Girton College - journey to and from

Hi - I’m thinking of applying to Girton this October and would really appreciate people’s honest opinions /reviews on the daily travel to and from the town for lectures & socialising etc (ideally from current or past students who have actually experienced it for themselves). I’ve read other posts online but the comments are from some time ago and I’m keen to ascertain what the travel situation is genuinely like ‘nowadays’ ie has the bus frequency into town improved etc … is it genuinely a 45 minute walk as some have commented and is the 10-15 minute cycle ride genuinely a little dangerous with the traffic on Huntingdon Road or entirely reasonable for a newbie cyclist … ? What is the most common way most of the students get to & from the town/city centre ….? any help much appreciated !

I'm not a Girtonian but know the journey/have had teaching there, so happy to weigh in with my view. Firstly, yes, it's genuinely a 45 minute walk. Most people I know cycle[d] it rather than walking, and it isn't particularly dangerous - there are cycle lanes all the way, much of them being separated or slightly raised from the road. Cambridge drivers are used to sharing the road with cyclists, including beginners, and you can go as fast or slow as you need to without really causing anyone any trouble - even on most of the narrow roads in the city centre, as a lot of which are restricted access anyway. Being Cambridge, it has the advantage of being almost entirely flat.

There are also buses if you'd rather (or if it's raining and you don't feel like getting soaked) - about four an hour in most of the day (not evenly spaced), although none after about 10.30 p.m. and Sundays are even less frequent/late. So cycling is usually preferred. If you can, get some practice on quiet roads before you arrive in Cambridge, but even if you can't, most people adapt to it pretty quickly and you'll be confident by the end of your first year, if not your first term! As a result of being a little further out (and having a comparatively large undergrad community), Girtonians tend to also be a pretty close-knit bunch, so you'll probably find yourself socialising a lot within your college too. At any rate, I don't think the distance from the centre should put you off applying if you like the college generally. Of course, if you get the chance to visit beforehand, you can also get a sense of these things yourself - worth emailing the college first to check they'll have you in, given the times, but usually they're inclined to be welcoming to prospective applicants.