Travel information

From the airports

Most Bell students choose to fly into one of the London airports:

• London Heathrow
• London Gatwick
• London Luton
• London Stansted

Booking your transfer
For a smooth arrival, you can book an airport transfer with us to take you direct to the Bell Cambridge school. You can book this via the online booking form as part of your course reservation.

By bus
If you’d prefer to arrange your own transport, an airport express bus service runs to Cambridge from all the above airports. You can buy a ticket on the bus or book online at the National Express website.

By train
Regular train services run from:

• Stansted to Cambridge, taking under an hour (direct). 
• Gatwick to Cambridge, taking around two hours (changing in London).
• Heathrow to Cambridge, taking around two hours (changing in London)

For train timetables visit the National Rail website

Eurostar terminal
The Eurostar terminal is located in the newly-refurbished St Pancras terminal. A train runs from King’s Cross station (in walking distance to the St Pancras terminal) direct to Cambridge, taking around 45 minutes.

Taxis
If you decide to travel by bus or train, we recommend you take a taxi to your accommodation on arrival in Cambridge.

Getting around Cambridge

• Bus - services around the city are fairly regular, but expensive. You can save money by buying weekly or monthly passes on board the bus. You can get more information at the Cambridge City Council website
• Bike - travelling by bicycle is a popular way to travel in Cambridge, but can be dangerous. We recommend that before you hire a bike, you consult the Student Services Manager for more information on bicycle hire and safety. See our guide to cycling in Cambridge for more information.

English life in Cambridge

Home to the historic and world-famous University of Cambridge, the city’s streets are lined with beautiful old colleges, many dating back to the thirteenth century. These days, the city still has a lively student population and it’s a vibrant and cosmopolitan place to live with a large selection of museums, galleries, restaurants and entertainment on offer. Experience a classic English city and an 800 year old centre of learning as you study with Bell to achieve your own academic goals.

Classic sights
The essential Cambridge experience is a punting trip down the River Cam, taking in the famous ‘Backs’ of the University’s colleges. Learn some history with a guided tour or try your hand at punting yourself -it’s a lot harder than it looks! Back on dry land, a closer look at some of the colleges is recommended, with King’s College the best place to start.

 
Museums and galleries
For a small city, Cambridge has an excellent choice of museums and galleries, from the art and antiquities of the impressive Fitzwilliam Museum to the exotic specimens of the University Museum of Zoology. After exploring the worlds of science, anthropology or archaeology in other city museums, you could learn about Cambridge’s history in the Folk Museum or take in some modern art at Kettle’s Yard.

Shopping, dining and entertainment
Shopping in Cambridge is based around the city centre, with many well-known brands and independent shops alongside shopping centres such as the Grand Arcade, Grafton Centre and Christ’s Lane area. Cafés and restaurants cover a wide range of international tastes with a few great vegetarian options too, and fantastic entertainment is available throughout the week from the city’s many theatres, cinemas, pubs and clubs.

Sport, parks and gardens - Throughout the city there are many green spaces, popular for sport, picnics or just relaxing. They’re also the focus for annual events such as summer music festivals, fireworks and a winter ice rink. Midsummer Common, Jesus Green and Christ’s Pieces are all close to the city centre; nearer to Bell, the Cambridge University Botanic Garden is also a lovely place to visit. Although Bell Cambridge has a wide selection of sports facilities, there are also several gyms, sports centres, swimming pools and tennis courts around the city.

UK trips

As part of your Bell experience you receive two free trips every two weeks and some of these will be to destinations around the UK, such as London, Oxford, Bath and Edinburgh. If you’d like to explore further, our Social Programme Organisers will be happy to help.

For more information on life in Cambridge and things to do whilst you’re here, please visit our student guide.

Download this month's Cambridge social programme calendar which includes things to do in and around Cambridge and organised trips around the UK. On a Bell course you get two free trips every two weeks!