Visiting Borough Market by Train: What You Need to Know

In the heart of central London, a stone’s throw from the Shard, Southwark Cathedral, and the HMS Belfast, Borough Market is easy to find and difficult to leave!

To visit Borough Market by train, plan your journey to London Bridge, a central London rail hub with services operated by Southeastern, Southern and Thameslink. Direct services to London Bridge are available for passengers visiting from Cambridge, Peterborough, Epsom, Brighton, Dartford, Horsham, and many more. If you are arriving at other London stations, you can easily travel across London on the Underground; for example, from London Kings Cross to Borough Market, you can hop on the Northern Line to London Bridge.

London Bridge has seating areas, step-free access to all platforms, and accessible toilets. To get from London Bridge to Borough Market will take only a few minutes, with excellent views along the view of Southwark Cathedral and other landmarks.

Be sure to make the most of your journey by booking in advance, and buy cheap train tickets with TrainPal.

One of the oldest and best-known street food markets in the world, Borough Market is a popular lunch spot for locals and tourists alike.

Open to visitors six days a week, you can visit Borough Market at the following times:

• Tuesday–Saturday: 10am – 5pm
• Sunday: 10am – 4pm

Borough Market is closed on Monday, and opening hours may vary on other days, to account for public holidays. Individual traders may also keep to different hours. To check up-to-date opening times, visit the Borough Market website.

Entry to Borough Market is free, and you don’t need a ticket.

The obvious choice at a food market is to gorge on the many delightful food options available! But there is more than food at Borough Market. Here are our top recommendations:

Grab some food

When in one of the best street food markets in the world, it would be a crime not to tuck into some delicious food and drinks. Whether you’re in the market for British staples, Italian flavours, or Middle Eastern delicacies, your mouth will be watering as you walk around Borough Market. Enjoy ready-to-eat treats or stock up for the week at fruit and veg wholesalers Turnips or iconic Spanish specialist Brindisa.

Enjoy the hustle and bustle

As well as tasty food, Borough Market has a bustling atmosphere that becomes an experience in itself. Stroll along the halls and passageways, keeping an eye out for historical architecture and secrets hidden in every nook and cranny. Visitors can spend hours between the three sections, entranced by the variety and passion of market life.

Take a behind-the-scenes tour

To go deeper into Borough Market’s heritage, book a private tour behind the scenes of Borough Market. You’ll get the chance to learn about the market, and its food, history and cultural value. Your knowledgeable guide will bring the market’s hidden features to life, and you’ll also be able to enjoy talks and tastings from traders, plus a glass of English sparkling wine.

From a medieval market that frustrated the authorities to a bustling modern landmark, Borough Market has a long and fascinating past.

The start of Borough Market

In the early days of the market, when the only route into the City of London from south of the Thames was London Bridge, street traders were a constant challenge to the authorities. Shoppers developed the habit of heading south to buy their wares from London Bridge, leading to battles to regulate and tax the small traders.

Early Modern Heyday

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Southwark was immensely busy, with craftspeople and traders dominating the streets. Londoners crossed London Bridge to let off steam, and the markets did a roaring trade.

The end of Borough Market?

Authorities continued to crack down on the market as London expanded. In 1754, a bill went before parliament alleging that “the market obstructs much trade and commerce”, and declaring that “no person shall use any stall, trussel, block, or other stand, or expose to sale upon such stands peas, beans, herbs, victuals or other commodities.”

A new beginning

Thankfully, this was not the end of the story. Indeed, Southwark residents petitioned to create a new market, they acquired some land, and adverts for the first traders at Borough Market were sent out in February 1756. The market continues in the same location to this day!

Peterborough to London

Trains to Borough Market are simple from Peterborough, with direct Thameslink services that take you straight to London Bridge. Travel from Peterborough to London Bridge in 1 hour 35 minutes, with no changes. Remember to buy cheap train tickets in advance with TrainPal and add a Railcard discount if eligible.

Bristol to London

From Bristol to London, visitors can get to the capital in under an hour and a half on fast Great Western Railway services between Bristol Parkway and London Paddington. From London Paddington, simply take the Elizabeth Line to Bond Street, then the Jubilee Line to London Bridge.

Edinburgh to London

For trains from Edinburgh to London, direct LNER services can take you all the way to London in just 4 and a half hours. Departing from Edinburgh (Waverley), you’ll reach London Kings Cross, from where you can take the Northern Line to London Bridge.

*Information is subject to change. Please check the latest train timetable before your trip

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