Stratford-upon-Avon parking: car park map, prices and free parking

Parking in Stratford-upon-Avon is easy once you know the town’s few tricks. There’s a free first hour at Bridgeway, a flat £3.50 evening rate from 4pm, and the Park & Ride for cheap weekend days out. This guide covers free parking, every car park and its prices, Blue Badge rules, motorhomes and how to pay, all checked against the operators’ own pages. Use the car park map to see every car park with walking times to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the RSC, Holy Trinity and the station.

Want a recommendation in seconds? Use the parking cost calculator below: tell it how long you’re staying and it picks the cheapest sensible car park.

Quick answers

• Free for up to an hour: Bridgeway Multi-Storey and Bridgeway Surface car parks (CV37 6YX)
• Cheapest full day (weekends): the Park & Ride, at £1 to park from 9am plus the bus
• Cheapest full day in town: any council car park, at £9.30 for up to 9 hours
• Evenings and theatre: £3.50 flat rate from 4pm to 8am in council car parks
• Nearest to Shakespeare’s Birthplace: Windsor Street (CV37 6NL), about 3 minutes’ walk. NCP Rother Street is as close but pricier.
• Nearest to the RSC: the Recreation Ground (CV37 7LS) by day, about 3 minutes over the Tramway Bridge. For evening shows, Church Street (CV37 6HB, open to the public from 4pm on weekdays) or Bridgeway Multi-Storey (CV37 6YX)
• Near the railway station: Arden Street (CV37 6PA), with 8 EV charging bays
• Motorbikes: free at Bridgeway Motorcycle Park and in most council car parks

Parking calculator: what will it cost?

Pick how long you’re staying and the calculator finds the cheapest sensible car park, using the council’s current prices and the Park & Ride timetable. Tick the boxes if you have a Blue Badge, need to charge an EV or want to stay dry.

Stratford-upon-Avon car parks map

Every public car park in and around the town centre, with prices, walking times and the details that catch people out, like height limits and opening restrictions. Pick where you’re heading to sort the list by walking time, or filter for free parking, EV charging, Blue Badge spaces or motorhomes.

Is there free parking in Stratford-upon-Avon?

Yes, in a few ways.

1. The free hour at Bridgeway

Bridgeway Multi-Storey (650 spaces) and Bridgeway Surface (66 spaces) are pay-on-return car parks, and the first hour is free. If you’re back within the hour you don’t need to visit a pay station: drive to the exit and the barrier lifts automatically. Stay longer and you pay the normal tariff on the way out. The multi-storey is covered and has 2 EV charging bays.

2. Blue Badge holders

Blue Badge holders park free in most council car parks. At the two Bridgeway car parks you need to register with Stratford ShopMobility (inside the multi-storey) first. Guild Street car park (CV37 6QY) is Blue Badge only: free, with a 3-hour maximum. Sheep Street rear access also has disabled parking. On the street, the national Blue Badge rules generally let you park on yellow lines for up to 3 hours where there’s no loading ban. Display your badge and clock, and always check the signs and kerb markings.

3. Free while you charge

At the Park & Ride, electric cars park free while plugged in to one of the 4 charge points. See our EV charging guide for every charger in town.

4. Fisherman’s car park, outside charging hours

Fisherman’s car park on Warwick Road (CV37 0NP) only charges from 9am to 6pm. It’s small (50 spaces) and is locked overnight: it’s open 6am–7pm from October to March and 6am–9pm from April to September, so don’t leave your car there late.

5. Motorbikes park free

Motorcycles park free at the Bridgeway Motorcycle Park (open 24 hours, next to the multi-storey) and in most council car parks.

Council car park prices (2026)

The district council’s town car parks (Windsor Street, Riverside, Recreation Ground, Arden Street, Church Street, Swans Nest Lane and the Bridgeway car parks after the free hour) share the same tariff. Charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All of them are card only, with no cash.

How much does parking cost in Stratford-upon-Avon?

The best car parks, and what they’re best for

The council’s Leisure Centre car park (50 spaces, CV37 6YX) is for leisure centre permit holders only, so use Riverside next door instead.

Private car parks

• NCP Rother Street (CV37 6JP, by Bell Court): 240 spaces, open 24 hours, staffed, with lifts and a 1.9m height limit. £3 an hour up to £12 for 4 hours, then £15 for up to 24 hours; early bird £8.50 if you arrive between 6am and 9am. Central, but dearer than council car parks for anything over an hour. NCP is in administration, but this car park is still trading.
• Station car park (Stratford-upon-Avon station, run by Saba for West Midlands Railway): 146 spaces. Weekdays £5.90 if you arrive before 10am, £4 after; weekends and bank holidays £4 a day. Pay with the Saba app or website or the on-site machine (not RingGo or PayByPhone). Drop-off is free for 20 minutes.

