Preston (Lancs)
Step-free access recorded
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-10-17Lilywhites · #PNEFC
THE MATCHDAY GUIDE · Preston
Getting to Deepdale
Use Preston (Lancs) railway station for Deepdale. It is the main rail arrival point and the stadium is roughly two miles away, so allow about 30–40 minutes to walk rather than planning a last-minute dash.
Plan a stay at Preston North End ↗BEFORE YOU SET OFF
Put your trip together
01 · Arrive
Your route into Deepdale
Head for the Bill Shankly Kop, behind the goal, where visiting supporters are normally seated. From Preston station, walk along Fishergate into Church Street, continue towards the prison junction, then follow Deepdale Road up to the stadium. Allow extra time to reach the correct end of the ground and find your allocated turnstile. The club operates barcode-scanning turnstiles, so have your ticket ready before reaching the queue. A previous visiting-club guide used turnstiles 15–25, but the precise blocks and entrances can change with the allocation. Follow your ticket and the stewards rather than relying on historic numbers.
Preston North End FC Supporters’ Guide ↗02 · Reach the away end
After the match
If you have a train to catch, allow enough time to walk back to Preston station rather than counting on an immediate taxi. The ground is roughly two miles away, and crossing the matchday traffic around Sir Tom Finney Way can take longer than before kick-off. Check the return service and leave a sensible margin. Drivers leaving Moor Park or the stadium should expect a queue as cars merge with the crowd. Preston Bus Station parking or a pre-booked space farther from the ground may make departure more predictable, although neither eliminates traffic. If you use Portway Park & Ride, check the post-match number 19 and the site’s final access time before kick-off.
Preston North End FC Supporters’ Guide ↗03 · Stay or head home?
Choose your base before your hotel
Stay near Preston railway station or the city centre if you are making a night of it. Around Fishergate and the station, you can arrive by train, find food and pubs without another journey, and walk or catch the number 19 to Deepdale.
Hotel to compare: Holiday Inn Preston by IHG · City centre / Ringway
Compare the stay areas →Rail, Underground & tram
Use Preston (Lancs) railway station for Deepdale. It is the main rail arrival point and the stadium is roughly two miles away, so allow about 30–40 minutes to walk rather than planning a last-minute dash. Preston station has lifts and step-free access to all platforms, but that does not make the entire stadium walk step-free.
If you would rather not walk, Preston Bus service 19 connects the railway station and Deepdale. A taxi is another option, although road congestion and post-match demand can make the return less predictable. Check your actual return train, especially after evening games.
- Recommended rail station
- Preston (Lancs), Fishergate, PR1 8AP
- Rail station to stadium distance
- Approximately two miles by the club walking route
- Walk from rail station
- Allow roughly 30–40 minutes; pace, route and crowds vary
- Preston station step-free access
- true
- Onward bus from railway station
- Preston Bus service 19, via Deepdale
- Return service advice
- Check journey planner for your actual fixture and onward connection
Station to ground & away entrance
Head for the Bill Shankly Kop, behind the goal, where visiting supporters are normally seated. From Preston station, walk along Fishergate into Church Street, continue towards the prison junction, then follow Deepdale Road up to the stadium. Allow extra time to reach the correct end of the ground and find your allocated turnstile.
The club operates barcode-scanning turnstiles, so have your ticket ready before reaching the queue. A previous visiting-club guide used turnstiles 15–25, but the precise blocks and entrances can change with the allocation. Follow your ticket and the stewards rather than relying on historic numbers.
- Away stand
- Bill Shankly Kop
- Stadium postcode
- PR1 6RU
- Walking route
- Fishergate → Church Street → Deepdale Road → away end
- Historic away turnstiles
- 15–25 used for a Tottenham cup tie in January 2023; ticket allocation governs current entrance
- Ticket scanning
- Automated barcode scanning is used
- Accessible visiting entrance
- Historic visiting-club guide identifies pitch-level NX07; reconfirm for the fixture
Buses & local travel
Preston Bus service 19 is the most useful local route for Deepdale. It links Preston railway station, the bus station and the Football Ground/Moor Park High School stops, so it saves a substantial walk. Check which direction you need: journeys towards Royal Preston Hospital pass the football ground after the city centre.
The separate 19A was absorbed into route 19 in August 2026, so older guides describing both services are out of date. Portway Park & Ride is served by the same network, but you must use the bus if leaving your car at that site. Check the return departures for evening fixtures and Sundays.
