Planning a trip to Durham

Getting There -- Trains from London's Kings Cross Station arrive hourly during the day, with the trip taking about 3 hours, and trains from York leave every 15 minutes, arriving approximately an hour later. Durham lies on the main London-Edinburgh rail line. For information, call tel. 0845/748-4950 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.

National Express buses from London arrive twice daily, with the trip taking about 5 hours. For information, call National Express at tel. 0870/580-8080 or visit www.nationalexpress.com.

If you're driving from London, follow the A1 (M) north to Durham.

Visitor Information -- The Durham Tourist Office is at Millennium Place (tel. 01913/843720; www.durhamtourism.co.uk) and is open year-round Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 5:30pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

Special Events -- At the Durham Folk Festival, held the last weekend in July, you can sing, clog, or just cavort to music; almost every event is free. The weekend also includes free camping along the River Wear, though you'd better arrive early on Friday if you want to get a choice spot. In early June, crowds swarm along the riverbank to cheer the crew racing the Durham Regatta.