How to Get to Chester

Air Travel

Manchester International Airport (external link) (MIA), 40 minutes by motorway (M53,M56) from Chester.

Liverpool Airport (external link) also provides regular scheduled international flights.

Hawarden Airport (3 miles from Chester) handles freight & Executive Jets.

Duration of flights from Manchester International Airport -

• New York 7.6 hours
• Chicago 8.5 hours
• Hong Kong 13 hours
• Dublin 45 minutes
• Madrid 2.5 hours
• Paris 1 hour
• Rome 2.5 hours
• Dusseldorf 80 minutes
• Amsterdam 65 minutes.

Regular trains (2 an hour) leave Manchester Airport for Chester - journey time 1 1/2 hours with one change.  Check train time tables on the National Railways website (external link)

A regular bus service (every 15 to 30 minutes) travels from Liverpool Airport into Liverpool city centre.  Direct Trains to Chester depart every half an hour from 6am to 10.30pm from Liverpool Lime Street.

 

Car Hire / Self Drive Companies

• Avis (external link) 128 Brook St, Chester (01244) 311463
• Northern Sportscar Hire (external link) - Specialist car hire/delivery service in Chester including Ferraris, Porsches and TVRs
• Budget - The Bridgegate, Lower Bridge St, Chester, (01244) 313431
• Hertz - Trafford St, Chester (01244) 374705
• Europcar (external link) - 143 Brook St (01244) 312893
• Eurodollar - Sealand Industrial Estate, Chester (01244) 390008

 

Car Parking and Park and Ride

Chester operates a network of Park & Ride sites on the approach roads into the City. Park & Ride sites on the outskirts, and enjoy a speedy bus trip into the heart of the City

Parking for people with Mobility Problems - Orange badge holders can park at any of the

City Council's Car Parks for up to 3 hours free of charge.

They can also park on double yellow lines provided their vehicle does not cause an obstruction. An Access Guide is available from the Tourist Office, Town Hall.

 

Coach Travel

All National Express (external link) services in Chester now depart from Chester Visitor Centre by the Roman Amphitheatre.

Chester Visitor Centre is the main ticket agency for National Express in Chester.

Facilities include:

• The Rows Cafe
• Fully accessible toilets
• Baby change/feeding
• DVD Show
• The Amphitheatre Project exhibition (external link)  

Passenger information

Taxis

The nearest taxi offices are located in Forest Street (Abbey Taxis) and Bridge Street (King Cabs).  You may find the following taxi company telephone numbers useful:

• Abbey Taxi's Tel: 01244 318318
• Chester Private Hire Tel: 01244 370999
• King Kabs Tel: 01244 311551
• 344 Cabs Tel: 01244 344344
• 464 Cabs Tel: 01244 346464

Toilets

When the Chester Visitor Centre is closed, there are public toilets available at the following locations:

• Foregate Street (Universal Superloo) - 24 hour access coin-operated or by RADAR key.  Wheelchair accessible.
• Pepper Street - Automatic public convenience - 24 hour access coin-operated.

Public Telephone

The nearest public telephones are located in St John Street.

Accommodation

Chester Visitor Centre is open daily all year (except Christmas, Boxing & New Year's Day).  April - Sep: 9.30-17.30 Mon-Sat, Oct-March: 9.30-17.00 Mon-Sat, Sundays 10.00-16.00 all year.

A list of local coach companies is available from the Tourist Information Centre, Town Hall.

National Express Timetables website (external link)

 

Motorway Travel

Chester is linked directly to the national motorway system via the M53 and London and all the major regions of the UK are easily accessible from the City.

Distances by Road from Chester:

• London 188 miles
• Cardiff 152 miles
• Birmingham 85 mile
• Manchester 42 miles
• Edinburgh 237 miles
• Liverpool 18 miles
• Bath 165 miles
• Southampton 220 miles.

The Tourist Office has an AA Route Planner facility to help you work out your journey.

Both the the AA (external link) and the RAC (external link) websites have good route planners on their websites, and our well worth a visit to get a good idea of the route you'd need to take.

 

Rail Travel

Chester is well served by the British Rail Intercity network and enjoys fast frequent rail links to London and major cities in the UK.

The Eurostar Rail Service (external link) is to  Waterloo Station in London, with other services up to the North West.

The Rail Link through to Manchester Airport includes 4 through trains from and to Chester.

Duration of Journey by Rail:

• London Euston 2.75 hours
• Cardiff 4 hours
• Birmingham 1.75 hours
• Manchester 1 hour
• Edinburgh 4.5 hours
• Liverpool 45 minutes

Online Timetable and Railway Information

BR Timetable Information is available from the Tourist Office, Town Hall.

Sea Travel

Sealink/Irish Ferries between Holyhead (2 hours by the A55 road from Chester) and Dun Laoghaire (6 miles from Dublin) and Dublin itself.

Duration of Sailings - Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire/Dublin 1.75-3.5 hours.

 

Taxi Service

There are black cab taxi ranks outside the Railway Station and close to the Bus Exchange Point next to the Town Hall in the city centre. Private hire taxi companies are also available. Contact the Tourist Office for details.

You may find the following taxi company telephone numbers useful:

• Abbey Taxi's Tel: 01244 318318
• Chester Private Hire Tel: 01244 370999
• King Kabs Tel: 01244 311551
• 344 Cabs Tel: 01244 344344
• 464 Cabs Tel: 01244 346464