Getting Around, Canterbury Travel, Transport and Car Rental
(Canterbury, Kent, England, UK)
Visitors staying in the city of Canterbury will soon discover how simple it is to get around here and public transport comes in the form of bus and train travel. Buses in Canterbury operate all through the day and also in the early part of the evening. However, bus transport to nearby villages and more rural locations tends to be less regular. Bus timetable are useful and can be found from both bus stations and tourist offices in the Canterbury area.
Of course, it is soon apparent that much of central Canterbury is extremely well pedestrianised and a safe place to walk around. Park-and-ride sites outside of the city centre help to improve traffic levels.
Car Rental and Parking
This part of Kent is worth exploring and renting a car provides the freedom to travel where and when you desire. Canterbury is close to the M20 motorway, which in turn leads to the M25 / M26 and the city of London. The port at Dover can be reached by travelling along the A2 and A260, while both Herne Bay and Whitstable lie off the A28 / A291 and also the A290, respectively.
Various car parks are scattered around central Canterbury, including those along Broad Street (close to the cathedral), Northgate, Pound Lane and St. Radigunds Street, although visitors are actively encouraged to use to nearby 'park and rides', where regular shuttle buses await and transport you into the city centre, free of charge. Bear in mind that cars are not permitted to travel around the Old Town area of Canterbury.
Buses and Coaches
Canterbury bus station is located within the city walls and stands towards the eastern side of the High Street, off St. George's Lane and close to the very heart of the city and the Fenwick department store. The city and its surrounding areas are all served by Stagecoach East Kent bus transport, which link Broadstairs, Herne Bay, Margate, Ramsgate and Whitstable, amongst other destinations. National Express coaches are also available here and travel to and from the London Victoria coach station (one hour and 50 minutes) and also Dover (35 minutes), with bus transport operating on an hourly basis for both of these routes.
Trains
There are two separate train stations in the city, Canterbury East, which is situated close to the YHA hostel and links London Victoria and the Dover Priory, and also Canterbury West, connecting Charing Cross, St. Pancras and Waterloo train stations in London. Trains travel from the city to these stations every 30 minutes and London can be reached in around one hour when taking the St Pancras domestic Eurostar line. Nearby, Eurostar passenger trains are available at the Ashford International Train Station and travel to a number of destinations on mainland Europe, including
Paris, Disneyland and Brussels.
Foot and Bicycle
A particularly pleasant way to travel around Canterbury is either on foot or by bicycle, and there is a network of pathways and popular cycle routes around much of the city. If you are looking to cycle further afield, a number of cycle trails can be found along the nearby country lanes and head towards surrounding villages and towns.
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