Cambridge parking

[Uniquery1]

Hello, DD has a Cambridge interview next week. We are staying at the Premier Inn (Corn Exchange/Lion Yard) hotel - can anyone recommend where best to park?

We need to high tail it out of Cambridge at 5/530pm so need to be central, rather than park and ride.

Many thanks

Ooh tricky.. The premier inn is right next to the Grand arcade shopping centre but parking there is so expensive, approx £30 per day. It will be the most convenient however, especially if you want to be central. To be quite honest cambridge traffic at 5/5.30pm will be extremely busy. As an example, to reach the M11 from the hotel you'll be in, give yourself 45-60 minutes (i wish i wss joking).
Wishing DD well with interview

Yeah grand arcade is closest but very expensive.

Queen Anne car park maybe? Not too far.

cambridge traffic is pretty busy. You won’t be going anywhere fast at 5pm.

The fastest route out at 5/5.30pm is one of the park ride buses. They get priority at lots of the traffics lights.

Thanks all. It's looking tricky! Interview will be at the Caius' Harvey Court site - so I guess I need to have the car nearby to leap into, or we switch to the train (heading to London and beyond). Any insight as to which may be easier, faster?! I'm not usually so confused by such things but DD really wants to get back in time for an event that evening, pressure!

Train. Or Park & Ride - don’t know if those work overnight?

Park & Ride is free parking for up to 8 hours, if that would cover all of your stay? Then bus is v cheap.

Argh, 18 hours….

Thanks. Is there Uber in Cambridge?

Yeah ok you don’t want Queen Anne then wrong side of the city.

west road has some parking but it was time limited. How long are you planning to park for?

grange Road is restricted now but there used to be parking on Cranmer Road and some of the roads round the back of Robinson college.

you’ll get out from there quite quickly to the m11 it’s just down the road.

train would also work.

Yes

yes to Ubers in Cambridge
I've often sucked it up to park in The Grand Arcade for open days/interviews. If you get there early enough there is plenty of parking, I've never had to pay as much as £30

Leave your car at Madingley Road P &R. Bus into town. Next day while dd is in her interview you can hop on the bus, collect the car, meet her outside and whizz off.

Thank you all, the power of mumsnet 😁

There is on road parking on West Road near the Harvey Court site, but busy and expensive for more than an hour or so. I second the Madingley P&R idea. You can get a P&R bus right into the centre. Taxis are usually pretty cheap and plentiful in Cambridge, too (Uber, Veezu minicabs and even some black cab ranks in the centre of town).

From West Road after your DD’s interview, the quickest route is to drive out along Grange Road/Madingley Road westwards to the Madingley M11 exit towards London (bear in mind that that junction only has southbound exit and northbound entry, but if you are coming from and going to London that should be fine). This should get you out to the M11 much quicker than driving south to the M11 junctions below Cambridge.

Thanks, that sounds like a plan! Nothing like local knowledge 🙏

Check on Parkopedia or https://www.yourparkingspace.co.uk

We’ve often found handy central parking on there.