Getting to Lancaster by plane

From Manchester Airport

• The nearest major airport is Manchester Airport (MAN). An hourly rail link runs directly between Manchester Airport and Lancaster. The journey time is just over an hour. For train times, visit National Rail Enquiries.
• Megabus operate a daily coach service between Manchester Airport and Lancaster University. For coach times, visit Megabus.
• Alternatively, take the M56 motorway at Junction 5 and join the M6 motorway at Junction 20 (north), then follow the ‘By Car’ directions below.

From London Heathrow or Gatwick Airport

• If you arrive at Heathrow or Gatwick airport, you can catch a connecting flight to Manchester.
• Alternatively, you can travel from Heathrow or Gatwick to Lancaster by train or coach.

By train

• From Heathrow, take the Heathrow Express to Paddington station in central London, and then the London Underground to Euston station.
• From Gatwick, take the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station in central London and then the London Underground to Euston Station.
• From Euston Station, trains depart every hour for Lancaster city from Monday to Friday (but less frequently on Saturdays and Sundays). The journey takes about three hours and you can find times on the National Rail Enquiries website. On arrival in Lancaster, you can then take a taxi or bus from the station to the University campus.

By coach

• You can also travel by coach (Flixbus or Megabus) from London. Please note that even a direct coach can take six to seven hours to get from London. However, this is often a cheaper option than a one-way train ticket.
• If you wish to travel to Lancaster on the coach you should book a seat in advance. Please note that you may not be allowed on the bus/coach if you have more than two suitcases. See the Flixbus or Megabus website for details of fares and coach times.

Getting to Lancaster by car

Assuming that you are travelling from the south of the UK:

• Leave the M6 motorway at Junction 33 and take the A6 north towards Lancaster.
• After Galgate village, three junctions with traffic lights on the A6 serve the University.
• For North and South Campus (which is where CAD will be), turn right at the second traffic lights into the University main drive.

Planning your journey

You can use either the RAC or AA route planners to view and print directions for your journey. If using an online route planner or satnav, use the main University postcode: LA1 4YW. If you are travelling to campus in a plug-in electric vehicle, electric charging is available.

Parking

• You can use MazeMap to identify the most convenient car parking facilities for your destination. There are over 750 visitor parking spaces across visitor car parks A to M and South West Campus.
• Car park fees: RingGo Cashless Parking Solution is available across all visitor car parks. Visitors can pay for their parking at an on-site, card-only payment machine, or by the RingGo app, or using the RingGo website. Detailed instructions on using RingGo to pay for parking are signposted at all visitor car parks. Visitor parking is free between 6pm-8am, Monday to Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.
• Accessible Visitor Parking – Accessible parking bays are clearly marked across campus. Accessible parking users should purchase parking as normal.
• Blue Badge Holders – Blue Badge holders are exempt from all parking charges and can park in dedicated accessible parking bays in all parking zones. Please contact the Car Parking team by emailing car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk to pre-arrange accessible parking with a Blue Badge.

Getting to Lancaster by train

• Lancaster train station is a five-minute walk from the city centre.
• There are direct rail links between Lancaster and many of the UK’s major cities and airports. For train times, visit National Rail Enquiries.
• The 4 and 4X bus services operate between Lancaster Railway Station (Platform 3 exit) and Lancaster University every 30 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes. On Saturdays and during University vacation periods the 4 / 4X services operate hourly. There is also a limited service on Sunday evenings in term time (4X) to meet popular trains from the south. The journey time is around 25 minutes. Taxis are also available at the station.
• Attendees can also walk to Common Garden Street from the train station where there is more choice for buses to campus (see the ‘by bus’ section for more).

Getting to Lancaster by bus

Local bus services to the University campus are operated by Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire.

In the city

• Lancaster Bus Station is situated on Damside Street in the city centre and most bus services also stop at Common Garden Street.
• Service 1/1A provides a direct connection to the University every 10 minutes, Services 100, 4, 4X, 40, 41 and 42 also serve the University giving a total of 14 buses per hour from Monday to Saturday until 7pm. A less frequent service then runs daily until around midnight.

On campus

• All buses (except 40 or 41) drop off and collect passengers at Lancaster University Bus Station, situated underneath Alexandra Square in the centre of campus. Since it is underground, this stop is more often referred to as the Underpass. We recommend using this bus stop during the conference as buses stop here the most regularly.
• There are daily scheduled coach services from Lancaster University Bus Station (the Underpass) to destinations across the UK, such as the Lake District, Preston, Manchester, Manchester Airport, Birmingham, London and Glasgow. These are operated by Megabus and Flixbus.

Taxis in Lancaster

Local taxi operators include:

• 848 848 Radio Taxis – 01524 848848
• 32090 Taxis – 01524 32090
• Coastal Taxis – 01524 60000

A taxi rank is also located on Lancaster University campus outside the Chaplaincy Centre (North Campus).

Accommodation

On campus

Lancaster University offers on-campus guest accommodation, which can include breakfast. As well as double, twin, and single bedrooms, groups of over ten people can also choose to stay in a fully equipped flat with self-catering amenities. Bed & Breakfast can also be chosen when booking a flat. A £10 deposit per person is required to secure a Group Booking.

The campus also hosts a 4-star hotel called Lancaster House Hotel, which has 79 bedrooms and 4 apartments, as well as a fully-equipped health club. A breakfast option is available.

Off-campus

There are also many accommodation options off-campus, which offer a good alternative to on-campus accommodation. These options can be accessed through a range of websites, including https://www.visitlancashire.com/explore/lancaster/stay-in-lancaster.

For a location-based overview of local accommodation options, please see this Google Maps link. Note that the grey site south of the city centre is Bailrigg, Lancaster University’s campus – you will be able to check this by zooming in on the map.

If you are interested in hotel rooms in Lancaster, the Visitor Room Bookings team have recommended the following:

• Go2 Lancaster (budget)
• The Crows (mid-range cost)
• The Borough (luxury)

However, there are many other options! In Lancaster city centre, these include but are by no means limited to:

• The Royal Kings Arms Hotel
• Toll House Inn
• Domain Boutique Rooms
• The Sun Hotel & Bar
• Wagon & Horses

If you’re willing to get a longer bus and would like to stay by the sea, you could also consider staying in Morecambe or Heysham. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to walk to campus each day, you may be interested in accommodation in nearby areas such as Galgate.