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Transport and cycling facilities

This page has two parts. The first covers how to get to and from LSE by public transport or bike, along with guidance on walking around London and information for drivers. The second is for anyone cycling regularly, covering everything you need once you're on campus: parking, storage, showers and bike maintenance.

Part 1 - Getting to LSE

This section is for those who are new to LSE. If you are not sure how to arrive to campus, please see below how you can reach us via walking, public transport, cycling or driving. 

Walking

The easiest and cheapest way to get to know London and move between campus and halls of residence is walking. LSE sits between Aldwych and Kingsway, a short walk from Holborn, Covent Garden and Temple stations.

Central London has poor air quality, especially along busy roads. Sticking to quieter streets on your route can meaningfully cut how much pollution you're exposed to.

A few tools worth using:

Directions to each hall of residence are on our accommodation page. Approximate walking times to each hall are listed below:

  • High Holborn Residence – 15 minutes
  • Bankside House – 30 minutes
  • Passfield Hall – 30 minutes
  • Carr-Saunders Hall – 35 minutes
  • Rosebery Hall – 35 minutes
  • Butler’s Wharf Residence – 55 minutes
  • Robeson House – 1 hour 20 minutes

If you want to explore further on foot, join a local walking group through Living Streets or Inner London Ramblers.

Public transport

Full information on any form of public transport throughout London and a journey planner service for walking, cycling, underground, buses and trains can be found on the Transport for London website.

If you're a student, the 18+ Student Oyster photocard gives 30% off weekly and monthly travel, and a 16–25 or 26–30 Railcard gets you a third off rail fares, worth having if you're using the stations below regularly.

The following London Underground (tube) stations are near the LSE campus:

  • Holborn (Central Line and Piccadilly Line),
  • Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line),
  • Temple (Circle Line and District Line),
  • Leicester Square (Northern Line),
  • Charing Cross (Bakerloo Line),
  • Waterloo (Jubilee Line)
  • Farringdon (Metropolitan Line and Hammersmith and City Line).

Buses that stop on or near the Aldwych are numbers: 1, 9, 15, 23, 26, 59, 68, 76, 87, 91, 172, 188, 243, 341 and SL6. Each bus stop should show which buses stop there and their frequency. On the front of the bus the final destination will be given. It may also show the names of the main stops on its route.

The closest mainline rail stations to the LSE campus are:

  • Waterloo – on the other side of the river from the Strand over Waterloo Bridge. Approximately 10–15 minutes walk. Trains to and from the south coast and south west of England.
  • Charing Cross – on the Trafalgar Square end of the Strand. Approximately a 10 minute walk. Trains mainly to south east London and Kent.
  • City Thameslink - on Ludgate Hill at the end of Fleet Street. Approximately 10-15 minutes walk.  Trains to Brighton (inc. Gatwick airport) and Bedford (inc Luton airport).
  • Blackfriars – on the Embankment near Blackfriars Bridge. Approximately 10–15 minutes walk. Trains mainly to south London and south east England, but also the First Capital Connect line through north London.
  • Farringdon or Tottenham Court Rd - both approximately 15 minutes walk. Trains to Heathrow or Reading and Abbey Wood or Shenfield on the new Elizabeth Line.
  • Euston – on Euston Road, close to the northern end of Tottenham Court Road. Approximately 30 minutes walk. Trains to the north of England.
  • King's Cross – on Euston Road, close to the British Library. Approximately 30 minutes walk. Trains to the north of England and to Scotland.
  • St Pancras International – on Euston Road, close to King's Cross station. Approximately 30 minutes walk. Serves the Eurostar and trains to the Midlands and Kent.
  • Liverpool Street – past St Paul's Cathedral and the Bank of England from the end of Fleet Street. Approximately 30 minutes walk. Trains to Stansted Airport and Southend Airport.

Cycling

LSE's campus is centred on Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE, between Kingsway and the Strand. London can be a daunting place to take to the saddle, but there's plenty of help out there to get you started. Riding a bike is good for your health, good for the environment, cost effective and fun!

You can plan a quiet route to LSE by ordering a free map from Transport for London. You can also use the bicycle icon on google maps, the Transport for London journey planner or use a cycling app to work out the best way to go. 

The Santander Cycle Hire Scheme have docking stations on Houghton Street, Sardinia Street and Portugal Street. The bikes are available for 24 hours a day and are great for short journeys around central London. There are many other bike hire schemes available, such a Lime and Forest, this article on Cyclist is a handy guide to what’s available.

