Let's Go
Let's Go is a partnership between East of England Tourism
and National Express
Welcome
Jump on the train or travel by road to a great day
out or relaxing break - and take advantage of
fantastic special offers
On this page you will find general information about
the region and a host of summer events. Separate
county pages then provide details of the key
destinations and places of interest.
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire,
Norfolk, Suffolk
Whichever way you travel you'll find great value deals
with Let's Go.
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Go... Grab a Bargain
National Express East Anglia provides train services
from London Liverpool Street to the East of England,
as far afield as Cromer - with advance purchase
fares from as little as £6 each way.
National Express Coaches leave from London's Victoria coach station to
destinations such as Chelmsford and Great Yarmouth. Whilst National
Express East Coast train services take you from King's Cross to
Peterborough in as little as 46 minutes.
The East of England can easily be reached by train and coach, and is
often cheaper than you think.
To book tickets online, view timetables and amazing offers, please visit
www.nationalexpress.com or if you prefer, call on +44 (0)845 600 7245.
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Special Offers
For a great value day out, whether you come by train or road - check out our full
listing of special offers, including 2 for 1 vouchers.
Please note: vouchers are not valid on Bank Holidays or days when there is a
special event at the attraction. Please see the voucher to check conditions of use.
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Travel by Train Offers
Take advantage of special offers for days out by train this summer.
Jump on the train to visit the once-in-a-lifetime Guardians to the King exhibition at
Colchester. Go wild at Colchester Zoo and Paradise Wildlife Park. Have a fling at
Newmarket Races, take a tour of Cambridge by punt, and marvel at Europe's premier collection of aircraft by visiting the Imperial War Museum Duxford.
Click here for our full listing of travel by train offers
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Things to Do in Summer
There are plenty of events and activities going on in
the region - so jump on the train and you'll be here in
no time. Visit our events section for further details.
Magic Moments
Go by train to enjoy music and the arts in fantastic
outdoor venues. Forget holiday traffic jams and
simply savour perfect summer days out.
Seize the chance of a lifetime to see 2,000 year old
miniature terracotta figurines from the Chinese Han
Dynasty on display at Colchester Castle Museum
(19 July to 2 November). Pack a picnic and relax at
the Summer Outdoor Theatre (25-27 July) at Shaw's
Corner (Ayot St. Lawrence. nr. Welwyn), or head for
the water's edge (26-27 July) at Dunwich
Heath - and marvel at 20ft high wave sculptures.
Be captivated by rare vintage aeroplanes flying in
time to a 50 piece orchestra (9 August) at The
Shuttleworth Collection (Old Warden,
nr. Biggleswade), or cheer and boo at Punch and
Judy - with the Grand Puppet Festival (1-3 August)
on Southend Pier Slow the pace for an afternoon of tours and talks (25 July)
exploring the life of Beatrix Potter and her love of Melford Hall (Long Melford).
Legendary Line-Ups
Dress down for summer and travel light as you hop on the train to experience the
world-class music festivals and arts events for which the region is famous.
Enter the magical atmosphere of Snape Maltings (nr. Aldeburgh), and hear some
of the world's biggest names in classical music - such as the Aldeburgh Festival
(13-29 June). Rock onto the sound of legendary Blondie as she heads the
star-studded bill at the Latitude Festival (17-20 July). Enjoy fizz and a flutter in the
ambience of an English garden party during Newmarket's midsummer racing
season - and the Ritz Club July Festival (9-11 July). Be there for Newmarket
Nights, to hear big-name acts in a series of open air concerts from June to August.
Make a splash at the Bedford River Festival (12-13 July), with dragonboat racing
and fireworks, or return to your roots at Woodworks in the Forest of Marston Vale
(6-7 September) - mingle with artists, crafts people and storytellers. Pitch up with a
picnic in the grounds of Hitchin Priory for Rhythms of the World (12-13 July), and
tune into the sights and sounds of music and dance across six stages. Take the
train to the renowned King's Lynn Festival of Music and the Arts (13-26 July).
Relax at concerts and immerse yourself in literature. Don't miss Festival Too (4-5
and 11-12 July), when the streets come alive with entertainment.
For a great value day out, whether
you come by train or road - check out
our full listing of special offers, including
2 for 1 vouchers.
