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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Alnwick
Give Alnwick one full day and one night: castle and garden in the morning, Barter Books and the town walls after lunch. Skip it as a base without a car.
Alnwick is a small Northumberland market town of about 8,400 people, 34 miles north of Newcastle on the A1, built around a castle that has doubled as a film set for decades. The castle and the separate Alnwick Garden fill a day; the town itself is walkable in an hour. Most visitors come for one night on the way to Berwick, Lindisfarne or Edinburgh, and the nearest railway station is 3 miles away at Alnmouth.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, many sights shut)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £55–85 excl. bed · Mid £90–140 excl. bed · High £150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · EU-wide emergency 112 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Pint of local ale | £4.50–6 |
| Castle or garden adult ticket | £19–22 |
| Bus Alnwick → Alnmouth station | £2–3 (check) |
| Taxi Alnwick → Alnmouth station | £10–14 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NCL · Newcastle International
- About 45 min by car or taxi up the A1; no direct bus to Alnwick from the terminal, so change in Newcastle city centre.
- EDI · Edinburgh
- About 2 h by car south on the A1; rail via Edinburgh to Alnmouth is often easier.
Typical fares
- Bus Newcastle Haymarket → Alnwick
- about 90 min, hourly X15
- Bus Alnmouth station → Alnwick
- about 13 min, every 30 min with X18 and X20
- Train Newcastle → Alnmouth
- about 25 min, hourly
- Taxi Alnwick → Alnmouth station
- £10–14 (check)
Get around
Everything in town is walkable: castle to bus station is about 10 min. Buses X15, X18 and X20 run from Newcastle and link Alnmouth station to Alnwick in about 13 min. For Craster, Howick, Cragside and the coast villages you need a car, a bike or a taxi; the land is flat and good for cycling.
See and do
Known for
- Alnwick Castle
- Alnwick Garden and its poison garden
- Barter Books in the old station
- Film and TV locations
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Alnmouth | Bus X18 or X20 from Alnwick, about 13 min to the station, then walk to the village | About 30 min |
| Lindisfarne (Holy Island) | Car or taxi to Beal, then the tidal causeway; some X15 buses stop at Beal | About 1 h to Beal |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | Bus X15 north, or train from Alnmouth | About 1 h |
| Cragside, Rothbury | Car or taxi, 10 miles southeast | About 25 min |
| Dunstanburgh Castle and Craster | Car or taxi to Craster, then a 1.5-mile walk | About 30 min to Craster |
| Morpeth | Bus X15 or X18 south | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Bondgate and Market Place)
- Walk to the castle gate in 5–10 min; pubs, cafés and the bus stops on the doorstep.
- Near the castle and Bailiffgate
- Quietest rooms and closest to the castle and Bailiffgate Museum; uphill from the bus station.
- South Road and the A1 edge
- Chain hotels with parking, about 15 min on foot from the centre; best if you are driving through.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- The castle and garden are ticketed separately and both close out of season: check dates before you book travel.
- Alnwick has no railway station; Alnmouth is 3 miles away and the bus link stops in the evening.
- Castle opening days change for events and filming: check the official site the week you go.
- Coastal roads and the A1 can be slow in summer and bank-holiday traffic.
Alnwick is a low-crime small town and safe to walk at night; the real risks are dark unlit lanes after pub closing, fast A1 traffic if you cycle, and getting cut off by the tide at Lindisfarne.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Alnwick yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Alnwick Castle
- Alnwick Garden and its poison garden
- Barter Books in the old station
- Film and TV locations
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Northumberland — Alnwick: www.visitnorthumberland.com/
- Alnwick Castle: www.alnwickcastle.com/
- Alnwick Garden: www.alnwickgarden.com/
- Barter Books: www.barterbooks.co.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Alnwick, revision 5065253 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5065253
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Alnwick
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Alnwick; the US Embassy is in London and most consulates-general are in Edinburgh or Newcastle. For urgent consular help, call your embassy in London.
English is spoken everywhere; no phrase list is needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/alnwick). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.