We have a large, friendly community of cyclist at LSE. Join our Bicycle User Group on Teams to connect or look out for our community noticeboards in the cycle parking areas at Marshall Building and the basement of Pankhurst/Fawcett Towers.

Driving

We recommend against driving to campus. There is strictly no parking on campus, and LSE is located within both the Congestion Charge zone and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Limited public short-stay on-street parking is available on Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Sardinia Street.

Limited public short-stay and Blue Badge/Accessible parking bays are available on-street at Lincoln's Inn Fields, Sardinia Street and Portugal Street. These are also the nearest public EV Charging points.

AccessAble have produced detailed access guides to the LSE campus and residences, including route maps between locations. These guides are available online.

 

Part 2 - Cycling facilities at LSE

This section is for cyclists: what to buy when you're starting out, where to park and shower on campus, the rules for e-bikes, keeping your bike running, and what happens if a bike is abandoned.

Getting started

If you don’t already have a bike, here’s what you need to get set up for cycling to and around LSE. Westminster Wheels offer affordable refurbished bikes and can be found not far from Marylebone station.

Alongside the bike itself, you’ll also need:

  • A helmet – make sure it’s fitted properly and securely attached. It should cover your forehead, with the straps comfortably tight under your chin.
  • A bike lock
  • Front and back bike lights
  • A high-visibility jacket

LSE staff can take advantage of Cyclescheme  which can save you money on the cost of a new bike and cycling gear through a salary sacrifice arrangement. Student discounts may be available through one of the many discount schemes LSE students have access to.

Membership of the London Cycling Campaign is available for a small annual fee. Members benefit from third party liability insurance, free legal advice, discounts on bike insurance, servicing and repairs and a host of other benefits.

We recommend registering your bike with The National Cycle Database | BikeRegister so you can be reunited with your bike in the event of it being stolen. Free bike marking sessions are also run on campus from time-to-time. See Bike maintenance below for how to find out when.

Cycle Confident offer free cycling training for adults of all abilities. Whether you’re a first time rider or a regular cyclist looking to improve your skills, one-to-one or group sessions can be booked in many boroughs across London through their website.

Parking, lockers and showers

On campus there are 467 cycle parking spaces requiring LSE ID card access (mostly indoor and covered) and 526 outdoor open-access spaces with no card needed. There are also open-access cycle parking spaces bordering the campus on Kingsway and Aldwych.

All LSE halls of residence have cycle parking facilities.  

Access to secure cycle storage and shower facilities is determined by the building access assigned to your LSE swipe card. These areas are monitored by LSE Security CCTV. If you need assistance, for example, you're locked out or want to report an issue, call Security on 020 7955 6200.

Bicycles must be stored in designated bicycle storage facilities. They are not permitted inside school buildings, including office space or communal areas. 

Folding bikes must measure no more than 565mm(h) x 586mm(w) x 270mm(d) and must be folded before entering any campus building. They may then be stored within office space, provided they don't cause an obstruction, or in the folding bike lockers available in MAR B1.04.

Shower facilities are located in FAW basement (5 gender neutral shower rooms). There is also a small drying room in FAW B.14A. Please note items are left at owner’s risk.

Cycle parking & closest showering facilities

Locations use LSE building codes - see the campus map if you're not sure what a code refers to.

Cycle parking

Access arrangements

Number of bike parking spaces 

Closest shower facilities **M/F/GN 

Closest locker facilities

FAW/PAN basement

Access with LSE ID card

207

FAW B.14 - B.18a GN (5)
CBG G.10 GN (1)

OLD B.24

MAR G and B1 (partially covered)

Access with LSE ID card 

244

MAR B1.04 GN (3)

MAR B1.04

Clare Market (adjacent SSC)

Outdoor open access

22

CBG G.10 GN (1)
OLD B.15 M (2) B.05 F (1)

OLD B.24

Clements Inn (outside PAN/FAW)

Outdoor open access (6am - 10pm)

60

FAW B.14 - B.18a GN (5)
CBG G.10 GN (1)
CLM MB.02 GN (1)

OLD B.24

Grange Court (Between LRB and Royal Courts of Justice)

Outdoor open access

62

CBG G.10 GN (1) 
LRB GF R.7 GN (1)

SAW 2.05
OLD B.24

John Watkins Plaza (opposite Plaza Cafe)

Outdoor access with LSE ID card

16

LRB GF R.7 GN (1)

SAW 2.05
OLD B.24

John Watkins Plaza (opposite main entrance)

Outdoor open access

30

LRB GF R.7 GN (1)

