Student City Guide – Lancaster

 

Lancaster is a fantastic city to experience student life.

A warm welcome awaits you in Lancaster and here’s our practical guide to help you make the most of your time studying in our city.

Download our Student Guide here or read on to find out more:

 

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Getting around Lancaster

 

Travelling by Public Transport

By Bus:

To get around Lancaster there are frequent bus services around the city and into the surrounding areas. Visit the Stagecoach website for routes and timetables.

Download the Stagecoach Bus App.

Lancaster Bus Station is situated on Damside Street in the city centre and is served by Stagecoach and National Express.

Lancaster University campus is about 3 miles from the city centre. Buses run very regularly from the university campus throughout the day and take around 25 minutes to reach the city centre. If you travel regularly you can buy a UniRider discount season ticket, available from campus or online from the Stagecoach website.

The University of Cumbria campus is situated on Bowerham Road, a few minutes’ walk from Lancaster City Centre.

National Express Young Person coachcards and tickets for longer distance coach travel are available on the National Express website.

 

By Train:

Lancaster Railway Station is situated just outside the city centre on Meeting House Lane. One of the principal stations on the West Coast Main Line, it is served by TransPennine Express, Northern & Virgin.

A 16-25 Railcard is available for approximately £30 a year, offering discounts on local and national rail travel.

 

By Taxi:

You can pre-book your journey with the following operators:

  • 32090 Taxis, Lancaster: 01524 32090 / 01524 35666
  • 848848 Radio Taxis: 01524 848848
  • Coastal Taxis: 01524 60000 / 01524 424424

 

Driving into Lancaster and Parking:

There are Long Stay and Short Stay Car Parks in the city centre.
Parking charges start from approx. £1.50 per hour.
Find out about electric vehicle charging points.

Living off campus: Be aware that many streets in town require Residents’ Parking Permits which can be obtained from Lancashire County Council. These incur a yearly charge of around £20.

 

Shopping

 

Lancaster and Morecambe offer popular high street stores, interesting boutique shops and traditional markets.

Shop opening times are usually 9am – 5.30pm on Mondays to Saturdays.

On Sundays (and Bank Holidays), due to Sunday Trading laws, most shops, including the larger supermarkets, only open between 10am – 4pm or 11am – 5pm. A few smaller “convenience” stores such as Spar, Tesco Metro and Sainsbury’s Local open longer on Sundays.

 

 

Independent Shops:

The city and surrounding area offer a range of boutique shops where you can browse for gifts, clothes, jewellery, hobby and craft items and lots more!

 

 

High Street Stores:
  • Home Bargains: Marketgate Shopping Centre, Lancaster, LA1 1JF [homeware, sweets, gifts / toys]
  • B&M Bargains: Unit 3, Parliament Street Retail Park, Bulk Road, Lancaster, LA1 1DT [homewares, food, gifts / toys]
  • Superdrug: 1 St Nicholas Arcades, Lancaster [toiletries, makeup, pharmacy and medical]
  • Rymans: Ashton Walk, St Nicholas Arcades, Lancaster, LA1 1ND [stationery / office supplies]
  • Primark: 18 Marketgate Shopping Centre Lancaster, LA1 1JF [clothes, accessories, gifts / homeware]
  • Dunelm: situated between Lancaster and Morecambe, Mellishaw Lane, LA3 3FE [soft furnishings and bedding, crockery, household items, small furniture items]

 

Bookstores:
  • Waterstones: Marketgate Shopping Ctr, Lancaster, LA1 1AL
  • WHSmiths: 1 Market St, Lancaster, LA1 1HZ

 

Supermarkets:

There are many large supermarkets in Lancaster and Morecambe as well as the Spar shop and convenience stores on the Lancaster University campus.

  • Booths: Hala Rd, Lancaster, LA1 4SG [1.5 miles Lancaster University]
  • Aldi: Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster, LA1 1AZ [3 miles from Lanc Uni]
  • Sainsbury’s Lancaster: Cable Street, Lancaster, LA1 1HH [3 miles from Lanc Uni]
  • Lidl: Caton Rd Kingsway Retail Park Unit 1, Parliament St, Lancaster, LA1 1BB [3 miles from Lanc Uni]
  • Asda: Ovangle Road, Lancaster, LA1 5JR [5 miles from Lanc Uni.]
  • Sainsbury’s Morecambe: 253 Lancaster Road, Morecambe, LA4 5TJ [6 miles from Lanc Uni.]
  • Morrison’s and Aldi: Central Drive, Morecambe, LA4 4DW [on seafront, 7 miles from Lanc Uni.]

 

Markets:
  • Lancaster Charter Market: Market Square, Lancaster, Wednesdays and Saturdays 9am – 4.30pm (4pm in winter), [international street food and fresh local produce and sweet treats, arts and crafts, gifts, books, clothes and more]
  • Assembly Rooms Market: King Street, Lancaster, LA1 1JN. Tues to Sat, 10am – 5.30pm and Sundays, 11am – 4pm [vintage/retro/alternative and upcycled clothing and accessories, arts and crafts, collectables, jewellery, unique gifts and more]
  • Festival Market: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm (4.30pm winter) and all Bank Holidays from Easter to August, Central Drive, Morecambe, LA4 4DW [food, homewares, hardware, clothes, toys, gifts, two cafes and more]
  • Morecambe Outdoor Market: every Sunday, next to the Festival Market [food, homeware, clothes] lancaster.gov.uk/markets

 

Exploring the City and Surrounding Area

Browse our website listings on our Stay, Eat & Drink, Attractions and Shopping pages.

 

What’s On?

Lancaster offers a wealth of Festivals and Events, find out What’s On by browsing our main event listings, or bookmarking our day-by-day calendar.

 

Unwind in Lancaster’s outdoor spaces 

There are plenty of beautiful outdoor spaces to explore in and around Lancaster. Enjoy the views from Williamson Park, meander along canal towpaths, or simply head down to the quayside to watch the River Lune flow by.

Wherever you visit, please always follow the Countryside Code.

 

Discover Morecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is only a few miles from the campus and easily accessible by bus and train. It has a wealth of wonderful outdoor spaces to explore and enjoy. Here are some posts from our Inspire blog that you may find helpful: