From the station into the walls
Bags off the train, the iron canopy overhead and the old city a stroll away.
Chester station is about a mile from the old centre, a 20 minute walk mostly along pedestrian streets. Part of the way is laid with historic setts, which look lovely and feel bumpy under suitcase wheels.
Taxis wait outside the station for heavy bags or tired legs, and the station has step free access to its platforms.
The Eastgate Clock, on the walk in
What's on foot inside the walls
Shop bells, church bells and footsteps: the sounds of a city built for walking.
Almost everything a visitor comes to Chester for sits within a 15 minute walk of the Cross: the walls, the Roman Gardens, the Rows, the Old Dee Bridge, the Cathedral and Storyhouse. Every place on our walking map shows the way on foot, street by street.
Even the big day out needs no car. For Chester Zoo, the Stagecoach 1 or X1 leaves Chester Bus Interchange from Stand K.
The Old Dee Bridge
The weekly shop, without a boot
Fresh bread and cheese from the market, light enough to carry home.
Shopping on foot is easy here. The Tesco Express on Pepper Street, inside the walls, has a cash machine, and Waitrose on Boughton is a short walk out through the Eastgate for a bigger shop you can still carry. Chester Market has fresh food and street food stalls under one roof.
On a longer stay, two launderettes within 15 minutes of the centre take the duvets.
Street food stalls at the market
Days out by train
Sea air at Llandudno by lunchtime, and back for supper in the old city.
Home for the week is Enjoy the Pause, a two bedroom holiday home on a quiet terrace inside the walls. Chester station is a 20 minute stroll from your front door, and a day by the sea starts with that walk, not a search for parking.
Direct trains run to Llandudno on the North Wales coast in a little over an hour, Liverpool in about 45 minutes, Manchester in about an hour and London Euston in about two hours. Our day trips guide picks the best of them, and the Manchester, Chester and North Wales itinerary plans a whole week by train.
Coming by train with no room for groceries? Stock the fridge, from our stay extras, means the essentials are waiting when you walk in.
Conwy Castle, on the North Wales coast
If you do bring a car
The engine cools at the end of Steele Street, and the rest of the week is on foot.
Plenty of guests drive to Chester and then leave the car parked all week. Your free private space is at the end of Steele Street, about 10 metres from the front door, on gravel through the gates beside the church car park.
There's no electric car charging at the house, and the house sockets mustn't be used for it. The nearest public chargers are at the New Market car park on Hunter Street, about a 10 minute walk.
Longer stays on foot
Wild flowers on the riverbank, and a whole month with no parking ticket to worry about.
A month without a car is simpler still: no permits, no parking charges and a station on foot for days away. Our longer stays page has the discounts for a week or more, applied automatically when you book direct.
Quick answers about Chester without a car.
How do you get from Chester station to the city centre?
On foot, it's about a mile, a 20 minute walk mostly along pedestrian streets, with some bumpy historic setts on the way in. Taxis wait outside the station for heavy bags, and the station has step free access to its platforms.
Is there a supermarket inside Chester's city walls?
Yes. The Tesco Express on Pepper Street is inside the walls, with a cash machine, and a 3 minute walk from Enjoy the Pause. For a bigger shop, Waitrose on Boughton is a short walk out through the Eastgate, and Chester Market sells fresh food under one roof.
Where can I charge an electric car in Chester city centre?
The nearest public chargers to the house are at the New Market car park on Hunter Street, about a 10 minute walk, with a two metre height limit at the entrance. There's no charging at the house itself, and the house sockets can't be used for a car.
