Reading

 

If you are travelling with a laptop then you will find broad-band internet access in the rooms of most, but not all, medium to high end hotels. If this is important to you check before booking. Alternatively there are many WiFi hot spots in and around Reading and WiFinder provides a register. A list of pubs, bars and cafe's in Reading with free WiFi hotspots can be found here (http://www.drinksinreadin...)

There are also several places that offer web and other internet access if you are travelling without a laptop. These include:

Reading Central Library

Abbey square eastern edge of city center, (http://www.readinglibrari...). open m,w,f,sa 9:30am-5pm; tu,th 9:30am-7pm. offers free web access, although this requires free library membership which in turn requires proof of address; not sure if they will take a foreign address, but worth trying.

Caversham Library

Telephone: 0118 901 5103, (http://www.readinglibrari...). the library is a carnegie building which opened in 1907. it is a busy branch library situated in the heart of caversham. it has a very distinctive clock tower. internet access. check out the costa coffee bar opposite. open: m,f 9:30pm-5pm; tu,th 9:30am-7pm; sa 9:30am-4pm. access by bus: caversham library can be visited using bus numbers 9, 27,44, 45, 329 by car: the nearest car park to caversham library is in chester street. disabled customers may use the car park at the rear of the library. there is a wheelchair ramp at the front entrance.

Reading is perfectly safe to visit, and most visits should be trouble-free. That said, Reading has an above-average violent crime rate and incredibly high rates of drug-related crime. Be careful not to get drawn into any confrontations, as these have been known to turn nasty knife crime being pretty high in Reading. Also be careful if in the town centre on a Friday or Saturday night as binge drinking, with the associated violent crime, is on the rise in the UK, and Reading is no exception.

Garrard Street should be avoided after dark, but it runs between derelict buildings so there is little reason to go there. The walkway between the Thames Tower and the pub opposite the station leads nowhere it was the entrance to the now-disused Friar's Walk Arcade but should also be avoided after dark.

The riverside area in Newtown just east of the town centre is a known trouble spot, especially after dark, so it may be best to stay away. Suburban areas with seedy reputations include Whitley, Coley, Southcote, and Newtown. Of these, Whitley has a reputation for being the worst and should be avoided if possible.

phone

Reading's area code for landline numbers is 0118 when dialed from within the UK or +44 118 from outside the UK.

Cellphone coverage is generally good within the city and surrounding area; not surprisingly as most UK cellphone companies are headquartered in the vicinity.