TORREY CAMBRIDGE FOR DUMMIES

How to get to Cambridge from Heathrow:

Basic Information
For more extensive information, check the Arrival Information Document posted in
the Cambridge Folder. It includes prices and websites from which to receive exact
details.

Which Terminal Will I Arrive At?

Heathrow Terminals

By Bus

 The easiest way to get to Cambridge is to take a direct coach service. (AKA the
bus.) The coach runs at least once per hour, see the National Express web site)
and takes at least 2.5 hours to reach Cambridge (often much longer, depending on
traffic jams).
 Tickets for all coaches can be bought from the travel centre at Heathrow central
bus station or booked in advance with the operator. You may also be able to buy a
ticket from the bus driver, subject to availability. Passengers using Terminal 5
will find a National Express ticket office inside the terminal, in the international
arrivals area.
 Terminals 1, 2 and 3: All coach services call at the central bus station, which is a
short walk from the terminals and has lifts, escalators and moving walkways to
help with the journey. The bus station is open 24 hours a day and the travel centre
is open from 06:00 to 22:30.

Terminal 4: Coaches arrive and depart from Stops 13 and 14 outside the
terminal, at arrivals level. Free transfers to the central bus station and Terminal 5
can be made from Stop 7.

Terminal 5: Coaches arrive and depart from Stops 13-16, outside the terminal at
arrivals level. Reading RailAir, Oxford Express and Woking Railair services
operate from Stops 10-12. Free transfers to the central bus station and Terminal 4
can be made from Stops 8 and 9.

By Train

 There is no train directly from the airport to Cambridge. Here are your options:

 A fast train service, the Heathrow Express, connects the airport with London
Paddington station. From there use the underground to connect with rail services
to reach Cambridge. (Kings Cross Station seems to be the station to leave from,
 but Liverpool Street is apparently another option.)

 The airport is also served by the Piccadilly line of the underground, which will
take you directly (in about one hour) to Kings Cross station, from which the fast
trains to Cambridge depart. Tickets for the underground can be purchased at the
airport underground station. Currently, the cost into Central London is £4.

 You can either buy your train tickets online in advance, or at the station. Buying
tickets online may save you money, but if your flight is delayed, you may have to
pay a fee in order to change your train ticket. Another option is purchasing online
“Anytime” rail tickets, which seem to be more flexible. See below for more
information:
Purchasing Tickets
Anytime Tickets

 Cambridge is well served by trains, though not so well by bus. Trains run at least
every 30 minutes from London’s King’s Cross and Liverpool St stations.

Upon Arrival in Cambridge

 From train station. Walk the 0.5 miles. Directions below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Station+Rd,+Cambridge,
+CB1,+United+Kingdom+(Cambridge+Railway+Station)&daddr=Regent+Street,+Cambridge,
+Cambridgeshire,+CB2+1DQ,+United+Kingdom+
(Downing+College)&hl=en&geocode=FRltHAMdxgkCACHFDoE5PdfVHg
%3BCVURYp4SXjO4FTiGHAMdKuwBACEGQe5NldCrHA&mra=pe&mrcr=0&dirflg=w&sll=
52.198018,0.129309&sspn=0.015335,0.04343&ie=UTF8&ll=52.197901,0.131407&spn=0.00766
8,0.021715&z=16

 From bus station. Walk the 0.3 miles. Directions below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Drummer+Street,+Cambridge,
+Cambridgeshire,+CB1+1NQ,+United+Kingdom+(Bus+Station)&daddr=Regent+St,
+Cambridge+CB2,+UK+(Downing+College)&hl=en&geocode=FfKVHAMdI-
YBACENgaxCADcxSA%3BFTmGHAMdK-
wBACl9kypdl3DYRzHJkS2dfQ5J6A&mra=ls&dirflg=w&sll=52.202268,0.127823&sspn=0.0077
2,0.013433&ie=UTF8&ll=52.2019,0.12527&spn=0.015439,0.026865&z=15

 Or, take a taxi, which will probably be pricey.

