This article was last written in February 2024
Free and Paid Parking in Leicester
Table of Contents
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Happy parking!
Free, unrestricted residential street parking
Those who aren’t too concerned with leaving their vehicle on the side of the road will have plenty of free parking options in Leicester. While the city centre, like other major cities, doesn’t have much in the line of free streetside parking, you’ll find plenty of good options if you’re willing to walk around a mile or so. If parking on residential streets, always make sure to check local signage in case changes are made after publication of this article.
All distances mentioned in this article indicate the walking distance to the Clock Tower, right in the centre of Leicester.
North Leicester
Those approaching Leicester from the north, along the A607 or Barkby Road, will find plenty of free parking options in Saint Matthews, especially in the vicinity of Kamloops/Bushy Park. From there, the walk to the city centre is just over half a mile.
- Manitoba Road LE1 2FT – 0.6 miles
- Lower Willow Street LE1 2JY – 0.7 miles
- Calgary Road LE1 2HA – 0.6 miles
- Vancouver Road LE1 2GA – 0.7 miles
- Montreal Road LE1 2GT – 0.7 miles
- Chester Close LE1 2GX – 0.8 miles
- Everest Court LE1 2PN – 0.7 miles
East Leicester
While these streets are a little bit of a longer walk than the free parking spots available north of the city centre, most of the streets just west of Spinney Park offer free and unrestricted parking. Walking along Sparkenhoe Street will get you to the city centre in around 25 minutes from these locations.
- Derwent Street LE2 0GE – 1.1 miles
- Dale Street LE2 0FY – 1.1 miles
- Donnington Street LE2 0DD – 1.2 miles
- Sutherland Street LE2 1DG – 1.2 miles
South Leicester
Free and unrestricted residential streetside parking in the south of Leicester is a bit more scarce. While your walk to the centre of town will take you past many green spaces, plan for about 40 minutes on foot.
- Commercial Square LE2 7SR – 1.4 miles
- Dartford Road LE2 7PQ – 1.8 miles
- Hughenden Drive LE2 7PF – 1.8 miles
West Leicester
Crossing the River Soar, you’ll find plenty of parking spaces just west of the city centre within a 15 minute walk. All streets connecting to Tudor Road offer free and unrestricted streetside parking. Some of these streets are fairly narrow, so ensure that you park responsibly without blocking traffic.
- Tudor Road LE3 5JF – 0.7 miles
- Warwick Street LE3 5SE – 0.8 miles
- Nugent Street LE3 5HH – 1.0 miles
- Fitzroy Street LE3 5PQ – 0.8 miles
- Watkin Road LE2 7AG – 1.4 miles
- Danvers Road LE3 2AD – 1.5 miles
- Westcotes Drive LE3 0LF – 1.0 mile
- Upperton Rise LE3 0HA – 1.5 miles
- Guthridge Crescent LE3 1JL – 1.8 miles
Free parking after 6pm/Overnight/Sundays
If you plan on staying overnight and don’t want to fork over the £5 or so for city council car park parking, you can leave you vehicle streetside on these streets for free between 6pm and 7am and on Sundays. Be sure to leave before 7am or run the risk of receiving a PCN.
- Bishop Street LE1 6AF – 0.2 miles
- Yeoman Street LE1 1UT – 0.3 miles
- New Bond Street LE1 4SX – 0.2 miles
- Church Gate LE1 4AJ – <0.1 miles
- Saint Martins LE1 5DE – 0.2 miles
- Stamford Street LE1 6QH – 0.1 miles
- York Street LE1 6QH – 0.1 miles
Park & Ride
Leicester runs three different park and ride schemes departing from the north, south, and west of the city. They offer free secure parking to anyone making use of the service, providing an effective way to travel around town without the risk of getting stuck in traffic or having to look for affordable or convenient parking. With busses running every 15 minutes between 7am and 7pm, they make reaching the city centre a breeze. All three park and ride services reach Savoy street and Causeway Lane in no more than 20 minutes. A day ticket for an adult will set you back £3.50, and a group ticket for up to five people per car costs £4.00.
- Birstall Park & Ride LE4 4NP – north of Leicester
- Meynell’s Gorse Park & Ride LE3 3LF – west of Leicester
- Enderby Park & Ride LE19 2AB – south of Leicester
Free 2h parking/Customers only
If your itinerary includes grabbing a couple of groceries, consider taking advantage of the 2 hours free parking available at these locations. Make sure to have your parking validated and be in and out within 2 hours to avoid additional parking costs.
- Saint George’s Retail Park LE1 1SG
- Tesco Superstore LE3 5NJ
Cheapest paid car parks in Leicester
We get it. Not everyone is comfortable leaving their car roadside. ‘Smash and grab’ or accidents that result in costly repairs are both valid concerns. Luckily, there are several affordable and secure car parks dotted around Leicester. The cheapest paid car parks in Leicester that ParkingScout could find were:
Council-run car parks
In addition to offering very affordable parking, all of the council-run car parks in this section also offer a ‘night owl’ rate. This means even cheaper parking for all cars entering after 5pm and stay up to 6am. Night owl prices cost £5 for overnight parking. All of these car parks are open 24h, unless otherwise indicated.
- St Margaret’s Pastures Car Park LE1 4DB – £2.00 for 2 hours
- Victoria Park Car Park LE1 7RY – £2.00 for 2 hours
- Dover Street Car Park LE1 6PW – £4.00 for 3 hours
- Phoenix Square Car Park LE1 1TE – £4.00 for 3 hours
- Upper Brown Street Car Park LE1 5AG – £4.00 for 3 hours
- Abbey Park Car Park LE4 5AQ | opens 7:30am – £2.00 for 2 hours
- Watermead Country Park Car Park LE4 7RN | opens 7:30am – £2.00 for 2 hours
- Haymarket Centre Car Park LE1 3HR – £4.00 for 3 hours
- Newarke Street Car Park LE2 7AD – £4.00 for 3 hours
Private car parks
- Nelson Street Car Park LE1 7BF – £1.00 for 2 hours
- Fleet House Car Park LE1 2AA – £1.50 for 2 hours
- St James Street Car Park LE1 3SU – £1.80 for 2 hours
- 10 Clyde Street LE1 2BH – £1.80 for 2 hours
- Pegasus House Car Park LE1 3EB – £1.80 for 2 hours
Free and Paid Parking Near Popular Leicester Locations
Free Parking near Leicester City Centre
Free Parking near Victoria Park and University of Leicester
Free Parking near Leicester Railway Station
Visiting Leicester
Leicester, a city nestled right in the very heart of England, boasts a history and culture dating back more than two millennia. Originally founded as a Roman settlement, it’s grown into a bustling city rich with ancient ruins, medieval churches, and the iconic Leicester Catherdral which houses to tomb of King Richard III. It also played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution, transforming into a commerce and innovation hub.
Today, visitors flock to Leicester for a wide range of reasons. In addition to being a historians dream destination, it also attracts shoppers, arts aficionados, and there’s even something to see and do for those into space at the National Space Centre.
To Leicester’s credit, they’ve done a fantastic job of ensuring that their city is visitor friendly in terms of parking. A well-managed and maintained electric bus park and ride system, along with lots of affordable and convenient council-run car parks and on-street parking options ensure that good parking spots are readily available.
