Travelling to the IfM
Alan Reece Building, 17 Charles Babbage Rd, Cambridge, CB3 0FS
Plan your route
The IfM is committed to sustainability. Please read the leaflet put together by the Cambridge Green Challenge on sustainable ways of getting to the West Cambridge site from the City Centre.
Below we have outlined a range of useful sites that can help you plan your route to the IfM via public transport including walking, cycling or car sharing. When visiting the IfM for conferences, meetings, lectures or seminars, please consider using public transport where possible.
- Cycle Streets - cycling route planner
- Hiring bikes and electric bikes - various options
- Traveline - the multi-method journey planner
- Trainline - plan your train journey to Cambridge
- Skyscanner - plan your air travel
Instructions by mode of transport:
Bike / on foot
From Trumpington Street, make your way to Robinson College (King's Parade - Senate House Passage - Garret Hostel Lane; or Trumpington Street - Silver Street - Sidgwick Avenue - Grange Road) Follow Adam's Road at the side of Robinson College and at the end take the signposted foot and cycle path towards Coton. Turn right through the new Hauser Centre building and then left onto Charles Babbage Road. IfM is the black and yellow building on your left.
Bus (local)
U bus: Buses operate to a 20 minute timetabled service frequency, on Mondays to Fridays, between Madingley Road Park & Ride and Addenbrooke's Hospital, serving many University and College sites along the way. A U timetable and route map is available here.
University and college staff and students can travel for the reduced fare of £1.00 per single journey, on presentation of a University Card see here for details.
Car
From the South & from London, Cambridge is a short trip up the M11 motorway (Junction 13). From the north, the A1 and M1 link to the A14 dual carriageway straight to the city, and from the east and west, the A14 again takes you to Cambridge. Please note there is no exit from the M11 at Junction 13 Southbound.
Parking
For visitor parking, please get in touch with reception to arrange a parking space:
T: +44 (0) 1223 766141
E: ifm-reception@eng.cam.ac.uk
Please note: if you are attending an event, you will receive separate instructions regarding parking.
The 'Park and Ride' site on Madingley Road offers paid parking (and a cheap bus to the city centre). Maps and timetable for all Cambridge's Park and Ride sites can be found here.
Train
There are excellent connections from Scotland and the North via Peterborough, and regional services from Birmingham and the Midlands, East Anglia and the Northwest.
From London, frequent, fast rail services depart from King's Cross and Liverpool Street stations. There are also hourly services to Cambridge from Stansted Airport.
National Rail timetable / journey planner
The IfM is a 10 minute taxi drive from Cambridge railway station. The U bus runs every 10 minutes from the station to the West Site.
Coach
There are frequent coach services to Cambridge available from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted airports. Cambridge’s coach station, served by all national coach services is situated in the city centre, just a few minutes from Drummer Street bus station. Coaches can be booked here https://www.nationalexpress.com/en.
Please be advised that whilst these services are good value for money can take much longer than the other options and the frequency of service at some locations e.g. Luton Airport can be poor.
By Air
London Stansted is the nearest international airport to Cambridge (45 minutes by car), located just 30 miles to the South of the city. Public transport is available by train (direct rail link to Cambridge) or coach. EasyJet and Ryanair fly to and from Stansted.
Cambridge is also within reach of London Luton (1 hr), London Heathrow (2 hrs) & London Gatwick (2 hrs). Please note the times given are for a car journey between the airport and the venue and are not on public transport. If transferring by public transport there is a direct train service from Gatwick Airport to Cambridge which takes roughly 2 hours and can be booked here https://www.thetrainline.com/ .
Heathrow requires either travel to Kings Cross Station in London by tube and then train to Cambridge or a coach transfer. For Luton Airport there is an indirect train service via London or a direct coach service.
Taxi Services
The approximate taxi fare from Cambridge railway station to the City Centre is £6.00. The approximate taxi fare from Cambridge railway station to the IfM is £11.00.
Several taxi companies offer an airport service costing approximately £60 one way for Stansted and £120 to London Heathrow for pre-booked taxis. They should be contacted in advance to arrange collection from any London airport for transfer to Cambridge.
Local taxi firms
Panther Taxi – +44 (0) 1223 715715
A1 Cabco - +44 (0) 1223 525555
Smart Drivers - +44 (0)1223 513683 or E: info@smart-drivers.com
Accommodation
Accommodation options are available here.