Carry on Campus

Apply to Edinburgh, go up to Cambridge, or find some digs in Brighton. The academic accommodation options in some of Britain's most beautiful cities, that even students can afford

Welcome to the UK tourist industry's best-kept secret. If you're looking for inexpensive, high-quality holiday accommodation, then take a look at the universities. They're full of students in term time, of course, but come the holidays, they sensibly fill their empty rooms with paying guests.

And you don't have to end up in a concrete jungle: historic buildings and beautiful views are plentiful. In Aberystwyth, for example, a sea-view apartment will cost you £25 per week; in Durham, you can sleep in the Bishop's four-poster inside the castle itself.

These inexpensive self-catering options make halls of residence an ideal solution for families with school-age children who find that prices rocket during the school holidays. But you don't have to work too hard at the self-catering bit. At the end of a long day's sightseeing, when you're too tired to cook, you can always tuck into a three-course meal at one of the campus restaurants for a fraction of the normal price. Sporting facilities, such as tennis courts, pools and gyms, are also available.

Here are 10 of the best, but there are plenty more out there. Choose your city, call the university and book before everybody else puts in their application.

Where? Westcott House is one of the four theological colleges affiliated to the university, centrally located in Jesus Lane, opposite Jesus College.

What? B&b: three-night package (some flexibility over Easter), single rooms £90, doubles £75, both per person. Dinner can be taken in Hall. Self-catering apartments (in the summer only) from £375 per week.

Why? Westcott House offers an opportunity to live life as a Cambridge undergraduate in a traditional college, including a room with a view and dinner in Hall. You could hardly be better placed, just a couple of minutes walk from King's College Chapel and Kettle's Yard. Hire a punt at nearby Magdalen bridge for picnics under the weeping willows.

When? Easter 2002: 26 March to 17 April. Summer 2002: 1 July to 31 August.

Contact? Liz Gordon, house and conference manager (01223 741004; email: eg205@cam.ac.uk; www.cam.ac.uk).

Where? In four colleges: Wentworth, Alcuin and Halifax are modern blocks on the university campus in Heslington Village, a 30-minute walk from York city centre. Fairfax house, where most of the rooms are, is a pretty, red-brick Victorian house with a garden, west of the main campus, which is 15 minutes walk from the city centre.

What? B&b: single and double rooms from £20 per person. Meals available in college cafeteria. All rooms include tea-making facilities and some have a TV and hairdryer. Self-catering flats from £250 for three nights.

Why? Attractively landscaped around a central lake, York campus provides no-frills, hassle-free accommodation right on the edge of Brontë country. Parking costs just £3 for 24 hours and is free at the weekends. Regular buses take you into the city centre. In summer, guests can pay to use university facilities such as fishing and the sports centre.

When? A few rooms are available all year round at Wentworth College. The others are available from July to September. Dates vary from college to college, so call for details.

Contact? Central Reservations (01904 432222; email: central-reservations @york.ac.uk; www.york. ac.uk).

Where? Scattered throughout 13 university colleges and their private grounds, all of which are between five and 25 minutes' walk to the city centre.

What? B&b: single rooms from £20, twin rooms from £15, both per person. Meals available in the college dining room. Also a broad choice of self-catering accommodation – houses, flats, cottage – from £195 per week.

Why? A unique chance to spend the night in 11th-century Durham Castle, the site of University College. Book one of the state or ensuite rooms if you can afford it – they start at £32 per person. The Bishop's Suite, at £75 per person, comes complete with medieval tapestries and a four-poster bed. A three-course dinner is served in the Great Hall for £9.95 per person. Generally it's a very special accommodation package, with many historic buildings set in beautiful grounds – think Georgian houses and lakeside views. Parking varies.

When? Easter 2002: 16 March to 20 April; Summer 2002: 22 June to 29 September. Christmas 2002-2003: 12 to 19 December. Dates may vary between colleges, so call for details.

Contact? Conference and Tourism Office

(0191-374 7360; email: conference.tourism @durham.ac.uk; www.durham.ac.uk).

Brighton

Where? On two sites: Phoenix Halls, in Brighton town centre and Varley Halls, four miles from Brighton, on the South Downs.

What? Single rooms in self-catering flats (sleeping six to eight) from £65 to £102 per person per week. Flats can be booked en bloc; no rooms available on a nightly basis. Meals available on Varley campus.

Why? At £102 per person per week, and just half a mile from the seafront, Phoenix Hall is a low-budget solution to holidaying in the centre of the UK's hippest holiday resort. Varley Halls are up on the downs in Virginia Woolf territory, where you'll wake up to views of rolling hills and the sound of birdsong. With free parking and a regular bus service to Brighton, it's a good location for families in search of sea, some of the best gardens in Europe, and cream teas. Suitable for visitors with disabilities: at Phoenix, four rooms are wheelchair-accessible and two have been adapted for people with hearing impairments. At Varley Halls, four flats have been fully adapted for wheelchair access.

When? Summer 2002: 29 June to 28 September.

Contact? Conference Office (01273 643167; email: conferences@brighton. ac.uk; www.brighton.ac.uk).

Imperial College, London

Where? The rooms are located across three sites in south-west London: Beit Hall and Princes Gardens Halls, both in South Kensington, and Pembridge Gardens Halls in Notting Hill Gate.

What? B&b: twin rooms from £29.50, singles from £39.50, both prices per person per night. Full breakfast is served in a café on the college site. Lunch is available in the senior common room on the main campus.

