Practicalities
All long-distance buses arrive at the station in Royal Well Road, just west off the Promenade. The train station is on Queen's Road, southwest of the centre; buses G and F run into town every fifteen minutes, otherwise it's a twenty-minute walk. The tourist office , at 77 Promenade (Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.15pm; tel 01242/522878, ), sells tickets for walking tours of the town (Mon-Fri at 11am; GBP2.50), and for guided bus tours stopping at several destinations in the Cotswolds that are otherwise difficult to reach on public transport (late June to mid-Sept Tues & Wed; GBP16); they're popular, so book in advance. Accommodation is plentiful, though you'll need to book weeks in advance if you're planning to visit during the races and festivals. Some of the best choices are in fine Regency houses, for instance the non-smoking Crossways , 57 Bath Rd (tel 01242/527683, ; GBP40-50) just two minutes walk from the centre, and Brennan , 21 St Luke's Rd (tel 01242/525904; GBP40-50), on a quiet square. Try also the Lawn Hotel , 5 Pittville Lawn (tel 01242/526638; GBP40-50), near the park, with artistically themed rooms and facilities for vegetarians and vegans, or Lypiatt House , Lypiatt Road (tel 01242/224994, GBP60-70), set in its own grounds and featuring open fires and a conservatory with a small bar. Cheltenham has experienced a restaurant renaissance in the last few years and caters for all tastes and pockets. At Boogaloos , 16 Regent St (closed Mon-Sat eve & all Sun), you can munch on salads and sandwiches in the relaxed sofa basement or the brightly coloured upstairs rooms, while vegetarians, vegans and allergy sufferers will appreciate the range of dishes on offer at the moderately priced Orange Tree , 317 High St (tel 01242/234232; closed Mon eve & all Sun), where there's a pleasant courtyard. For fancier meals, try the Daffodil , 18-20 Suffolk Parade, a former cinema with affordable three-course set menus, or Le Petit Blanc next to Queen's Hotel on The Promenade (tel 01242/266800, ), an outpost of Raymond Blanc's famed Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons where you can eat contemporary French cuisine; the three-course set lunch menu is GBP15 per head. Cheltenham also has the area's best bars and pubs , for example the Beehive , 1-3 Montpellier Villas, an easygoing place with a games shed, a courtyard garden and a bistro upstairs. At Tailor's Wine Bar , 4 Cambray Place (just off the High Street), you can relax in old leather armchairs or sit in the courtyard, while at the Vodka Bar , 6 Regent St, you can choose from a range of 24 vodkas, served to the accompaniment of DJs playing house and funk. If you're up for it, try the town's clubs , which draw in the punters from far and wide: Subtone , 115-117 The Promenade, and Time , 33-35 Albion St, are the most popular.
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