Hotels in Cambridge england

Arriving to Cambridge without having a hotel room booked in advance might cause a few headaches as many of the B&Bs are spread out all over the city. Off season you shouldn't have a problem and even in high season probably not much, as slowly but surely over the years the city has increasingly met the need and there are more available rooms now than anytime I can remember. I have tried out a few, mainly at a budget level. Opposite the train station there is City Roomz, designed with utilisation of space as a priority, they manage to fit a surprisingly large number of rooms in a very small building. Comfortable, great location good price and yes…..SMALL!.

If size is your thing then on the station rd which leads directly away in front of the station take the first right. This is Tenison rd and hosts an abundance of old style B&Bs. It should be just a matter of going door by door. If you are a member of the youth hostel association then that's just a bit further up on the right, a large Victorian building on a corner and nestled between several other B&Bs. As they are located just a few steps from the station they will of course be first choice for many a traveller and therefore might be full up. Definitely in the summer you will be hard pressed to find a room available there.

On failing there it might seem that Cambridge is indeed lacking in adequate provision of accommodation. Well quite close, not 15 min walk away, is The Travel Lodge, with over 120 rooms at a new entertainment complex that includes, a bowling alley, cinemas and music venue. Built on the site of an old cattle market, where I remember fondly as a child tiggling behind the ears of piglets being sent to market. They offer good sized rooms and if booked in advance you can make some snap bargains of only 20 pounds per room. (find their website address on the website resource page) They are located just the other side of the railway track. To get there, take station rd, turn left at the end and continue until you cross over the railway bridge. Travel Lodge are on the left at the bottom of the bridge. There is a short cut too; take a small passage first left as you move up Station rd. You pass through a modern flat development and cut 10 min of the journey time.

Chesterton rd, north of the city and river also has clusters of B&Bs. It hugs the banks of the river Camb, before forking off further along. Really you are never more than a step far from the river. This area might feel less central but in reality you are even closer to the centre, there’s certainly less bustle than near the station, but a daily stroll across midsummer common makes for a very refreshing way to start any day in Cambridge. The area is also furnished with pubs with outdoor seating and views over Midsummer Common. Very convenient to return back to you B&B after enjoying a pleasant beer with a view.

Apart from the large hotels that dot themselves around the centre, I really cannot think of any other nucleus of B&Bs. Of course there are many medium sized small hotels that live at about 20-30 min walk to the centre. For a small B&B and with a prime central location, just behind the police station on Cambridge’s central park Parker’s Piece is the Walkworth House B&B.

The hospitality club

If you chance to be a member of Hospitality club (the address can be found on the resource page) you might find someone to put you up for free. I was told that you do not actually have to offer accommodation in return, to be able to use the service. A friend of mine has been a regular participant and has put up many a traveller for one or two days as they pass through Cambridge.

The Cambridge Gum tree

It is certainly worth checking out the Cambridge Gum tree. A landlord friend of mine regularly posts rooms he has available there. A word of warning though, I have experienced there to be far too many scams for it to be a reliable source of accommodation but orth a look. Please check out the posting I will display on the homepage of ads for rooms that I see on my travels around the town – you might be lucky and find something.