Travelling to our hospital sites

Our services are based across Hemel Hempstead, St Albans and Watford. Please take time to check any correspondence you receive about where on our three hospital sites your appointment or visit is going to be.
- Travelling to our sites
- watfordTravel App
- Public Transport
- Arriva Click
- Community Transport
- Cycling
- Walking
- Help with Travel Costs
Travelling to our sites
Information specific to each site can be found below:
watfordTravel App
The travelWatford app is a journey planner that covers Watford, and areas across Hertfordshire and beyond. It provides live information for buses and trains, and information on taxis, cycling, walking and driving and may be useful when planning your journey to hospital.
Click here for more information
Public Transport
- Arriva Buses - Bus services and timetables offered by Arriva buses.
- London Northwestern Railway Trains Information about train services to Watford and Hemel Hempstead (London Euston to the north)
- Southern Trains - Information about train services to Watford and Hemel Hempstead via the Clapham Junction to Milton Keynes Central line
- Thameslink and Great Northern: Information about train services to St Albans
- Intalink for Hertfordshire travel information
- Traveline - Public Transport Information
- Herts County Council community travel
ArrivaClick
Another convenient way to get to Watford hospital is ArrivaClick which is a flexible, on-demand bus service, that unlike others does not follow a fixed route at fixed times. By using the stop ‘Watford General internal’ it will drop you off outside the main building.
Subsidised by Watford Borough Council, the service delivers a cost-efficient mode of transport (priced between a bus and taxi fare), which can be booked and paid for via a free smartphone app on www.watford.gov.uk/arrivaclick.
Customers can book from the comfort of their home and the service, responding to demand from passengers and the routes they want to take, will pick you up from a ‘virtual stop’ close to your starting point.
The buses will operate across the borough and to Warner Brother Studios and Croxley Park. Each bus will have comfortable seating, tables, free Wi-Fi, USB chargers and air conditioning. The operating times are - Monday to Thursday: 6am - 10pm, Friday and Saturday: 6am - 11pm and Sunday: 8am - 9pm. The service is accessible, DDA compliant and family friendly, with spaces or wheelchairs, pushchairs and prams.
Journey prices range from £1 to £2.50 per mile depending on the time of day and further discounts are available to regular users via weekly passes and credit bundles. To contact ArrivaClick, please :email: arrivaclickenquiries@arriva.co.uk or call 0345 501 0000.
Further information is available here.
Community Transport
There are a number of community groups that provide car schemes and have volunteer drivers who can take people to hospital for their appointments.
Different schemes serve different areas and have specific criteria for users. Most do not charge, but appreciate a donation towards costs.
To find a scheme that can help you, contact the numbers below:
Residents of Dacorum
Telephone: 01442 212888
Email:
ctadmin@communityactiondacorum.or.uk
Residents of Hertsmere and St Albans
Telephone: 020 8207 5055
Email:
travel@communities1st.org.uk
Residents of Watford and Three Rivers
Telephone: 01923 216955
Email: communitycares@w3rt.org
Could you be a volunteer driver?
Volunteering is a great way to become involved in your community. Schemes need help to take people to health appointments, local activities and shopping.
Some drivers have regular days, others help on an ad hoc basis so there’s lots of flexibility to work around other things you do. Many drivers say they enjoy meeting their passengers and find it’s a rewarding way to give their time.
To volunteer as a driver in your area, see details below:
Hertsmere and St Albans Telephone: 01727 634877
Email:
volunteer@communities1st.org.uk
Dacorum Telephone: 01442 212888
Email:
ctadmin@communityactiondacorum.org.uk
Watford and Three Rivers Telephone: 01923 216950
Email: enquiries@w3rt.org
East of England Ambulance Service - non-emergency patient transport
The East of England Ambulance Service provides non-emergency patient transport services in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Luton.
To find out if you are eligible for patient transport, or to make a booking,
please call
01245 444584.
The contact centre is open from 6 am to 10 pm, 7 days-a-week, with an answerphone operating outside of these times.
See here for more information
Community Transport Hertfordshire
There are lots of other smaller community transport schemes, see the
Hertfordshire County Council
website for more information.
Cycling
We have facilities at all three hospital sites for staff and patients who choose to cycle.
Check cycle routes here.
Beryl bikes
In Watford you can hire a Beryl bike. Use the app to hire one of 300 Beryl bikes in 72 Beryl bays.
Payment options include:
- Pay as you ride: Unlocking fee £1.00 + 5p per minute
- Minute bundles: 300 minutes £15 (other bundles available)
- Day pass: £20 for 24 hours
See here for further information.
See the list of all the current Beryl bike bays in Watford.
Walking
You may prefer to travel to your hospital visit on foot. Each of our hospital sites has suggested walking routes that take into account clear routes and street furniture to make sure they are suitable for wheelchair users and visitors with buggies and pushchairs.
- Suggested walking route to Hemel Hempstead Hospital
- Suggested walking routes to St Albans City Hospital
- Suggested walking routes to Watford General Hospital
Help with travel costs
You may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) if you're referred to hospital for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by your doctor, dentist or another primary care health professional. For more information, including eligibility and how to claim, please click here.
Driving and parking
If you're arriving by car, you will find information about which
entrances to use and where to park when you arrive when you arrive in
information about our sites.