Why? Guests at Princes Gardens Halls and Beit Hall are right in the heart of South Kensington ­ a leafy, affluent oasis in the smoggy metropolis ­ where rooms normally cost more than £100 per night. You're only a step from Hyde Park and High St Kensington, not to mention the capital's finest museums. As an added bonus, Beit Hall is a pretty, red-brick chunk of Victoriana, overlooking the Royal Albert Hall. Pembridge Gardens is a chance to kip in ultra-cool Notting Hill Gate and within 10 minutes' walk of the West End and Hyde Park. Close to Notting Hill tube station. All guests have access to the gym, swimming pool and tennis courts at the main South Kensington campus.

When? Easter 2002: 28 March to 17 April. Summer 2002: 24 June to 22 September.

Contact? Conference Office (020-7594 9507; email: reservations@ic.ac.uk; www,imperialcollege-conferencelink.com).

Edinburgh

Where? The rooms are in Pollock Halls, 25 minutes' walk from the Royal Mile; the self-catering flats are close to the centre in the south of the city.

What? B&b: single and double rooms, from £27 per person per night. Self-catering flats from £300 per week and some one-person flats are available for six-week lets from £400 per month. All meals, including three-course lunch and dinner, are available on campus.

Why? Pollock Halls are set in pretty grounds at the foot of Arthur's Seat. Edinburgh's Commonwealth pool is next door and there are great walks around Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Craigs, and nearby Duddingston Loch. Try to book self-catering accommodation in Warrender Park Crescent. Muriel Spark is said to have based Miss Jean Brodie's school on this handsome, sandstone, late 19th-century schoolhouse with lovely views. A very good option for the Festival, but book early.

When? Easter 2002: 22 March to 12 April. Summer 2002: rooms from 19 June to 25 September, apartments from 6 July to 14 September. Peak season is from 5 August which is reflected in a small rise in prices.

Contact? Accommodation office (0131 651 2184; email: self.catering@edse.uk; www.edinburghfirst.com).

Exeter

Where? Rooms, cottages and self-catering apartments are located on two campuses: St Lukes in the city centre, 10 minutes' walk from High Street, and Streatham, about a mile out, beautifully set in its own gardens and wooded countryside, but close to Exeter St David's station. There are also rooms at Crossmead Estate conference centre, about a mile from the city.

What? B&b: Single and twin rooms from £12.95 per person per night. Self-catering apartments from £324 per week, including three cottages. Breakfast, meals, drinks and snacks available on site.

Why? Quality accommodation in the heart of Devon, close to Dartmoor National Park and the beguiling South Devon beaches. Guests at Crossmead are particularly blessed: the Victorian Merchant's house is set in five acres of landscaped grounds with croquet lawn and boules pitch, not to mention the licensed bar. Holidaymakers have access to super facilities on campus, including indoor and heated outdoor swimming pools, tennis and squash courts and gym. Plenty of parking.

When? Easter 2002: 18 March to 19 April. Summer 2002: 1 July to 27 September. Christmas 2002: 16 December to 10 January.

Contact? Hospitality Services (01392 215566; email: conferences@exeter.ac.uk; www.exeter.ac.uk/hospitality).

Kent

Where? The 300-acre campus overlooking the town is a 20-minute walk from the city centre and five miles from the coast at Whitstable. The rooms are divided between four colleges and the houses are set in landscaped woodland. Plenty of parking.

What? B&b: single and twin rooms from £19.50 per person per night. Self-catering houses from £360 per week (minimum three-night stay). Meals are available on campus.

Why? A super location for a family holiday. Canterbury cathedral, visible from the campus in all its floodlit glory, is one of the country's genuine treasures; but you are also near two atmospheric medieval castles, Hever and Leeds. London is a day trip away, and so, via Dover or Ashford International, is France. A wide range of on-campus sports facilities includes tennis and squash courts, athletics track, fully equipped gym and sauna.

When? Easter 2002 1 to 19 April (rooms only); Summer 2002: 5 June to 13 September.

Contact? Conference Office (01227 828 000; email: hospitality-enquiry@ukc. ac.uk; www.ukc.ac.uk).

Bath

Where? University campus on Claverton Down, overlooking the city a couple of miles out of town to the east.

What? Single rooms in self-catering blocks from £12 per night. In Polden Court Conference centre there are singles for £23.50 per night; doubles for £34. All have tea-making facilities, towels and shared kitchens. The Student Union café is open for all meals.

Why? Base yourself in Bath and you are not only in the prettiest spa town in the country, but you are also within striking distance of the Cotswolds, the Mendip Hills and the Forest of Dean. Consequently, affordable holiday accommodation is as rare as hens' teeth. Known for its sports department, the university offers guests the use of an athletics track, two swimming pools, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash and badminton. Parking is good.

When? Summer 2002: 26 June to 16 September. Accommodation available all year round at Polden Court.

Contact? Mandy Duggan, residential services assistant (01225 826430; email: adsapd@bath.ac.uk).

Aberystwyth

Where? The rooms are on Penglais campus, a mile north of town. Self-catering houses are in the student village across the road from Penglais. The apartments are in Aberystwyth town on the seafront.

What? Single rooms from £10 per person per night. Self-catering houses from £40 and apartments from £25 per night. All meals are available on campus in Branwen's Restaurant. Good snacks in the Arts Centre.

Why? For good-quality accommodation ­ it has been awarded three stars by the Welsh Tourist Board ­ on the beautiful Welsh coast. The seafront apartments, overlooking Cardigan Bay, are particularly good value. If it is too cold to take to the Irish Sea, avail yourself of the heated indoor pool. There's also a gym, an indoor sports arena and a thriving arts centre with cinema, theatre (with its acclaimed summer show) and children's craft workshops.

When? Easter 2002 (rooms only): 25 March to 12 April. Summer 2002: 15 June to 15 September.

Contact? Conference Office (01970 621960; email: holidays@ aber.ac.uk; www.aber.ac.uk).