Park and Ride
Parking is free at all Park and Ride sites in Cambridge. There are disabled spaces located close to the bus stops. The best park and ride sites for accessing Royal Papworth Hospital are Trumpington and Babraham Road.
Please note: There is a two-metre height restriction for vehicles.
Trumpington
Use Stagecoach busway route A from Trumpington Park and Ride to get to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. This might be signposted to St Ives or Huntingdon but serves the campus.
The nearest bus stop to Royal Papworth Hospital is outside our north entrance, off Francis Crick Avenue.
Babraham Road
If coming from Babraham Road Park and Ride, then you need to take the PR4 service which stops at the Addenbrooke's Hospital main bus stop. From here it is a 15-minute walk to Royal Papworth Hospital.
Please note: Space at the Babraham Road site is temporarily reduced due to a major climate change project by Cambridgeshire County Council, who are installing solar panels at the site.
Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
If travelling on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway then you will need:
Both of these stop outside the Addenbrooke's outpatients department, from where you will need to walk to Royal Papworth Hospital or catch the Campus courtesy bus.
Other buses
There are a number of bus stops around the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The nearest one is on Robinson Way, just a short walk from our north entrance. This is a temporary bus stop as our usual stop outside our north entrance, is currently closed until July 2023.
Campus courtesy bus
The patient courtesy bus shuttles around the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, with the service now provided using an electric vehicle.
The bus will run Monday to Friday, 08:00- 17:00, following a continuous loop around the site, stopping at the following points:
- Car Park 1
- Addenbrooke’s Treatment Centre
- Royal Papworth Hospital
- Car Park 2
- Rosie Hospital, Breast Unit and CDC
- N and R Wards (Addenbrooke's)
- Rehab Block MRIS lay-by (Addenbrooke's)
- Oncology (Addenbrooke's)
- Main bus stop (Hills Road entrance)
- Main outpatient’s entrance (Addenbrooke's)
We have a number of Sheffield bike stands around the perimeter of our hospital to which you can seurely lock your bicycle, by both our north and south entances.
If you live near a train station, you may prefer to travel by train to Cambridge Station and take a bus to the hospital or nearby Francis Crick Avenue.
Alternatively, you could take a taxi from Cambridge Station to the new hospital (2.5 miles), which would take around 10-15 minutes depending on traffic.
Shelford Railway Station is also a similar distance away (three miles) but there is no taxi rank, so a taxi would need to be booked in advance.
Cambridge South is currently under construction. This is being built on the edge of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, a two-minute walk from our hospital.
Our hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus is easily accessed from junction 11 of the M11. You can also reach us via the A11 and A1307.
Important: The postcode for our hospital is CB2 0AY, but some older sat navs that have not been updated may not recognise this. Please use CB2 0QQ as an alternative, or use ///using.improving.manage on what3words.
Parking
Free parking is available at the Park and Ride sites in Cambridge listed above - see 'travelling by bus' in the drop-down above.
See 'car parking' in the drop-down below for parking at the hospital, including prices and discounts.
Drop-off and pick-up
There are a small number of spaces outside our hospital to allow for patients to be dropped-off or picked-up, but these have a maximum 30-minute stay limit.
We also have six blue badge spaces in this area. These have a maximum stay of four hours.
Car Park 2
Our patients and visitors have access to a multi-story car park - known as Car Park 2 - which is situated next to our hospital.
Upon exiting the car park as a pedestrian, Royal Papworth Hospital is the large blue, curved building which runs directly opposite the car park. If you cannot see the hospital, then you will have come out the wrong exit.
There are disabled spaces on levels 1-4 and some electric charging spaces on the ground floor.
This car park is run by Saba who are a private company.
Prices and discounts
There are discounts available for patients and visitors who use Car Park 2.
