Away-day guide
Carrow Road, on the ball City.
Quick takeaways
About the place
Carrow Road is definitely one ground to tick off, if you can.
It’s not the easiest to get to, admittedly. But it’s well worth the long journey.
Norwich consistently makes it onto the best places to live in the UK list, with its unique blend of medieval beauty and urban buzz.
The stadium is easy to get to from both the city centre and station, making it one of the most accessible stadiums in the country.
On matchdays there is a lot of activity around the ground, with food stalls dotted around, and a fan zone that visiting supporters can use.
Away fans are housed in one end of the South Stand. The away entrance is to the left of the Holiday Inn.
Club info
Section 02
By train
It’s an easy walk to Carrow Road from the station. If you’re heading straight for the ground, turn left out of the main entrance onto Station Approach. At the junction with Koblenz Avenue, turn left again, and within about 5 minutes, you’ll see the stadium ahead of you.
If you’re looking for food, drink or entertainment before the game, don’t turn left onto Koblenz Avenue. Instead, cross onto Wherry Road for the Riverside Entertainment district. There you’ll find bars, restaurants, and a bowling alley. If you follow Wherry Road, it joins Koblenz Avenue at the stadium.
Park and ride
There are five sites around Norwich where you can park for free and take the bus into the city centre. These services are operated by First Bus and Simonds. Day passes start at £3. Note that these services take you into the city centre but not to the stadium, so depending on which service you choose, the closest stop to Carrow Road may be the Bus or Train station.
Section 03
Parking options
There’s no matchday parking at Carrow Road. The club states that Blue Badge parking can be found on neighbouring residential streets such as Kerrison Road (NR1 1JB).
Drop-off
The entrance of the Holiday Inn, located between the South Stand and Barclay Stand can be used by supporters as a drop-off point.
A Mobility Buggy travels around the stadium on matchdays and can be flagged down by supporters who require travel support around the stadium.
Mobility Bus from County Hall
A minibus service runs between County Hall car park and Carrow Road on matchdays. This service is for anyone who has mobility issues and may find it challenging to get from the car park to the stadium. The bus costs £4 return (plus £2 for a personal assistant/carer if required) and leaves County Hall 90 minutes before kick-off. Supporters will be dropped off outside the Holiday Inn, which is also where they will be picked up from after the match.
More information on this, as well as how to book, can be found at norwichdoortodoor.org.uk/ncfc-bus.
Near the stadium
Min walk
Many fans choose to park at County Hall.
Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DW
Notes
Note that while this car park is not within the post-match road closure zone, it is likely to be slow getting out due to post-match traffic.
Min walk
24-hour multi-storey car park near the station.
Mountergate, Norwich, NR1 1PY
Further out
Min walk
Adjacent to the Chantry Shopping Centre in town.
2 Theatre St, Norwich NR2 1RL
Notes
We discovered this place via a Reddit thread — it was suggested for its getaway speed — the trade-off is a walk back uphill from the stadium.
Min walk
Matchday car parking at Trowse Newton, a village on the edge of Norwich.
Just off Bracondale, Trowse, NR1 2EG
Notes
The club website states that additional matchday car parking is also available at Trowse Newton, a village on the edge of Norwich. It’s 15-20 minutes from Carrow Road. Easily accessed from the A47 Norwich Southern Bypass — come off onto the A146 towards Norwich. Take the first right onto White Horse Lane and follow it (it bends left). Within a minute you’ll see the car park on your right.
Matchday road closures
Main Closures: Carrow Road (directly outside the ground) and Wherry Road are closed to through traffic. Koblenz Avenue often faces closures or heavy restrictions immediately post-match due to the volume of fans.
Post-match traffic
Traffic is extremely heavy following the final whistle. Roads generally remain closed for at least 20-30 minutes after the full-time whistle.
Expect delays on Carrow Road, Koblenz Avenue, Queen Street, King Street, Bracondale and Martineau Lane.
Section 04
Norwich has everything you need — all the major chains, plus a bustling independent food scene.
For a pre-match beer, the Thorpe Road and Riverside area are good spots.
Closer to the stadium
1 Market Place, Norwich, NR2 1ND
Norwich Market is a covered outdoor marketplace, with a huge variety of independent street food stalls. Definitely worth checking out. You can also grab a beer at Sir Toby’s stall.
22-24 The Royal Arcade, Norwich, NR2 1NQ
A popular and highly-rated street food hall in the city centre with a wide variety of street food options.
St Saviours Yard, St Saviours Ln, Norwich NR3 1GQ
Not necessarily a food destination, but a creative hub with a wide range of independent artisan/maker businesses, all in repurposed shipping containers. If you like independent shops, this is worth a look. Sir Toby’s (of Norwich Market fame) is here as well. There is a highly-rated pizza place — East Dough — noted for its sesame seed crust and pizza by the slice.
