Parking in Ipswich

There’s heaps to do in Ipswich, whether you’re keen on culture, Food and Drink, Heritage or the Great Outdoors, Ipswich has a fantastic range of attractions, with sites to explore either on foot or by boat! Make sure to take a trip along the beautiful River Orwell. Christchurch Mansion is home to an exquisite collection of work by artists Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable. While the greenery of Ispwich can be enjoyed in beautiful parks and sanctuary’s, such as in Orwell Park.

Despite Ipswich being a popular destination with plenty on offer, the parking solutions aren’t as attractive. Much of the on-street parking throughout the city is restricted to residents' parking zones, making it particularly difficult for city centre commuters and visitors to find reasonably priced parking in Ipswich to suit their needs.

Most car parks in Ipswich tend to be on the pricey side, often making it unaffordable for those who have to drive to and from the city every day.

…this is where we come in.

YourParkingSpace is a great parking service, that offers many different off-street parking opportunities across Ipswich close to the city’s most popular attractions. Both long term and short-term parking is available with our hourly and weekly booking options. The best part is, YourParkingSpace is available 24 hours of the day 7 days a week.

It can be tricky to park in Ipswich city centre due to the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ). This means that most streets have some kind of parking restriction at some point in time. Parking restrictions to look out for are:

• Pay and Display bays where you can stay for up to 2 hours
• Double yellow lines, where you can't park
• Single yellow lines, where you can only park at some times. Be sure to check the signs when parking on these
• Kerb flashes showing loading restrictions

Your best bet is parking in off-street car parks across Ipswich, or booking an off-street parking space with YourParkingSpace. One of the closest car parks to the town centre is behind Debenhams and is an NCP short-stay car park, charging £1 for the first hour. Another option Crown Street Car Park run by Ipswich Borough Council, charging £1 per hour for five hours if you arrive before 2 pm; just £2 for the remainder of the day if you arrive afterwards. 

No one wants a surprise fine! On the YourParkingSpace map, we make sure that we only offer parking spaces with no restrictions so you need no permit and can rest assured you won’t get any fines.

Ipswich is set pretty Suffolk, close the great options for day trips in the surrounding areas. Head to Colchester to take make the most of Colchester Zoo or Adventure Island, a family-owned theme park with free admission. For a taste of local heritage, head to Chelmsford and check out Layer Marney Tower, with the tallest Gatehouse in Britain where you can take in fantastic views of Blackwater estuary, and RHS Garden Hyde Hall is a must-see in summer months.

Find great and convenient parking spaces in short walking distances to these unmissable attractions on our search results page.

Car

Ipswich can be reached by car in under 2h from London, taking the A12 route. From Ipswich, you can take the M11 North towards Cambridge, and then the M1 for cities such as Northampton and Birmingham.

Park and Ride

There are two sites outside Ipswich for Park and Ride. These are located at the A12 (London Road) junction and at Martlesham. For travel after midday on weekdays, an adult ticket is £2.50 or £4 for a group ticket. Buses run 7am – 7pm.

Train

Greater Anglia operates Ipswich Train Station, and there are regular trains to London and the surrounding areas. There are regular trains from Ipswich to London Liverpool Street which take approximately 1h 11minutes.

There are dedicated free parking spaces for Blue Badge holders provided in most of the town centre car parks. You will need to pay the normal tariff in parking bays not designated for blue badge holders.

There are also a number of on-street disabled parking spaces in order to assist Blue Badge holders to park as close to Ipswich town centre as possible. Some of these come in the form of shared use parking bays which only allow blue badge parking at certain times. Be sure to check signage before parking.

There are bays where Blue Badge holders may park for a maximum of three hours, these are listed on the council website. 

With a valid Blue Badge, you can park on:

• Any on-street pay and display space, no maximum stay and free of charge. This also applies to resident parking permit restricted areas
• Any on-street space labelled with the Blue Badge sign. Check signs as some spaces may be limited to 3 hours.
• Double and single yellow lines for up to three hours, unless there is a ban on loading or unloading. Again, check local signs for any additional local restrictions.
• Any on-street limited waiting bay, all-day

Don’t sweat it, many overnight off-street car parks in Ipswich run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Enter your dates and times into our search results page and find a space in time for a relaxed evening out.

Parking restrictions that are operational from 08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday are also operational on Bank Holidays unless the signs state otherwise. Car parks also tend to charge on Bank Holidays, again, check specific signage.

Do you have access to an empty parking space in Ipswich? It takes only moments to register with YourParkingSpace and you could be earning an easy extra income in no time. Register your driveway, parking space or lock-up garage with us. It’s free to list and takes just two minutes. Sit back, relax and watch the bookings roll in.

How to apply for a parking permit in Ipswich?

Ipswich parking permits depend on your zone, for example in Zone 1,3 and 4 residents can buy up to two permits, however, in Zone 2 they can only buy one permit.  The first residents’ permit costs £40 annually, and the second residents’ permit costs £70 annually. Check which zone your street falls into in order to decide which package you wish to choose. Ipswich Borough Council process permits through a virtual permit scheme, and you can apply online for a permit through the council website.

How much is parking at Ipswich train station?

Ipswich Station has an NCP managed parking car park at Ipswich Burrell Road. Alternatively, Crown Street Car Park managed by Ipswich Borough Council costs £1 per hour for five hours if you arrive before 2pm and £2 for the remainder of the day. The Buttermark car park is £2 for the first hour and £15 over 6 hours. Parking is free at several restaurants in the town centre after 7pm.

What time is free parking in Ipswich?

Restrictions apply Monday – Saturday, 8am – 6pm in many locations across Ipswich, and after this time on-street parking is free in Ipswich City centre. Parking is free at several restaurants in the town centre after 7pm.

How much is parking in Ipswich centre?

Charges apply Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 6pm in most on-street parking locations in Ispwich. Fonnereau Road/Soane Street tariffs are £0.90 for up to 30 minutes and  £2.90 for up to 2 hours. Shire Hall Yard/Smart Street pay and display costs £0.80 for up to 30 minutes and £2.80 for up to 2 hours. All other On-Street parking costs £1 for up to 30 minutes and £2 for 30 minutes to 1 hour. One convenient place to park is Crown Street Car Park managed by Ipswich Borough Council costs £1 per hour for five hours if you arrive before 2pm and £2 for the remainder of the day.  There are a few long-stay car parks in the Town Centre, including Portman Road, which is £5 for over 5 hours and Rose Lane car park with parking at £1.50 per hour and up to £6.20 for the whole day.  With YourParkingSpace you can find cheap and convenient parking in Ipswich city centre. Use the search map to find spaces to suit your needs for short, medium or long-term parking solutions.