Cycling UK Forum

Does anyone know of a website which covers free safe parking. perhaps members who would be able to park a car for a short while on or near their property. Clearly no guarantees can be given but its better than just parking on any street.

There are numerous routes to cycle but one has to get to the start. Trains and other public transport options are not always convenient.

For day rides I try to find either a supermarket car park or somewhere where there is a lot of entertainment type places; cinema, eateries, bowling as they tend to not have time restrictions.
Have a look down some back streets, can usually find somewhere just off a corner, where a garden sides onto the road and park there, so I am not in front of their house or encroaching on their driveway....

Agree with eileithyia Use well used areas for day rides. Be aware though that many superstores now have restrictive parking that is only free for a period. Always check signs. otherwise free parking can turn into very expensive parking

Park and Ride car parks can be useful if there's one near where you are going. The charge is usually for the ride, not the car park. You need to check the signs to see when the carpark closes (usually shortly after the last bus), and also if there's anything that says you have to pay even if you don't use the bus. I've never seen the latter - quite the opposite in fact, an invite to cyclists to use the CP - but you never know. I have seen one (I think it was Shrewsbury) where to exit the car park you have to get a token from the bus driver to use in the exit barrier but it was out of operation at the time.

Realistically when the P & R is set up all the powers that be are interested in is reducing the number of vehicles travelling into the town, but there's nothing to stop you riding off in the opposite direction, is there!

The other thing you might try is pub car parks - we've often stopped at a pub, had some refreshment, then asked permission to leave the car in theier car park for a few hours hile we go out walking. Never been refused yet.

Try parking near the swyddfa heddlu/police station

I think I read about a website, park on my drive?

Village Hall car parks I've used loads of them all over the country.

Cyril Haearn wrote:I think I read about a website, park on my drive?

It's called justpark.com

I second the idea of a park and ride. Free parking for as long as you want.

If you want to go riding in Brittany and are taking the ferry from Plymouth as a foot passenger with your bike, park at Gunnislake station and take the train to Plymouth. No booking required for your bike. Free parking at Gunnislake station. Some folk park there for weeks on end.

You buy your ticket on the train but can only buy day returns, so you need to buy a single.
Coming back, don't get on at Plymouth, but ride to Devonport station (not far). You can then pay on the train again, but the train manager rarely asks for a ticket on the way back to Gunny - so you get a free ride.

Some park and rides ban parking and not riding the bus, plus lock the gates when there's no buses. Some even enforce it, especially where the council got it on the cheap by licensing a bus monopoly.

A few like Cambridge have "park and pedal" where you pay a minimal fee like £1/day to park. I wish more did. I currently park on old Newmarket road or Cantley Lane for Norwich but both of those are earmarked for further housing development which will probably make them more crowded.

Blackbrook P & R locked at 19.00 hrs

As far as I know, the two major ones to the north of Plymouth aren't ever closed.
There's no warnings posted.

I've used the one at The George a few times, then walked to Plymouth Hospital. It's only a fifteen minute walk and it saves paying to park at the hospital.

I think people park there and get the bus or car-share to work. People work all hours, so you couldn't close it in the evening.

https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/parkingandt ... arkandride

Cyril Haearn wrote:Try parking near the swyddfa heddlu/police station

My first car was broken into and trashed when parked next to a police station. And a few years ago I was car-jacked outside another (differen) police station. From which I conclude that they are the sort of places that have crooks hanging around nearby, and the police rarely if ever look out of their windows.