In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Hertford
Give Hertford one day and one night as a base for the Lee Valley and commuter-belt villages; skip it if you only have London time.
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, 20 miles north of London and about 50 minutes by train from Liverpool Street or Moorgate. The centre is small, walkable and built around a castle and four rivers. It works as a single night or a day trip, not as a multi-day destination on its own.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (short days, wet)
- 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 £45–75 excl. bed · Mid £75–130 excl. bed · High £130+ 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
- 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 | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–20 |
| Fish and chips | £10–15 |
| Pint of draught beer | £4.50–6 |
| Train London to Hertford East, off-peak return | £20–30 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- STN · London Stansted
- National Express 737 bus about 45 min, or train via Broxbourne to Hertford East
- LTN · London Luton
- National Express 737 bus to Hertford East station, about 1 h
- LHR · London Heathrow
- Piccadilly line to Finsbury Park then train to Hertford North, about 1 h 30 min
- LGW · London Gatwick
- Thameslink to Finsbury Park then train to Hertford North
- LCY · London City
- DLR to Stratford then train to Hertford East
Typical fares
- Train London Liverpool Street → Hertford East
- about £20–30 off-peak return, about 50 min (check)
- Train Moorgate → Hertford North
- about 50 min, contactless accepted (check)
- Taxi Hertford station → town centre
- £6–10
Get around
The centre is small enough to walk end to end in about 20 minutes. Two stations: Hertford East (Greater Anglia from London Liverpool Street and Stratford) and Hertford North (Great Northern from Moorgate and Stevenage). Both take Oyster and contactless. Buses run from Bircherley Green; National Cycle Route 61 passes through.
See and do
Known for
- Hertford Castle
- Four rivers and the Lea navigation
- Antiques shops
- McMullen's pubs
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| St Albans | Train from Hertford North to St Albans via change, or drive the A414 west | About 1 h by train |
| Stevenage | Great Northern train from Hertford North | About 25 min |
| Berkhamsted | Drive or train via change at London or Hatfield | About 1 h 15 min |
| Tring | Drive the A41, or train via change | About 1 h 20 min |
| Bishop's Stortford | Drive the A10 north, or train via Broxbourne | About 45 min by car |
| Hemel Hempstead | Drive the A414 west | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Fore Street and The Wash)
- Walk to the castle, rivers, pubs and both stations; best for one night without a car.
- Hertford North side (North Road)
- Quieter, close to Hertford North for Moorgate and Stevenage trains.
- Hertingfordbury
- Village inn 1.4 miles west on the A414; only with a car or taxi.
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
- Two stations serve different London lines: check which one your ticket uses before you book a taxi.
- Salisbury Arms Hotel has been closed for renovation; confirm before relying on it.
- Riverside paths flood after heavy rain; check local conditions in winter.
- Pub kitchens often stop serving earlier than the bar closes.
A low-crime county town; the real risks are riverside paths after rain, unlit lanes at night and late-night drinking in the Fore Street pubs.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hertford yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hertford Castle
- Four rivers and the Lea navigation
- Antiques shops
- McMullen's pubs
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Hertford Town and Tourist Information Centre: www.hertford.gov.uk/town-tourist-information-centre-1/
- Hertford Castle: www.hertfordcastle.co.uk/
- National Rail — Hertford East: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/HFE.aspx
- National Rail — Hertford North: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/HFN.aspx
- Intalink (Hertfordshire buses): www.intalink.org.uk/
- Sustrans — National Cycle Route 61: www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-61/
- Wikivoyage: Hertford, revision 5213241 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5213241
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Hertford
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Hertford; the US Embassy is in London (check the address), and consulates-general for most countries are in London.
Hertford is small; the tourist information centre on The Wash is the best source for same-day opening hours.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hertford). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.