Located in the centre of England in Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon is very conveniently positioned just south of Birmingham. Only a few miles from the M40 motorway, making it easy to access by car from all directions.
If you’re visiting from overseas, the nearest airport is Birmingham International, less than half an hour’s drive by car or taxi.
By Car
Stratford lies just a few miles west of the M40. The easiest way to get to the town centre or many of the Stratford-upon-Avon hotels is to follow the signs from Junction 15 of the motorway, and it’s an easy journey just a few minutes down the main road.
If you’re travelling from the east and follow the signs from the a 46, which runs past Coventry and Warwick, or if driving up the M4 tea from London and the South. You can take a slight shortcut (and more scenic route). By exiting the motorway at J13, and following signs to Wellesbourne, then on to Alveston, and the East side of Stratford-upon-Avon. This is particularly useful if you’re staying at one of the hotels on this side of the river, such as Alveston Manor or the Swans Nest Hotel as it avoids the main town centre.
Approximate driving times are as follows:
From London – 2 hours
From Birmingham – 45 minutes
From Manchester – 2 to 2.5 hours
From Bristol – 1.5 hours
By Coach
National Express runs 3 or 4 coaches a day from London’s Victoria Station to Stratford-upon-Avon. Most coaches run direct and take 2.5 to 3.5 hours. There are also one or two direct coaches each day from Birmingham Coach Station, which takes just under an hour to reach Stratford.
By Train
Stratford is only connected by rail from the north, so if you’re travelling by rail, you’ll need to go via Birmingham. Trains run direct from Birmingham, roughly once an hour and take approximately one hour to reach Stratford-upon-Avon.