St Albans couchsurf scrounge

We’ve just booked our flights to and from the UK, and after family duties will be roaming free from Mon 26th Sept - Sun 2nd Oct (yay, 6am flight on Monday - no point going to sleep). The plan is to spend a lot of that time at the Stalbans Beer Fest, but maybe we’ll bubble around the london area a bit too - I’ve heard you have some good beer there! As always we’re on an eastern european budget, so are just wondering if there is any couchsurf potential during that time? (beer for beds will be tricky, as we’re travelling with only cabin luggage, but I’m pretty sure there will be some things in the airport that we can pick up.)

OK, nice cheap hostel found. Now looking for advice on what to do between monday and wednesday. Our default is to do what we always do, and just head to Cambridge, as it’s trivial to absorb 2 days there. However, perhaps we should hit a different town or two in the south east.

I was wondering whether Colchester was worth a day of crawling, Anna’s never been there and I remember from my youth it was a rather pretty old town, so it has tourism potential. Any other suggestions?

Yes, Colchester is definitely worth a day. Ruth & I did all the places on RateBeer on a day trip and they pretty much all have something going for them one way or another. The Adnams one could probably be left out. I’d have liked to eat at the Gurkha place but time was tight & I think you need to book. Choosing from the menu is easy - you get what you’re given. Most are proper pubs and even the craft beer bar was rather nice.

Sorry we couldn’t put you up on this visit but we don’t get back from Borefts until the Tuesday at the earliest and later in the week we have family visiting.

Cool beans, Chris. Your mayordom was noted (as was the absense of your reviews - tut tut!) I don’t suppose you have an expanded PDF like you did for Norwich, do you? It looks like everything on RB for Colchester is within a 1km*500m square, and 1-day crawlable, so we’ll probably just stay the end of the day there and then dart off to another town on the Tuesday morning.

Any suggestions for a Tuesday equivalent, another beertastic and also preferably historic town which won’t gobble up too much travel time by public transtrike? (Thanks to Ian, we already have Canterbury town-ticked.) (Worst comes to the worst, I guess I could actually visit London itself!)

Originally posted by FatPhil
I don’t suppose you have an expanded PDF like you did for Norwich, do you?

Originally posted by FatPhil
Any suggestions for a Tuesday equivalent, another beertastic and also preferably historic town which won’t gobble up too much travel time by public transtrike?

There are a couple of brewpubs in Bury St Edmunds, not been there but are on the map.

Have been to Ipswich, but only a couple of venues. Brewpub is OK.

Norwich is really good, plenty of places in the city centre and all close together.

Originally posted by WingmanWillis
Norwich is really good, plenty of places in the city centre and all close together.

Chelmsford is decent, the local CAMRA did do a guide of the local pubs with a map. Link not working on website, which is unhelpful!

Originally posted by WingmanWillis
Chelmsford is decent, the local CAMRA did do a guide of the local pubs with a map. Link not working on website, which is unhelpful!

Monday day + night in Colchester booked, looking forward to it.

Tuesday options - keep ’em coming
A friend who worked or lived in Ipswich for a while said it was as dull as dishwater.
Narch I’d like to visit again at some point, but it’s a bit far, as we want to be in St. Albans early Wed for the BF (11am), and don’t like getting up early, or commuter trains.
Chelmsford has the "gets us closer to St. Albans" feature in its favour, and I’ve always wanted to go there as I’m a big fan of Badvoc and Aulus Paulinus. Places look like they could use some love, and I’m happy to volunteer, but the cheapest B&B’s more than I paid for a 4* hotel in glorious eastern europe a few months back! That’s the best suggestion for a new place yet. Glad it got a positive thumbs up, as I was already considering it because of location.