Communications:
Cell phones and Calling Home
This is not really necessary because of our access to internet – you can use Skype for free
(See next section) but here is the info about cell phones in case you do need one.
 AT&T allows you to turn on international calling for an extra fee.
 Purchase a cheap foreign cell phone (or use your own phone if it allows
international calling, see website below) and a British SIM card.
o http://www.frommers.com/articles/4045.html
  Buy a calling card.
o Hard copy when in England or something like the ATT card from
Sam’s.
o Calling card service like Alliance (www.alliancecall.com)
 http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/ (Country Calling Codes)
 For more information on the topic, read Rick Steves’ advice:
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/mobilephones.htm

Internet
 Dorm Rooms offer internet service.
 Recommended that you bring your laptop.
 Use Skype to call home. http://www.skype.com/

Useful Addresses/ Phone Numbers

 Downing College: TBA
 Professors’ flats: TBA
 Emergency Numbers: TBA

Travel:
Double-check all passport/visa information a month before you leave.

Traveling to the UK
 Keep your passport on you at all times until we reach Cambridge. In
Cambridge, the passports will be kept safely in the professors’ lodgings.

 Check the website of the airline you will be traveling before you arrive at
the airport. Find out what their policies are and how to pack.

Traveling outside of the UK

 Consider countries you wish to visit on weekends and research whether
you will need a visa in order to enter the country. This information can be
typically found on the country’s tourism website, or visahq.com seems to
have information about visas for different countries. It’s recommended
that all information be confirmed by official information from the country
itself.

 Before you leave, check on http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html.

This website will provide travel advisories for the countries you plan on
visiting. It’s important to check here before you enter any country.

 Consider where you will stay before you visit other countries. You can
often find good deals online and prevent a situation of arriving and having
nowhere to stay. Make sure, however, that you register at legitimate hotels
or guesthouses. Do this by reading reviews: see what other people have to
say about their stay at that accommodation.
  Find out about the culture and religion of the country you are visiting. For
instance, if you spend a few days in Morocco and are a woman, you
should think carefully about what you wear so as not to appear immodest.
Never assume you understand a country: be responsible and respectful and
do good research before you visit someone else’s country.

 If you plan on using the European Rail System on weekends, consider

purchasing a Eurail Pass. I recommend you buy your pass through
www.ricksteves.com because the passes come with free stuff.

 Rick Steve’s Europe at www.ricksteves.com is a great resource for hitting

the best sites of Europe and also for traveling wisely and efficiently.

Money:
 Remember to call your bank before you leave and tell them you when you will be
overseas and where you will be traveling. This will allow you to use your
bankcard overseas without the bank blocking the card.
o Think carefully about every country you will set foot in: even if you will
only be in that country for a short period of time. You never know when
you will need money. Also, airports count as foreign countries.
 Keep some American money on you for when you return to American airports,
and also in case you are forced to exchange actual American dollars for foreign
currency.
 ATMs are available which will allow you to withdraw money directly from your
bank account in £’s. However, if you plan on using a credit card for your
purchases, it is best that your card be strictly a credit card, NOT a debit/credit
card- these often do not work at establishments. Debit cards are acceptable at
ATMs.
 Travelers’ checks are unnecessary.
 The current exchange rate is 1USD: 0.65GBP. This will more than certainly
change before we leave, so check before we leave for the UK. Do your own
research on the exchange rates of other countries you may be visiting.

Weather:
 Summer, indeed, but summer in England is defined somewhat differently there
than it is here in sunny Southern California.
o Prepare for warm/hot days.
o Prepare for rain.
o Prepare for chilly days.
o Mostly prepare for the latter, but you never know, England may surprise
you!
o According to a British website: The average temperature in London is just
above freezing in January and rises to around 22C (71F) in July.
Getting Around Cambridge:

