How To...Get Around in Leicester

There's plenty of options for travelling around Leicester. Take a look through and decide what works for you!

Want to know about how to travel to and from Leicester? Take a look here if you're a home student or here if you're coming from abroad.

Bus

The Oadby Shuttle Bus runs between The Village and main campus to help you get to university. There's annual and semester one passes available. Find out more on our Oadby Shuttle Bus page.

The Arriva 31/31A also runs between Oadby town centre (a short walk from the student village) and the city centre with a number of different ticket options. The Arriva passes are more expensive so we recommend that students use the shuttle bus to travel to campus. You can get day tickets for the Arriva bus when you travel into Leicester city centre. Medical students can travel for free using their student ID card on the Centrebus Hosptial Hopper service.

The Students' Union also run a safety bus scheme to help students get home at night for just £1 a ride. You can find out more on their website.

There are many other buses travelling around Leicester from Haymarket Bus Station and St. Margaret's Coach Station connecting you to all areas of Leicestershire as well as coaches to other cities such as Birmingham and London.

Train 

Leicester train station is a 10-15 minute walk from the University and accessible by many bus routes. There are links with major cities across the country, making it easy to travel. The journey to London takes as little as 70 minutes. 

Cycling 

Our accommodation has a large amount of bike racks. You are advised to bring a strong lock and take out insurance. Remember to register your student ID with the security lodge on campus so that you can take advantage of the underground bike store beneath the library. The easiest route is to follow the cycle lanes via London Road. The council have even created a dedicated cycle highway into the City Centre, free of other vehicles!

Take a look at our handy tips to keeping your bike safe at uni!

Taxis 

Leicester has numerous taxi companies, including a black cab service. Uber also operates in Leicester. When using services such as Uber, make sure you get in the right car. Before you get in the car, check that license plate, driver photo, and driver name all match what’s listed in the app. Uber rides can only be requested through the app, so never get in a car with a driver who claims to be with Uber and offers a ride.

Never use an unlicensed taxi and make sure to wait in a group in well lit areas.

Walking

Walking from the accommodation in The Village to the main campus takes 30-40 minutes. The City sites are around 10 minutes walk from campus. The routes from the campus to all the accommodation sites are well-lit and are generally quite safe areas. We recommend all students download the SafeZone app, which you can use to alert security to your location if you're walking back alone and have quick access to emergency alert and first aid tools.

There's a pedestrian only walking route called 'New Walk' which runs from the university campus to the city centre to make it easy to get into Leicester. This takes about 20 minutes.

Bringing a Car

Bringing your own car is also an option for travelling around Leicester. You'll need to purchase a parking permit for £50 to park in The Village accommodation, there is no student parking on the university campus or in The City.  Blue badge holders can park in The Village free of charge but will need to register their vehicle at reception.