- Main bus route
- Service 19: Larches – Preston – Deepdale – Royal Preston Hospital
- Direct railway station connection
- Yes, the current 19 serves Preston Railway Station and Deepdale
- Bus station outbound stand
- Stand 16 shown for service 19 towards Royal Preston Hospital
- Bus stop by ground
- Moor Park HS (northbound) and Football Ground Deepdale (southbound)
- Service 19A status
- Withdrawn as separate designation in the 31 August 2026 revisions
- Portway parking condition
- Only permitted when using park-and-ride buses
- Portway Sunday service
- Council lists service seven days a week, with lower Sunday frequency
Away coaches
If you are on an official away coach, the club organiser is the best source for your precise drop-off and collection point. A previous visiting-club guide records coaches setting down by the Bill Shankly Kop and waiting on Bill Shankly Crescent, close to the visiting end. That is a useful guide to the arrival area, not a guarantee for your fixture.
Before leaving the coach, note the vehicle number and confirm whether it will return to the same place. Allow for stewarded departures and heavy traffic around Sir Tom Finney Way. Independent coach operators should agree parking and access with Preston North End rather than assuming space at the stadium.
- Historically documented away coach drop-off
- Outside the Bill Shankly Kop, documented for Ipswich’s February 2024 visit
- Historically documented coach holding area
- Bill Shankly Crescent, documented for Ipswich’s February 2024 visit
- Away coach access arrangement
- Confirm with official travel organiser or host club before travel
- Travel organiser contact
- Preston North End ticket office 0344 856 1966
Accessible journeys
Arrange wheelchair seating, companion tickets and any accessible parking before travelling through Preston North End or your own club. The Bill Shankly Kop has both pitchside and elevated wheelchair viewing, with accessible toilets and an access steward presence. Do not assume a general stadium or Moor Park parking ticket provides an accessible away bay.
Preston station has lifts and step-free access to its platforms. For the last part of the trip, consider the number 19 or an agreed drop-off rather than assuming the two-mile pedestrian route suits every mobility need. Older sources give different totals for away accessible parking, so ask the club to confirm the actual allocation and drop-off instructions.
- Railway station step-free
- true
- Away wheelchair viewing
- Bill Shankly Kop, pitchside and elevated positions
- Accessible toilets
- Accessible toilets at Deepdale, including provision in away areas
- Changing Places
- One Changing Places facility at the stadium according to access guide
- Away accessible parking booking
- Arrange with Preston North End before the match
- Accessible drop-off
- Club identifies drop-off at Sir Tom Finney Stand and Invincibles Pavilion; away-specific drop-off needs confirmation
- Assistance and stadium accessibility contact
- Preston North End ticket office 0344 856 1966
- Level Playing Field provision history
- Level Playing Field lists five away parking bays; older visiting club guides differ
After the match
If you have a train to catch, allow enough time to walk back to Preston station rather than counting on an immediate taxi. The ground is roughly two miles away, and crossing the matchday traffic around Sir Tom Finney Way can take longer than before kick-off. Check the return service and leave a sensible margin.
Drivers leaving Moor Park or the stadium should expect a queue as cars merge with the crowd. Preston Bus Station parking or a pre-booked space farther from the ground may make departure more predictable, although neither eliminates traffic. If you use Portway Park & Ride, check the post-match number 19 and the site’s final access time before kick-off.
- Walk to Preston station
- Roughly 30–40 minutes from Deepdale, allowing for matchday crowds
- Road egress warning
- Congestion on Sir Tom Finney Way and other approaches, especially after the match
- Return bus option
- Route 19 serves Deepdale, Preston Bus Station and railway station; check departure
- Portway return risk
- Park-and-ride car park closes shortly after last bus arrives; no overnight parking
- Post-match coach collection
- Ask away coach organiser to confirm exact collection point for the fixture
- Cup match extra time
- Allow longer for extra time/penalties if applicable
Preston Bus Station
BUS station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-10-17Preston Rail Station
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-07-29Lostock Hall Rail Station
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-07-29Bamber Bridge Rail Station
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-07-29Would an overnight stay help?
Check your return services, then compare a station, stadium or town-centre stay.
