Away-day guide
Vicarage Road, Hornets.
Quick takeaways
About the place
Vicarage Road is located just outside central Watford, and is easy to reach, no matter how you travel. It's got a colourful and distinctive look, decorated in the club colours of black, yellow and red. It’s a fully enclosed ground (a black tarp in the corner of the away end completes the enclosure).
Outside, there is a statue and mural of the club's legendary manager, Graham Taylor. On one side of the ground, there's a mural of former Chairman and now Honorary Life President Elton John.
The away end doesn’t serve alcohol, but Watford has plenty of places to enjoy a drink or two.
Away fans are housed in the Vicarage Road stand.
Club info
Section 02
Watford is well connected for road and rail travel, so you have a range of options.
By train
On the West Coast Main Line, with direct services from London Euston to destinations across the Midlands and the North. The fastest direct train out of London Euston takes about 20 minutes. It’ll take 20 minutes to walk to Vicarage Road from here.
Near the top of the overground Lioness line, with services from Euston. Another option is to take the Bakerloo line to Harrow & Wealdstone, and change for the Lioness line there. It’s a 15-minute walk to the stadium from here.
By tube
Watford is on the Underground, at the top of the Metropolitan Line. It’s about 40 minutes from central London.
It's a 20-minute walk to the stadium from here.
By car
There are lots of car parks in central Watford, all within a 15–20-minute walk of Vicarage Road. From the centre of town on a matchday, it's easy to just follow the crowd towards the stadium.
Section 03
Parking options
There's no matchday parking at Vicarage Road. Most of the best options are located in the town centre.
Disabled parking
Watford has a number of parking spaces for disabled visitors. Because parking directly around Vicarage Road is extremely restricted, spaces must be arranged in advance. Away fans must go through their own club’s ticketing system.
The club’s official matchday drop-off zones are at:
Note that if you are using the drop-off points at Farraline Road or Banbury Street, you must clear the area at least 2.5 hours before kick-off to ensure you do not get trapped by the road closures.
Another option: Watford General Hospital Multi-Storey
Located adjacent to the stadium. Warning: Standard Blue Badge exemptions do not apply here on matchdays; you must pay regular visitor parking tariffs via the Saba App or pay-and-display machines to avoid a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
Near the stadium
Min walk
A popular, manned matchday car park 5 minutes' walk from the ground.
Lady's Close, Watford, WD18 0AE
Notes
Opens 4 hours before kick-off (3 hours for midweek), closes 2 hours after the final whistle. Profits support the school. Easy access to the A4008 and M1 Junction 5.
Min walk
Matchday parking bookable via JustPark.
Watford Field Rd, Watford WD18 0AZ
Notes
Close to Watford High Street.
Further out
Min walk
Near to Watford High Street, making it one of the most convenient, 24/7, pay-on-exit options with over 600 spaces.
Exchange Rd, Watford WD18 0PL
Min walk
Multistorey car park opposite the Harlequin Centre.
19 Estcourt Rd, Watford WD17 2PS
Min walk
Matchday parking bookable via JustPark.
Ascot Rd, Watford WD18 8AD
Matchday road closures
Vicarage Road is closed to all non-emergency vehicles between its junctions with Fearnley Street and Harwoods Road from 2 hours before kick-off until all away supporter coaches have cleared the stadium.
Post-match traffic
Post-match congestion clears within 45–60 minutes, but several spots are worth avoiding immediately after the whistle.
Bushey Arches (A411/A4008) is the primary pinch point for anyone heading to the M1 south or North London. Stadium traffic merging with retail and rail passengers brings this junction to a standstill.
A411/Beechen Grove gets very busy as people leave the multi-storey car parks.
A4008 Stephenson Way — the main dual-carriageway to Junction 5 of the M1 can get backed up, as people leave town.
Traffic can also get heavy on Hempstead Road, as people head towards the M25.
Section 04
You'll find food and drink easily in Watford. The High Street area has tonnes of options, including street food stalls at the weekend. There are lots of places on the walk out to Vicarage Road as well.
Pubs
Most pubs near the ground are designated home fans only. Many pubs and bars in Watford High Street will welcome away fans, subject to the usual rules of covering club colours, behaviour etc.
Closer to the stadium
Unit 4, Gade House, 46 The Parade, High St, Watford WD17 1AY
Over a dozen street food stalls, loads to choose from, right on the high street.
Watford House Ln, Watford WD17 1BJ
Quirky place with repurposed shipping containers and a range of street food vendors.
14 Fearnley St, Watford, WD18 0RD
The club's official away pub. 5-10 minutes from the stadium. Features a massive beer garden, an outdoor bar selling cans, and a matchday BBQ.
Station Rd, Watford, WD17 1ET
Right next to Watford Junction station. Away-friendly and spacious pub with live sport, making it a perfect first stop if you are arriving by train. 20 minutes to the ground.
44 High St, Watford WD17 2BS
A large JD Wetherspoon on the High Street. Welcomes mixed groups of home and away supporters. 10-15 minutes from the stadium.
Section 05
If you're walking in from the town centre, you'll arrive near the away entrance on Vicarage Road.
The away end is decent at Vicarage Road. You're behind the goal on one side, with a good view of the action. The further back you are, the more the roof comes into play. It doesn't restrict your view of the game, but from the very back, you can't see the sky.
There's famously no alcohol on sale in the away end at Vicarage Road, so fans wanting a drink or two will have to drink in town.
Section 06
We'd never been to Vicarage Road before, so we were buzzing for this one.
Our original plan was to park at Milton Keynes and take the train to Watford. But the cost of the tickets was ridiculous. When we started going to away games, it made sense to drive because the kids were younger, and it gave us a bit more flexibility for the journey. Now they're older, we'd happily take the train. But every time we've researched it, it's been a far more expensive option.
So — we pre-booked parking at the CitiPark Sutton car park through JustPark. Good location, over the road from the Harlequin Shopping Centre.
We went looking for lunch on the High Street. We wandered into Watford Market, which has a few food places based in repurposed shipping containers. There was a gyros place that had good reviews, but it was next door to a fresh fish stall. That was enough for the public vote to turn to a NO.
A bit further along the High Street, we found Hello! Watford food hall. It had about 20 different vendors. No disagreements on what to eat! Just go and get what you want. There was a guy that did butter chicken & rice. He made it in front of us and it was belting.
We didn't know exactly where the ground was, but it didn't matter as we followed the crowd. It's a 15-minute walk from the town centre. On the way, there were many more food options.
We arrived at Vicarage Road with a bit of time to spare. So, we did the walk around the ground. Headed down Yellow Brick Road past the Elton John mural, and turned right at the end, which took us past the fan zone.
Then there was no way through, so we went down some steps away from the ground, and ended up walking back uphill through the hospital. Not what we'd planned.
The away entrance is on Vicarage Road itself. The stand looks small from the street, but the street level entrance takes you into the upper end of the stand. Which made sense, given that the side streets slope downhill.
Our seats were at the back of the stand, but it still felt like we were close to the action. From the back row, the roof blocks the sky. It felt enclosed — would definitely sit there again.
After the game, we grabbed something to eat on the High Street. By the time we left the car park, we'd missed the worst of the 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