Amazing Attractions
Jump on the train for a summer of action-packed
days and great family adventures in wonderful rural
and historic locations.
Discover what life was like in England over 500 years
ago - the food, customs and weapons on Tudor
Day (3 August) at Southchurch Hall Museum in
Southend. Enter the enchanted world of
BeWILDerwood (nr. Wroxham), a curious treehouse
adventure - where you can take part in the Twiggle
Dress Parade (26-27 July). Thrill to fanfares,
galloping horses and lavish costumes in the gothic
atmosphere of Knebworth House (nr. Stevenage),
with Medieval Jousting (31 August). There's always
plenty to do at Lee Valley Park Farms (nr. Waltham
Abbey) - take a tractor and trailer ride to watch the
cows being milked. At Wicken Fen (nr. Ely), peep
inside a tradtiional fenman's cottage and join in
sedge harvesting with the Working Fen Weekend
(19-20 July). Feel the heat of fabulous dishes from
around the world, with the Chilli Festivals at Felbrigg
Hall (nr. Cromer) (6 August) and Benington Lordship
Garden (nr. Stevenage) (24-25 August).
Fun al fresco
Make this a summer for enjoying the outdoor life with kites and aeroplanes,
country fairs and waterfront events. All a short train ride away.
Hear the roar as aerobatic champions swoop over one of Suffolk's finest
beaches - as part of the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival (24-25 July). Vote for your
favourite scarecrow out of 100 on display at the Flamstead Festival (nr. Harpenden)
(15-17 August). A real country event with ales, folk dancing and cakes. Discover for
real how fish gets from the sea to your table at Leigh Fishing Festival (Leigh-on-
Sea) (31 August). See working boats and sample the cockles. Relax and take a
stroll around the historic streets of Bury St. Edmunds, decked out in summer
flowers, then picnic in the timeless Abbey Gardens. Let your spirits soar at the Kite
Festival (20 July) high over the Dunstable Downs
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The National Trust
Instead of taking off to faraway places, why not cut down on costly travel and find out
just what you are missing? It might be a lavish stately home, a fabulous art
collection - even a burial chamber for a pagan king. Enjoy a panoramic view
from a Tudor gatehouse, or visit one of the finest Regency playhouses in Europe.
The magnificent Blickling Hall (nr. Aylsham), with its rich interior and lakeside
walks, is typical of the Trust's many stately homes in the region. Hear stories by the
people who lived and worked there in the 1930's. Explore the eccentric rotunda of
Ickworth House (Horringer, nr. Bury St. Edmunds) with its curving corridors, or the
fabulous 16th C. merchant's house known as Paycocke's in Coggeshall. Take a
peep in the elegant Peckover House with its stunning garden in Wisbech - then
discover the revolving writing hut of literary genius George Bernard Shaw at Shaw's
Corner (Ayot St. Lawrence, nr. Welwyn). Out on a summer's day, you can walk
for miles in unspoilt heaths and forests, explore quiet nature reserves, or seek out
historic windmills where you can see for miles.
The National Trust offers over 40 fantastic days out - from the largest surviving
medieval guildhall in England to the last remnants of East Anglia's Great Fen.
English Heritage
Lavish stately homes, enchanting gardens, ancient
forts and castles are typical of English Heritage sites
in the East of England. Add a priory and a prehistoric
flint mine - and suddenly you are planning fantastic
days out for the family at a very reasonable cost.
Make an early start for one of England's grandest
country homes at Audley End (nr. Saffron
Walden) - its fabulous interior graced by the works of
Holbein and Canaletto. New for 2008 - experience
life behind the scenes in a beautifully restored
service wing. Learn more about garden history at the
Versailles-inspired Wrest Park (Silsoe, nr. Luton), or
at Castle Acre Priory (nr. Swaffham) with its
recreated herb garden. Climb the castles of Orford
and Framlingham for panoramic views of Suffolk,
then see the mighty Thames from the ramparts of
Tilbury Fort Explore the depths of Grimes
Graves (nr. Brandon) - dug by Stone Age miners
5,000 years ago.
Check out the special offers at top English Heritage
attractions: Audley End House, Castle Acre Priory,
Framlingham Castle, Great Yarmouth Row Houses, Grimes Graves, Orford
Castle, Tilbury Fort and Wrest Park.
