Finding Your Way Around Leeds

• 04 Jan, '16
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As a city, Leeds is one of the simplest to travel to. Easily accessible from Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, the wider Yorkshire area and London, it is even a simple journey from as far afield as Brussels and Paris! By road, it is reachable from all directions with the M62 running east to west and the M1 from London, north. You can even fly to Leeds from other domestic airports or from the continent inexpensively throughout the year.

Staying central?

Getting around Leeds is actually pretty easy. If you’re sticking to the city centre, you may as well walk. Leeds centre is mostly pedestrianised with the majority of shopping and main tourist attractions within comfortable walking distance.

With numerous street maps dotted around the city centre you can’t really go wrong. If walking isn’t your thing, there’s a bus that circles the outer city centre every 6-7 minutes and you can hop on for around 50p.

Wanting to travel further afield?

First are the largest transport providers in Leeds (as with many other university towns). A huge number of buses run regular services from or through the city centre and out to other popular areas such as Headingley, known as a student and sports hotspot. Or perhaps out to Chapel Allerton for its trendy bars and restaurants.

There are several bus services that run out from the city centre university campuses and to the surrounding shopping centres such as White Rose, Seacroft and moor Allerton so there’s little chance that you’ll be stuck if you don’t have a car.

If you’re looking for a day of sightseeing rather than shopping a MetroDay ticket can be purchased for £5-£6 and can be used on all bussed in Leeds and West Yorkshire for the day. The local transport authority also provide online and text facilities to help you keep track of bus times as you hop from place to place.

Taxi

As you’d expect from a busy city, Leeds is catered to by a huge range of different taxi services. The black and white cabs in the city can be flagged down wherever you are which is convenient if you don’t want to wait.

There are also a number of other companies in both the city and surrounding areas which may offer slightly better prices when booked in advance (if you have time to wait) so it’s always worth shopping around. A list of these companies can be found through a simple google search for the area or using www.minicabit.com. If you’re travelling at night it's worth using Uber as it does mean that you don’t have to worry about cash.

Boats

Although not a main method of transport, the shuttle boat is a lovely way to travel between the station (Granary Wharf) and the Royal Armouries Museum and Clarence Dock if you’re looking for a change of pace.

Cycling

Cycling is a great way to get around the city if for no other reason than fresh air and no parking fees! There are plenty of cycle route throughout the city and further afield (if you have an afternoon spare) and the city council are planning to expand the cycle network to include a new Chapeltown to City Centre route.

If you’re taking your own bike, check out the secure storage at Leeds City Station from CyclePoint who also offer maintenance and repair day services as well as rental schemes, bike sales and demonstration to make sure you’re secure on your wheels.