Cambridge
 

Would a Sunday be a bad day to visit Cambridge? If yes, what would be a good day in June 2003? How many hours would it take to enjoy the university and the town?

Try to visit on a weekday. Also, if you come when the students have finished you'll have better access to the colleges. Sunday is a better day than a Saturday (slightly less crowded) and most but not all of the major shops will be open on that day. One day is pretty much sufficent for an overview of the college buildings. Have a good time!

Shops are open in Cambridge on Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m. Indeed, not all shops will be open but bookshops (Waterstone's, heffers etc.) are open as well as clothing shops (Monsoon, Marks & Spencers etc.). <BR>Three to four hours should be sufficient to walk around the town centre and see much of the colleges and college greens; of course not evrything, that will take more time. A nice way to see the backs of the colleges is to take a punting tour, they are offered by students everywhere in the centre. It can be expensive though, check first how much money you want to spend. And it depends on the weather, obviously. Have a great time!

Can anyone recommend a nice B&B in Cambridge w/in easy walking distance from the train station? Thanks, and apologies to Jim for interrupting. J.

Are there guided tours of cambridge University? or of the town? especially tours that are not very expensive?

Yes there are several types of tours that you can do. The guided tours of the colleges might be a bit limited in that access is tricky during the academic year. You're best bet would be to contact the Cambridge tourist office. I live in Cambridge and often see walking tours going on.

<BR>If you went towards the end of June, you'd most likely see the graduation processions along Kings Parade (past Kings College Chapel) to the Senate House, so it's a pretty cool time to go! The academic year tends to finish mid-June, so after that the colleges start to re-open to visitors.<BR><BR>I went to uni there for four years and live 30 miles away so visit frequently, so if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. By the way, the college 'greens' are called courts.

To those of you who have been there/live there - will the punting tours be going on in mid March or is it still too cold? Is mid March a break time for the colleges or will they be in session? If they are in session can you still walk around the outsides of the buildings? Thanks

<BR>Mari<BR><BR>People punt all year round, as long as the River Cam isn't frozen (it does happen occasionally!), so March is fine. Lent term ends sometime in early March, and the holidays usually last about 3 weeks so they may not be too many students there, but the college buildings will be open for visitors.<BR><BR>It may be cold, but by March it's usually starting to get a bit brighter! Pack a scarf and/or a bottle of rum and you'll be fine!