Car Rental Cambridge

A quick guide to Cambridge

Cambridge is a city where history can be found on each corner. When you walk its streets, you’ll be walking in the footsteps of world leaders, renowned scientists and famed authors.

It’s also a city where you can enjoy unique buildings, the gentle flow of the River Cam or a visit to one of the immersive museums. Put simply, it’s a place where you can unplug from the grind and savour a gentler pace of life.

Cam on down

King’s Parade and Pembroke Street lead you through an array of Cambridge University buildings. You can make your own way or, better still, take a guided walking tour where you’ll tread the cobbled streets enjoying a range of anecdotes, historical context and information about famous former students. You can also choose walking tours that guide you through additional areas of the city, letting you get to grips with local history from knowledgeable guides.

If you want to explore the countryside, grab your hiking boots and head to Fen Rivers Way, a relaxing walking trail that runs along the Ouse and Cam Rivers.

Sailing the gentle River Cam lets you explore the wider Cambridge area, savouring extensive views of peaceful meadows and traditional boathouses while breathing fresh country air. You can opt from a selection of tours which transport you to restive surrounding areas such as Fen Ditton and Ditton Meadows.

Seat of learning

In such a storied epicentre of learning, it comes as no surprise that you’ll find engrossing museums offering a wide array of exhibits. The University of Cambridge itself operates many museums, focusing on everything from archaeology to earth sciences.

The Fitzwilliam Museum houses one of the greatest collections of artistic, literary and musical treasures in the UK. Stroll round its corridors to discover artworks from Titian, Palma Vecchio and Monet, before viewing original musical scores from Handel, a handwritten draft of Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale and rare Egyptian artefacts.

The Centre for Computing History was opened in 2013 and contains a trove of interactive exhibits that tell the story of modern computing. You can try your hand at coding and while away a few hours playing retro video games, including Nintendo and Sega classics.

Abbeys and ancient Britain

Cambridge is ideally situated for wider exploration, particularly if you like to get outdoors. The Wicken Fen National Reserve is picturesque and has a series of raised boards you can walk along to view the flat, reclaimed marshland known as The Fens. The area is known for its tremendous wildlife, including rare species like Hen Harriers, plus it’s only a short drive away from Cambridge.

Head east for about 50 minutes on the A14 and you’ll reach the medieval market town of Bury St. Edmunds. The town’s towering cathedral was originally built in the 16^th century (with a few modern additions since then) and you can take a guided tour to view its classic hammerbeam roof and Gothic styling. Behind the cathedral you’ll find Abbey Gardens, a manicured park with striking gardens and the ruins of a once great abbey, which was destroyed during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in the early 16^th century.

Choose car rental in Cambridge and tackle the city before fanning out into the memorable countryside all around it for a truly unforgettable trip.

Driving in and around Cambridge

Cambridge is a small city that’s simple to navigate once you’ve found your bearings, with charming sights on each side of you as you travel around the centre. You’re also a stone’s throw from the countryside and there are great onward connections to the UK ’s south, midlands and north.

The nearest motorway is the M11, which runs south to London. You can stop off at handsome villages and towns on the way, including Saffron Walden and Duxford where you can visit the sobering yet illuminating Imperial War Museum.

In the city centre, the A1134 in the west, the A603 in the south and Chesterton Road in the north form a ring road for easy access to the different suburbs and attractions scattered across the city. The narrow roads in the inner city also offer amazing views of the centuries-old architecture as you drive by. The city has deployed a range of bollards to cut down on traffic at different times of the day, which you can find out more about here.

Once you get out of the city and into the countryside, the roads are generally smooth and provide stunning views of the area’s flat and expansive green fields.

In the UK you drive on the left side of the road, the opposite of continental Europe. Speed limits in built-up areas are 48km/h. On single carriageways, the limit is 96km/h, while on dual carriageways and motorways the limit is 112km/h. Speed limits (shown in mph) and attractions are clearly signposted, so you’ll be able to make your way around Cambridge and the surrounding area with ease.