Newcastle upon Tyne

Updated 2016

Newcastle upon Tyne – as it’s known to the overly-formal types – is another English city that travelers had written off as bleak, industrial, and depressing a decade or two ago, but things have changed. Newcastle has dusted itself off and is now a very trendy city for young people in England. It’s still known for its over-the-top ability to throw a party, but there is more here to do than just tip back pint after pint in the local pub.

What To Do

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is housed in what used to be a grain store. It’s now one of England’s best modern art museums, but it also has a movie theater, a restaurant, and a bar amidst its performance space and exhibition areas. If you are more interested in the drink than the art you can check out one of Newcastle’s famous pub neighborhoods. The most famous place is around the Bigg Market, but a group of trendy places can also now be found in the Diamond Strip near the train station.

For a bit of history you can check out the remains of the Roman fort at Segedunum, which is where this city began in the 2nd Century A.D. You can also visit the Castle Keep as well as the Castle Garth, which is the new castle that gave the city its name.

Of course you can’t leave town without drinking a pint of Newcastle in the town that gave the beer it’s name.

Read: Escape London During the Olympics & Explore the Northeast.

Getting There

If you are already in England you can easily get to Newcastle by train. The journey from London takes about 3 hours and the trains leave about twice an hour. If you are coming from elsewhere you can book a flight into Newcastle International Airport (code: NCL). The airport is close to the city and is on the Metro line so it’s fast and easy to get to the center. As Newcastle is not a major airport of long haul flights you should check prices on flights into London and then take the train from there. You can book train tickets more cheaply if you book in advance.

Where To Stay

Newcastle is not a huge city so the accommodations are not overly spread out. But it pays to check your location if you’ll be participating in the infamous nightlife here since you don’t want to have to cross town after a long night of boozing. There are a few hostels in Newcastle and quite a few hotels in Newcastle as well.