Getting Around, Norwich Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK)

The city of Norwich is easy to reach from all over the United Kingdom, by road, bus, rail transport and even by plane. Norwich International Airport lies just outside of the city, although it is possible to travel here from London Stansted Airport by car in just one hour and 30 minutes.

City bus transport is a very cheap way to travel around the centre of Norwich and connects all of the main places of interest and shopping malls. Cyclists will no doubt be pleased to discover that this area of Norfolk is part of the SUSTRANS National Cycle Network and features many marked cycle trails, with bicycles being readily available for rent in the city.

Norwich International Airport (NWI) / Arriving by Air

Address: Amsterdam Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6JA, UK
Tel: +44 1603 411 923
Located on the northerly outskirts of the city and under 5 miles / 8 km from the city the Norwich International Airport now serves more than 600,000 passengers each year. This airport features just one terminal and a selection of different airlines, such as Air Malta, BMI, Eurocypria, Flybe, KLM, Thomas Cook and Thomson. The main city destinations are generally domestic and include Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh and Manchester, as well as Amsterdam, while further chartered holiday flights operate on a seasonal basis and travel between Alicante, Corfu, Exeter, Geneva, Ibiza, Jersey, Larnaca, Mallorca, Menorca, Paphos and Tenerife.

Norwich Airport Guide

Car Rental

Many significant A-roads and motorways are close to Norwich, with the A11, the A12, the A14, the A140 and the M11 motorways all heading to the south-east and ultimately connecting London and the Channel Tunnel. If you wish to drive northwards and to the Midlands, then the A1, the A11, the A14, the A17 and the A47 will help you travel to your chosen destination. Those without their own personal transport will find three car rental desks based at Norwich International Airport - those of Avis, Europcar and Hertz, although further opportunities to rent a car can be found in the city itself.

Parking in central Norwich is not usually a problem, although the multi-storey car parks are known for being a little expensive. Therefore, many visitors choose to take advantage of the park and ride services provided in the suburbs of Cotessey, Hartford, Postwick, Sprowston and Thickthorn, which provide more than 5,000 parking spaces. Bus transport connects these out-of-town car parks throughout the day, collecting and dropping off passengers every five or six minutes until around 20:00.

Book your Norwich Car Rental here.

Buses and Coaches

Situated on Surrey Street, the city's shiny new bus station serves as a major transport hub for Norfolk, providing a choice of both local FirstGroup city buses and long-distance coach transport. National Express buses are in good supply here and travel from Norwich to Bury St. Edmunds (one hour and 30 minutes), Cromer (one hour), Great Yarmouth (45 minutes), King's Lynn (one hour and 30 minutes), London (three hours), and Peterborough (two hours and 45 minutes).

Trains

The city train station was operated by National Express East Anglia until February 2012. The regular half-hourly connections to London's Liverpool Street station are now provided by Greater Anglia, with an approximate travel time of just one hour and 50 minutes. Rail transport also runs between Cambridge (one hour and ten minutes), Cromer (50 minutes), Ely (one hour and 15 minutes), Great Yarmouth (30 minutes) and King's Lynn (40 minutes). Connecting East Midlands trains from Peterborough travel as far north as Scotland.

Taxis

Metered taxi transport in Norwich is quite reasonably price, with busy taxi ranks being located next to the train station on Thorpe Road, and also alongside the central market, on Exchange Street. Taxis can also be hailed from the street, if you are lucky enough to see one driving by that is available. Registered minicabs tend to be slightly cheaper and are best arranged by telephone.

Boats and Ferries

Around 75 miles / 121 km to the south of Norwich, the Essex town of Harwich is home to a useful ferry port. From Harwich, ferries transport both cars and passengers, and travel to the Hook of Holland. This journey lasts approximately six hours and 30 minutes.