Kingston-upon-Hull

Hull – locals never call it by its full name – has a reputation as a dull city and it attracts very few tourists. With low expectations most visitors to Hull are pleasantly surprised to find a vibrant riverside city with an old town and a rejuvenated dockside area. The city's major attraction is The Deep aquarium, but Hull's old town – home to several free museums – is also worth a look.

Practical information

Hull Tourist Information Centre

1 Paragon Street, Hull

Tel (01482) 223559

Website www.hullcc.gov.uk/visithull

Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm

Coming & going

AIR

Humberside International Airport is 30 minutes south of Hull and has flights to Amsterdam and Mediterranean holiday destinations.

BUS & COACH

National Express buses go to Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham and York with the most frequent services to Leeds. Hull's bus station is on Paragon Street, which runs between the train station and Queen Victoria Square.

TRAIN

Hull Trains run trains between Hull and London; East Coast have trains to Newcastle, York and Scotland and Northern trains go to Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Scarborough and Sheffield.

FERRY

P & O Ferries sail from Hull to Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Zeebrugge (Belgium). Hull's port is about 10 minutes by bus from the city centre.

Local transport

East Yorkshire Motor Services run buses in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire. A Day Rover ticket gives you one day unlimited bus travel within Hull for £2.60; a Weekly Saver ticket costs £8.50.

Hostel accommodation

Although there is no hostel in Hull, the excellent Beverley Friary hostel is only a 20-minute train trip or 40-minute bus ride away.

YHA Beverley Friary

Friar's Lane, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire HU17 0DF

Train Beverley Bus 6

Tel (01482) 881751

Sightseeing, museums & tourist attractions

The Deep

The Deep, which bills itself as "the world's only Submarium", is Hull's star attraction. It boasts the world's only underwater lift and Europe's deepest walk-through aquarium with an emphasis on marine life on the ocean floor.

The Deep, Hull

Bus 90

Tel (01482) 381000

Website www.thedeep.co.uk

Admission £8.95

Open 10am-5pm daily

Hull & East Riding Museum

Hull's museum houses artefacts from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman periods and also has natural history exhibits that feature the only dinosaur bones to have been found in East Yorkshire.

36 High Street, Hull

Tel (01482) 613902

Website www.hullcc.gov.uk/museums/

Admission free