Planning a trip to Leicester

Getting There

Trains depart from London's St. Pancras Station every 25 minutes throughout the day for Leicester, a trip of about 90 minutes. The fare costs £40 each way on the day of your trip. For schedules and information, call tel. 0845/748-4950 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.

About 14 buses a day leave London's Victoria Coach Station for Leicester. They call at several secondary stops en route, thus taking 2 hours and 30 minutes each way. A one-way ticket from London to Leicester costs £15, and a round-trip ticket goes for £19. For information, call tel. 0870/580-8080 or visit www.nationalexpress.com.

If you're driving from London, follow the M1 north to Junction 21 toward Leicester. The drive takes 2 hours.

Visitor Information

The Tourist Information Centre is at 7-9 Every St., Town Hall Square (tel. 0844/8885181; www.visitleicester.co.uk). It's open Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm. They'll supply a useful map. You can book Blue Badge guided walks by calling tel. 01162/994444.

Special Events

The Leicester Early Music Festival (tel. 01162/709984; www.earlymusicleicester.co.uk) takes place in May and June. Tickets cost £11 to £30. Also in June, the Leicester International Music Festival (tel. 01162/254916; www.musicfestival.co.uk) attracts some of the biggest names in classical music. Ticket prices vary, but average £4 to £30.