Getting about
As a University we are working to reduce our impact on the environment, and sustainable travel is an important part of this endeavour. We are lucky to have excellent and affordable transport links in ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, and we have regular free cycle skills classes along with bike hire services to make getting around ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø simple, cheap and sustainable.
Student Travel Offers
As a student at the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, there are a range of travel offers available to you, such as bus and train discounts, car share opportunities, and free park and ride services. Sustainability Services have put together information summarising all the .
Travel options available to you
Cycling
Cycling is a great way to get fit and save money at the same time. The Whiteknights campus offers an ideal green environment for cyclists to explore the natural beauty the campus has to offer. We welcome responsible cyclists who follow our guidelines for sharing the space safely with other cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.
The University provides a number of facilities for cyclists:
- for all levels from complete beginner to quick refresher, and information and help for those new or considering cycling
- maintenance sessions 12:00 -14:00 every Wednesday in the Palmer Quad during term time
- Over 1,800 cycle parking spaces across our campuses, including lockable cycle compound, as well as additional secure cycle sheds provided at the Halls for students to bring their bike with them to University
- Check out the to learn how to keep your bicycle secure. There are also good quality bike locks, as well as bike lights, that are available to purchase from the to help keep your bike safe and secure
- loaning low cost, safety checked bikes to students through ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Students' Union
- The campuses also have plenty of showers on campus if you have cycled or walked to campus and feel the need to freshen up. Check out the /
Make sure to also check out ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Borough Council's for cycle routes, a map of the cycle parking facilities available across ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, and cycle safety advice.
We are constantly working to improve our on campus. If there is a particular improvement that you'd like to see implemented, please email us to have your say.
Walking
Walking is a great way to get about, whilst keeping fit - and it's also carbon neutral!
If you're planning on walking to campus from the train station, the has lots of great advice, route maps and guides to help you find your way to our campuses. (Please note, if you're travelling from Henley Station to our Greenlands campus it isn't possible to walk on foot as there is no public footpath, however .)
Whilst you're on campus, there's also some scenic walking routes so you can spend time outside enjoying nature, or taking a break from your studies. Maps of our Whiteknights campus, London Road campus and Greenlands campus are available on the to help you plan your route.
Buses
ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Buses provide a frequent and reliable bus service which makes travelling by bus around ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø really easy. Your main routes connecting campus to the town centre is the claret route 21 and the white knight 20 (express service between Whiteknights campus and ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Station). Between these two routes the semester time frequency of buses running between the town centre / station and campus will be every 7-8 minutes.
The run 24/7 and buses run up to every 10 minutes during term term. Check out the for details of all the bus stops located on campus and halls of residences, and the bus routes.
ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Buses now operates ‘tap on, tap off’ , which is currently the cheapest way of paying for ad-hoc tickets. Simply tap your card or payment device on and then again when you exit the bus.
All students are also eligible for which work out cheaper when travelling regularly. You can buy these via the app or from the bus shop in St Marys Butts.
If you are a new student, you can also get 2.
Free Mereoak Park and Ride Service
The from Mereoak (junction 11 of the M4) to Whiteknights and London Road campuses for staff and students.
To use the Park and Ride service:
- Simply show your ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Campus Card to the bus driver.
- Free parking at Mereoak is included, no permit needed.
- Use the Christchurch Green stop for Whiteknights campus and the Royal Berkshire Hospital stop for the London Road campus.
Further details of this service and other travel options can be found on the .
Train
All three of our campuses can be reached by train, followed by a short bus journey, cycle trip or walk. Whiteknights is accessible from both ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø or Earley train station, London road by ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø train station and Greenlands can be reached by Henley train station. Please see the for further information about getting to the University's campuses from the train station. Don't forget that all full-time student and all aged 16-25 are eligible for
Co Wheels
You can hire a car from two sites at the University for periods as short as 30 minutes a day from , our car club provider. This minimises the need for people to own cars, reducing expense, emissions and for parking.
Free Mereoak Park and Ride Service
The University provides a (junction 11 of the M4) to Whiteknights and London Road campuses for staff and students.
To use this free service:
- Simply show your ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø campus card to the bus driver
- Free parking at Mereoak is provided, no permit is needed
- Use the Christchurch Green stop for Whiteknights campus and the Royal Berkshire Hospital stop for the London Road campus
Lift share
The University offer a to help connect you with other people to share your commute.
Parking
Car parking spaces at the University are severely limited, so parking is restricted to those with a valid parking permit. Before bringing your vehicle onto campus/Halls of Residence, please ensure that you have applied for and obtained a parking permit.
Blue badge holders do need to apply for a ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø parking permit and these are issued free of charge.
Designated motorcycle parking spaces can be found at the following car parks: CP1, CP5, CP6, CP12, and AMS, and these parking areas are in addition to parking spaces available for both cars and motorcycles on campus and at halls car parks.
Parking at halls is also limited and controlled by a separate permit system. If you are a student living in Halls and you do not have a permit to park, you must not park on residential roads within one mile of the campus.
We will begin to process applications for the 2024/25 academic year as follows:
1 July for Halls parking. Complete the online form to apply for a halls parking permit
1 August for Campus Parking. Complete the online form to apply for a campus parking permit
The deadline for student parking applications is 11.59pm on the Friday of Welcome Week (Friday 27September 2024). Apply for your parking permit by completing the online form. Applications received after this time will only be considered if you have had a significant change of circumstances. Please note that the qualifying criteria still apply. For more information, please visit our Student Parking Website.
When applying for parking you must attach the relevant and requested evidence to support your application. You will receive an auto generated email confirmation when you successfully submit your application. If you do not receive the email then we did not receive your application. The University is under no obligation to offer parking to late applicants so please ensure your application is submitted in time.
For more information about parking:
.
Cars and international students
The law relating to driving in the UK as an international student is complex. For a full explanation of the current position, you should visit the on driving in Great Britain on a foreign licence. If you have any questions about driving in the UK, please email int.adv@reading.ac.uk.