Visiting Cambridge Uni

[rockyracoon]

Has anyone been to the Uni/Colleges to have a look round? My daughter wants to go but the website isn't very informative. Can you just wander round and drop into the Museums etc?

Any advice welcome.

Cheers. :)

[jim360]

Rules vary between colleges and at different times of year. Now is about the best time to go, I would say, as students are (mostly) away. The Museums are mostly free and should all be open, although I think a couple of them tended to close fairly early, say 4-5pm ish. For some of the colleges you may have to pay for entry. Entrance to King's College grounds is usually free (although plenty of areas are closed to other than students) but chapel entry is not free, something like £5 per person.

Basically, I think the reason the website isn't informative is because there aren't any hard-and-fast rules, really. My recommendation would be to either hope that a friend of a friend of your daughter's happens to be a member of the University, in which case entrance is free and usually granted at all times, or failing that then there is a pleasant walk that amounts to doing a lap of the main colleges that is always worth it. Often the outside of the colleges are the most interesting things about them anyway (at King's, it became fairly obvious that they ran out of money when it came to doing the inside of eg Gibb's building).

Hope your daughter enjoys it, it's a lovely city!

[Peter Pedant]

as a cge grad, now in Manch I can say your daughter is most welcome to come to Cambridge and have a look around

and even say to herself ( as we all did ) I wanna come here !

I did this is in 1966 and you just came and wandered around

Now er fifty y later.... there will be swarms ( yes swarms ! of people just coming and looking around ) - Some college have 'hours' and some will make you pay ( Good God ! ) and I think you just have to try it and see

Fitzwilliam museum which is walkable from the centre - should still be free and is well worth a visit ( or two )

If you are doing Magdalen and Trinity/St Johns then Kettle's yard is near and worth a visit ( another museum ) and has a lot of Gaudier Brzeska

Have a good day !

[Peter Pedant]

Hi Jim should have known you would step up with more modern knowledge than er 1965

[EDDIE51]

Yes you can just walk around.There are many tours as well, but most of it you can just see by foot. You can just go into the Fitzwilliam Museum I don't think you even have to pay.
Parking is very expensive and hard to find , best to park at one of the Park and Ride sites and get the bus into the city centre. Costs £1.50 now used to be free plus £1.50 to park. You will pay £8 an hour to park in central Cambridge if you can find a space! Then there is a 3 hour limit or they charge you the all day rate of £80.
I live just outside Cambridge and go there most weeks.

[rockyracoon]

Thanks all. I'm getting the train up so not fussed about parking. Daughter has her eyes on Cambridge for her degree (she's only 14 bless her, but I do like to encourage enthusiasm). I might even book to stay over in the students accomodation so she can see what it's like.

Looks like it'll be a go with the flow couple of days. I never went to Uni so have no idea about how all this works.

Thanks again, you're all stars :)

[jim360]

I've never been to Cambridge as a tourist, and also tended to rely on a bicycle to get around, although I could see that cars found it quite hard. But enjoy your day out anyway, it should be lovely even if you're stuck to staring at the college grounds from outside (arguably better, since hidden in the corners away from prying eyes is some right dross).

[EDDIE51]

The Cambridge busses are very good . You can buy a 'Day Rider' ticket for about £5 that gives you unlimited travel for a day. There are 2 , 3 . 5 and 7 day versions as well. I would recommend getting one or more. The Guided Busway is brilliant VERY fast , the station to Addenbrooke's hospital in 5 mins! you can take it all the way out to St Ives if you want all on a day ,rider ticket. Just beware there are 2 bus companies tickets for 1 are not available on the other. Stagecoach is the 'busway' company

[rockyracoon]

Thanks. We plan to do a LOT of walking, not one for the bus. Can you recommend a decent restaurant Eddie? Any kind of food.

[EDDIE51]

I'm afraid I very rarely eat out. If I do it's probably just a McDonald's.

[rockyracoon]

Aw, thanks anyway :)

[gness]

Rocky.....you and your daughter must punt.....a wonderful way to see some of the city....the guides tend to be very knowledgeable....

Loads of good eating places......you'll have your pick....enjoy...x

[rockyracoon]

Ooh, I forgot about going for a punt, that'll have to go on the itinerary.

Thanks :)

[Hopkirk]

Bear in mind there is a very real possibility of falling in if you go punting.

Either that or you can pay someone to punt for you.

[gness]

That's what I meant, Hoppy.....book in advance and have a young lad do all the work.....☺

[rockyracoon]

You can book it?

[gness]

It's advisable, Rocky....saves a long wait in a queue.....google punting Cambridge.....x

[Hopkirk]

Go to Bridge Street, by Prezzos, and there will be loads of people wanting to punt for you.
I wouldn't have thought you would need to book.

[gness]

You can get a discount booking online.....and I prefer to book with a company....but Hoppy could be correct and it may be better his way....x

[Buenchico]

I know Cambridge quite well.

As has been indicated above, the colleges that make up Cambridge University function largely independently, with their own rules They're also quite well spread out across the city, with several miles between some sites. However visitors are normally welcomed to the courtyard areas (etc) of the central historic colleges except when examinations are taking place. (Unlike most other universities, Cambridge does have some examinations taking place in mid-summer but you're probably safe to visit most colleges around now).

However what visitors get to see isn't representative of university life in Cambridge, as the majority of students live and study on modern campuses (such as the West Cambridge site), rather than in the historic buildings.

As Eddie says, you can get day tickets on the buses in Cambridge but, as you'll be travelling by rail, it's better to but 'PlusBus' tickets when you purchase your train tickets. They give you a day's unlimited travel in Cambridge for £3.20 for an adult (or £2.10 for a railcard holder) and £1.60 for a child. As it's a good 20-minute walk into central Cambridge (and several miles between some of the college sites), it makes sense to use the buses. Service 1, 3, 7 and 8 all run from the rail station to the city centre. (On leaving the station, turn left and cross over the road. The stops for those services are at the far end of the row of bus stops).

You ask for a good restaurant in Cambridge. I suggest the Club Polonia, which serves some of the best Polish food you can find in the UK. Main course menu here:
http://www.klubpolonia.co.uk/files/dania%20g%C5%82%C3%B3wne%2009%20June%202015%20%281%29.pdf
It's on the junction of Chesterhall Road and Chesterton Hall Crescent and is quickly reached from the city centre by taking a No 2 bus (with its destination shown as 'Science Park'). Reviews here:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186225-d3170015-Reviews-Polonia_Club-Cambridge_Cambridgeshire_England.html

Punting is fun but expensive. If you're feeling lazy though, there are punts where someone else (who is often a uni student) will do all the work for you.

[rockyracoon]

That restaurant looks fab, thanks Chris. It might alleviate a little bit of disappointment in booking a break to Barcelona over a break to Krakow.