Visiting east London

Here are a few simple guidelines about your visit to east London.

Getting around

If you are school in a London Borough you can apply for apply for free off peak travel using the School Party Travel Scheme. Make sure you register with the scheme and apply for the ticket well in advance of the trip date. For schools from outside London please refer to the TfL website for ticketing details.

Staying overnight

There are a large number of hotels in and around Stratford where groups can stay including Travelodge, Premier Inn, Ibis, Holiday Inn, etc. The YHA London Lee Valley in Cheshunt provides affordable accommodation in a quiet setting 20 minutes by train from Stratford.

Should we come by road or rail?

Your choice of travel will probably depend upon the age group and number of students. Stratford is easily accessible by both coach and public transport as the area has excellent transport links.

Arriving by rail

Stratford is very accessible from London rail terminus stations.

From Paddington it’s a direct link using the Elizabeth line to Stratford. Make sure you use the Shenfield spur of the line.
Liverpool Street, it’s a direct link by Central and Elizabeth Lines to Stratford.
From Marylebone, Waterloo (including Waterloo East), London Bridge, it’s a direct link by Jubilee Line.
From Kings Cross and St Pancras, there’s a very fast connection via South Eastern high speed trains to Stratford International – just six minutes! Cheaper options involve travel by Northern Line to London Bridge, then changing to the Jubilee Line.
From Victoria and Charing Cross, take the District Line east to Mile End, and change at Mile End and travel one further station to Stratford. The change at Mile End is extremely easy, just cross the platform.
If you’re travelling in through South-West London, it will be considerably cheaper and easier for you to travel to Richmond, then catch the overground direct to Stratford (taking about an hour).
Similarly, travel from South-East London is easy by changing to the DLR at Lewisham.
If you are travelling from Kent the fast line in from Ebbsfleet brings you straight into Stratford international Station. The journey takes approximately 12 minutes. The station at Ebbsfleet has ample room for parking.

Almost all rail companies offer substantial group discounts to school students. Book your travel with a rail company at least one month before your date of travel.

Arriving by road

In general, we recommend public transport but accept that many schools will prefer to arrive by coach. Groups usually meet us at the coach pull ins outside the car park for Stratford International Railway station post code E20 1YY. This is also the pick up point at the end of the day. Parking for coaches in east London is limited, but the CoachBuddy website highlights possible parking locations in the area.