How to Find Hotels in Cambridge, England

While Cambridge, England, is well known for its university and associated colleges, in recent years it has become the Silicon Valley of the United Kingdom, earning the nickname "Silicon Pen." Located fifty miles north-northeast of London, Cambridge is a proud, dignified city with an unusually old and rich history.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access
• Passport

Choose the Right Accommodations in Cambridge, England

1. To book accommodations, contact The Cambridge Visitor Information Centre at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).
2. Consider one of Cambridge's lovely bed and breakfast inns. Although they can be a bit more expensive than in other parts of England, transportation to and from the bus station is often included.
3. Try to find a room at one of the many dormitories during the college holidays. Often these accommodations are very inexpensive and can offer a surprising number of amenities.
4. You can choose a room at one of the many luxury hotels located near the center of Cambridge. These accommodations can be quite affordable, often ranging from $120 to $180 per night.

Get to Cambridge, England

5. Fly into Heathrow International Airport in London.
6. Take the train from Victoria Station in London to Cambridge.
7. Hire a taxi to take you from the bus station to your hotel and to get around in the city.
8. Consider renting a bicycle while in Cambridge. It is estimated that 25 percent of the residents use bicycles as their primary form of transportation.

Explore Cambridge, England

9. Catch a performance of the King's Choir at the King's College Chapel, which was founded in 1441. This architectural marvel absolutely dominates the Cambridge skyline.
10. Attend the Cambridge Midsummer Fair, one of the oldest and largest medieval fairs in all of England, if not Europe.
11. Go punting! Punts are flat-bottomed boats without keels that are guided by long poles. This is one of the most popular activities in Cambridge, although it is common to lose the pole and drift aimlessly down the River Granta or River Cam.

Tips & Warnings

• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• Beware of the rising bollards all over Cambridge if you're driving. Bollards are concrete barriers that automatically rise up out of the pavement to restrict traffic to just buses and taxis on certain streets. Failure to avoid them will result in damage to your car, and a bill from the city to repair the bollard!
• Avoid the stinging nettles plant, which can grow along the sides of the road in Cambridge. Merely touching the plant is extremely painful, and is often compared to receiving several bee stings!