Lancaster

Introduction

Lancaster is one of the forgotten cities of North West England. A city with a historic past, Lancaster was home of the Red Rose during the War of the Roses involving the houses of Lancaster and York. Lancaster found fortune during the Industrial Revolution, particularly as a centre for textiles, and much of the modern centre of Lancaster was built at this time, though there are still reminders of past eras, including 13th century Lancaster Castle.

Sights and Activities

• Lancaster Castle - the earliest part of which was built in the 13th century. Much of the building is now used as a prison.
• Williamson Park - including the Ashton Memorial building and the Butterfly House.
• The Maritime Museum - at the quayside.
• Lancaster Cathedral - a relatively recently built cathedral with a 240-feet tower.

Nearby attractions include the picturesque Lune Valley, and Morecambe Bay.

Getting There

By Plane

Lancaster doesn't have an airport offering scheduled flights. The closest options are Manchester Airport (MAN), Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) and Leeds Bradford (LBA).

By Train

Lancaster is situated on the main West Coast line running between London and Scotland. Direct trains run to destinations including Manchester, Preston, Glasgow, Carlisle, Penrith and Oxenholme.

By Car

Lancaster is easily accessible via the M6 Motorway.

By Bus

National Express and regional operators run direct services between Lancaster and a range of major cities.

By Boat

Ferries from nearby Heysham Ferry Terminal travel to the Isle of Man.

Eat

Options include the good and cheap Sultan of Lancaster in a building which has served as both a church and a mosque (Muslim so no alcohol served), and the popular Meeting House.

Sleep

Upscale

View our map of accommodation in Lancaster

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés can be found in many cities and towns. All UK public libraries provide access, often branded as "People's Network", usually at no or little charge, though there is usually a time limit. Some hotels/hostels also offer internet access, including wifi, but most times at a cost. Using the internet on your personal phone can become expensive very quickly, with carriers charging 100's of times the local rate for data. To avoid these expensive roaming charges, you can hunt for wifi at a local cafe or hotel, or rent a mobile hotspot via several providers including DATAPiXY, and XCOM Global.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to the United Kingdom is: 44. To make an international call from the United Kingdom, the code is: 00

In case of emergency, call 999 or 112 from any phone. Such calls are free and will be answered by an emergency services operator who will ask you for your location, and the service(s) you need (police, fire, ambulance, coastguard or mountain rescue). You can call this number from any mobile telephone as well, even if you do not have roaming.

Although the number is declining, you can still find payphones in many public areas, especially stations, airports etc. You can usually pay with cash and sometimes by creditcard or, for international calls, special phonecards are still available.

Mobile phones are heavily used. The main networks are T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange and O2. 3G data services are available, usually priced per megabyte and coverage is usually very good in the UK, however it may lack in rural areas. Roaming on your personal phone plan can be expensive. To manage costs, consider purchasing a local UK SIM card for your phone. Several companies offer local SIM cards including Telestial, and CellularAbroad.

Post

The Royal Mail provides postal services in the United Kingdom. The Royal Mail's store fronts are called Post Office and offer services ranging from sending letters and packages to foreign currency exchange. Use the branch locator to find the nearest Post Office branch. There will be at least one post office in any town/city and there are quite often post offices in larger villages. It's common for a post office to be incorporated into a grocery store, where there will be a small counter located at the back of the store for dealing with post related matters. All post offices are marked with signs that say 'post office' in red lettering. Post boxes can be found at any post office and standalone large red post boxes on the streets or red boxes in the sides of public buildings.
For sending packages overseas, it might be a good idea to check prices and services with international companies like TNT, UPS or DHL.