Travel and transport

bicycles

Choose to walk or cycle

Termed ‘active travel’, walking and cycling, as well as being zero emissions, is great for health and wellbeing. 

Cheltenham’s town centre is readily accessible for all cycling abilities and walking, being relatively flat and compact. On a bike you can easily cycle all over Cheltenham town centre on marked cycle lanes or shared pedestrian/cyclist pavements, hopping on and off to enjoy the many attractions at your leisure. 

Electric bikes

If the thought of riding a good old fashioned push bike puts you off, have you considered a bit of battery-assisted pedal power? Riding an e-bike instead of taking your car will not only lower your carbon footprint but it will also build confidence in your fitness and ability and mean you can zip up hills and cruise over tough terrain without too much effort.

Electric scooters

Gloucestershire County Council has partnered with Voi to continue the e-scooter trial in Cheltenham; more information is available on the county council's e-scooter trial page. Please note, e-scooters which aren’t hired through this trial are still illegal to ride on public roads in the UK.

Voi e-scooters are available to hire from numerous locations around the town and can be located on the Voi app map. All you need to do is download the Voi app from the Apple or Google Play store, create an account and be ready to verify your driving licence.

To hire an e-scooter you must have the minimum of a provisional driving licence which will be validated before you start your first ride. You will need to scan the front and back of the driving license followed by taking a quick selfie. If you are unable to verify your ID you can contact the support team at Voi via their help pages or by emailing [email protected] 

There are step by step instructions on the Voi website if needed.

Public transport

Bus travel

Take a form of transport that reduces your carbon emissions and get in a little exercise at the same time with the walk to and from the bus stop. For more information about timetables, bus stops near you, planning journeys, tickets, live bus times and much more visit the Stagecoach Bus website or download the App. Other services provided across the town include the Pulhams Coaches who run the 99 service, operating between Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

Park and ride

If you can’t get into town on the bus from where you live and it’s too far to walk or cycle, you could opt for park and ride, dropping your car off outside the town centre and enjoying a stress-free ride into town.

Stagecoach West run the park and ride services at Arle Court (GL51 6SY, near M5 Junction 11) and Cheltenham Racecourse (GL50 4SH).

Arle Court is owned and maintained by Gloucestershire County Council. Facilities at this site include CCTV, disabled parking, parent and child parking, cycle parking and electric vehicle charging point.

The 99 service connecting Cheltenham and Gloucester hospitals, operated by Pulhams Coaches, also calls in at Arle Court park and ride. 

Coach and rail travel

For a comfortable, lower emissions way of getting to your destination further afield, have you considered going by train or by coach and making the journey part of your experience?

Visit Cheltenham has comprehensive information about coach travel to and from Cheltenham’s Royal Well bus and coach station.

Cheltenham Spa railway station is operated by Great Western Rail and can connect you directly to Plymouth all the way to Aberdeen! For information on the station and its facilities you can find them on the National Rail website.

Travelling by car

Your driving style

If you do need to travel by car, you can still make a difference by changing the way you drive.  Ecodriving is a driving style that reduces fuel bills, cuts carbon emissions and lowers accident rates. It is about becoming a better driver rather than sacrificing performance and enjoyment for efficient driving. The techniques are straightforward and easy to implement:

  • Drive smoothly
  • Shift up early to a higher gear
  • Switch off your engine when stationary
  • Slow down
  • Use windows instead of air conditioning
  • Regularly check your tyre pressures
  • Remove roof racks and boxes
  • Lighten your load

The Energy Saving Trust explains more about why all these things help to reduce fuel consumption.

If you are a business owner with multiple drivers, find out more about the benefits for your fleet and subsidised ecodriving training. 

Car choice

You will probably have seen on the news that the UK Government has said new cars and vans powered wholly by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030, but some hybrids will still be allowed.

If you are thinking about making your next car an electric one the Energy Saving Trust has comprehensive information about different types of electric vehicles and the benefits of switching to electric.

One of the worries about buying an electric car is the availability of charging points. There are already a number of charging points around the town and we are actively exploring installing more of these. If you want to go further afield, Zap Map is an interactive system, available on your computer and as an App, which holds information about the location of thousands of public charging points all around the country. It has a route planner, payment options and lots of other handy information too.   

If you are unable to buy an electric vehicle now, the government also publishes searchable information about the fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and tax bands for new and used cars to help you make an informed choice about your next car. 

Grants available

Vehicles

You can get a discount on the price of brand new low-emission vehicles through a grant the government gives to vehicle dealerships and manufacturers. Currently, the maximum grant available for cars is £3,000. 

Grants are also available for motorcycles, mopeds, vans, taxis, large vans and trucks.

Home electric vehicle charging

The government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides grant funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle charge points at domestic properties across the UK. There is also a voucher-based scheme for installing charge points at workplaces.