Explore the UK and Europe from Huddersfield

Trains link Huddersfield with Manchester and Leeds

As much as I love the great research and teaching facilities in University of Huddersfield, I equally love Huddersfield for its convenient location. Situated in West Yorkshire in northern England, Huddersfield is well-connected to all major cities across the UK such as Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London to name a few. I frequently travel to Leeds and Manchester to explore the trendy restaurants and shops there, and enjoy my favourite Sunday brunch – French toast! The direct train takes between 20-45 minutes. By purchasing a student discount railcard, you can save up to 30% on each journey making it a great value for money. The one-way ticket to Leeds could be as low as a few pounds!

Peak District National Park is close to Huddersfield

Huddersfield is also close to the famous Peak District, one of many national parks in the UK. The hikes and walks around the Peak District are my favourite way to de-stress and get rejuvenated before a busy week starts, especially during spring and summer time.  You can buy student discounted tickets that gives you unlimited travel around the local region. 

London, the capital city of the UK, is another place I frequent as I have a lot of friends and family there. You can get to London in two and a half hours by train. If you book in advance and use your student discount, you may get a really affordable ticket! Coaches are also available, but as coaches don't run as fast as trains you would expect the journey is a few hours longer. I get terribly car sick, so for everyone’s best, I typically stick to the train.

Historical cities around Huddersfield are perfect for weekend getaway

There are lots of historical cities in UK that are perfect for weekend getaways. Via train, I have travelled further north to Liverpool and Edinburgh, which offer something for everyone from museums and parks to great local food and pubs. During the festive period, I strongly recommend visiting the Christmas markets in York which is only about an hour away from Huddersfield via a direct train. The city has a certain old world charm with quaint streets and local delicacies. I even enjoyed visiting the Train Museum and York Minster there. If you want to travel further, the city of Bath (in the south of UK), also has lovely Christmas markets, and the ancient Roman baths and Stonehenge are also very close by. 

Direct train from Huddersfield to international airport, with great connectivity to European cities

Huddersfield is also not far away from international airports. There is a direct train from Huddersfield to the airport, where I take direct flight back to my hometown Mumbai at least once a year. Coming from India, where travelling around Europe is extremely expensive and takes forever, I have managed to make good use of UK’s great connectivity to different European cities. Last summer I took short trips to Greece and Spain from Manchester. If you can travel light, and book in advance it is easy to find affordable tickets and accommodation options. One important reminder: do check if you need a separate visa before booking flight tickets!

Overall, travel around and from Huddersfield is very convenient because of the easily available trains and coaches. All train service providers have their live schedules on their website where you can stay informed of any changes or updates. 

Life at Huddersfield has been enriching in multiple ways for me. As much as I enjoy the work and research, I also have the chance to explore my other passions during my time here. I hope you do too!