If you are an outpatient or have repeat appointments over a seven-day period, you are entitled to a discounted rate of £4.80. You will need to show your appointment letter or card at the customer service desk located on the ground floor of Car Park 2 for the discount to be applied. For repeat appointments within seven days, you still only need to pay £4.80 in total (rather than each day), but you will need proof of multiple appointments.
Please be aware that the operators, Saba, offer no discounted rates for inpatients who may be keeping a car in the car park for multiple days without leaving. It is best therefore that you are dropped-off and picked-up if staying with us as an inpatient, or travel via public transport.
Discounted rates are available for frequent visitors. You can buy a seven-day ticket or a 14-day ticket.
To obtain either of these please take a ticket as you enter the car park and then exchange it at the customer service desk on the ground floor of Car Park 2 for the period you require. Pay the fee at the pay machine to validate the ticket - keep this ticket and use it each time you exit the car park.
| Patient daily | £4.80 |
| Patient weekly | £4.80 |
| 7 day visitor ticket | £25.50 |
| 14 day visitor ticket | £42.50 |
More information on Car Park 2, including full prices.
Size restrictions
Lifts
There are size restrictions in the lifts in Car Park 2. The door width is 90cm and the depth is 207cm.
If you use a larger-than-standard wheelchair, please contact our estates team via switchboard on 01223 638000 in advance of your visit and we can help assist you in finding alternative parking.
Barriers
There is a two-metre height restriction for vehicles.
Drop-off and pick-up
There are a small number of spaces outside our hospital to allow for patients to be dropped-off or picked-up, but these have a maximum 30-minute stay limit.
We also have six blue badge spaces in this area. These have a maximum stay of four hours.
Improvement works - summer 2023
From 31 July 2023 until September 2023, work is taking place around the junction with the hospital, Papworth Road and Car Park 2 to make it safer for pedestrians and drivers.
Improvements will be made to existing pedestrian crossings, as well as the installation of new beacons and signage.
Access will be maintained at all times and disruption kept to a minimum. We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time.
Eligibility
If you are travelling to Royal Papworth Hospital for NHS treatment, you may be entitled to help from the hospital with your travel costs, including parking fees. You or your partner (including civil partners) must produce evidence of the car parking ticket and eligibility for any of the following benefits:
- Income SupportIncome-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- NHS tax credit exemption certificate
- Low income and named on an HC2 certificate or HC3 certificate
- Universal Credit, and meet the criteria
Travel costs payable are those ‘necessarily incurred’. This means travel by the cheapest means of transport available at the time you travel.
The type of paid travel costs:
- Public transport fares (supporting documentation required)
- Private car (mileage allowance)
- Voluntary car scheme (mileage allowance)
How to claim travel costs
To claim travel costs, you or your representative should go to the cashiers office on the ground floor of the hospital. You must bring with you appropriate documentation (within date) showing your entitlement to have travel costs paid (eg benefit book, letter of notification of your entitlement).
If you do not bring evidence of your entitlement then we will not be able to refund you on the day. Instead, you will have to claim a refund using a HC5(T) form, which you will need to send to the appropriate benefit office.
Instructions are provided on the form and are available from main reception or download from the NHS Choices Website.
If you need someone to travel with you for medical reasons, you may also get help with your 'escort' costs, providing you are entitled to help with your own costs.
To obtain 'escort' costs, an escort stencil which can be obtained from the Reimbursement Office (next to main reception) or by ringing 01223 639117.
Escort costs are only payable on the completion of this form, signed by a senior nurse or doctor on the ward.
Plan your journey and visit - view detailed access guides on the AccessAble website.
For information about travelling to and from Royal Papworth Hospital, contact PALS on 01223 638896.
For information about travel costs, contact the Patient Reimbursement Office on 01223 639117.
If you have any queries, ask your nurse to contact our social worker on 01223 639081 or 01223 638631.
Further advice may be found online at the NHS Choices website.
Visitors in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits visiting a close relative may be able to receive assistance in the form of a Discretionary Care Grant. Further information about this assistance can be obtained from your local council.
