Stopover guide

straddling the hugely signif

icant River Tyne, Newcastle is among Britain's favourite short break destinations and it is famous for its thriving nightlife. With a highly successful football team, the nearby Gateshead shopping centre and the neighbouring coastal resorts of South Shields and Whitley Bay, it isn't difficult to see what Newcastle has to offer both its resident and visitor population.

Attractions:

Graingertown is the city's classic Victorian section, which nowadays offers a cosmopolitan ambience owing to its modern shops, bars and restaurants.
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge stands majestically above the city and lists among Newcastle's most famous landmarks.
The Theatre Royal lists among the country's finest venues for theatrical performances and is the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The Laing Art Gallery and Newcastle Hancock Museum both display works by some of Europe's finest modern artists, with frequently changing exhibitions.
Newcastle's Chinatown is one of England's finest pockets of Oriental life and it mimics the east with its traditional street markets, busy food stalls and authentic Chinese restaurants.

Eating and shopping: the Gateshead Metro Centre is just a short distance from the city and it offers over 300 retail outlets and leisure attractions as well as more than 50 cafés and restaurants. The centre is the premier shopping and entertainment complex in the Newcastle area. Restaurants are plentiful throughout the city, with Chinatown offering the best in oriental cuisine and other areas offering Indian, French, Italian and Spanish establishments as well as traditional English menus.

Day trips and tours: Whitley Bay is within reasonable driving distance of Newcastle and is the ideal place to head for a daytrip or an overnight break. Along with Tynemouth, Cullercoats, North Shields and Wallsend, Whitley Bay comprises the borough of North Tyneside and offers a variety of traditional accommodation located close to the scenic coastline. Popular attractions in the North Tyneside area include Hadrian's Wall and Northumberland National Park.

Closer to home is Castle Leazes, a magnificent structure located in the corner of the pretty Leases Park. Tours of the castle are available, while perusing the gardens afterwards can be done entirely at your own leisure.

Newcastle Tourist Information Centres

Newcastle Airport Tourist Information Desk
Newcastle Airport
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
England
NE13 8BZ
Tel: +44 191 214 4422
Fax: +44 191 214 3363
Email: niatic@hotmail.com

Newcastle Information Centre
132 Grainger Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
England
NE1 5AF
Tel: +44 191 277 8000
Fax: +44 191 277 8009