Getting to Reading
Reading is one of the best-connected towns in the UK, offering lots of travel options and excellent transport links, whether you’re travelling by car, bus, train, coach, bike, on foot – or even on the water! Plus, it’s just 22 minutes from London and on the Elizabeth Line, making it an ideal base to visit the Capital, as well as exploring the wider Thames Valley and South of England.
Train
Reading’s state-of-the-art train station is right at the heart of the town, with a second station located to the west of the town centre (Reading West). Offering links locally and all over the country (22 minutes from London), travelling to Reading by train couldn’t be easier. and Reading is now the western terminus of the Elizabeth Line. It’s around 20 minutes’ walk from the station to the London Road campus.
Car
Reading is located on the M4, the main motorway East-West from London to Wales. Reading is served by junctions 10, 11 and 12 and the town centre is found just 2 miles north of Junction 11, making Reading an easy place to travel by car.
The London Road campus is just over 2 miles from junction 11 of the M4 motorway. The sat nav postcode for the main White Gates Car Park is RG1 5AG.
There is on site car parking available over the weekend in White Gates Car Park which is accessible from Crown Place, just off the London Road (A4). There are disabled bays within close proximity to the Great Hall entrance.
Staying in Reading
There is plenty of nearby accommodation to choose from in Reading.
The nearest hotel is Reading Central, around 12 minutes’ walk away, or 6 minutes by car. There is limited parking available there (a fee is payable), and alternative parking at Oracle Riverside Multi story nearby.
Travelodge Reading Central is around 20 minutes’ walk away. Chargeable parking is available nearby at Q-Park Chatham Place, located at Chatham Street, Reading, RG1 7JF.
If those don’t appeal there is a wide choice of accommodation available across the city. Explore the Visit Reading website accommodation guide to find out more.
The London Road campus
The London Road campus is one of the University’s original campuses and is a short walk from the town centre. It’s a peaceful setting of traditional cloisters and green spaces. The Great Hall is located in the heart of the campus. The building is a beautiful Grade 2 listed building accommodating up to 500 guests, plus a choir or orchestra on stage.
Spend time in the city
Known for its beer, biscuits and bulbs in the industrial revolution, Reading has transformed into a vibrant, metropolitan town located on the River Thames and Kennet & Avon Canal. Home to the UK’s iconic Reading Festival, its growing arts and culture community boasts some of the best entertainment in the country. Reading’s rich and diverse communities are represented by its global food and drink scene, with well-known chains and quirky independents serving everything from street food to fine dining. And, with three shopping centres and a pedestrianised high street jam-packed with household brands and independent retailers, shopping in Reading rivals some of the bigger cities in the South East.
