About Sheffield
Getting Around
Trains
Whilst they may be the best way of reaching the city, the local train services serve very few places within the city limits, and nowhere of particular interest other than the Meadowhall shopping complex, which can be reached in 5 minutes on very regular services from the railway station.
Buses
In the 1980s Sheffield’s staunchly socialist council, under the command of the then staunchly socialist David Blunkett, attempted to provide free public transport for the masses. This far-sighted scheme never quite materialised, but local mythology has it that fares had been cut to 2p before the somewhat more right-wing central government of the time put a stop to such mischief and privatised the entire UK bus service!
However Sheffield continues to have a very wide-reaching bus service, albeit at somewhat inflated prices. The two principal providers are First Mainline and Stagecoach – rivalry between the two has lead to price-cuts and over-provision on some routes at the expense of others. Fortunately for conference delegates, the routes that you are likely to want to use are those with the price-cuts and over-provision, specifically the numbers 40 (First) and 120 (Stagecoach) which link the railway/bus interchange with the city centre and the University areas on the west side of the city, the 51/52 (both Stagecoach and First) likewise linking the city centre with the University, and numbers 81 to 84 which run from the city along the Ecclesall Road. All run to a 5-10 minute frequency during the day; timetables and the location of stops can be found via the sites linked to above, the SYPTE website or from the Travel Information Centre on Arundel Gate, just behind the conference venue.
Trams
Built in the late 80’s, Sheffield’s tram service is great, though not exactly extensive by European standards, with only 3 principal destination termini served from the city centre. It does however bypass much of the traffic, call at the railway station, the University and some of the best pubs in the UK in the Shalesmoor area, so the planners got the initial stages right!
On foot
As befits a city on the edge of the Peak District, the topography of Sheffield is itself quite undulating; indeed the city nestles between 7 hills. Indeed the likes of Hunter House Road and Rutland Road pass off as minor summits themselves. However this doesn’t rule out exploring on foot, with the flat City Centre area easily navigable in a good half-hour or so, and the attractive suburbs of Broomhill and the classy shops of Ecclesall Road on the west side of the city just a 20 minute stroll away from the centre. During the rush hour it would be much quicker than bus or car too!
The University of Sheffield website has outline maps of the city centre, the west side of the city and the University buildings.