82 Thorpe Rd, Norwich, NR1 1BA
Home to the Chalk Hill Brewery, serves food, and has sports on the screens. Away fans and home fans mix here.
120 Prince of Wales Rd, Norwich, NR1 1NS
Serves cask ales and food. Has a riverside terrace. Over the road (and the river) from the train station.
101 Thorpe Rd, Norwich, NR1 1TR
Another popular spot is the Fat Cat and Canary, which welcomes home and away fans on matchdays. Good food. Good beer. Not far from the station, and 10 minutes from Carrow Road.
Unit 6, Riverside Development, Wherry Rd, Norwich, NR1 1ED
Popular spot for away fans, given its location near the station. And the fact that it’s a ’spoons.
At the stadium, inside the Lower Barclay Stand
The Lion and Castle is actually at the stadium, inside the Lower Barclay Stand. It’s designated as home-only before matches, but opens to home and away fans afterwards. Turn left as you leave the away end.
Inside the ground
At the stadium, there are lots of food stalls dotted around outside. One of the more popular spots is a van next to the club shop on Geoffrey Watling Way, selling burgers, hot dogs and Philly cheese steak.
Away fans are welcome in the fan zone, where there are yet more food and drink options.
Inside the ground, the fare is more predictable. It’s definitely worth eating in town, or outside the ground.
Section 05
Away fans are housed in the South Stand. The entrance is to the left of the Holiday Inn. There isn’t a sign which is odd — so it’s easy to walk past it, unless you’re paying attention to the number of stewards and police at each turnstile.
The away end is at the far end of one side of the pitch (not even a corner) — making it less atmospheric than other away ends. Unless you’re winning.
If Norwich score, the PA system blares out that samba tune: DA-DAA-DA-DAA.....DA DA DA DA DA
It’s annoying. It’s called Samba de Janeiro. I didn’t know this; I had to look it up.
Section 06
No boys for this one as we wouldn’t get home until 2am at least. I was lucky enough to be able to get down there early, so I had some time to waste before the game.
I parked in the city centre, at the Chantry pay & display. I’d seen this mentioned online by someone who said they avoided post-match traffic by parking here. Other comments mentioned parking ‘uphill’ for a quicker getaway. I thought Norwich was flat, but it’s not. Anyway, everyone was right.
Right next to the car park is Chantry Place shopping centre. It’s got a number of major chain restaurants which would be good options, especially if you want to feed your people straightaway. After 4+ hours in the car and a couple of coffees, it’s a useful toilet stop.
I didn’t know where I was going, so I just walked. Old buildings and history around every corner. Stunning. I made a detour to make sure I went past the cathedral. Then headed towards Carrow Road. The route from town takes you near the Castle, which is an added bonus.
I stopped at The Woolpack Inn on Golden Ball Street. Decent beers, a mixed football crowd, and Champions League on a screen outside (there’s a covered area outside, too).
I still hadn’t eaten, so I decided to eat at the ground.
I headed along Ber Street, planning to go over Carrow Bridge. But I saw Norwich fans heading downhill to the left, and just followed them; to Rouen Road and then over the Novi Sad Friendship Bridge. From there, we turned right and within a couple of minutes, we were at the stadium.
It took about 15 minutes from the pub.
At the first burger stand, I asked someone who was tucking into a burger, if it was any good. He said "it’s a stadium burger, what do you expect?"
I kept walking.
Next was a food van selling burgers, hot dogs and Philly Cheese Steak. I asked a Norwich fan if it was any good, and he said it was great. I joined the queue.
By the time my number was called out, I only had time to walk and eat. I asked a steward where the away entrance was and he said "all the way up there", while pointing the way I was headed.
I walked. And ate. Walked. And ate. Went past the fan zone, which I’d try next time (I didn’t know away fans were allowed in). Kept walking.
Turned a corner and saw the bloody Philly Cheese Steak van again. I’d walked all the way around. So, I started the walk again, this time looking more carefully.
I finally asked a policeman where the away end was. "It’s here".
Of course, a police presence is a fairly big clue to where an away end might be. But there is no signage that has the word visiting or away. My ticket said Enter Via Away Turnstiles.
After the game, it was uphill all the way back to the car. But, as the Redditors had said, I was out of Norwich without hitting much post-match traffic.
If you've got more time
Take a punt
5questions, multigenerational. Some you'll know, some only a long-time fan would. No timer, no leaderboard — just for the fun of it.
Reviewed by Andy · 2 weeks ago