Norfolk

Introduction

Norfolk is an independent city in Virginia and the urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads area. It sits within a metropolitan region that includes neighboring Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, and it holds a strategic position in the region's history and civic life.

Getting around

Norwich Airport is the main air gateway to East Anglia, served by airlines such as KLM, Loganair and TUI Airways; from there you can reach the city centre and the wider county by bus, taxi or ride-hailing service. Rail is the other practical way in: Norwich is the terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line, with direct services to London and connections via Ipswich, Stowmarket and Diss, mostly operated by Abellio Greater Anglia, alongside London North Eastern Railway and Great Northern. Within the county, the Wherry Lines and Bittern Line link the Norwich area, and the Dutchflyer runs from Cambridge and Lowestoft to the port at Harwich for ferries to Hook of Holland.

Once you're in Norfolk, First Eastern Counties runs most local buses, while National Express coaches connect London with Norwich and towns such as Great Yarmouth. Taxis can be booked from your accommodation or hailed on the street, and ride-hailing services operate in the main towns and cities. The major towns and the city centre are generally walkable, and the flat East Anglian landscape makes cycling popular, with National Cycle Network routes crossing the region. If you rent a car, the A11 and A47 trunk roads, maintained by National Highways, link the county; motorway access is limited, with the nearest major motorway networks in neighbouring Cambridgeshire, and county-council roads reach the smaller towns and attractions.

Three days in Norfolk

Day one: Start in Norfolk, Virginia, and get your bearings in Hampton Roads. It is worth understanding that this Norfolk sits in Virginia, not East Anglia, so do not confuse it with Norwich Airport or the rail links from London, Ipswich, Stowmarket and Diss on the Great Eastern Main Line. Spend your first day around the city itself before deciding whether to push out to Virginia Beach or Chesapeake.

Day two: If you want a change of scale, head to Virginia Beach for the day. It is the most straightforward excursion from Norfolk and pairs well with an afternoon back in Hampton Roads. Keep the evening simple and stay local rather than trying to fit in Chesapeake as well.

Day three: Use your last day for Chesapeake if you have not already seen it, then return to Norfolk for a final look around. If you are instead trying to place the East Anglian Norfolk, note that it is reached via Norwich, with rail on the Wherry Lines and Bittern Line, the Dutchflyer to Lowestoft and Harwich and onward to Hook in Holland, plus Abellio Greater Anglia, London North Eastern Railway and Great Northern services, KLM, Loganair and TUI Airways at Norwich Airport, First Eastern Counties and National Express buses, taxis, the National Cycle Network and National Highways. Once you have sorted which Norfolk you are in, the three days above work for the Virginia one.