Newcastle upon Tyne transit and hotel?
Apr 27, 2020, 12:38 am
#1
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Newcastle upon Tyne transit and hotel?
Just doing a bit of trip planning for post-COVID19.
I read that Newcastle have a metro system and apparently bit connects to the airport. How much does it cost to take it to the city centre? Do I have to buy a transit card or can I use my credit card like in London to take in and out?
In terms of shopping and malls, where should I go that's accessible by transit?
I prefer Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. Which of the 3 chains have the most conveniently located location? Preferably near a metro station?
TIA!
I read that Newcastle have a metro system and apparently bit connects to the airport. How much does it cost to take it to the city centre? Do I have to buy a transit card or can I use my credit card like in London to take in and out?
In terms of shopping and malls, where should I go that's accessible by transit?
I prefer Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. Which of the 3 chains have the most conveniently located location? Preferably near a metro station?
TIA!
Apr 27, 2020, 1:33 am
#2
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Just doing a bit of trip planning for post-COVID19.
I read that Newcastle have a metro system and apparently bit connects to the airport. How much does it cost to take it to the city centre? Do I have to buy a transit card or can I use my credit card like in London to take in and out?
In terms of shopping and malls, where should I go that's accessible by transit?
I prefer Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. Which of the 3 chains have the most conveniently located location? Preferably near a metro station?
I read that Newcastle have a metro system and apparently bit connects to the airport. How much does it cost to take it to the city centre? Do I have to buy a transit card or can I use my credit card like in London to take in and out?
In terms of shopping and malls, where should I go that's accessible by transit?
I prefer Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. Which of the 3 chains have the most conveniently located location? Preferably near a metro station?
Public mass transit systems tend to have informative web sites
Hotels often list if they are near train/metro systems
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyne_and_Wear_Metro
Apr 27, 2020, 2:07 am
#3
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Information about the metro can be found here: https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro
You have to buy a paper ticket to travel on the metro. You can use credit cards to buy tickets, but you can't use a credit card as a ticket.
There is a smart card alternative to paper tickets, which is cheaper, but you cannot buy it at the airport. You can buy it online and have it sent to a UK address.
The most convenient hotel is the Hampton by Newcastle Central station. All shopping you could want to do is accessible from that hotel on foot.
There is a Doubletree by the airport which may be useful for a short stay, but repeatedly travelling to the city centre and back will get annoying.
There is a Hilton in Gateshead. It is a bit of a walk from the metro but you could just walk across the bridge to the city.
You have to buy a paper ticket to travel on the metro. You can use credit cards to buy tickets, but you can't use a credit card as a ticket.
There is a smart card alternative to paper tickets, which is cheaper, but you cannot buy it at the airport. You can buy it online and have it sent to a UK address.
The most convenient hotel is the Hampton by Newcastle Central station. All shopping you could want to do is accessible from that hotel on foot.
There is a Doubletree by the airport which may be useful for a short stay, but repeatedly travelling to the city centre and back will get annoying.
There is a Hilton in Gateshead. It is a bit of a walk from the metro but you could just walk across the bridge to the city.
Apr 27, 2020, 3:28 am
#4
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Information about the metro can be found here: https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro
You have to buy a paper ticket to travel on the metro. You can use credit cards to buy tickets, but you can't use a credit card as a ticket.
There is a smart card alternative to paper tickets, which is cheaper, but you cannot buy it at the airport. You can buy it online and have it sent to a UK address.
The most convenient hotel is the Hampton by Newcastle Central station. All shopping you could want to do is accessible from that hotel on foot.
There is a Doubletree by the airport which may be useful for a short stay, but repeatedly travelling to the city centre and back will get annoying.
There is a Hilton in Gateshead. It is a bit of a walk from the metro but you could just walk across the bridge to the city.
You have to buy a paper ticket to travel on the metro. You can use credit cards to buy tickets, but you can't use a credit card as a ticket.
There is a smart card alternative to paper tickets, which is cheaper, but you cannot buy it at the airport. You can buy it online and have it sent to a UK address.
The most convenient hotel is the Hampton by Newcastle Central station. All shopping you could want to do is accessible from that hotel on foot.
There is a Doubletree by the airport which may be useful for a short stay, but repeatedly travelling to the city centre and back will get annoying.
There is a Hilton in Gateshead. It is a bit of a walk from the metro but you could just walk across the bridge to the city.
TIA!
Apr 28, 2020, 7:10 am
#5
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Yes I've stayed at the Hampton. It is usually cheap except on busy weekends or when there are events on. It is the standard experience you get in European Hamptons. You can look up threads for all the Hilton properties in the Hilton forum.
