Norwich has an enviable reputation as one of the best places to live in the UK. As a result, scores of people looking for a higher quality of life are choosing to make the city their home. This influx of new residents is great for the economy and culture of Norwich and Norfolk in general.
However, with growth comes growing pains. The rapid increase in the city’s population combined with the medieval layout of the city centre has created traffic congestion problems. This can make finding a suitable parking space in Norwich stressful and time-consuming.
But help is at hand! Read the rest of this article to get some nifty ideas for parking in Norwich.
Rent a driveway
Do you need overnight parking in Norwich? Or perhaps you regularly park in the city and want to save money? If so, renting a driveway could be the perfect solution. There are several websites through which homeowners can rent out their unused driveways. Motorists can either rent a space by the day or come to a long-term arrangement with the owner of the parking space.
As well as being convenient, renting a driveway is often cheaper than parking in a multi-storey car park. Plus, having your own reserved parking space means you never have to worry about finding a place to park again!
Park and ride
Norwich is renowned for its park and ride scheme. At the time of the completion of the Thickthorn site in 2005, Norwich Park and Ride was the largest scheme in the UK. The concept is simple — you simply park on the outskirts of the city and then catch a bus into the centre. Park and Ride offers a stress-free and competitively-priced alternative to hunting for that elusive parking space in central Norwich.
There are six park and ride terminus in Norwich. Each one is located close to one of the major roads into the city centre. You can find the most convenient location for your journey on the official Park and Ride website.
Get on your bike!
If you want to avoid paying for parking altogether, why not roll your trousers up and cycle instead? Norwich City Council has been investing in the cycling infrastructure for the past few years as part of the ‘Push the Pedalways’ scheme. In combination with this investment, the fact that the landscape of Norwich is relatively flat makes it a great city to travel from your saddle.
You can find out more about Norwich Pedalways on the Norwich City Council website. On this site you can also download a map of the city cycle network — save it on your smartphone in case you get lost!
Conclusion
Learning to drive and passing your test are fantastic achievements in their own right. However, it pays to remember that a lifetime of safe driving will require you to learn and develop further skills beyond those you learnt to pass your test.
Planning ahead is key to driving safely. This is because unprepared drivers are more likely to struggle with tasks such as finding convenient parking. Not being able to find a parking space when you need one might make you late, causing stress and distracting your attention from driving. Plus, there’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination feeling flustered!
We hope this article has pointed you in the right direction for finding a parking solution in Norwich that fits your needs. Don’t forget that if you’re struggling with any aspect of driving, we offer refresher lessons as well as advanced driver tuition for those who are more confident behind the wheel.