Maps
Map of the IoA within Cambridge
Institute of Astronomy on the scrollable University of Cambridge map
Arriving by Road
The Institute of Astronomy main entrance is situated on Madingley Rise which joins Madingley Road opposite J. J. Thompson Avenue. The map of the IoA site shows available parking.
Note that putting our postcode into GPS may direct you to the Observatory Drive. The main entrance is 200m West of this (away from the city)!
The main car park is the first entrance on the right after leaving Madingley Road and has about 30 parking spaces.
Further parking is available (out of office hours) further up Madingley Rise. If you follow the main rise up and round where it turns to the right there is a larger gravel car park to the right (with about 50 spaces) and more parking in front of Greenwich House right at the end of Madingley Rise.
Alternatively parking is available at the Park and Ride, which is less than 10 mins walk away from IoA, along Madingley Road, and also nearby street parking is available along Clerk Maxwell Road.
A disabled parking space is available immediately outside the main entrance.
Arriving by Public Transport
There are two bus routes from the city centre that stop close to the Institute of Astronomy.
The Whippet U (Universal) (discounted fares for University Card holders) and the Stagecoach Citi 4 services both run down Madingley Road.
For the U service, alight at the William Gates Building stop at the entrance to JJ Thomson Avenue and cross Madingley Road to access Madingley Rise and the Institute of Astronomy.
For the Citi 4 service, alight at Bulstrode Gardens on Madingley Road and walk down Madingley Road to cross over at the junction with JJ Thomson Avenue. Then proceed to Madingley Rise and the Institute of Astronomy.
Arriving by Rail
General information about UK train services is available at the National Rail Enquiries website. In general, trains are quicker but more expensive than coaches.
Stagecoach Cambus runs services between Cambridge rail station and the city centre, or take a taxi from the queue just outside the station.
There are regular train connections to Cambridge from London. Trains depart from King's Cross or Liverpool Street stations in London. The journey time of the faster King's Cross trains (Cambridge Cruiser trains) is about 45 minutes, while the other trains are slower and take around 70 minutes, or longer.
Maps of the London underground are available on the TFL website.
Eurostar
London can be reached from Paris or Brussels by the Eurostar train which uses the channel tunnel. You will arrive at London St Pancras International station. King's Cross station is next to St Pancras, so walk to King's Cross and catch a train from there to Cambridge (timetables).
Arriving by Coach
There are frequent coach connections from the centre of London to Cambridge. These depart from Victoria coach station (near Victoria railway station) and take about 2 hours (more in peak hours). Coach tickets can be bought from the driver. Please note that delays are common because of heavy traffic in and around London.
The Cambridge coach station is close to the city centre and there is an adjacent taxi rank.
Long-distance coach services are run by JetLink and NationalExpress. A combined timetable can be found at the National Express website. Stagecoach Cambus runs services in Cambridge and to/from nearby villages and towns.
The University has compiled further information on local bus travel.
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