SAW 2.05
OLD B.24

Lincoln's Inn Fields (corner opposite MAR)

Outdoor open access

56

MAR B1.04 GN (3)

MAR B1.04

SAL

Outdoor open access

76

SAL B.35 M (2) B.36 F (2)

MAR B1.04

New Inn Passage (between COL/CBG)

Outdoor open access

20

CBG G.10 GN (1)
OLD B.15 M (2) B.05 F (1)

OLD B.24

PEA/PAR

Outdoor open access

48

SAW 4.02A M (7) 4.02C F (7) 4.20B GN (1)
OLD B.15 M (2) B.05 F (1)

SAW 2.05
OLD B.24

Portugal Street (opposite George IV pub)

Outdoor open access

30

LRB GF R.7 GN (1)
COW G.11 (M), COW G.12 (F)

SAW 2.05
OLD B.24

Portugal Street (outside LRB)

Outdoor open access

30

LRB GF R.7 GN (1)
COW G.11 (M), COW G.12 (F)

SAW 2.05
OLD B.24

Sardinia Street (Opposite CKK)

Outdoor open access

22

CKK B.01 M (2) B.03 F (2)

MAR B1.04

SAW

Outdoor open access

20

SAW 4.02A M (7) 4.02C F (7) 4.20B GN (1)

SAW 2.05

Sheffield Street (outside SAW)

Outdoor open access

38

SAW 4.02A M (7) 4.02C F (7) 4.20B GN (1)

SAW 2.05

St Clement's Lane (behind Alumni Centre

Outdoor open access

12

CBG G.10 GN (1)
LRB GF R.7 GN (1)  OLD B.15 M (2) B.05 F (1)

OLD B.24

 

** Male/Female/Gender Neutral

Lockers

Locker Type

Location

Access

Allocation

Requirements/Cost

Available

Cyclist

MAR B1.04

LSE card

First come first served

Key code lock
No charge

Day use

Cyclist folding
bike lockers

MAR B1.04

LSE card

First come first served

Key code lock
No charge

Day use

General use

MAR B2 
outside changing rooms

 

First come first served

Key code lock
No charge

Day use

General use  

OLD B.27

LSE card

First come first served 

Padlock min 6.3mm hasp (can be purchased from SU Shop)  
Conditions of Use 

Academic year

General use

OLD Basement Red lockers (outside OLD B.10)

LSE card

First come, first served

Key code lock
No charge

Day use

General use 

SAW 2.05

 

First come, first served

£15 deposit

From SU reception SAW 3rd floor

Gym users

SAW 4th floor (changing rooms)

 

First come, first served

£1 coin required (refundable)
For gym users only, when using the gym.

 

Gym users

SAW 4th floor (outside changing rooms)

 

First come, first served

£1 coin required (refundable)
For gym users only, when using the gym.

 

Gym/sports facility users

MAR B2 changing rooms (M/F)

 

First come first served

Key code lock
No charge

Day use

Laptop

OLD G.15

LSE card

First come first served  

No charge

 

 

E-bikes

E-bikes are permitted at LSE; however, due to fire safety requirements, specific restrictions apply.

Where you can park

E-bikes may be parked at any external cycle parking facilities on campus.

Covered and secure e-bike parking is available:

  • Outside the Lionel Robbins Building (behind the Plaza Café)
  • In the below-ground cycle parking area at the Marshall Building

Where you cannot park

E-bikes are not permitted within closed basement areas (including the FAW/PAN) or inside any building.

Batteries and charging

E-bike batteries must not be brought into LSE buildings for storage or charging due to fire risk. LSE is currently exploring options for safe and convenient on-campus charging facilities, and further information will be shared once available.

Bike maintenance

Bike pumps can be found in the bike storage areas in FAW and MAR basements and outside SAW (opposite Parish Hall). Bike maintenance stations with essential hand-tools are also available in FAW and MAR basements. If you notice any problems with the pumps or repair stations please contact the Estates Helpdesk on Estates-Help-Desk@lse.ac.uk.

Look out for Dr Bike pop ups (free bike checks and basic repairs) and bike marking pop-up sessions on campus, which generally occur termly.  These are organised by @SustainableLSE and will be promoted on social media and in the Green Flash monthly newsletter.

Abandoned bikes

Abandoned bikes are tagged by our Security Team each September. Any bike remaining unclaimed two weeks after tagging will be moved to secure storage and donated to Cycle Confident, our charity partner. For queries, contact the Security Team.

 

 2025 Cycling Facilities map

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