Canterbury Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Canterbury, Kent, England, UK)

A famous cathedral city located close to Kent's south-eastern coastline, Canterbury is extremely popular with visitors from London, which lies around 97 km / 60 miles to the north-west.

Life here is always relaxed, although Canterbury's summer months can become extremely busy, with the city actively promoting its many attractions and seasonal festivals. October's Canterbury Festival is also a major crowd puller and features live music and numerous theatrical events. Here are some top travel tips about life in Canterbury.

Tourism and Tourist Information

A great place to visit upon arrival in the city is the Visitor Centre, which is home to a wealth of guide books, local maps, postcards, leaflets with discount vouchers, gift ideas and even disposable cameras.

The tourist office is manned by a team of helpful staff, who are happy to assist with all enquiries, selling tickets for the local walking tours, as well as the Canterbury Attractions Passport, which provides free entry to a number of attractions (or money off). These include the Cathedral, St. Augustine's Abbey, the Canterbury Tales, various museums and the ghost and river boat tours. The tourist office also provides a basic currency exchange service and plenty of suggestions for day trips and excursions.

Canterbury Tourist Information Centre (TIC)
Address: Stour Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2NR, England, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1227 378 100
Email: canterburyinformation@canterbury.gov.uk
Open hours: Monday to Saturday, April to October - 09:30 to 17:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00; November to December - 10:00 to 16:30, January to March - 10:00 to 16:00;

Tipping

It is usual to leave a tip at the end of a meal, when dining out in Canterbury. However, this need not be excessive and a tip of just a few pounds is usually quite acceptable. Many restaurants have now started to also automatically include service changes on the bill, so be aware of this and tip accordingly.

Smoking

Smoking in public places in England is often in the news and has become extremely unpopular in Canterbury in recent years, especially in pubs and bars. From July 2007, smoking is now restricted to outside areas in all pubs, with red and white 'no smoking' signs being hard to miss. Smoking has been banned on all modes of public transport for many years.