Cambridge travel review & recommendations by dare

Cambridge is a great relaxing weekend outside of the hustle of the city. Its relaxed, calm and leisurely.

Food and drinks are great, with tons of nice little cafes and pubs in which to watch the students ride by. At night there are clubs dotted about town which are lively with a wide variety of music playing.

The market is great to browse through on a warm Saturday morning and there are heaps of little boutique shops.

Of course the great atmosphere of Cambridge stems from the imposing architecture of the Colleges themselves and wondering through the old buildings and churches can keep you occupied for hours. There is a lot of history tied up in those winding cobbled streets and lofty towers so I'd recommend one of the guided walking tours that the Tourist Information Center operates. Their guides are enthusiastic and know the history inside and out.

Punting is the other great attraction in Cambridge and time in a flat bottomed boat on a hot day is great fun. I'd recommend that self-punting is the most fun, and if you want to avoid traffic jams go before lunch to have the river to yourself. The guided tours are ok but dependent on the enthusiasm of the guide you get.

On the other side of the Cam from town there is park area to wander through and relax in once the cobblestones have got your feet tired.

We stayed at the Royal Cambridge, which had a good weekend deal on and an excellent cooked breakfast is included. It was nice to stay in a flash place as it added to the atmosphere of the weekend.

Another hint: Its really cheap to take the bus from Victoria Station in London, rather then the train. It takes 2 hours, as 1 of those hours is getting out of the city center. But, you can also pick up the same bus in Stratford (East London) which eliminates a lot of that time. The bus station in Cambridge is just on the outskirts of the main center.