VISITING MILTON KEYNES
by public transport

Arriving by Rail

Most rail passengers will arrive at Milton Keynes Central. However, local trains also call at Wolverton and Bletchley.

Milton Keynes Central is surrounded by office buildings. There are some shops nearby but the main shopping and entertainments centre is situated approximately 1 mile east of the station.

Nearly all local bus services run between the station and shopping centre. There is a row of bus stops in front of the station. As you leave the station building, the bus stops on your right are for the shopping centre.
 

Arriving by Bus

Few buses now use the bus station (situated opposite the railway station); instead they call at the stops in front of the railway station as well as stops in the shopping centre.
 

Arriving by Coach

The Coachway at the M1 junction is closed for reconstruction. A temporary replacement is provided near to the shopping centre. MK Council's website has more details - click here.

Many National Express coaches call at Milton Keynes but they do not make the journey into the city centre; instead they call at the Coachway which is adjacent to junction 14 on the M1 and about 2.5 miles east of the shopping centre. The Park & Ride buses (route 200) and service X5 link the Coachway to the shopping centre and railway station.
 

Arriving by Car

The Park & Ride site is suspended while the Coachway is rebuilt.

If you are coming to Milton Keynes by car but wish to use public transport within Milton Keynes, there is a permanent Park and Ride facility at the Coachway near to junction 14 on the M1. 

Times & Routes: 

MK Coachway: service 200 operates daily. Buses run to the city centre every 30 minutes during shopping hours (every 15 minutes on Saturdays). 

Parking is free and there are special bus fares for Park & Ride passengers - a return ticket from the Park & Ride stop is £1.50 but an entire car load can travel together for £2.50 return.
 

Arriving by Air

There are direct bus and rail links from most neighbouring airports. More details here.
 

Getting Around in Milton Keynes

As with most other towns and cities; public transport and cars are not the only means of getting around. In fact Milton Keynes has the most extensive network of footpaths and cycle routes (known as redways) in the UK. 

It is recommended that any visitor invests in a copy of the Official City Map. The Official City Map is updated and re-issued every year to keep abreast of  developments in this fast growing city. The 2007 edition is priced at £4.50 for the folded version or £4.95 for the atlas version and is sold in most local newspaper shops. The map is in full colour and shows all footpaths, redways and bus stops very clearly. Also many attractions, including the famous concrete cows, are marked. Avoid cheaper, rival maps which use a smaller scale and are not so comprehensive.
 

Most local bus services are operated by MK Metro - easily recognised by its distinctive yellow minibuses. It sells an all day ticket for £3 which covers all its services - more details on the bus page. 

If you are travelling to Milton Keynes Central by train, you can buy a day return rail ticket that includes unlimited bus travel on local buses within the city (covering Bletchley, Newport Pagnell, Wolverton and Stony Stratford) for just £2 extra (only £1.30 with some railcards). The fare for the short trip from the station to the shopping centre and back would normally cost £2 so this ticket is very good value. Ask for PLUSBUS when you buy your rail ticket to Milton Keynes. More about Milton Keynes PLUSBUS here.

All the city's bus timetables are available on-line at the Council's timetable site.
 

Attractions

All the links below are to other sites. 

City Centre

Unlike old cities where lack of space often forces the development of new attractions well outside the central area; many of the new attractions in Milton Keynes are located in the city centre.

Milton Keynes was the home of Britain's very first multiplex cinema - the Point - a  distinctive pyramid shaped building in the city centre. The Point is now under new management and has been re-launched as part of  the Odeon chain. One of Britain's newest multiplex cinemas is located in the Xscape building (snow dome) in the city centre. 

The Xscape building also houses an indoor ski slope, a bowling alley and various specialist leisure shops and restaurants.

Across the road from the Xscape building is the new theatre that was financed with lottery funding and now claims to be Britain's most popular. And of course Milton Keynes is famed for its regional shopping centre which has recently been expanded. 
 

National Hockey Stadium 

The stadium is only a few minutes walk from the railway station. Turn left as you come out of the station building.

National Bowl

The National Bowl is situated about 1 mile south-west of the railway station. For some events a free shuttle bus is provided between the station and the bowl.

Alternatively it is possible to walk from the station to the bowl in approximately 20 minutes. Given that much of the walk is through attractive parkland this option is well worth considering. 

 
Official City Map

 
Concrete Cows

No visit to Milton Keynes is complete without seeing the concrete cows. They can be found in a quiet strip of parkland at Bancroft. Take MK Metro service 2 or 5 from the City Centre to Wolverton. Alight at the stop on Monks Way (H3) next to the junction with Colley Hill. Check Milton Keynes Council's timetable site here.
 

Bletchley Park

Milton Keynes may be a new city but it is not without history. There is much that is old within its boundaries. Bletchley Park was, until relatively recently, a closely guarded secret. It housed the military establishment used to break German codes during World War II. The code breaking equipment developed at Bletchley is regarded by many as the precursor to the modern computer. 

Bletchley Park is a short walk along the footpath situated opposite Bletchley railway station. 
 

Willen Lake & Gulliver's Land

Willen Lake boasts a Water Sports Centre, a lakeside hotel, Europe's first Peace Pagoda and a Japanese Temple. 

Gulliver's Land is a theme park situated close to the lake and intended for young children.

It is a 25 minute walk from the John Lewis end (east) of the shopping centre to Willen Lake via attractive parkland. However, a copy of the city map is recommended as the foot paths have many intersections and it is easy to head off in the wrong direction.

Alternatively, consider MK Metro bus routes 1 or 2 from the city centre towards Newport Pagnell. Alight at Willen Local Centre and the lake is only a 10 minute walk. Bus route 17 runs past the lake but is infrequent. Route 8 is frequent and runs past the south-east corner of the lake.
 

Grand Union Canal

The Grand Union Canal meanders through the city for 13 miles. It passes a marina, Willen lake, a windmill and runs across two aqueducts (one old and one new). Although the canal runs right through the city it is, more often than not, surrounded by attractive parkland.

To visit the marina and nearby Ouzel Valley Park, take a bus to the hospital. Many routes, including MK Metro 4 and 6 serve the hospital.

Bradwell Windmill and the new aqueduct are a 15 minute walk from Wolverton station. Simply walk from the station alongside the V6 road - the aqueduct crosses the V6. Alternatively take bus route 5 from the city centre to Wolverton; alight at Bradwell Road/Ashwood and follow the footpath (disused railway line) to the windmill.

The old aqueduct is a 40 minute walk from Wolverton station. Simply walk north-west along the canal footpath.