The cost of transport at Warwick University

So you made it to Warwick and, as a first-year, you’ll be blessed with the option of a guaranteed room on campus. Well, make the most of it, for when you need to travel into campus, you’ll definitely miss the comfort of proximity. As students, if you are going to be moving about the area, you’ll be eager to save as much money as you can – so, here’s a breakdown of the main forms of transport you could take.

Buses here are notoriously unreliable…

Bus

By far the most popular option – by usage, that is, and most certainly not by popularity. Even for buses, the buses at Warwick take the mickey. Buses here are notoriously unreliable, and the service only ever seems to get poorer but, if you live off-campus/want to visit off-campus, they are the easiest route.

National Express has a 3-term ticket for £299, with Stagecoach’s costing £358…

There are two main bus providers – National Express and Stagecoach. The former tends to be Coventry routes, the latter Leamington and everywhere else. If you’re going to be using them frequently, a bus pass is normally the way to go. National Express has a 3-term ticket for £299, with Stagecoach’s costing £358 (it goes as far as Bedworth, though you don’t want to go there – take it from a local!). You want to be careful with them, though – last year, Stagecoach scrapped a policy enabling lost bus passes to be replaced cheaply, so misplacing one now sees you having to re-purchase the original – it would be a big hit, to put it mildly.

Car

Motoring can be an easy option (it’s the one I personally use). What costs are involved here – you need a car and insurance, and you’ll of course need fuel as you go. You know; all the motoring stuff. Warwick-specifically, you’re looking at £4 a day to park if you’re planning to stay for more than 4 hours, and that’s if you can get a spot.

In order to be green, the uni has fewer spaces than it needs and discourages students from driving. If you’re after a space, you need to come early – I find that the car parks are normally full by eight in the morning. But at least you’ll avoid the traffic and those crammed buses…

The uni itself is very pro-bike – it has 3,500 bike spaces on campus…

Bicycle

If you don’t fancy four wheels, how about two? Depending on where you live, cycling can be a great and cost-effective option to come into the university. The uni itself is very pro-bike – it has 3,500 bike spaces on campus, and it runs a bike repair and maintenance service every Friday on the Piazza.

The uni has connections to a supplier of discount bikes, available for £159.99…

In terms of cost, you’ll obviously need a bike and the safety gear (the uni has connections to a supplier of discount bikes, available for £159.99) and, if you register your bike with the Security Gatehouse or Porters Lodge, you can claim a free D-lock. Cycling itself can be quick – there are routes from Coventry and Kenilworth, although you’d be pushing it (literally) to come from Leamington, unless you’re related to Bradley Wiggins.

Walking

The best value option is obviously taking to the streets by foot and marching your way into campus, costing absolutely nothing – money-wise, that is (except for an umbrella on rainy days).

Instead, it is time that will cost you dearly, with some destinations using up far more than others. The only really feasible place to walk from is Canley, which is half an hour away at most (according to some highly scientific research on Google Maps). Both Kenilworth and Earlsdon are an hour or so away, with Leamington almost three hours by foot (imagine the early start you’d have to make to be in for those nine o’clock lectures). Walking also faces the same issue as cycling – you’re prone to the elements. An hour walk in the pouring rain or freezing cold is hardly the start to the day most people enjoy.