Warbird Notes and Stories : Flying Legends Duxford

Flying Legends Duxford - Part 2 of 4 - Getting to Cambridge & Duxford

There are many options to get to the Cambridge - Duxford area, bus, train, or taxi. We chose a taxi, since there were the four of us to share the fare,

After existing UK LHR Customs, we easily found the Panther Taxi driver holding up a sign with our name. A short walk out to the airport parkade and in a few minutes we were on our way to Cambridge.

The bus or train to Cambridge would be fine too, there are buses direct from the airport to Cambridge. Taking the train would involve getting to the train station, probably via the tube ( subway), and we were discouraged to go on the tube as our luggage would have been extremely cumbersome on the subway and train. If I was lightly loaded, I'd try the train.

So after a pleasant hour and a half cab ride with Panther Taxi we were at the Earl of Derby Inn at Cambridge.

We did not rent a car, we are all glad we did not rent, the traffic is heavy and every one drives on the wrong side of the road............maybe next time.

Getting to Duxford Airfield - UK warbird mecca!

Duxford airport is 7 miles SSW of Cambridge, Duxford village is 1.5 miles from Duxford Airport, Whittlesford Parkway train station is 1.5 miles from the airfield. These distances are helpful if you are not getting drop off at the door and walking from the bus or train stop.

We planned to go to Duxford airfield - Imperial War Museum - Flying Legends for four days and we ended up going there for six days and since the airshow shuttle buses only run on airshow days (Saturday and Sunday), we needed transportation to Duxford for the week days.

We decided on a weekly "Megarider" bus pass on Stagecoach Bus in Cambridge.

We purchased the bus pass from the bus driver using cash though one should be able to buy the bus pass online.

There are Stagecoach buses that run to Duxford Airfield and / or to Duxford village. The bus stop to Duxford was near the train station, if in doubt ask a bus drive at one of the stops - don't get on the wrong bus.

Bright and early on Tuesday morning we headed off to Duxford via the Stagecoach bus to scout things out at the airfield, we are so pumped for this big day. We asked the bus driver on getting to the Duxford airfield, he said we needed to transfer at Sawston village. We got off at Swaston and waited and waited and waited for the next bus, finally after a hour that Duxford airfield bus came, that bus took us to the airfield alright, but the stop was a fair distance away from the IWM front door, almost a km, oh well!

bus transfer wait at Sawston

Our previous web searches had mentioned posts on walking from the Duxford village bus stop to the airfield, and that's what we did on subsequent days. We asked the bus driver to let us out on the last stop before turning into Duxford village and we walked to the air field.

The bus ride from Cambridge to Duxford village bus stop took ~ forty minutes, the ride is fun and winds through the country side, very senic.

The walk from the bus stop to the airfield is ~ brisk 30 minutes long, there is a foot path and the scenery beautiful, It was a great way to get our morning exercise in If your bus driver is agreeable see if the bus will drop you off on the highway before the turn into Duxford village

On Friday, we got braver and decided to explore the train option. The closest train station to Duxford airfield is Whittlesford Parkway station. Here we are queued up to buy a round trip ticket, no problem, the ticket agent is very helpful. The Cambridge train station is a very busy place at rush hour, lots of travellers and commuters, be early and attentive.

train ticket

The route map seemed simple enough!

Of course we almost missed our train by being on the wrong platform - if not sure on where to go ask someone, there are lots of "agents" to help on the platforms.