Cheapest
Average
The best way to find a cheap train ticket from London to Cambridge is to book your journey as far in advance as possible and to avoid traveling at rush hour.
This is the last train of the day.
Find all the dates and times for this journey
Fastest Journey
1 h 31 m
Average
1 h 31 m
Trains per day
5
Distance
79 km
Of the 5 trains that leave London for Cambridge every day 5 travel direct so it’s quite easy to avoid journeys where you’ll have to change along the way.
Distance | 48 miles (78 km) | |
Average train duration | 1 h 5 min | |
Average train ticket price | $22 (€20) | |
Train frequency | 100 a day | |
Direct train | Yes, there are 100 direct trains a day | |
Train companies | Thameslink, Greater Anglia or Great Northern |
Trains from London to Cambridge cover the 48 miles (78 km) long trip taking on average 1 h 5 min with our travel partners like Thameslink, Greater Anglia or Great Northern. Normally, there are 100 trains operating per day, including direct services available. You can get the cheapest train tickets for this journey for as low as $16 (€15), but the average price of train tickets is $22 (€20). Travelers depart most frequently from London Victoria and arrive in Cambridge.
For as little as $16 (€15) you can travel by train to Cambridge from London with Abellio Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink. Omio will show you the best deals, schedules and tickets available for this trip.
Thameslink is a train service that operates in the United Kingdom. It is operated by Govia Thameslink Railway and serves the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, London, and Surrey. The trains run from early morning until late at night, with some services running 24 hours a day. There are a variety of train types available, including Class 700 Desiro City, Class 377 Electrostar, Class 387/1 Electrostar, and Class 319/0. Ticket types include Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak, and Advance. Onboard facilities include Wi-Fi, power sockets, and air conditioning. The most popular routes for Thameslink are London to Brighton, London to Bedford, and London to Luton.
London to Cambridge train information with Thameslink:
The trains from London to Cambridge run very frequently, multiple times an hour throughout the entire day. Most of these routes are direct, and don’t require making changes before arriving in Cambridge. The journey takes about 1h 20min covering a distance through England of around 48 miles (78 km). There are trains making this trip every day of the week from about 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. or midnight.
There are at least five trains per hour departing from London making their way to Cambridge operated by various railway companies. This sums up to a total of more or less 100 departures to Cambridge per day, generally direct routes. The first trip of the day leaves London at around 5:03 a.m., as for the last one, it leaves from around 11:12 p.m. to 11:58 p.m., depending on the day of the week.
The journey by train from London to Cambridge covers a distance of about 48 miles (78 km) in around 1h 20min. The routes are all mainly direct, without any stopovers before arriving in Cambridge. The fastest route takes as little as around 47min, depending on the time the train leaves from the station in London and the train company operating the route.
Departure train station: The departure station for most of the trains is out of London King’s Cross Station. This large and busy station is located about 2 miles (3 km) north of the city center, easily accessible by public transportation since it has connections with the city’s underground system as well as buses.
Another station for departures is the London St. Pancras Station, located just across the street from King’s Cross Station. There is one station that is specific to only one of the companies operating the routes to Cambridge, the London Liverpool Street Station, located in the downtown area of London.
The trains arrive at the Cambridge Station. This train station is about 1 miles (2 km) southeast of the center of Cambridge. There are public buses that take you directly into town in around 10min. Cambridge Station has a couple bakeries and cafes as well as a currency exchange booth and a hotel right next door, available to passengers right upon their arrival in the city.
Cambridge Cityscape River. Source: Shutterstock
There are three railway companies operating the routes from London to Cambridge, Thameslink, Greater Anglia and Great Northern.
The Thameslink trains run at least three times an hour. All of their routes are direct and take an average of about 1h 20min to get to Cambridge. The Greater Anglia trains are also direct routes. They operate about once an hour and take from around 1h 10min to 1h 40min. The Great Northern trains leave London at least once an hour. They are all direct routes and Great Northern has the fastest journey from London to Cambridge, taking as little as 48min to get there.
