Arrival, Information and Getting Around
The train station is a mile or so southeast of the city centre, off Hills Road. It's an easy but tedious twenty-minute walk into the centre, or take shuttle bus #3, which runs to downtown Emmanuel Road every ten minutes or so (less frequently on Sun). The bus station is centrally located on Drummer Street, right by Christ's Pieces - and Emmanuel Road. Stansted , London's third airport, with its striking terminal building designed by Norman Foster, is just thirty miles south of Cambridge on the M11; there are hourly trains from the airport to the city, and regular bus services too. Arriving by car , you'll find much of the city centre closed to traffic and on-street parking well-nigh impossible - for a day-trip, at least, the best option is a Park-and-Ride car park; they are signposted on all major approaches. The city centre is small enough to walk round comfortably, so apart from getting to and from the train station, you shouldn't have to use the city's buses. On the other hand, cycling is an enjoyable way of getting around and has long been extremely popular with locals and students alike. Bike rental outlets are dotted all over town, including a couple of places handy for the train station. When and wherever you leave your bike, padlock it to something immovable - bike theft is commonplace. Cambridge tourist office is conveniently situated in the ornate, domed former public library on Wheeler Street, off King's Parade (April-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm; Nov-March Mon-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-5pm; tel 01223/322640, ). They issue city maps, have lots of leaflets on local attractions and sell an in-depth guide to the city (GBP4). They can also help with accommodation, which is a useful service especially in the summer when vacant rooms can be hard to find. The best source of information on eating out and entertainment is Adhoc's What's On? , a free monthly brochure available at the tourist office and larger bookshops. The tourist office runs very popular walking tours of the centre (1-4 daily; 2hr; GBP7), which are expensive but include entrance to at least one college that normally charges for the privilege. Book well in advance in summer.
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