mdejon42

Traveling from London to Cambridge for a day of touring. I believe there is a WWII cemetery/memorial there or just outside. Is that true? If so, how far from Cambridge is it? Is it worth going to or is it too far away? Also, besides Kings College, what is a must see while there?
Any help is appreciated...

PalQ

Well there's so much in Cambridge itself that if you want to trek out to the cemetery/memorial, of which i know exists but have no details, it will take away from seeing much in Cambdrige. Besides seeing the main sights - King's College (chapel with Reubens' Adoration of the Magi), walking along the 'Backs' along the river, Trinity College with the famous Wren Library, and the best thing in Cambridge, just rambling about the other colleges, parks and riverside walks. GuideFriday (or similar doubledecker buses) will greet you at the train station and do a loop around town - you can get on and off all day and you get commentary en route. Reasonably priced. If you're doing more than one day trip from London investigate the LondonPlus pass - for example 2 days of unlimited travel out of an 8 day period $69 per person - if you have 3 or more the 3rd thru 9th pay half price! From Nov thru Feb the off-peak special reduces the $69 by 25%. Walk up prices in UK can be high and pass can be used on virtually any train anytime) though a few rail lines don't participate like most from Paddington and heathrow express. Can be also used on Gatwick Express - about a $25 value each way or on other trains from airport. 4 day out of 8 day period LondonPlus pass is $129. Use both ways to Gatwick and then two day trips and it can be a great bargain. Only sold outside of UK (in US RailEurope and its agents sell them - 800-441-2387 for info.)

historytraveler

Although I usually prefer to visit a place on my own, I did the London Walks tour of Cambridge last spring and highly recommend it. The group meets at Kings Cross Station and the guide purchases the rail tickets while a coach meets you at the Cambridge station which gets you to the town centre. The tour did include a visit to the WWII memorial ( a couple of miles out of town). With a knowledgeable guide you'll get much more out of your visit. You'll also have some free time to explore on your own.

PalQ

If going by train the cheapest day return ticket is 17 pounds or about $30 so you can see it doesn't take much for the LondonPlus pass to pay off - plus on the day return there are restrictions on departing times and you have to go and return on the same train line - i believe there are more than one train line serving Cambridge and the pass can be used anytime and on any train line.
As for walking tours the Cambridge tourist office offers them daily but historytraveler's advice may be good for you if you want to also see the military thing outside of town. But as with any tour you can't linger anywhere or chose what you want to see so depends on your style of travel

vcl

Madingley, the American Cemetery where many World War II airmen are buried, is a beautiful and moving experience. We discovered it when we were summer students at Cambridge years ago and have taken visitors there several times. They've never failed to be impressed. The cemetery is part of the HopOn/HopOff bus tour you can pick up at the station. The bus tour will give you a good overview of the City, then you can decide what else you want to see. Many of the more interesting colleges are in the pedestrian only section of the town, as is the marketplace. Market day is Wednesday, if I recall correctly.
Along with Kings, I favor Trinity and St. John's, Magdalene -- if only to stand on Magdalene Bridge and watch the punters fall into the river -- and Jesus.
A walking tour of Cambridge with an official guide will get you into areas of some colleges which may be closed to the casual visitor.
Enjoy your day in Cambridge.