Anyone who is familiar with Cambridge, please answer this?

[monrymeadows73]

If you're familiar with the city of Cambridge/the University of Cambridge, please answer this for me:

I plan on visiting Cambridge, purely to take a look around the University (and maybe the city, but mostly the University). I am going to be travelling solo and by train.

So, when I reach Cambridge train station, is the University literally just there or is it really distant? By this I mean that although I know the University is spread across the city, is the train station is some random place or is it close to one of the Colleges/University buildings?

How difficult would it be to tour most of the Colleges (just looking from the outside, not conducting deep, sight-seeing) within a few hours? Is it possible?

Will there be a lot of students everywhere or do they usually stay in their own Colleges not wander around? Do regular Cambridge citizens often walk around the University as in is it connected with where they usually go out to or should I expect to see few regular people and mostly tourists and students?

Yes, that might be a fun way to immerse yourself briefly in the fabric of Cambridge, @monrymeadows73. Have a look here, plan well in advance, and be prepared to be shocked at the prices. (Which have rocketed lately.)

https://www.universityrooms.com/

There are aspects of some colleges which are explicitly open to the public eg the Women’s Art collection at Murray Edwards
https://www.murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk/womens-art-collection/plan-your-visit

and the Heong gallery in Downing https://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/creative-arts/heong-gallery

Eeek, have just looked at the prices. £88 for a non ensuite room at Sidney Sussex….that was the cheapest. £102 if you want an ensuite. I went 4 years ago and paid £32 a night!

@FlySwimmer@PodMom-thank you both x