Department of English Literature Information on Travel and Accommodation for the “Who Invented the ‘Shakespearean Theatre’ Conference” at the University of Reading on 24 November 2012 Travel to and from Reading: By rail : Reading railway station is served by First Great Western (for travel from London Paddington and Oxford), Southwest Trains and Virgin cross-country services. Non-stop First Great Western Trains leave London Paddington approximately every 15 minutes on Saturday mornings (take a train with Reading as its first stop for fastest service). The journey takes about 30 minutes. Trains returning from Reading to London also leave every 15 minutes until at least midnight. A same- day return ticket is currently priced at £16.50 (without railcard discounts) and may be purchased from ticket machines at the station (there is usually no discount for purchasing these tickets in advance or online). However, if you purchase your ticket from the ticket office, you will be able to buy a Reading ‘plus bus’ ticket for about £2 which allows you one day’s free travel on Reading buses. To plan your rail journey, go to: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ From Reading railway station, take the #20, #20a or #21 bus directly to the University of Reading’s Whiteknights House, the main reception building, and follow the signposts for the conference, located a few minutes’ walk away in the Palmer building. If you do not purchase a plus bus ticket, return fare is about £3.40 (exact fare only). Buses run every 10-15 minutes and the journey takes 10-15 minutes. Exit the bus at the first stop after the bus enters the University campus (Whiteknights House will be directly ahead of the bus stop). Taxis are also available from the station. A single (or one-way) fare is approximately £7 and the journey takes about 10 minutes. By bus : Although Reading station has an Airlink connection to Heathrow, there is no direct bus service from London. Department of English Literature By car : The University is located in Reading’s Whiteknights area (Shinfield Road), accessible from Junctions 10 and 11 of the M4. Free parking is available in marked parking spaces in the car parks on campus on a Saturday. If you are using a 'sat nav' or 'GPS' navigation system, please use the following postcode in order to navigate to the Whiteknights campus: RG6 6UR. Further information on transportation to campus is available at: http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/find/about-findrail.aspx Campus maps are available at: http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/find/about- findmap.aspx Accommodation Although organizers of the conference cannot book accommodation in Reading for you, we recommend the following hotels: The Hillingdon Prince, located a few blocks from the University, offers basic service: http://www.hillingdonprince.co.uk/ The Ibis Hotel, a budget hotel in the town centre, is a few minutes’ walk to a stop for the #20a, 20 and 21 buses to campus: http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-5431- ibis-reading-centre/index.shtml The Novotel Hotel, a business hotel near the Ibis: http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-5432-novotel-reading-centre/index.shtml Premier Inn, Central Reading, Details can be found here: http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/REAPTI/reading-central . This hotel is located close to the bus routes which serve the campus. The University’s hotel, Blackhorse House, is currently being refurbished and will not take bookings before it re-opens in October. Dining options after the conference A number of chain restaurants, including Carluccio’s, Pizza Express and ASK, are located in the town centre, a few minutes’ walk from the railway station. Numerous restaurants and bars facing the canal are located at the Oracle shopping centre, also in the town centre, about a 10- minute walk from the station and adjacent to a stop on the #20, 20a, and 21 buses. .