Trains to Reading
A historic county town with the feel of a modern city.
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Although it is best known for its music festival, if you’re only visiting Reading during festival season you’re missing out on a busy bustling town with a lot to offer whatever time of year you arrive. Taking a train to Reading can take you to museums, shopping, arts, culture and more; there’s certainly no shortage of things to do in this town!
How far is the town centre?
Reading train station is conveniently located right in the town centre, meaning you have easy access to shops, cafés, restaurants and of course music venues.
Shopping
Reading has a compact town centre and boasts two shopping centres, so there’s plenty of shopping to be done and it’s all within easy walking distance! Perfect for the shopaholics amongst us. The Oracle is sure to appeal to fashionistas and is home to lots of top brands, meanwhile Broad Street Mall has a strong line up of all your high street favourites. Both have a good number of cafés, bars and restaurants, where you can rest weary feet after a day’s shopping.
If you’re more interested in fab independents, quirky boutiques and high end jewellery, you’re also in the right place in Reading! Harris Arcade is home to a great selection of indie retailers from comic books to Chinese herbal medicine and everything in between.
One of the draws of Reading is the great selection of art and collectables on offer. With several galleries which feature local artists as well as vintage and antique shops like Reading Collector’s Centre, you’re sure to find something unique to take pride of place in your home.
Food & Drink
When it comes to food and drink it’s easy to see how multi-cultural Reading is. With an amazing choice of chain restaurants and one-off eateries you won’t find outside of Reading, the real question is how will you choose?
With international cuisines ranging from the traditional American offering at Bluegrass BBQ to bundles of all you can eat Japanese at Sushimania, Reading really offers it all. If you really can’t decide CHOW Friday Street Food market allows you to run the whole range with 20 stalls serving food from around the world.
But that’s not the only stellar food market in town. Every Wednesday tuck into Blue Collar Street Food, which has a focus on local people using local ingredients to create the most delicious meals you’re likely to taste. On the Last Saturday of the month there’s also a Vegan Food Market, which offers a mouth-watering variety of plant-based foods.
Culture
As for Culture, yet again, Reading has it all. From a rich history waiting to be explored, to amazing live music venues, and great museums, plus some top-notch sporting venues. All of this is squeezed into one convenient town!
Reading Museum is a must-see attraction for all those with an interest in history. Its extensive collection includes highlights such as the archaeological finds from Roman Silchester. Wherever you go in Reading you’ll be surrounded by its history, from the churches and memorials, to the beautiful architecture dotted around the town.
Sports fans will know that Madejski Stadium is home to two well-known teams – Reading FC and Rugby team London Irish. This means you have two chances to catch some world-class sports!
Reading really is a year-round music destination, boasting loads of exciting venues where you can catch new talent as well as bigger names in the industry. Whatever gets your toes tapping you’ll find it here. Choose from the funky sounds of Soul, R’n’B and of course Jazz at Jazz Café or step into Purple Turtle where you will find the best local unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar talent.
Does Reading Station have step-free access?
Reading train station has step-free access throughout and is fully accessible to those with a range of needs. Accessible ticket machines as well as ticket counters are available in the station. There are also accessible pay phones and taxis available.
Onward travel
For those with an onward journey from Reading, public transport is the best option with a good choice of busses as well as train services linking the wider urban area. A taxi rank is also available at the station.
More questions?
For further information about Reading Station, check out our station guide.
Catching a train to Reading
We want to help you travel cheaply, so as long as you buy your ticket 15 minutes before departure via our website or Train Ticket app, you can still enjoy great savings! To get the very best out of your train travel, read our top tips to find cheap train tickets and learn about our exclusive benefits offered to registered customers.
If you want to explore Reading and all it has to offer, you’ll want to stay longer than a day! So, make sure you book a great value hotel in Reading before you arrive.