Carrow Road · Norwich · Norfolk NR1 1JE · Capacity 27,244
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Norwich is a hundred and thirty miles from Kent, which sounds like two hours. It is not, because Norfolk has no motorway and the final sixty miles run on A-roads through market towns. This is the one away trip where the mileage genuinely misleads you.
Norfolk is the largest English county with no motorway at all. The A11 and A47 are good dual carriageways in places and ordinary roads in others, which is why a hundred and thirty miles here takes as long as a hundred and eighty elsewhere.
Why Norwich takes longer than it looks
This is the single most useful thing to understand before planning the day.
Anywhere in Norfolk
The last sixty miles are A-roads. Steady, pleasant, and slower than motorway running.
The main approach
Dual carriageway for much of it, and single in stretches. It is the route and there is no alternative.
Along the way
Thetford, Attleborough and the villages. Fine on a Saturday morning, slower on a Friday evening.
Not two
From north Kent, realistically. We plan on that rather than on the mileage.
Kent to Norfolk
Over the crossing, up the M11 or A12, then the A11 into Norwich. Times reflect the road types rather than the distance.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way | Home by, 15:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 132 miles | 2h 45m – 3h 30m | 21:00 |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 128 miles | 2h 40m – 3h 25m | 20:55 |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 134 miles | 2h 50m – 3h 35m | 21:05 |
| Bromley & Orpington | 138 miles | 2h 55m – 3h 40m | 21:10 |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 145 miles | 3h – 3h 45m | 21:15 |
| Rochester & Chatham | 138 miles | 2h 55m – 3h 40m | 21:10 |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 146 miles | 3h 5m – 3h 50m | 21:20 |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 162 miles | 3h 20m – 4h 10m | 21:40 |
The ground itself is easy
Once you arrive, Carrow Road is among the more convenient grounds in the country.
| Feature | Note |
|---|---|
| Norwich station | Around five minutes' walk. Very convenient. |
| The river Wensum | Runs beside the ground, which limits one approach. |
| City centre | Ten to fifteen minutes on foot, with the pubs and the cathedral. |
| Riverside development | Bars and food immediately beside the stadium. |
| We collect towards the ring road | Where traffic moves, around ten minutes' walk. |
A Norwich away day
Plan on three hours, not two
This is the practical heart of it. A hundred and thirty miles on motorways would be two hours. A hundred and thirty miles with sixty of them on Norfolk A-roads is closer to three, and on a busy Saturday it can be more. We quote and plan on the realistic figure, which occasionally surprises people who have looked at a map and done the arithmetic themselves.
The drive is genuinely pleasant
Worth saying, because slower is not the same as worse. The run up through Suffolk and into Norfolk on the A11 goes through proper countryside rather than past service stations, and for a group in a coach with a driver it is one of the more agreeable away journeys we do. It simply takes the time it takes.
The ground repays the journey
Carrow Road sits beside the river with the station five minutes away and the city centre a short walk beyond, and the riverside beside the stadium has bars and food. Norwich is a good city and the ground is well placed within it. Once you have made the drive, everything else about the day is easy.
Day return works, just
At around three hours each way a three o'clock kick-off gets you home by nine. That is a long day and a manageable one. For an evening kick-off we would suggest thinking about staying, because a half eight finish plus three hours puts you back after one in the morning.
Carrow Road from London, the airports and cities, 20 to 200 miles
Fixed fares both ways with the return on the same page: all routes to Carrow Road.
Carrow Road questions
Time, not distance.
Why does Norwich take so long?
Because Norfolk has no motorway. The last sixty miles run on the A11 and local roads through market towns, which is steady rather than fast. A hundred and thirty miles here takes about as long as a hundred and eighty on motorways.
How long should we allow?
Three hours from north Kent, realistically, and a little more from east Kent. We plan and quote on that rather than on the mileage.
Can we do it as a day return?
For an afternoon kick-off, yes. Three o'clock means home by around nine. For an evening fixture we would suggest considering an overnight.
How close is the ground to the station?
About five minutes' walk, which makes Carrow Road one of the more convenient grounds in the country once you have arrived.
Where do you collect afterwards?
Towards the ring road, around ten minutes' walk, where traffic is moving. The river beside the ground limits one approach.
Is the drive unpleasant?
No, quite the opposite. The A11 through Suffolk and Norfolk goes through real countryside, and with a driver it is one of the more agreeable away journeys we run.
Is there a road charge?
The Dartford Crossing applies both ways. We confirm whether it is inside your quote before you book.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking and unaffected by A-road delays or added time.
East Anglia venues and guides
Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.