Travelling by car

Planning Your Visit: Travel & Parking Information

Before your appointment or visit, please check the best travel options to the Countess of Chester Hospital and allow plenty of time to avoid missing your appointment.
We strongly recommend using the Park and Ride service as the easiest and most convenient way to reach the hospital.

Park and Ride Service

  • Service PR3 runs between Upton (Zoo) Park and Ride and the Countess of Chester Hospital, with a special discounted ticket price of £1.50* for hospital passengers.

  • Operating hours:

    • Monday to Saturday: every 15-20 minutes, last bus at 7 PM

    • Sundays & public holidays: every 15 minutes, last bus at 5:30 PM

  • No service on: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

Route: Upton (Zoo) Park and Ride → Liverpool Road (Countess Hospital) → Liverpool Road Abbotts Grange (University) → Bus Interchange → Foregate Street (shops & visitor attractions) → Liverpool Road Abbotts Grange → Liverpool Road (Countess Hospital) → Upton (Zoo) Park & Ride.

*There are over 2,400 free parking spaces available across three Park and Ride sites. Tickets cost £1.50 from Upton and Wrexham Road sites, and £2.50 from Boughton Heath.

Find out more here

Car Parking at the Hospital

Main Car Parks:
We have two main car parks equipped with a modern, ticketless, multi-payment system, accepting cash, card, contactless, and app payments. The system uses Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) for easy and secure access.

  • Visitors can pay on-site or online by scanning QR codes around the hospital, entering their vehicle registration, and selecting their payment method via Google Pay, Apple Pay, or card.

  • No paper tickets needed! Just enter your car registration at payment points.

  • Security is a priority with barrier entry/exit, 24-hour staffing, and CCTV coverage.

  • A 30-minute free drop-off facility is available at all car parks. If full, this allows you to exit and try other car parks without waiting.

Parking Charges:

  • First 30 minutes: FREE

  • Up to 4 hours: £3.65

  • Up to 6 hours: £5.70

  • Up to 24 hours: £7.80

Directions: If travelling via the M56, take junction 15 to the M53, then junction 12. Follow signs to Chester, then take the third exit at the roundabout and follow signs to the hospital.

Blue Badge Parking

  • Designated Blue Badge parking is available by the main entrance and next to the Emergency Department.

  • Parking is free for Blue Badge holders, but the badge must be clearly displayed at all times.

  • Blue Badge holders should visit the Security Podium at the hospital's main entrance for parking assistance or to register their vehicle.

  • The Security Podium is staffed Monday to Friday, 7 AM – 4 PM.

Free Parking & Exemptions

If you qualify for free parking, please visit the Security Office on the G9 corridor with proof of exemption.

Eligible groups include:

  • Patients on certain NHS benefits under the Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS)

  • Families of patients in Critical Care (up to 3 vehicles authorized)

  • Families of patients receiving Palliative Care (up to 3 vehicles authorized)

  • Kidney dialysis patients

  • Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy

In all cases, forms must be collected from the relevant ward and authorized at Security.

Assisted Parking

  • Weekly parking passes (£15/week) are available from the Facilities Department (next to ‘GP bloods’ in the 1829 building), open Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 3 PM.

  • Passes can only be purchased via debit or credit card and are no longer available from machines.

  • For eligibility, please speak with nursing staff or Security. The Trust considers individual circumstances for exemptions beyond listed categories.

Important Notes

  • Vehicles parked outside designated areas or in disabled bays without a valid Blue Badge registered with us will receive a Civil Enforcement Notice with a £30 fine, rising to £50 if unpaid after 30 days.

  • Emergency vehicle access must be maintained at all times.

 

Not what you're looking for? Return back to the main page. 

Find Us