Park & Ride: the cheapest way to spend a weekend day in town

The Stratford Park & Ride at Bishopton (satnav CV37 0RJ, near the A46) has more than 700 spaces. Buses drop you outside NatWest on Wood Street. When Wood Street or Bridge Street is closed for events, they use Windsor Street Coach Park instead.

• Parking: £1 if you arrive from 9am (£3 before 9am). Overnight: £4 (£6 before 9am). Blue Badge holders park free.
• Bus fares: £2.50 adult return, £1.50 young person, £4 group return for up to 5 people
• Bus times: the journey takes 10–12 minutes. Monday–Friday, every 30 minutes from 9am, with the last bus back from Wood Street at about 2.45pm (extra journeys in school holidays). Saturdays, every 15 minutes through the middle of the day, last bus back about 6pm. Sundays 10am–6.30pm. See the live board of the next buses.
• Winter Sundays: no Park & Ride bus on Sundays from November to Easter, except for special events such as the Christmas markets
• Staying later? Stratford Parkway station is at the far end of the car park, so you can come back by train from Stratford-upon-Avon station. The last trains are around 11.15pm Monday–Saturday and around 8pm on Sundays (off-peak adult return £2.20). Some early-morning and evening X18 and X21 bus journeys also serve the site.
• Restrictions: 2.1m height limit. No motorhomes, caravans or campervans.

Next buses from the Park & Ride car park:

Next trains from Stratford-upon-Avon station (all departures on our Stratford train times page) (check the calling points for Stratford Parkway, a short walk from your car):

Because weekday buses stop at 3pm, the Park & Ride is best for weekends and weekday mornings. For a full weekday in town, a council car park at £9.30 for up to 9 hours is the simpler choice. Check the latest timetable on the county council’s Park & Ride page.

Theatre and evening parking

From 4pm to 8am, council car parks charge a flat £3.50, which covers a full evening at the RSC. Church Street (about 5 minutes’ walk) opens to the public at 4pm on weekdays, so it’s ideal for evening shows. Bridgeway Multi-Storey (about 6 minutes) is the closest covered option. The Recreation Ground is closest of all by day, but it has limited access between 4.30pm and 6am.

Motorhomes, campervans and coaches

Motorhomes must use the 9 motorhome bays at the Riverside Coach & Lorry Park, Bridgeway (CV37 6YY). Prices are £1.40 for an hour up to £9.30 for 9 hours, £11.60 overnight (4pm–8am), £23.20 for 24 hours and £34.80 for 72 hours. Motorhomes aren’t allowed at the Recreation Ground or the Park & Ride, and height limits rule out most car parks. Coaches use the same coach park.

How to pay

Council car parks are card only, with no cash. Since 11 May 2026 you can also pay through the National Parking Platform using APCOA Connect, Caura, JustPark, PayByPhone or RingGo. Set up your app before you arrive to save time.

Road closures to watch for

Big events close town-centre roads. The car parks stay open, but getting to them takes longer. Our road closures page lists every planned closure and is updated weekly. Coming up:

• Runaway Mop (23–24 October 2026): Greenhill Street, Rother Street, Wood Street, Windsor Street and Meer Street
• Christmas Markets (28–29 November and 5–6 December 2026): Waterside and Bridge Street closed from 6pm on Fridays. See our Christmas market guide.

Parking in Stratford: quick answers

Where can I park for free in Stratford-upon-Avon?

For up to an hour at Bridgeway Multi-Storey or Bridgeway Surface. Blue Badge holders park free in most council car parks, and EV drivers park free at the Park & Ride while charging.

What’s the cheapest all-day parking?

At weekends, the Park & Ride (£1 parking from 9am plus a £4 group return). On weekdays, buses stop at 3pm, so a council car park at £9.30 for up to 9 hours is usually the better option.

Where should I park for Shakespeare’s Birthplace?

Windsor Street car park (CV37 6NL), about 3 minutes’ walk from Henley Street. Blue Badge holders can use the 3 Blue Badge spaces in Guild Street, a minute away.

Where’s the best parking for the RSC?

By day, the Recreation Ground, across the Tramway Bridge from the theatres. For evening performances, Church Street (public from 4pm on weekdays) or Bridgeway Multi-Storey, both about 5–6 minutes’ walk and both at the £3.50 evening rate.

How many car parks are there in Stratford-upon-Avon?

The district council says it runs twelve car parks with more than 2,800 spaces in and around the town centre. There’s also the 700-space Park & Ride, NCP Rother Street and the station car park. All of them are on our car park map.

Is parking cheaper in the evening?

Yes. Council car parks charge £3.50 from 4pm to 8am.

Once you’re parked: the best independent coffee shops, the best pubs and what’s on in Stratford.

Got a parking charge even though you paid? See our guide to avoiding and appealing parking charges in Stratford, including the grace periods you’re entitled to.

Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.