St James’ Park is one of the most popular matchday destinations in England. A capacity crowd of 52,000 regularly attend the Premier League games, meaning parking might seem tricky in the surrounding areas of the ground.
However, we are here to tell you the best spots to park and give you insider tips, helping to ease any potential concerns or worries about finding a suitable parking spot on matchday.
Find out our best recommendations and general information about parking near St James’ Park below.
How much is St James’ Park official parking?
To park at St James’ Park, you must be a member and, overall, there are limited spaces. As a result, it is better to park at one of the NCP car parks close to the stadium, or if you’re lucky, on a nearby street.
Advice about on-street parking and NCP car park options will be detailed below.
NCP car parks
If you're heading to the stadium for a match, you're in luck! Several NCP car parks are nearby, but let’s focus on the top choices that make your experience even easier.
First up is the Newcastle St John Street car park, conveniently located on Grainger Street. It’s just a short ten-minute stroll to the stadium, costing £10 on match days. Make sure to place your booking confirmation on the dashboard, as this car park uses Pay & Display recognition. The postcode is NE1 5JG, ideally situated in the heart of the lively shopping district!
Another fantastic option is the John Dobson Street Car Park, which is perfect for fans. With 550 spaces and six designated disabled bays available through a pre-booking system, it caters to everyone's needs. Parking here costs £14.95 for four to 24 hours, and it’s just as close to the stadium, also a ten-minute walk away. You can save a little by paying through the NCP app, which offers the same time frame for only £11.95.
Whichever you choose, you're sure to have a convenient parking experience, allowing you more time to enjoy the excitement of the game!
Is there any free parking near St James’ Park?
There are no free car parks near St James’ Park. Instead, fans should try to find street parking, and there are a few options.
Is there any on-street parking near St James’ Park?
Stanhope and Diana Street are the best streets near the stadium where you can find parking spots. From Newcastle Stanhope Street, it is a nine-minute walk to St James’ Park, and parking costs £8.95 for 12 hours at the weekend. Meanwhile, from Diana Street, it is around a 15-minute walk to the stadium. Both options are affordable and convenient for fans on matchdays, so they will be in demand.
Q-Park Stowell Street is another option for fans. It is a five to ten-minute walk to the stadium and is relatively stress-free. However, it is expensive, costing £2.60 per hour. There are only 266 spaces available in the car park, and it is popular on matchdays, but fans can pre-book a space before the game. Fans anticipating a rush to get to the stadium on time and wanting a short walk to the stadium should consider this car park.
Insider tips on St James’ Park parking
In the St James' Park stadium guide, produced by Football Ground Guide, Jason Adderley, a visiting West Brom said: “An easier way into the City is to stay on the A1 until the exit for Westerhope. Leave the A1 and go straight over two roundabouts and then follow the signs for the Royal Victoria Infirmary (Queen Victoria Road) – parking here is in a multi-storey and allows a reasonably quick getaway after the game.”
You can read the full stadium guide here.
Newcastle College is a handy car park on matchdays, given that it is only a 10–15 minute walk to the stadium and there are over 400 parking spaces available at £4.
Guidance on how to get there and things you need to know are set out in the Football Ground Guide stadium guide: “The cost to park there is £4, which is paid on entry and then you will be given a voucher to display on your dashboard. The car park is supervised with security coverage. The entrance to the College car park is off a roundabout on Scotswood Road (A695).
“If approaching Newcastle from the South and following the directions above, then after bearing left onto the A189 and crossing over the River Tyne. Then at the next set of traffic lights turn left onto the A695 signposted Blaydon/Metro Radio Arena and at the next roundabout turn right into the College car park.
“The car park is in easy walking distance of Newcastle Railway Station and City Centre. To walk straight to the stadium, then exit the car park via the entrance you drove through and turn left. At the traffic lights turn left onto the main St James Road. Just walk straight up St James Road and you will soon spot the stadium up in front of you. It is just over half a mile from the College to St James Park.”
Times Square Car Park is another advisable parking spot on matchdays. The postcode is NE1 4AD and there are 635 parking spaces. Parking is reasonably priced, and it's only a 15-minute walk to the stadium, so fans should seriously consider this as another option.
Blue badge parking
There are approximately 120 spaces available at St James’ Park on matchdays, including 30 free and accessible spots for disabled supporters.
Most of these spaces are given to season ticket holders before the season. On some occasions, spaces are allocated to others, which is decided on a match-to-match basis.
There are designated disabled spaces that require a blue badge in the advised parking spots above. For example, at John Dobson Street Car Park, there are six designated disabled spaces available.
Newcastle City Council have a useful guide on all the disabled parking bays, including an A-Z list of all the spots intended for disabled badge holders in the city. Take a look here.
Is there a park-and-ride system near St James’ Park?
Two park-and-ride services run on matchdays. Both are located close to the A1 motorway and include a shuttle bus that goes directly to the ground. The first of these goes from Gateshead MetroCentre (NE11 9YG), a shopping centre in the city centre.
This journey will take around 20 minutes on matchdays due to the increased traffic in the city. Spaces at the MetroCentre Coach Park will be available for people who use this service.
The return journey will go from Barrack Road, which is located behind the Milburn stand, and the last bus will leave one hour after the match has finished.
The second park and ride service departs from Newcastle Great Park with a similar estimated journey time to the stadium. Both services include free parking with the return costing between £2-£4. It is also worth noting that the first shuttle buses from both services leave two hours before kick-off. The last departure will leave 15 minutes before the match starts.
Go North East provides a useful explanation of the travel services available on matchday near St James’ Park, including the park and ride spots. Click the link here to find out more.
Alternative options
Another potential option for those driving up to St.James' Park is to park a little further away from the stadium itself and complete the rest of the journey using public transport, more specifically, the city's bus services.
This could be ideal for those who still want the freedom that comes with driving but would prefer to avoid the hassle of busy car parks, or even booking the park-and-ride service.
If that sounds like you, then take note of the following two bus stops: Haymarket and Eldon Street – both of which are located on Percy Street, which is just a five-minute walk away from the ground and are the stops you will want to aim for.
While this option would indeed allow you to avoid busy car parks, it will present another potential issue – busy public transport that is inevitable on matchday. If you leave some extra time for this part of the journey then it shouldn't cause too much of a problem, but it is certainly worth considering just the same.
General advice
Fans who are looking to do some general research on car parking near the stadium should look at JustPark. This website will provide a map of the city and point out the various parking spots within walking distance of the ground.
You can pre-book spots at several car parks using JustPark, which is useful for people planning their day in advance.