Travelling to Preston
Preston boasts excellent connectivity and is situated in the heart of Lancashire's transport network, making travelling to the city a straightforward affair, wherever you're coming from. This handy guide can help you plan your journey when travelling to Preston by road, rail, or bus.
By road
Preston is easy to travel to, thanks to motorways connecting the city with the north, south, east and west.
You can reach Preston from the following motorways:
- M6 - The M6 connects the North with the South and provides easy access into Preston and its city centre from major towns and cities. Some of these places include London, Liverpool, Lancaster, and the Lake District.
- M55 - If travelling from the West, the M55 connects Blackpool to Preston.
- M65 - The M65 links the East with Preston, ideal for those travelling from many towns and cities in the East, including Blackburn, Burnley, and Colne.
- M61 - The M61 makes Preston easily accessible via Manchester and other Northern locations, including Manchester airport.
By rail
Getting to Preston by rail makes a convenient option, with Preston Train Station being a principal station on the West Coast Main Line from London to Glasgow.
Routes to Preston run from London Euston, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh, with a direct link travelling to Manchester Airport.
With routes from London taking less than 2.5 hours with Avanti West Coast, you can enjoy an easy journey to Preston from the south in a relaxed fashion with Wi-Fi, power sockets and Quiet Zones.
For train times and prices visit National Rail or Trainline.
By bus
Preston's architecturally unique Bus Station is the largest bus station in the UK and provides a central location for local and national bus and coach companies.
There are frequent coach journeys to, or calling at, Preston. These include coaches from National Express and Megabus.
Local bus services link to Preston from:
- Chorley
- Morecambe
- Southport
- Leyland
- Blackpool
- Lancaster
- Blackburn
- Burnley
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Manchester
- Liverpool
For a list of timetables see Lancashire County Council - Preston bus station times and interchanges.
By air
Preston is well positioned within an hour's drive of the following major airports:
- Manchester International Airport (approximately 50 minutes by car and linked by rail)
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport (approximately 50 minutes by car)
City centre parking
Parking in Preston City Centre is straightforward, thanks to a number of options. For details on car parks see City Centre Parking.