Visit Chester and Cheshire is the tourist board responsible for tourism in Chester. It operates a tourist information centre in Chester city centre, a useful first port of call for visitors to the city.
Staff can offer visitors general tourist information and advice, and also help with hotel bookings. They also sell tickets for National Express coaches, shows, concerts, theatrical performances, bus tours, and more.
The centre also stocks a good range of maps, guides, and brochures, many of which are free. Brochures can also be downloaded from the official Chester and Cheshire website.
Various official guided walks also depart from here. Tours are themed and include Taste Chester, the Chester Walls Walk, Fortress Deva – A History of Roman Chester, the Chester Tour, and the Secret Chester Tour. Tickets and more information can be obtained from the centre. Tickets can also be purchased from the official Chester and Cheshire tourism website.
The Chester Tourist Information Centre is located in the Town Hall on Northgate, close to the entrance to McDonald’s and the Forum Shopping Centre.
The centre is open 7 days a week. Opening times are Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5.30 pm, and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm.
I visited Chester for a trip down memory lane. I originate from Cheshire but have lived in Norfolk for over 40 years. I was not disappointed with my visit. We stayed at the MacDonalds New Blossom Hotel. It lacked a little as a 4 star but this was due to lack of staff.
However my main complaint is about the down and outs and the beggars on the city streets. It felt a little threatening. Being approached and asked for any spare cash during the day and then being accosted by the Oxfam fund raisers was not what I had expected.
We visited Chester Zoo, the Canal Museum at Ellesmere Port and did the city bus/river tour all were excellent value with extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff. The city was very clean and just needs the streets cleared of beggars.
Chester is a fine city but the train station is very poorly signed. Indeed some of the signs send you down one way streets. Missing your train significantly detracts from the pleasure of the visit. Improved signage might make the difference between a future visit and never wanting to come back again.