Royal Holloway is ideal for travelling to and from if you live in London or the South East of England.
Many of our students choose to commute to our campus. From free parking permits and flexible learning options to access to University of London facilities, choosing to commute can be a great alternative to living in halls.
Getting here
- By car. If you live further than 1.5 miles away and wish to drive to campus, you can apply for a free parking permit to park on campus
- Public transport. Egham is on the Reading to Waterloo train line, managed by South Western Railway. Trains run regularly throughout the day, with additional services during busy times. See National Rail for up-to-date timetables.
- A 16-25 railcard can save you a 1/3 on rail fares. The campus is a 20-minute walk from the station, or for £1 a journey (contactless available) you can catch the university shuttle bus from Egham station to the main campus.
There is also a good network of local buses from nearby towns such as Slough, Staines and Windsor.
Planning your time
Academic department timetables are all available online, and any changes are made 48 hours beforehand so you can plan your time in between lectures.
Our Student Lounge is a great place to hang out and meet other students. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am-6pm and you can relax, grab a coffee and chat to friends. We also run regular events there like the Relax and Refresh hour.
You'll also be able to use our library which has extended opening hours, including 24/7 at some points of the year. Be inspired to study in our historic Victorian Reading Room or take a relaxing stroll within our 135-acre woodland. There are plenty of other places to relax, have a hot drink or a snack or simply meet with friends. Our cafes are open throughout the day, with some open early morning and into the evening.
Our societies and sports clubs hold activities and events at various times, with Wednesday afternoons clear of lectures and seminars so you can get involved in other activities, for example, sports matches.
Our sports centre and fitness suite is open to all our students, and a range of exercise classes take place throughout the day and evening.
You can also access health services with our on-campus NHS health centre and support from our Wellbeing teams.
Making friends
The focus of your first few weeks at Royal Holloway is Welcome Week, where you can join activities aimed at helping new students settle in, whether they live in halls or commute to campus. Examples of activities include campus tours, icebreakers and sports events.
Students make new friends throughout their university life, not just in Halls. You may meet fellow students with similar interests on your course, in one of our societies or clubs, or even a fellow commuter.
Many of our students take on a part-time job on campus, for example, as a Student Ambassador or in one of our cafes, many of which have opportunities to work just in the daytime.
Hear from our commuting student Naveen about living at home and commuting to Royal Holloway.
