Getting to London South Bank University: the campus, the stations and a smooth arrival

Founded in 1892 as the Borough Polytechnic Institute and a university since 1992, London South Bank University (LSBU) is a career-focused modern university with deep roots in south London. Its main campus fills a triangle of streets just north of the Elephant & Castle, with strengths in engineering, the built environment, health and social care, business and the creative industries — backed by recent investment including the award-winning LSBU Hub and Elephant Studios. For students arriving for the first time and the families helping them settle, the central location is a huge plus; the catch is a busy junction and no campus parking. Here's how to get there without the friction.

01 / LOCATIONWhere exactly is LSBU?

The main Southwark campus is at 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, in the London Borough of Southwark, on the triangle bounded by Borough Road (the main entrance and the original Borough Polytechnic building), London Road and Southwark Bridge Road, with St George's Circus at its north-west corner. It's a true zone 1 location — minutes from the river and the West End — and falls within the Congestion Charge zone and the ULEZ, with no public parking on campus, so for arrivals a drop-off, not a park-and-stay, is the sensible approach.

02 / CAMPUSESSouthwark — and the Croydon campus

Almost everything happens at the Southwark campus at Elephant & Castle — the historic home of the university and the location of most teaching, the library, the LSBU Hub and the students' union. LSBU also runs a newer Croydon campus at Electric House (3 Wellesley Road, Croydon CR0 2AG), close to East and West Croydon stations, for a range of health and business courses. Check your offer or timetable for which one your course or visit is at — the two are a good half-hour apart by rail, so it's worth confirming before you set off.

03 / STATIONSNearest stations and getting around

Few campuses are as well connected as the Southwark site:

• Elephant & Castle (Bakerloo and Northern lines, plus Thameslink and Southeastern rail) is right next to campus.
• Southwark (Jubilee line) is about a ten-minute walk, handy for the West End and Canary Wharf.
• Waterloo and London Bridge are both a short ride or walk away, putting national rail across the country within reach.

Buses 155, 244, 360, C10 and many more stop right by the campus. For getting around day to day, this is about as good as London gets. The familiar catch applies on arrival day: easy with a backpack, far harder with a term's worth of luggage across the busy Elephant & Castle junction.

04 / AIRPORTSAirport transfer times to LSBU

LSBU is reachable from every London airport, but the journeys — and how relaxed they are with luggage — vary. The board below gives realistic door-to-door driving times for a pre-booked private hire car. Treat them as a planning guide; central London traffic has its own ideas.

From Heathrow & London City

Heathrow is the gateway for most international students; by rail it's the Elizabeth or Piccadilly line with a change towards Elephant & Castle. London City is the closest airport, just to the east. A direct Heathrow airport transfer by car removes the changes, with the driver meeting you in arrivals after baggage reclaim and taking you straight to Borough Road.

From the other airports

Gatwick connects by rail to Blackfriars and Elephant & Castle via Thameslink; Luton and Stansted sit further out. From each, the rail route ends in a Tube or Thameslink hop and a walk with bags; for a family or anyone with luggage, one car and one fixed price is the gentler option.

Superb links in zone 1 — but on arrival day the Elephant junction is no place for a luggage trolley.

05 / MOVE-IN DAYArriving with luggage on move-in day

Move-in day is where LSBU's busy central location makes a plan pay off. A pre-booked private hire transfer handles it cleanly: a car sized to the boxes and cases, a driver who knows the approach to Borough Road and your hall, and a drop-off at the door rather than a haul across the Elephant & Castle junction. With the campus in the Congestion Charge zone and no public parking, a drop-and-go beats trying to park — choose an MPV if the family is helping and everyone arrives together for one fixed fare.

06 / VISITSOpen days, applicant days and graduation

For open days, applicant days and graduation, families travel together and to a timetable — and the campus has no visitor parking. A pre-booked car means everyone arrives at the same time at the right campus (Southwark or Croydon), with no circling and no rush-hour stress on a day that matters. Graduation in particular, with smart clothes and proud grandparents in tow, is far more relaxed door-to-door than via the Tube and a walk across the Elephant.

07 / NEARBYWhat's around LSBU

Once the bags are dropped, central London is on the doorstep:

• Borough Market & Mercato Metropolitano — world-famous food markets a short walk away.
• Tate Modern & the South Bank — riverside galleries, theatres and walks around 15 minutes away.
• Elephant Park — the regenerated green space, shops and cafés a few minutes from campus.
• The West End & Waterloo — theatres and the national rail hub a short hop north.

08 / FAQFrequently asked questions