Leicester get around · Get around Leicester
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Get around Leicester
Get around Leicester
All city centre locations are easily reachable within walking distance.
The city supports an extensive bus network. Services are operated mainly by First Leicester and Arriva. First Leicester services cover the more local (city) destinations, those operated by Arriva can also be useful for reaching areas just outside Leicester, as well as city destinations. First Services leave from a variety of points in the city centre; most Arriva services depart from St Margarets Bus Station. Be warned that First Leicester's bus services are notorious for being often late. It can be advisable to walk smaller distances or use arriva or other routes operated by other companies.
Stagecoach run a regular service (Route 48) from St Margarets to Hinckley and Coventry
There are services operated by other companies: some are one-route-only operators; you may find that a different company will run the same service on a Sunday (or during evenings) to the day-time operator.
You will generally be able to get advice on bus travel from St Margarets bus station.
You will find stops for most services in the City Centre streets. These stops can be confusing, even for locals!
Tickets are not interchangable between different companies; However, there is day tickets for all buses in the Leicester area called FlexiDays. These can be bought on any bus in Leicester for in the Leicester zone £4.00 and in the County zone £4.50 Day tickets can offer significant savings over single, and even return, tickets: ask the driver for advice. Fares are expensive for very short journeys, but can be remarkable value if travelling to the suburbs or further.
There is one Park & Ride service that runs Monday-Saturday from Meynells Gorse that is, at Braunstone Cross Roads, just off the A47 Every 12 minutes and is run by Paul James Coaches. This service is well-signposted on the A47 and the M1 (leave at junction 21A). This serves the city centre with a reliable, regular, fast service from a large car park. There are Saturday only Park & Ride services from County Hall (A50 - Glenfield), and Oadby Leicester racecourse (A6 - Oadby). You MUST have to be a car user to use the Park & Ride services.
Cycling in and around Leicester is generally pleasant with there being a good road network and generally well-mannered car and bus drivers. Previous city council policies led to the development of well signposted, well designed cycle-tracks: some of these are now in need of repair and upkeep, but the network remains. Sustrans Route 6 bisects the city North/South, with Route 63 going north-west toward Charnwood Forest.
The city centre Bike Park provides a handy place to park your bike with complete security during the week, daytime. The Bike Park is situated to the right of the Town Hall (in Town Hall Square) right in the city centre. The friendly staff can help with repairs and local knowledge. There are changing facilities here if you require them.
Remember that Leicester is effectively in a 'bowl', so whichever way you enter the city (except along the river/canal) you are likely to have to climb to leave it! As a cyclist you may wish to avoid routes leading directly to the local M1 junctions (21, 21A, and 22)as these carry heavy and fast motor traffic.
There is free signposted motorcycle parking in the city centre: Abbey Street and behind the Town Hall.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Leicester
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Leicester - updated May 2024
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Leicester Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.