Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Cambridge by Minibus: Colleges, Punts and Fenland Days

The best of Cambridge is on foot, along the Backs and through the colleges. A driver gets your group to the edge of it, then takes you further afield to Ely, Duxford or Newmarket.

Where you'll step off

Groups arriving by road are set down on Queen's Road, which runs along the Backs. From there it's a pleasant walk across the river to King's College Chapel and King's Parade, and the punts are right on hand. The county council's coach stands are for setting down and picking up only, and they work every day of the year, bank holidays included.

Local bus layover bays are for bus services, not private groups, so don't be surprised if your driver won't stop in one.

Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view
Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view

While you're exploring

While you're walking, a coach heads out west to the Park & Ride on Madingley Road, the place the city council sends them to park. The Queen Anne Terrace car park is off limits for them, with a 2.1 m height limit. If you're travelling in a high-roof minibus or Sprinter, check its height before counting on any city car park.

The simplest plan is a fixed collection time back on Queen's Road. Share it with everyone at breakfast, add a second time for anyone who wants longer on the river, and the driver can be waiting for each group.

Flying into Cambridge

Places your group will want to see

  • Ely Cathedral — Cathedral city in the Fens north of Cambridge
  • IWM Duxford — Imperial War Museum aviation site south of Cambridge
  • Cambridge University Botanic Garden — Off Trumpington Road, south of the centre
  • Fitzwilliam Museum — Trumpington Street
  • The Backs and college punting — River Cam behind the colleges along Queen's Road
  • King's College Chapel — King's Parade, a short walk from the Queen's Road coach bays across the Backs

Where groups usually stay

  • Science Park / Milton (north, A14)
  • Cambridge Biomedical Campus / Addenbrooke's (south)
  • Newmarket Road
  • Station Road / CB1 (by Cambridge station)
  • City centre and the Backs

Easy trips out

IWM Duxford, with its aircraft collection, is about 20 minutes south, and Anglesey Abbey takes about the same. Ely and its cathedral are about half an hour across the Fens, as is Audley End House. Lavenham makes a lovely longer outing at about an hour.

Colleges often host conferences and residential events out of term, and the Corn Exchange holds concerts and graduation ceremonies, so a proud-family day can be planned around both.

Your questions

Which airport is closest to Cambridge?

London Stansted. It's around 30 miles down the M11, which takes about 40 minutes when the traffic is kind. Luton is about 50 minutes and Heathrow around an hour and a half.

Can we be dropped right outside our college?

Usually not. Most of the centre is narrow and busy, and the official set-down is Queen's Road. It's only a short walk from there to most colleges.

Is Newmarket a good day out for a group?

Yes. It's about 25 minutes from Cambridge, so a morning or afternoon there fits easily, with time for supper back in the city afterwards.

Where should a visiting group stay?

Station Road by Cambridge station is convenient for arrivals by train, while hotels on the Science Park side of the A14 or near Addenbrooke's are quicker for a vehicle to reach than the centre.

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