be. It is about 20 minutes each way, so a morning or afternoon there works, though aviation fans often want longer.

Other charter services

Vehicles