Not sure if the smart card would be very useful for you. At the airport you could just buy a single ticket or a day ticket on paper, then if you really want you can get the smartcard in the city. I don't think you need to take public transport anywhere except from the airport and back, unless there are specific places you want to visit further away.
There are several people from Newcastle / Northumberland on here so unless they have something to add, the only place I can think of interest to tourists that requires public transport might be the Arbeia Roman Fort, or the beach if you really want to go to the beach. To get to the Metrocentre you have to take a train which requires a separate ticket unless you want to figure out the buses. And most likely there will be a shop in the city centre that sells the same sort of things.
You would need to be spending about 3 or more days for the smartcard to be worth it, or you intend to come back. The issue is with using up the balance. I don't have one myself so I don't know if you can top it up with exact amounts to get your balance to 0 before your final journey. As for ordering it to a hotel, that only makes sense if you will be staying elsewhere in the UK for a week beforehand.
Not sure if the smart card would be very useful for you. At the airport you could just buy a single ticket or a day ticket on paper, then if you really want you can get the smartcard in the city. I don't think you need to take public transport anywhere except from the airport and back, unless there are specific places you want to visit further away.
There are several people from Newcastle / Northumberland on here so unless they have something to add, the only place I can think of interest to tourists that requires public transport might be the Arbeia Roman Fort, or the beach if you really want to go to the beach. To get to the Metrocentre you have to take a train which requires a separate ticket unless you want to figure out the buses. And most likely there will be a shop in the city centre that sells the same sort of things.
You would need to be spending about 3 or more days for the smartcard to be worth it, or you intend to come back. The issue is with using up the balance. I don't have one myself so I don't know if you can top it up with exact amounts to get your balance to 0 before your final journey. As for ordering it to a hotel, that only makes sense if you will be staying elsewhere in the UK for a week beforehand.
Apr 28, 2020, 7:50 am
#6
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Stayed at both several times : the Hampton is in a great location for the city centre, the railway station and the metro, but doesn't have anything particularly notable about it.
The Hilton is on the other side of the river in Gateshead, and IMHO is the better option if you have Hilton elite status. The lounge has great views of the riverscape and bridges, as do the nicer rooms. It's a very agreeable walk over one of the bridges back towards the city centre, and only takes 10-15 minutes. You're also right there for the quayside too.
The Hilton is on the other side of the river in Gateshead, and IMHO is the better option if you have Hilton elite status. The lounge has great views of the riverscape and bridges, as do the nicer rooms. It's a very agreeable walk over one of the bridges back towards the city centre, and only takes 10-15 minutes. You're also right there for the quayside too.
Apr 28, 2020, 8:00 am
#7
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As has been said, Newcastle is a very compact, walkable city with a fantastic variety of pubs, a very vibrant club scene by the river (Quayside) and the people are incredibly welcoming.
It's also a good base to explore other areas by train given the proximity of the station to the centre - you can be in York within 60 minutes, Durham is an attractive university city, and going north Berwick-upon-Tweed is 45 minutes and Edinburgh just over 90.
Once you get anywhere near the centre from the airport the types of places and onward destinations you'll most likely want to visit won't require you to use the Metro unless you're particularly averse to walking more than a few hundred yards.
It's also a good base to explore other areas by train given the proximity of the station to the centre - you can be in York within 60 minutes, Durham is an attractive university city, and going north Berwick-upon-Tweed is 45 minutes and Edinburgh just over 90.
Once you get anywhere near the centre from the airport the types of places and onward destinations you'll most likely want to visit won't require you to use the Metro unless you're particularly averse to walking more than a few hundred yards.
Apr 28, 2020, 9:09 am
#8
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Stayed at both several times : the Hampton is in a great location for the city centre, the railway station and the metro, but doesn't have anything particularly notable about it.
The Hilton is on the other side of the river in Gateshead, and IMHO is the better option if you have Hilton elite status. The lounge has great views of the riverscape and bridges, as do the nicer rooms. It's a very agreeable walk over one of the bridges back towards the city centre, and only takes 10-15 minutes. You're also right there for the quayside too.
The Hilton is on the other side of the river in Gateshead, and IMHO is the better option if you have Hilton elite status. The lounge has great views of the riverscape and bridges, as do the nicer rooms. It's a very agreeable walk over one of the bridges back towards the city centre, and only takes 10-15 minutes. You're also right there for the quayside too.
May 3, 2020, 9:58 pm
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