Thameslink trains are the most frequent ones operating the route from London to Cambridge. They generally depart out of London King’s Cross Station, however there are some departures out of London St. Pancras Station a few times a day. All of the Thameslink trips are direct and don’t require changing trains at any point between London and Cambridge. The journey can take from about 1h 10min to 1h 30min.
Greater Anglia operates trains from London to Cambridge more or less once an hour. All of the routes are direct and passengers don’t need to change trains, but they stop in various stations along the way. The Greater Anglia trains for these trips depart from the London Liverpool Street Station near downtown London. The journey generally takes about 1h 17min to around 1h 41min depending on the time of departure.
The Great Northern train leave London at least once an hour, departing only from London King’s Cross Station. All of the Great Northern trips offered for this route are direct and don’t require changing trains at any point before making it to Cambridge. They have the fastest routes to Cambridge, taking as little as 48min on some trips since they are non-stop, saving time not stopping in other stations along the way.
Traveling with either Thameslink or Great Northern, you have the option of reserving seats in either First or Standard Class. As for the routes with Greater Anglia, there is only Standard Class available. The railway companies do not specify a luggage restriction, only that it must fit in the designated areas.
However, the companies all offer assistance for passengers with reduced mobility. In this case they mention the assistance can be for up to one small personal item that fits on the passengers lap, and up to two larger items or suitcases. Up to two domestic pets are allowed per passenger on board any of the trains going from London to Cambridge. The pet must either be in a carrier or on a short lead. Foldable bikes are always allowed on the trains from London to Cambridge. As for non-foldable bikes, they are allowed as long as there is room for them. Some trains that are at peak hour do not have room for bikes that do not fold.
When booking a train ticket from London to Cambridge, take into consideration that generally the trips with Greater Anglia are more affordable. Another way to save money when purchasing train tickets, is by booking in advance. The sooner you book your ticket, the more probable that your fare will be cheaper. Avoid traveling on first class routes and look for rides with low-cost fare options.
If you’re flexible with your dates and departure times, this may also help you to find affordable tickets since you won’t be restricted to certain fares or types of trains that could be of higher demand and more expensive.
Cambridge University Bikes. Source: Shutterstock
The city of Cambridge in England is famously known for being a university city. Throughout Cambridge you’ll find various medieval colleges as well as museums and churches. For the visits to museums, in the center of Cambridge you can check out the University Museum of Zoology, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and the Sedgewick Museum of Earth Sciences.
Make your way to the expanse King’s College and its Kings College Chapel, dating back to the 16th century. South of the city there is the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, ideal for gardening enthusiasts and enjoying the outdoors. Trinity College is another distinguished university with beautiful college grounds, also dating back to the 16th century.
Being a university city, you may also enjoy plenty of music and nightlife during your stay in Cambridge. While you there you should also make time for some traditional afternoon tea and try some typical food like the Bedfordshire clanger pastry.
Average prices for trains from London to Cambridge when you book in advance
Booking Period |
Average Price |
---|---|
Same Day |
€27.15 |
1 Day in Advance |
€27.15 |
1 Week in Advance |
€27.15 |
2 Weeks in Advance |
€27.15 |
1 Month in Advance |
€27.15 |
3 Months in Advance |
€27.15 |
London to Cambridge Trains: General Information
While it may be cheaper to book a last-minute bus ticket from London to Cambridge, the train offers a far quicker and more convenient alternative. Travelers can offset some of the cost of Great Northern train tickets by planning ahead and booking tickets as far in advance as possible.
The rule of buying in advance to save money is not only valid when booking a flight but also for train travel. Train tickets are generally on sale 6 months before the departure date. Some train booking tips from us:
When departing from London, you have various train station options to start your route from including London Victoria, London St Pancras International and London Euston. When arriving in Cambridge, you can end your route in train stations like Cambridge and Cambridge North.
Passengers board the train most frequently from London Victoria, which is located around 1.8 miles (2.9 km) away from the city centre, and they get off the train at Cambridge, located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away from the city centre.
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