Newcastle

The cruise berths are located adjacent to Royal Quays Marina, where there is not much to explore. There is no cruise terminal building in Newcastle yet.

Newcastle International Airport lies 15 miles to the north of the Cruise Terminal and passengers can be there in 30 minutes. Newcastle is well connected with the rest of the UK by the A1(M) (north/south) and A69 (east/west). Newcastle's Central Station is nine miles or 20 minutes from the Cruise Terminal, with intercity services serving Edinburgh, York and London. (London can be reached in under three hours). Hourly services operate across the Pennines to the UK's west coast and Lake District.

The Metro from Newcastle Central Station to Percy Main takes approximately 15-20 minutes with a further 20 min walk to the terminal.

Taxi to city center is only 12 pounds, fixed rate, slightly more expensive coming back.

Cruise lines often offer shuttles for 16 Euros p.p. and do only so the night before as not to jeopardize their excursion sales.

So if more than one person is in your party consider a taxi.

For GPS users: International Ferry Terminal Royal Quays North Shields Tyne & Wear NE29 6EE

Printable map to take along.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, or Newcastle as it is more commonly known, has worked hard to throw off its image as a dreary, industrial city and to develop a thriving tourism industry. Clearly successful in its attempts at regeneration, Newcastle has now become a highly popular UK weekend destination, particularly with the younger crowd who flock to its bars, restaurants and nightclubs, intent on having a good time.

Situated on the River Tyne's north bank, the city boasts a 2,000-year-old history and a treasure-trove of architecture, with the most classical buildings listed in the UK. Although the city really only reached prominence in the Industrial Revolution, it has long been a capital and defensive point of the north of England for the Romans and Saxons respectively. The city's origins as a Roman town are still evident in Hadrian's Wall, whose ruins can be seen stretching eastwards to Wallsend.

Today, these Roman ruins and the grand elegance of areas such as the neoclassical Grainger Town in the city center contrast with the ultra modern buildings of the city's new Quayside development. Newcastle's waterfront glitters with chic boutiques, excellent restaurants, stylish hotels and modern art. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a work of art in itself, arches across the River Tyne to link Newcastle to Gateshead Quays. Normally the bridge will tilt only once a day at noon.

The city's modern amenities lie comfortably alongside a myriad of historic sites, parks, traditional markets, galleries and museums, and although it may not yet be on everybody's list of top destinations, Newcastle is a thriving, vibrant city with plenty to offer the visitor.

CitySightseeing bus tours depart from Newcastle Central Station. The tour consists of many stops including St James' Park, Quayside, BALTIC center for Contemporary Art, The Sage Gateshead, Gateshead Quays and Castle Keep...you are free to hop on and off as often as you like. The partly open and partly covered top deck buses ensure you get a top deck view whatever the weather. The tour has a pre-recorded commentary in English and lasts between 30 - 60 minutes depending on which tour you take.

Pretty coastal town as Whitley Bay are also nearby.

Hadrian's Wall: reached by bus 122

The main shopping street in the city is Northumberland Street. In a 2004 report, it was ranked as the most expensive shopping street in the UK for rent, outside of London. Other shopping centers in Newcastle include the relatively modern Eldon Garden and Monument Mall complexes, the Newgate center, Central Arcade and the traditional Grainger Market all within easy walking distance from each other. Outside the city, the largest suburban shopping areas are Gosforth and Byker. The largest indoor shopping center in Europe, The Metrocenter, is located in Gateshead.

If you have some time to kill visit Royal Quays outlet center, about 10 minutes walk from where you are docked. Although, some locals suggest visiting Tynemouth as The Royal Quays Outlet has been needing a refurbishment in recent years. Tynemouth is known to have many independent shops as well as the famous Riley's Fish Shack which is located at King Edward's Bay.

The currency throughout the UK is the pound (£). You may also hear the slang term quid for pounds. Scottish bank notes are frowned upon in other parts of the UK, so change the notes before leaving Scotland.

Cash machines (ATM) or less formally 'holes in the wall' are very widely available and usually dispense £10 and £20 notes.

Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, are accepted by most shops and restaurants.

English is spoken throughout the country, but sometimes with heavy accents!

Most cafe's and restaurants offer free WiFi.

The local emergency telephone number is 999, however the EU-wide 112 can also be used.

Shopping hours are in general:

Small stores 6 or 7 days a week (10am - 6pm) Larger stores in general stay open til' 9PM Hyper marts often 24/7