The best Airbnbs in Cambridge

Make the most of Cambridge’s beautiful location on the River Cam with a stay in a perfectly polished boutique houseboat. Super-hosted by a man who once worked as a boat builder, this wide-beam houseboat has been expertly transformed into a very classy home-for-two. Here, you get to experience the best of both worlds: it’s a short walk into the city centre along the river and it’s moored just opposite Stourbridge Common, where you can watch the cows, cyclists and occasional horse riders enjoying the open space. In a word: bliss.

Many of the more prettified properties available to book in Cambridge are located on the outskirts of town. But this boutique retreat in a lovingly maintained Victorian townhouse puts you within a tiny stone’s throw from the centre of the action. Victorian grandiosity and strong colour schemes have been swapped here for a soothing neutral palette of dove greys, sparkling whites and little sprinklings of soft pink and blue. William Morris probably wouldn’t have approved, but we think its makeover gives it the calming aura of a country spa hotel. Regain your sense of peace before heading out for cream teas and/or pub lunches.

This Newnham flat is only a 20-minute walk from Kings College Chapel and the historic centre of Cambridge. But if you want to get there any faster, the hosts have thoughtfully provided free bikes to holidaymakers so you can whizz in and out in closer to five. A self-contained attic property, this home offers a neat taste of the old-school English vibe Cambridge is famous for – a lovely wooden desk with typewriter and vintage accessories dotted throughout – while remaining uncluttered and thoroughly modern. Extra points for that porthole window with garden views.

Another nicely adapted Victorian townhouse, this time with a bold colour scheme and pleasingly cosy feel. Proving that ‘19th century’ doesn’t have to equal ‘dark and gloomy’, this two-bed property is both light-filled and airy. You’re in the quiet neighbourhood of Chesterton here, which is approximately 30 mins walk from the centre. The trade-off for the slight walk is getting to stay in a more spacious and unique home than you often find further in. If the weather permits, start the day with coffee on the patio and walk into town via Midsummer Common and Christ’s Pieces.

This self-contained apartment sends you outside of Cambridge itself and into the village of Impington. If you’re only planning on spending time in town, that might be a little inconvenient. But if you’re also planning on exploring the wider Cambridgeshire countryside – and frankly, you should be – or, in particular, are planning to also visit Ely with its jaw-dropping cathedral (Pixie Lott recently married there) then this is ideal. A clean-lined, bachelor pad aesthetic dominates inside, while outside you’ll find as sweet a garden area as you even needed for late-evening drinks.

While there is so much more to Cambridge than the university that is synonymous with its name, it’s impossible to deny the status and prominence of the world-famous institution. For those looking to get a little taste of student life (a taste which doesn’t include last night’s beer breath), a stay in Christ’s College might be just the ticket. Only available outside of term time, the one-bed student rooms aren’t, internally, much to get excited by – but the college grounds are delightful, you’re right in the centre of town and, if you purchase breakfast tokens from the Porter’s Lodge, you can start the day with some hearty fare in the attractive dining room.

Located north of Cambridge in the village of Cottenham, this unique home is a former photography studio. As you can imagine, that means the light inside is excellent, giving each room a lightly nautical or stripped-back Scandi feel. Stay here if you’re planning on splitting your time equally between the more cosmopolitan pleasures of Cambridge and the quintessentially English countryside (flat, very flat) that surrounds it. Pack picnics or look up country pubs and head out into the green.

Just over a ten-minute walk from Cambridge North station, this garden studio has ‘cosy retreat’ written all over it. The hosts have demonstrated a real sense of style with the interiors, which showcase that very particular type of British-Bohoism that never goes out of fashion. Make sure to spend time outdoors as well as in, with drinks of all kinds on the patio next to the wood burner. Added bonus? There is storage space available for any bikes you plan to hire or bring with you for your stay.

This is another property that sits outside of Cambridge but: it’s basically a tree house. So need we say more? This little house-on-stilts is mid-way between Cambridge and Ely, and surrounded by bucolic countryside (there’s even a field full of horses right next door). It’s charming, quirky and an advertisement for the beauty of wood. And, somehow, they’ve managed to fit a roll-top bath in there. We say: go test out your blister plasters with a long day out in the city or countryside, then return home to soak luxuriantly with a whiskey in hand.

Trot on up the lavender-lined walkway and find yourself inside a lovely, one-bed apartment in north Cambridge. Stylishly decorated with some authentically Modernist furniture, this generously sized home is the perfect base for a short- or long-length stay in the area. There’s a nice little patio area in the garden outside which you’re welcome to use, including in the evening thanks to some well-positioned lights. You’re only 300 metres from a bus stop or, alternatively, there is free parking just outside the property.

If we asked you to come up with some words to describe Cambridge, ‘historic’ would be a pretty solid choice to appear on the list. However, this fast-growing city has been undergoing some pretty major evolutions in recent years, which includes the brand-new Eddington development. Created with sustainability in mind and located about two miles outside the centre, this new neighbourhood is home to Turing Locke, a boutique aparthotel. Inside, you’ll find chic contemporary living spaces with plenty of millennial pinks, Insta-friendly rose gold and – of course – house plants. We love the kitsch tiling in the bathroom which cries out for someone to karaoke it up in the shower to Cyndi Lauper or The Pretenders’ ‘Brass in my Pocket’.

An attractive barn conversion which seamlessly combines aspects of the original building with contemporary elegance, this home-from-home is located in the village of Horningsea. It will take you a 25-minute riverside walk to get into the centre of town, which isn’t bad at all (especially considering how pretty it is). However, if you’re looking for amusement or dining options closer to the house, check out the two local pubs just down the road. We can’t decide if this high-ceilinged property would be best for keeping you cool in midsummer or cosy in midwinter. Maybe both?