Travel across London and beyond

The London Underground

The London Underground, or 'the Tube' is often the key mode of transport for visitors, students and workers travelling across the city. The service normally runs from 5am until midnight, with night services operating on some lines every Friday and Saturday evening. The Tube fare varies depending on how far you travel, the time of day, and your method of payment.

The nearest tube station to our campus is Stratford Underground – take the Here East Shuttle bus directly from campus to the station (journey time is approximately 5 minutes).

London rail services

There are a number of rail operators in operation across Greater London and beyond, including SouthEastern Railway, Southern Railway, London Overground, Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains, and East Midlands Trains. How much you pay depends on the time of day and which lines you use.

London is a globally connected city, with quick and easy access to destinations across the UK and Europe. St Pancras International train station is just a six minute train journey from Stratford International, and offers access to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam via the Eurostar.

To travel to the Loughborough campus from London, East Midlands Trains offer a direct service to Loughborough from St Pancras International (journey time is approximately 90 minutes).

Discounted travel for full-time students

If you’re 18 or over, live at a London address during term time and you are studying a full-time programme with us, you may be eligible for an 18+ Student Oyster photo card, which offers 30% discount on travel on most rail, bus and tram services in London, including the London Underground. For more information including instructions on how to apply, please visit the Student Services desk on the second floor of the campus.

If you think you will travel regularly within the UK, then you may benefit from purchasing a 16-25 Railcard which entitles you to travel by rail anywhere in Britain at a 34% discount. To buy a rail card you will need to provide proof of your age (e.g. passport) and a passport-size photograph.

To find out more visit: www.16-25railcard.co.uk

There are coach companies that you can use to visit a wide variety of UK cities and connect with airports. Although longer, coach travel is usually cheaper than rail travel. Services operate day and night, with more than 100 routes offering a service every 24 hours.

Popular coach companies include:

National Express

Megabus

Victoria Coach Station is a central pick-up point for many coach services, and can be reached via train in 30 mins by taking the Javelin high speed train to St Pancras and then changing to the Victoria line.

London's major airports include City, Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted. Most international flights arrive at Heathrow Airport.

London City Airport is the closest airport to the campus, and can be reached in less than 25 minutes using the DLR train. London City Airport offers direct flights to many major destinations in the UK and beyond, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Rome, Florence and Berlin. You can even fly to New York!

Average journey times to other London airports

External websites for flights, hotels and car hire include:

• Skyscanner for international and domestic flights
• EasyJet for low cost flights and hotels in Europe
• Ryanair for low cost flights and hotels in Europe

Cars can be expensive to buy, insure, fuel and park, so consider whether or not you really need one, especially if you’re on a budget. Whilst it is free to drive on the roads close to campus, there is a Congestion Charge for cars travelling across some areas of central London. Please also note that there isn't any free parking close to campus.

London taxis

Travelling across London by taxi can be expensive. We would recommend you travel by public transport, but if you would rather travel by taxi we suggest booking in advance.