By Road:

From North and South take the A1(M) to Junction 62. Take the A690, sign posted Durham city centre. Follow this to the second roundabout (Leazes Bowl) from where all city car parks are signposted. A list of city car parks suitable for use over the weekend are listed on our parking page.  Central Durham is mostly pedestrianised and car parking is limited so please consider arriving by public transport.

If you are bringing a coach, approach Durham as above and from the Leazes Bowl roundabout follow the A690 straight on, then immediately after passing under a bridge and before crossing the river, turn left onto Walkergate. There is a coach drop off point on the left here marked on our map page in yellow. Coaches should then follow the road (Freeman's Place) onwards alongside the river and the designated coach car park is on the left.

By Rail:

Durham train station is a short walk from the centre of the city and is on the east coast mainline. Trains take approximately 3 hours from London Kings Cross and Birmingham New Street and 2 hours from Edinburgh Waverley.
Use National Rail Enquiries to plan your route. For passenger information telephone 08457 484950.

By Bus:

National Express Coaches (www.nationalexpress.com) stop at Durham on routes from all parts of the country. For a cheaper option, the nearest stop for the megabus (www.megabus.com) service is Newcastle, with frequent local buses and trains to Durham.

Directions to IVFDF reception from the bus station:

Turn right out of the bus station. Follow this road (North Road) down to the junction next to Iceland supermarket, and onto the road bearing right towards the cathedral. Carry on this road and over a cobbled bridge (Framwellgate Bridge), following the road up the hill to the market place. From here turn right up Saddler Street, passing the HSBC bank and Greggs on the left. Follow this road for approximately 200m, passing a right turn to Palace Green (Owengate). Alington House is on the left hand side, marked with lots of IVFDF signs!

Directions to IVFDF reception from the train station:

From the station all routes descend the hill towards the city (if arriving from the south you will need to go under the railway line, signposted to the city). Take the second path down on the left which will take you over a blue footbridge and past a Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant - you should come to a roundabout. Take the road (North Road) leading away from the viaduct, down the hill passing the bus station on the right. From here on the directions are the same as those from the bus station. The route to the bus station is clearly signposted for pedestrians coming from the train station.   

It is also possible to take the Cathedral Bus from the train station to Palace Green (this service has been specially extended to 19.30 on Friday for IVFDF). More details available on our Getting around Durham page.

Directions to IVFDF reception from the coach drop off point:

Facing away from the river, walk back up Walkergate and ascend the steps/ramp on the right onto the bridge above. At the top turn right into the Market Place, walk across it bearing left and onto Saddler Street passing the HSBC bank and Greggs on the left. Follow this road for approximately 200m, passing a right turn to Palace Green (Owengate). Alington House is on the left hand side, marked with lots of IVFDF signs!

If you are planning to arrive by coach or minibus, or are trying to find people to share a coach with, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it