Drive or train to Twickenham? Which is quicker for you
We run a parking site, so you'd expect us to say drive. We'd rather you got there. Here is the honest version, origin by origin.
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What the train is like
Twickenham station is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the ground and has six trains an hour to Waterloo off-peak (about 30 minutes, calling at Richmond, Clapham Junction and Vauxhall), two an hour to Reading via Bracknell, two to Windsor, and two round the Teddington loop to Kingston. On match days South Western Railway adds trains and the station is staffed for crowds.
The catch is the way home. After a full house the station runs a queue system in the streets outside, and it can take 45 minutes to an hour to reach a platform. Every regular knows this and either walks to Whitton or St Margarets (both one stop away and about 20 minutes on foot), gets the RFU shuttle to Richmond, or stays in the pub for an hour. Add that to the timetable when you compare.
What driving is like
The A316 from the M3 is dual carriageway to within a mile of the ground, and the last mile is the problem: the Whitton Road roundabout queues from about two hours before kick-off. Park before you reach it (Whitton, Twickenham School on the A316, St Augustine's at Hospital Bridge Road) and you avoid the queue entirely. After the match, an hour's wait and you are on the motorway in 20 minutes; leave at the whistle from the wrong car park and you sit for 90. Read getting out after the match.
Costs: parking £20 to £45 (prices guide), ULEZ £12.50 if your car doesn't comply, fuel. Twickenham is outside the Congestion Charge zone.
Origin by origin
| Coming from | Train | Car | Our call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central London, Waterloo, Vauxhall | 30 min direct, 6+ an hour | 60–90 min on the A4/A316, ULEZ, then parking | Train, and walk to St Margarets afterwards |
| South London, Clapham, Wimbledon, Croydon | Change at Clapham Junction; 40–60 min | 45–75 min via the A3 or South Circular | Train unless you are four up |
| Richmond, Kew, Chiswick | One stop (a few minutes) | Pointless: you are inside the event zone | Train, bus or walk |
| Kingston, Surbiton, Teddington | Teddington loop, 15–25 min, 2 an hour | 25–40 min via the A310, parking in Twickenham town | Either. Train if the times fit; otherwise park at Kingston and ride |
| Woking, Guildford, Basingstoke (M3 corridor) | Change at Clapham Junction; 60–90 min | 40–70 min up the M3 to Whitton | Drive, park in Whitton, leave westbound |
| Reading, Bracknell, Ascot | Direct, about 45–55 min, 2 an hour | 50–80 min via the M4 or M3 | Train if the return times work; the last direct trains go earlier than the Waterloo ones |
| M4, Slough, Heathrow area | Feltham or Hounslow, then 10–15 min | 30–50 min; park in Hounslow or Feltham | Park and ride from Hounslow (RFU shuttle on big days) or Feltham |
| M25 north and east, Essex, Kent | Into Waterloo, then 30 min | M25 to J12 and the M3, 60–120 min | Train from a station with a car park; the M25 on a Saturday is the risk |
Journey times are typical off-peak figures; a Saturday afternoon on the M25 or engineering works on the Windsor line change the answer, so check both on the morning.
The middle option: park and ride
Drive to the edge of the crowd, finish by train, shuttle or foot. It keeps the car for the motorway part of the journey where it wins, and skips the last mile where it loses. Richmond, Hounslow, Feltham and Kingston all work: see park and ride and station car parks.
Things that tip the balance
- Kids, kit, weather. All argue for the car. A February 4.40pm kick-off with a nine-year-old is not a train-and-queue day.
- A drink. Argues for the train, or a designated driver and a car park with a two-hour grace period after the match.
- Sundays and engineering works. Check the rail timetable for the actual date. When the Windsor line is shut for works, the replacement bus makes driving the easy winner.
- Evening kick-offs. The last trains home to Reading and round the loop are the constraint. See the matchday timeline.
- Where you can get in and out easily. With a Blue Badge, the stadium's scheme is better than any train: accessible parking.
Questions drivers ask
- Is it better to drive or get the train to Twickenham?
- If you live on the Waterloo, Reading or Windsor lines, the train wins on the way there and loses on the way back, because Twickenham station queues for up to an hour after big matches. If you are coming from the M3, M4 or M25 with three or four in the car, driving and parking in Whitton or further out is usually quicker door to door and cheaper per head.
- How long is the train from Waterloo to Twickenham?
- About 30 minutes on the semi-fast services, which run around six times an hour off-peak with extra trains on match days. Vauxhall, Clapham Junction and Richmond are on the way, so most of south west London can join it.
- How long does the queue at Twickenham station take after a match?
- After an 80,000 crowd, the queuing system outside the station typically takes 45 minutes to an hour to clear. Walking to Whitton or St Margarets (about 20 minutes) usually gets you home sooner, or wait an hour in a pub.
- How much does it cost to drive to Twickenham?
- Parking is about £20 to £45, ULEZ is £12.50 if your car doesn’t meet the standard, plus fuel. Split four ways that is often less than four return train fares, and the car is warm and dry at the end of it.
Sources: South Western Railway timetables; Transport for London (ULEZ); Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (getting here); our own matchday experience of the A316 and the station queue.
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