From the University of Bradford to King's Cross in about three hours by direct train: which station to use, how to pay less, how London works once you arrive, and how to fill a day without spending much.
From the University of Bradford, London is about three hours away by direct train, and you get a choice of two stations to start from. Both lines finish at King's Cross, so an early train still leaves you most of the day in the capital. This is the trip from campus, door to door: which station to head for, how to pay less for the journey, how London works once you're there, and how to fill a day without spending much.
Bradford has two railway stations, and both are within walking distance of campus. Bradford Interchange, which is also the city's bus station, is about 15 minutes away on foot, or roughly five minutes on the 576 bus. Bradford Forster Square takes about 25 minutes to walk to.
Both stations have direct trains to London King's Cross, run by different companies. Grand Central leaves from Bradford Interchange and takes just over three hours. LNER leaves from Forster Square and usually takes around two hours forty. Direct trains run only a few times a day, so look up the times back before you commit to a plan.
Your fare depends mostly on when you book. Advance tickets for a specific train are the cheapest, Off-Peak tickets cost more but let you choose your train on the day, and Anytime tickets are the expensive last resort. If you're between 16 and 25, a 16–25 Railcard reduces most fares by a third and can pay for itself on one return trip to London.
National Express runs coaches from Bradford to Victoria Coach Station. It's the cheaper option, but plan on close to five hours each way, which makes more sense for a weekend than a day trip.
"There are two railway stations and a bus station within walking distance of the University campus."
— The University of Bradford
Forget paper tickets once you arrive. A contactless bank card or phone works as your ticket on the Tube, buses and trains: tap the yellow card reader as you go in and again as you leave, except on buses, where you tap once when you board. A daily cap means that once you've spent a set amount, anything more that day costs nothing. Stick to one card or phone all day, or the cap can't work out what you've spent.
King's Cross is a good place to arrive. The Tube station beneath it, King's Cross St Pancras, is served by six lines: Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria. Even so, walking is often quicker than you'd expect, because plenty of central stations sit within a short walk of each other. Keep to the right on escalators so others can walk past on the left.
The commonest mistake on a first visit is crossing the city back and forth: a museum in one corner, lunch in another, then back again for dinner. Choose an order that moves steadily in one direction and ends close to the station you leave from. The planner below works this way, and draws your route on a map from King's Cross or Victoria.
Many of London's best sights cost nothing. General entry to the big national museums is free: the V&A, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, plus Tate Modern, the National Gallery and the British Museum. Paid entry is only for special exhibitions. The Sky Garden, high up in the 20 Fenchurch Street tower, is free as well, though the tickets go weeks ahead. And the royal parks, from Hyde Park to Regent's Park, are open to everyone.
For food, aim for neighbourhoods rather than particular restaurants, which open and close all the time. Chinatown in Soho, Brick Lane's curry houses and round-the-clock bagel bakery, the stalls at Borough Market and the riverside food stands on the South Bank are all reliable. Expect to pay more than in Bradford; one sit-down meal plus snacks keeps spending sensible.
Shopping is better away from the chains you already know. Head to Brick Lane and Shoreditch for second-hand clothes, Carnaby Street and Soho for small fashion brands and record shops, and Camden Market for a bit of everything. Coal Drops Yard sits right behind King's Cross, so it's an easy first stop as you step off the train.
Staying out? Soho is the central choice, Shoreditch is where a lot of students end up, and Dalston has smaller venues that stay open later. In a pub, go to the bar to order and pay; tipping on drinks isn't expected.
A day trip works best on an early direct train, with your return already booked. Pick one or two parts of the city and give them time; trying to see everything mostly means time on the Tube.
For a night or two, the coach becomes a fair trade, because the long journey eats less of a longer stay. Sharing a room in a budget hotel splits the cost, and staying a little outside zone 1 is cheaper, while the daily cap keeps the trips into the centre affordable. Hotel prices climb closer to the date, so book ahead.
If your family is travelling to Bradford for your graduation, especially from overseas, London is an easy addition to the trip, about three hours from either Bradford station. Once the ceremony and photos are behind you, a couple of days there makes a fine end to the trip.
Two stations, one destination: Grand Central from the Interchange or LNER from Forster Square, and King's Cross in around three hours. Book ahead and use a Railcard if you can, then tap one contactless card for every London journey. Fill the day with free museums and parks, reserve the Sky Garden early and keep heading in one direction. The coach suits a weekend better than a day.
English
Deutsch
Français
Español
Italiano
Português
العربية
简体中文
繁體中文