Travelling to Leicester by coach or bus

Leicester is served by a wide range of coach services, mostly operated by National Express. Although slower than rail travel, journeys by coach are usually considerably cheaper and often have a smaller carbon footprint. In addition, there are direct coach links to Leicester from cities which do not have direct rail links, such as Manchester and Coventry. A coach from Leicester to London takes about three hours.

There are regular direct buses between Leicester and Loughborough (Arriva no.126/127) and between Leicester and Northampton (Stagecoach no.X7).

Getting from the coach station to the campus

Bus or Taxi

National Express coaches (and the X7 bus) stop at St Margaret's Bus Station, which is on the other side of the city from the University.

The no.48 bus, operated by Arriva, leaves St Margaret's every 15 minutes and takes about ten minutes to reach the University. (NB. The return journey is the no.47.)

The no.80 bus, also Arriva, leaves St Margaret's every 30 minutes and continues past the University to the Halls of Residence in Oadby. When returning, be aware that the 80A operates largely the same route but does not go to the railway station or city centre.

Alternatively there is a taxi rank outside St Margaret's.

On Foot

If you're feeling fit and know your way through the city centre, the walk will take about 35-40 minutes.

• View the walking route on a map with full directions

Useful links

• National Express - for timetables, routes and tickets
• Arriva no.47/48 bus - route and timetable
• Arriva no.80/80A bus - route and timetable
• Arriva no.126/127 bus - route and timetable
• Stagecoach no.X7 bus - route and timetable (PDF)

Useful contacts

• National Express booking line: +44 (0) 8717 818181
  (8am-8pm Monday to Saturday; 10am-8pm Sunday. Calls cost a maximum of 10 pence a minute for BT customers. Mobile and other networks may vary.)
• National Express disabled persons travel helpline:  +44 (0) 8717 818179
• National Express textphone: +44 (0) 121 455 0086
  (for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing)
• Traveline East Midlands (public transport journey planner)