A Short Guide To Getting Around KU Campuses and Commuting to Kingston University

Although the prospect of commuting can sometimes be a bit intimidating to students - especially for first years who might be worried about making friends and settling in - you’ll be glad to know you’re not alone. Over 50% of Kingston University students live at home or off campus, and the university offers numerous services and facilities to support commuting students – regardless of how far they’ve travelled! :smile:

Try out the (free!) inter-site bus service.
Depending on your course, you may occasionally have lectures at one or two different campuses – and whilst this is a great opportunity to see what each of the KU campuses have on offer, you might find it frustrating if you have to rely on local bus schedules and pay London bus prices just to get to your next lecture. Luckily, KU’s free inter-site bus service can take you directly from one campus to the next - and with on-board WiFi and a live tracker available through the KU App, using it should be an absolute no-brainer. Personally, I use it a lot to travel between the Kingston Hill and Penrhyn Road campuses, and I find it really relaxing to just be able to listen to music and not have to worry about checking for the right stop.

(KU buses also regularly stop at both Kingston and Surbiton train station, so if you commute by train, you can easily hop off the train and get a quick ride to campus!)

If you do travel by train - consider getting a Railcard!
Although it is a London borough, Kingston-upon-Thames also borders Surrey – which means lots of KU students come from both inside and outside of London. If you’re coming from another London borough, consider applying for an 18+ Student Oyster Card for discounted TfL travel, and if you’re coming from further out, consider a Railcard – for only £30 a year, a 16-25/26-30 Railcard saves you 1/3 on rail journeys. Although it might only seem like a few pounds off at first, the savings quickly add up!

Figure out your closest train station.
The main train stations that Kingston students tend to use are Kingston and Surbiton– but if you’re a commuter, it might be worth checking out other nearby ones as well in case they have more direct links to and from where you’re staying. Norbiton, New Malden, Berrylands and Richmond (especially if you’re using the Underground) are all relatively nearby stations with easy bus and train connections to Kingston.

Make use of the facilities on offer!
Commuting can feel stressful at times, especially if it’s one of those weeks where you’re in class nearly every day and you’re beginning to feel a bit burnt out. However, it’s important to remember that there are on-campus facilities that can make that commute just a bit easier – showers are available to students at Roehampton Vale, Kingston Hill and Penrhyn Road, and most common spaces/cafes will have a microwave for you to heat up any food from home.

As always, I hope this was helpful – and if you commute to campus and have any tips, or are thinking about commuting and have any questions, make sure to leave them down below! :biggrin: