Cheltenham Transportation

Gloucestershire Airport (formerly known as Staverton Airport) is the only airport in Gloucestershire. It is approximetly 15 minutes drive from both Cheltenham and Gloucester and can also be accessed using the Stagecoach 94 bus service (note: the nearest bus stop is at the bottom of Bamfurlong Lane and the airport is then a mile walk from there).

A small airline Manx2 has recently started services here to the Isle of Man, Jersey and Belfast. On the airport grounds there are many flight schools and pleasure flight companies, they are an excellent idea if you want to see the whole of Cheltenham or Gloucestershire from the skies! There is also a small cafe/bar on-site and a pilot shop.

Surprisingly, though nearby Gloucester has the longest station platform in Britain, Cheltenham has the best train service! Its two modest platforms have direct links to London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol and Cardiff, amongst others. £45 (2007) will buy you a return ticket to London. There is a small cafe/shop at the station and also a larger food store across the road.

One slight drawback is the location of Cheltenham Railway Station, a very long walk from the town centre. However, it is only a five minute bus ride and there are very regular buses which stop in the station forecourt. If you are planning to catch more than one bus (e.g. return to the station) the same day, I recommend you buy a Dayrider ticket from the driver - only £2.50 (2007).

If, during your stay, you would like to explore the rest of the UK for a day, go to Marchants Coaches of Cheltenham Spa.

Prices are extremely reasonable, for example, Weston-Super-Mare is from £9 per person return!

As well as excusions they also provide airport transfers for large groups and local bus services.

If you are using public transport to travel between Cheltenham and Gloucester, you will find plenty of buses labelled with these as their start and finish points (94, 97, 98 etc.) but most of them take routes through and around local residential areas, stopping frequently, which can take a long time.

A few years ago, a new service (X94) was introduced by Stagecoach. This takes a direct route between Market Parade (by Gloucester bus station) and Cheltenham town centre, making only two stops on the way, so it is quicker than the others. The total journey time is 25 minutes. Adult singles cost ?2.10 and adult returns cost ?3.35 but are available only after 9 am. The service runs every half an hour. If you just miss one, it would be quickest to take a 94 bus rather than the 97 or 98, both of which have very long routes.

Cheltenham station has services connecting the town to most parts of the country, with trains from London departing from Paddington Station. It’s worth knowing that after these trains have called at Gloucester, the previous station, they pull out backwards to continue to Cheltenham along a different line, often causing alarm amongst those passengers unfamiliar with the route, who think they’ve missed their stop and the train is heading back towards London! The train station at Cheltenham is some way out of town, so it is usually necessary to take a local bus or a taxi to reach the town centre.

The contact details listed are those of the national rail enquiries service, rather than the local station.