How to get to Cambridge - by rail and coach from London and its airports
Rail
General information about UK train services is available at the National Rail website.
There are regular train connections to Cambridge from London. Trains to Cambridge depart from King's Cross or Liverpool Street railway stations in London. The faster King's Cross trains (Cambridge Express trains) take about 45 minutes, while other trains from King's Cross or Liverpool street are slower and can take up to 1.5 hours.
For convenience, here are details of the London transport system including buses and tube.
There is a taxi rank just outside Cambridge railway station. A taxi to Churchill from the railway station will cost around £10.
Coach/Bus
There are frequent coach connections from the centre of London to Cambridge. These depart from Victoria coach station (near Victoria railway station) and take about 2 hours (more in peak hours). Coach tickets can be bought from the driver. Please note that delays are common because of heavy traffic in and around London.
The Cambridge coach station is close to the city centre and there is an adjacent taxi rank. A taxi to Churchill from the coach station will cost around £10.
Long-distance coach services are run by National Express.
Car
Directions on how to get to Churchill College by car from various directions can be found on the College website.
Parking in available at the back of the college. It is free and you do not have to book. The car park can be seen on the college map.
From the airport
London Stansted Airport
This is the closest major airport, about 30 miles from Cambridge (approx. 40 minutes by car). Stansted is well served by airlines flying from European destinations.
Cambridge is within easy reach by rail, coach or taxi. The railway station is part of the terminal. The services to Cambridge are operated by Central Trains and take about 30 minutes (and leave from platform 2, at the opposite end of the station to the ticket machines). The service operates seven days a week (although with a reduced timetable on Sunday. The times of trains between Stansted Airport and Cambridge can be found from the National Rail website.
The coach services to Cambridge run once per hour, and take about 50 minutes. Tickets can be purchased from the coach ticket desk in the arrivals area of the terminal or on the coach. More information can be found on the National Express website.
London Heathrow Airport
Many airlines fly to London Heathrow. The easiest way to get to Cambridge is to take a direct coach service. The coach runs at least once per hour, see the National Express website) and takes at least 2.5 hours to reach Cambridge (often much longer, depending on traffic jams).
A fast train service, the Heathrow Express, connects the airport with London Paddington station. From there use the underground to connect with rail or coach services listed above to reach Cambridge.
The airport is also served by the Picadilly line of the underground which will take you directly (in about one hour) to Kings Cross station, from which the fast trains to Cambridge depart (see instructions above).
London Gatwick Airport
This airport is located to the south of London. A direct train service, Thameslink, connects the airport with Kings Cross station, offering a good view of London from the Thames. From Kings Cross follow the instructions above. There is also a fast train service, the Gatwick Express, to London's Victoria station. From there, use the underground (Victoria line, northbound) to reach Kings Cross. Alternatively, coach services run directly from Victoria coach station (next to the railway station) to Cambridge.
There is also a direct National Express coach service to Cambridge that takes around 4 hours, but the coaches go round the M25 and are vulnerable to traffic jams and serious delay.
London Luton Airport
Some European budget airlines (e.g. easyJet) use Luton airport, which is about 38 miles from Cambridge (approx. 1hr drive). No intercontinental flights operate from Luton.
There isn't an efficient train connection from Luton airport to Cambridge, but there is a National Express coach service that runs once every two hours, departing from just outside the terminal building. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach Cambridge. See the National Express website for more information.
Train from the continent
London can be reached from Paris or Brussels by the Eurostar train through the channel tunnel. You will arrive at London St. Pancras station, adjacent to King's Cross railway station (see the rail section above).