About Durham - need advice about the area

Ok, so the Uni ponied up funding for the Daughter to go to a conference - they told her today. Which is great, but that's really last minute for a July conference to get housing. Nothing's available she can remotely afford.

Plan B.

SO, I haven't been on many trips, so I thought if someone could suggest a town near Durham that might be a nice spot for me to spend two days vacationing that was also on either a direct bus or train route to Durham, I could look for a place that would allow her to use her housing funding for part of the room and I'd pick up the rest. She could go "conference" and I could play tourist.

Neither of us have a driver's license, so anywhere we stay would need to be near public transportation.

Not knowing the area at all, can anyone local there suggest anyplace? I would probably go into Durham to look at the "in town" stuff one day, and would like to have something else to do the other day - I like gardens, ruins, museums, wildlife, that sort of thing.  We're trying to keep the cost of the room down to under 150pounds a night, so even if there's a nice hostel we could do that - as long as there's a direct bus or train in for her to catch to her conference and back again.

Any suggestions for towns within, say, a half-hour train or bus ride that you'd recommend?

I don't know the area but have you looked at airbnb?

150 a night for two beds should be easy to find.  We usually can find something with breakfast for £100 most places for the whole family.

Try booking.com

Hi. Booked up. Seriously. 13-15 July, and all the other conference folks have got there first.

We prefer to not use airbnb. So, a nearby town? 

(Been to TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Expedia, University Rooms, etc.)

Sorry, I meant to type 100pounds a night. Best I can find is Premier Inn for just under 300 for both days. Which we will do if we find no better alternative. But is there a nice vacation spot on a train or bus nearby?

Trivago?

https://www.trivago.co.uk/?aDateRange%5Barr%5D=2018-07-13&aDateRange%5Bdep%5D=2018-07-15&aPriceRange%5Bto%5D=0&aPriceRange%5Bfrom%5D=0&iPathId=38742&aGeoCode%5Blat%5D=54.776104&aGeoCode%5Blng%5D=-1.576998&iGeoDistanceItem=0&aCategoryRange=0%2C1%2C2%2C3%2C4%2C5&aOverallLiking=1%2C2%2C3%2C4%2C5&sOrderBy=relevance%20desc&bTopDealsOnly=false&iRoomType=7&cpt=3874203&iIncludeAll=0&iViewType=0&bIsSeoPage=false&bIsSitemap=false&

They all appear to be miles from the University, so cab fare would negate being farther out for the couple that are cheaper. (No car.) Will definitely investigate further on this site, though.

Am really more interested in a nice vacation town nearby, at this point, though. It just has to be on a bus route or a train route.

Am really more interested in a nice vacation town nearby, at this point, though. It just has to be on a bus route or a train route.

Understood. 

Hopefully Durhamlad will be along soon (or someone else who knows the area).
If not, you could always pm him. 

Yeah, we're waiting to hear some more news in the morning, and if it's good news, I will PM to see if he has any ideas.

Am kicking myself for not getting that license already.

Just noticed this thread. We are off to Norway for a couple of weeks leaving Friday so I’ll only be around online for another day or so.

My first thought would be Newcastle, very nice town centre, plenty to see and do and only 15 minutes by train.

Only 45 minutes by train is York and there is an abundance of things to do in York, a fabulous place to visit and stay but I have no idea about the cost of hotels and b&b’s.

Other less touristy places but good beaches, coastal and river walks are Sunderland and Seaham Harbour, the trains take about an hour. (Recently we visited the National Glass Centre in Sunderland, right on the river by the harbour, a couple of miles lovely walk along the river from the train station)

Thanks! There's a hotel available directly across the street from the train station, Newcastle Central. If it's only 15 minutes to Durham, it'd serve quite well. Daughter would be getting back in late two of the nights, but it's only a short walk from the station so I would assume she'd be ok - it doesn't get dark until 11pm anymore anyway!

Understood. 

Hopefully Durhamlad will be along soon (or someone else who knows the area).
If not, you could always pm him. 

Just saw this thread while scrolling through my app and thought “this is one for Durhamlad” hah


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Thanks! There's a hotel available directly across the street from the train station, Newcastle Central. If it's only 15 minutes to Durham, it'd serve quite well. Daughter would be getting back in late two of the nights, but it's only a short walk from the station so I would assume she'd be ok - it doesn't get dark until 11pm anymore anyway!

Excellent. Hadn't been to Newcastle centre for decades but we had a day out there last year when we took our son for his NI number interview. Plenty to see and do I think.

I had looked on thetrainline.com and the trains are frequent and only 15 minutes duration (it is the first stop on the London trains).

Just saw this thread while scrolling through my app and thought “this is one for Durhamlad” hah

I thought the same thing, and I was delighted when I saw that he'd found it and chimed in.  It made my morning. 

Me, too! Booked a nice room for two at the AARP rate, which was 20 pounds a night cheaper than the "single" rate.   

The reservation says the Daughter can check in separately from me, which I think means that I don't actually have to go if I don't want to. But I do want a vacation, so I'll be going. So we got the room for two for both nights with full cooked breakfast, free Wi-Fi (etc) for 178.20, which seems a bargain.

Now to find things for ~me~ to do. Not too far from Hadrian's Wall, which I've always wanted to see. Maybe there's a tour or something? Durham Cathedral, Magna Carta, some shopping... wonder what else there is I can get to easily?

Me, too! Booked a nice room for two at the AARP rate, which was 20 pounds a night cheaper than the "single" rate.   

The reservation says the Daughter can check in separately from me, which I think means that I don't actually have to go if I don't want to. But I do want a vacation, so I'll be going. So we got the room for two for both nights with full cooked breakfast, free Wi-Fi (etc) for 178.20, which seems a bargain.

Now to find things for ~me~ to do. Not too far from Hadrian's Wall, which I've always wanted to see. Maybe there's a tour or something? Durham Cathedral, Magna Carta, some shopping... wonder what else there is I can get to easily?

Durham itself will be a full day with Cathedral, Castle, indoor market, lovely old cobbled streets, river walkway etc.  If you have never visited Hadrian's Wall then a tour would be well worth it. We have spent many days there including staying at B&B's 3 times in different places, but really need a car for that although there is a bus service service during the summer months that we have used (ideal for going to one place, then walking along the wall to another place and picking up the bus back). I would think there are bus tours offered out of Newcastle to the Wall.