Parking for the Reading game

At the start of the season I got caught out by a ridiculous parking change at the Madejski Stadium car park where the price to park had gone up from £8 to £15. I phoned the club to complain and they have made a slight concession. You can now book a space in advance of match day for a tenner otherwise it’s still £15 on the day. Sod that.

I now use the Mereoak Park and Ride. The post code is RG7 1PB.It’s an excellent service. Just come off the usual M4 exit at Junction 11 and head along the A33 to Basingstoke for about a mile before you see a signpost for Mereoak park and ride where you take a turning to the right. Then go around the mini rab and turn right into the car park. Walk across the carpark to the buses where you will see one for the Madejski. If you are travelling alone ask the driver for a return ticket to the Madejski. It will cost you £4 for the ticket and parking is free. If you are travelling with family members ask for a family return ticket to the Madejski. It will cost you no more than £5. If you are coming with other adults ask for a group return to the Madejski. It will cost you no more than £5. The journey takes 10 minutes. The bus drops you off at the foot of the incline you walk up to the stadium. You get the bus back to the carpark at the foot of the incline on your way home. There will be long queues waiting for the bus back after the game but they lay on plenty of buses and you will get one after no more than about 20/25 minutes. The journey back to the carpark will take ten minutes. Once back in your car it will only take five minutes until you are back on the M4. It’s a great and cheap service and one that I now always use.

There are other options including a free one. The freebie is at the World Turned Upside Down pub along Basingstoke Road. They do a decent beer and carvery but it’s about a 25 minute walk to the ground and you would need to get there about 90 minutes before kick off for a parking place.

You can also use the old Greyhound carpark along the A33 but would have to go through all the match day traffic to get there. It will cost you a tenner. It will also cost a tenner to park at Cordwallis, 40 Bennett Road, RG2 0QX. It’s opposite the Jaguar garage.

There is also the Holiday Inn, 500 Basingstoke Road RG2 0SL which is also a tenner but Reading fans have had issues with purchasing parking tickets there this season.

I hope this helps and have a safe journey

:thumbup:

The postcode for the old Greyhound Stadium is RG2 6 GP.

Mereoak park and ride is the cheapest and in my view easiest and quickest way of parking up. It’s very easy to access just off the M4 and you avoid driving in all the match day traffic.

I'm trying Mereoak for the first time. My only thought was what will happen at the end of the match. Last time I went all the City fans were directed away from the park and ride stop by a line of stewards. Everyone had to turn right on the way out. If that happens again then you'd have to walk around the stadium to get to the park and ride for Mereoak (or Bulldogs😁)

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Originally Posted by IanD

I'm trying Mereoak for the first time. My only thought was what will happen at the end of the match. Last time I went all the City fans were directed away from the park and ride stop by a line of stewards. Everyone had to turn right on the way out. If that happens again then you'd have to walk around the stadium to get to the park and ride for Mereoak (or Bulldogs��)

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Ian as a Reading fan I have to walk all around the stadium after the game to get back to the bus stop. It’s a pain in the arse. All away fans should be able to walk back down the slope back to the bus stop though.

Presumably to stop a crush at the bus stop at full time? Might have to sneak out and take a short cut just before the final whistle.

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Originally Posted by Pearcey3

At the start of the season I got caught out by a ridiculous parking change at the Madejski Stadium car park where the price to park had gone up from £8 to £15. I phoned the club to complain and they have made a slight concession. You can now book a space in advance of match day for a tenner otherwise it’s still £15 on the day. Sod that.

I now use the Mereoak Park and Ride. The post code is RG7 1PB.It’s an excellent service. Just come off the usual M4 exit at Junction 11 and head along the A33 to Basingstoke for about a mile before you see a signpost for Mereoak park and ride where you take a turning to the right. Then go around the mini rab and turn right into the car park. Walk across the carpark to the buses where you will see one for the Madejski. If you are travelling alone ask the driver for a return ticket to the Madejski. It will cost you £4 for the ticket and parking is free. If you are travelling with family members ask for a family return ticket to the Madejski. It will cost you no more than £5. If you are coming with other adults ask for a group return to the Madejski. It will cost you no more than £5. The journey takes 10 minutes. The bus drops you off at the foot of the incline you walk up to the stadium. You get the bus back to the carpark at the foot of the incline on your way home. There will be long queues waiting for the bus back after the game but they lay on plenty of buses and you will get one after no more than about 20/25 minutes. The journey back to the carpark will take ten minutes. Once back in your car it will only take five minutes until you are back on the M4. It’s a great and cheap service and one that I now always use.

There are other options including a free one. The freebie is at the World Turned Upside Down pub along Basingstoke Road. They do a decent beer and carvery but it’s about a 25 minute walk to the ground and you would need to get there about 90 minutes before kick off for a parking place.

You can also use the old Greyhound carpark along the A33 but would have to go through all the match day traffic to get there. It will cost you a tenner. It will also cost a tenner to park at Cordwallis, 40 Bennett Road, RG2 0QX. It’s opposite the Jaguar garage.

There is also the Holiday Inn, 500 Basingstoke Road RG2 0SL which is also a tenner but Reading fans have had issues with purchasing parking tickets there this season.

I hope this helps and have a safe journey

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We parked in the Holiday inn last January for £10, there was a guy taking money as you drove in.

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Originally Posted by islandblue

We parked in the Holiday inn last January for £10, there was a guy taking money as you drove in.

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He’s gone. You will now have to have £10 in coins to get your ticket or go into the reception area and join the queue to pay. You can pay over the phone in advance though.
Save yourself a tenner and park at Thebes pub I mentioned as it’s barely any further away

I've parked at the Swan Inn in Three Mile Cross the other side of the motorway and walked. It's a bit of a hike but a good pub and free parking.

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Originally Posted by RichardM

I've parked at the Swan Inn in Three Mile Cross the other side of the motorway and walked. It's a bit of a hike but a good pub and free parking.

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That’s a fair walk back to your car after the game.

See above thread regarding the siting of our stadium. Reading is a nightmare!!!!

I'm going to the Madjeski for the first time ever but driving down from oop north!

Worth knowing about this rip off ta very much Pearcey

We will try the Mereoak.
Tidy.:thumbup:

When I lived in London, always used the World Turned Upside Down pre-match, but as Pearcey says, you do need to get there quite early for a parking spot. Nice little pub, but getting back to the M4 after the game does take quite a while.

Last time I went up we parked in some culdersac around the corner from the stadium don't think the people living there was to happy. As many have said it's in a shit place

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Originally Posted by James fox

We will try the Mereoak.
Tidy.:thumbup:

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Map showing the drop off and pick up point for Mereoak park and ride at the Madejeski.

£4 return and avoid the traffic looks like a no-brainer.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/club/tra...adium-parking/

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Originally Posted by Pearcey3

He’s gone. You will now have to have £10 in coins to get your ticket or go into the reception area and join the queue to pay. You can pay over the phone in advance though.
Save yourself a tenner and park at Thebes pub I mentioned as it’s barely any further away

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Few years back you got the parking money back if you had a drink/meal in the bar.