Where to stay
Stay near Preston railway station or the city centre if you are making a night of it. Around Fishergate and the station, you can arrive by train, find food and pubs without another journey, and walk or catch the number 19 to Deepdale. It is the strongest all-round base for a football trip rather than simply the closest area to the turnstiles. The Deepdale and Moor Park area is convenient for the game, but it is primarily residential and less useful for an evening out. For more choice after the match, look towards central Preston and Winckley Square. An overnight stay is particularly worth considering if your late return connections are tight.
Preston visitor information ↗Base yourself in or on the northern edge of the city centre unless shaving a few minutes off the Deepdale walk matters more than the evening. Holiday Inn Preston balances both directions; City Studios shifts the balance towards the ground; No.10 shifts it decisively towards the station and city-centre night out.
For the evening
The useful evening cluster is the central area around Fishergate, Winckley Square and adjoining streets, with Friargate and Market Street West adding pubs, bars, food and late-evening venues. No.10 is best placed for this; Holiday Inn remains within a short city-centre walk.
For the train
Preston station is on Fishergate at the south-west edge of the central core. Staying near the station is excellent for arrival/departure and the evening, but it increases the distance to Deepdale. No.10 is about 0.1 mile from the station; Holiday Inn is roughly a 14–15 minute walk.
Hotels to compare
Holiday Inn Preston by IHGCity centre / RingwayAll-round choice
Deepdale is mapped at about 1.0 mile / 19 minutes on foot, so the stadium is realistically walkable.
Bear in mind: The hotel's own site describes parking as limited and first-come, first-served.
Hotel details checked 2026-10-01Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
It remains in the city centre rather than leaving supporters stranded in a stadium-only location after full time.
Preston bus station is next door and Preston rail station is roughly a 14–15 minute walk.
Booking.com coverage was verified and the research-time listing showed 8.4/10 from 1,526 reviews.
Recent Tripadvisor evidence repeatedly supports clean rooms, helpful staff and comfortable stays.
It is not as close to the rail/nightlife end of the centre as No.10.
Recent reviews include isolated complaints about coach-party corridor noise, road-facing disturbance, small lifts and some food/room details.
Its sampled prices were more volatile than City Studios.
City Studios PrestonNorth Road / UCLan edge of city centreFor the shortest ground journey
Deepdale is mapped at about 0.9 mile / 16 minutes on foot.
Bear in mind: It is an aparthotel rather than a conventional full-service hotel and the official site confirms there is no on-site restaurant.
Hotel details checked 2026-10-01Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
Booking.com coverage was verified and the research-time listing showed 8.9/10 from 670 reviews.
Studios have their own kitchens, useful for supporters who do not need a full-service hotel.
North Road keeps the property closer to the ground than station-side accommodation while remaining connected to the centre.
The sampled price was unusually stable, around the low-to-high £80s.
Preston station is around a 20–22 minute walk, so it is weaker for rail arrivals than No.10.
A recent Tripadvisor complaint described a prolonged private-parking charge/administration problem; parking arrangements should be checked carefully.
Its Tripadvisor review count is still small because the property is relatively new.
No.10 PrestonTheatre Street / Fishergate / Winckley Square side of city centreFor the evening
The official site puts Preston station about 0.1 mile / 2 minutes away.
Bear in mind: Deepdale is about 1.4 miles away by current mapped nearby-distance data, so this is the least stadium-focused of the three primaries.
Hotel details checked 2026-10-01Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
Its Theatre Street position is better aligned with Fishergate, Winckley Square and central food/drink than the ground-side options.
Booking.com coverage was verified and the research-time listing showed 8.8/10 from 475 reviews.
Tripadvisor has a substantial review history and remains strong overall despite some recent room-level criticisms.
It offers more character and space than a basic chain room for a weekend city-centre stay.
Recent Tripadvisor reviews mention heat/no air-conditioning, weak Wi-Fi, early-morning/loading noise and maintenance inconsistency in some rooms.
There is no conventional on-site reception experience; access is code/key-safe based.
The sampled Saturdays were about 27% dearer than the sampled midweek dates.
Check current rates and availability for your dates.
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Sources, limitations and matchday changes
Reviewed transport publication. This permanent guide uses the existing approved research; admission, opening hours, services and parking controls may change for each match.
Station mappings identify arrival options. They do not guarantee a walking route, step-free access or a train timetable. Confirm current club guidance and your actual service.
Official club guidance ↗