Modes of Transportation
 Walk, the most popular form of transport there.
 Bicycles
o We will have at least 15 rented bikes to use within Cambridge or in
the nearby countryside.
o Visit www.plcane.clara.net/cambridge/ for suggested walks and
bike rides in and around Cambridge.
 Buses
o A free City Shuttle runs around the centre stopping at Emmanuel
St every 15 minutes. Four bus lines run around town from
Drummer St bus station, including bus 3 from the train station to
the town centre. Dayrider passes (£2.70) offer unlimited travel on
all buses within Cambridge for one day; Megarider passes (£9.50)
are valid for one week. Buy them on board.
http://www.cam.ac.uk/local/travel/bus.html

Maps
 We suggest you print out all or a few of these maps:
o Cambridge and surrounding region
o University of Cambridge official map
o A Collection of Maps from the City Council

Switching Cultures:

What Not To Do as an American in the UK

This information was drawn from articles by Europeans about their perceptions
of Americans or personal experiences of Americans traveling abroad.

 Keep your voice at a low volume. Americans tend to be louder than other
cultures, which can annoy the locals. Definitely, do not yell at each other
from afar and, especially, not from nearby.
 The Victory Sign with palm towards yourself is considered highly
offensive in the UK.
 DO NOT step on the grass at Cambridge University.
 What is cheap in America is not necessarily cheap in other countries.
Don’t put up a fuss about prices, if they seem unreasonable. Quietly
compare to other stores in the area: don’t compare to prices you are used
to in America.
 Don’t dress too conspicuously. Americans are often viewed as dressing as
loudly as their voices.
 Be patient and always avoid making a scene.
  Don’t point cameras in people’s faces. In general, be considerate about
who and what you take photos of. Cameras are often considered an
invasion of privacy.
 Don’t bring up World War II and how “America saved England” nor how
it continues to save the world today.
 Don’t try using American dollars to pay for something.
 Bathroom = ladies/gents
 Don’t offer your name in an informal setting unless the other person offers
you their name first.

Classic British foods to Try

 Pub Grub
You can sometimes find these things at street vendors or in grocery stores.
It is worth getting the English pub experience at least once though.

 Fish & Chips

 Bangers & Mash
 English Pies
• Steak & Ale, Steak & Kidney, Chicken & Mushroom, etc.
• You can buy one of the most classic English pies in the
grocery store in the canned food section: Fray Bentos pies,
which come in wide tins, are delicious and can be cooked
in an oven.)
 Shepherd’s Pie
 Cornish (and other kinds of) Pasties
 British Style Jam Doughnuts
Fairly inexpensive at Sainsbury’s or Tesco
 English Chocolate
 Indian food – surprisingly the most popular cuisine in England.
 English Clotted Cream Tea
 Includes scones, clotted cream, jam and your choice of tea
 Chocolate Digestive Biscuits
 Sunday Roast (especially their lamb roast)
 Yorkshire Pudding
 English Breakfast
 Treacle Sponge Pudding
 Chelsea Buns

Suggestions for English Excursions

 Cotswolds
 Bath
 Lake District (Beatrix Potter/Coleridge/Wordsworth)
  Cornwall
o St Ives (famous for its artists)
o Penzance
o Mevagissey
o Looe
o Fowey
o Mousehole
 Wales
o Slate mines
o Castles
o Absolutely gorgeous mountain scenery (Then again, I have a lot of
Welsh blood in me, so I’m a little biased.)
 The New Forest
 Stonehenge

Recommended Fun Books to Read

 84 Charing Cross Road

 The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
 Boy and Going Solo by Roald Dahl
 Anything by James Herriot, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie,

Recommended Movies to Watch

 84 Charing Cross Road

 Chariots of Fire (One of the main characters is a Cambridge student
 The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
 BBC’s Pride and Prejudice
 Emma (w/ Gwyneth Paltrow)
 BBC’s Lark Rise to Candleford (Actually a recent TV series, available
on Netflix.)

Miscellaneous Tips:

 As a rule, tip 10% to 15% in cafes and restaurants (unless a service charge is
included in your bill)
 UK mains electricity is 240V, 50Hz AC, and plugs have three square pins.
 When reading or writing the date in England, often the day is listed before the
month. E.g. June 11, 2009 would read: 11/06/09.