Guide to Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a thriving commercial centre for the IT and insurance industries. The town hosts the headquarters of several British companies and the UK offices of foreign multinationals, as well as being a major retail centre serving a large area of the Thames Valley. It serves as a key transport hub to nearby towns and London.

Leading companies BG Group, ING Direct, Microsoft, Oracle and Yell Group have their headquarters in Reading. The insurance company Prudential has an administration centre here. Other technology companies include Agilent Technologies, Cisco, Ericsson, Symantec, and Websense. These companies are distributed around Reading or in business parks including Thames Valley Park, Green Park Business Park and Arlington Business Park.

Reading also hosts two universities, Reading University and University of West London and has a large student population.

If you stay in one of our Reading serviced apartments, you'll enjoy the perfect location to make the most of your business or leisure trip, with everything you need close at hand.

Serviced apartments: an ideal alternative to hotels in Reading...

Whether you're in the area on business or planning a leisure trip to enjoy at your own pace, we can provide you with the options you need to enjoy your stay in style, making your time in Reading perfect.

Like many of its surrounding towns and villages, Reading benefits from its proximity to the beautiful countryside of the Chilterns, the Berkshire Downs and the rest of the Thames Valley. Once a river port, Reading is now one of the largest towns in England and the largest settlement in the Home Counties. With such a rich heritage and fantastic position, Reading offers a range of year-round activities and attractions - all of which will be right on your doorstep if you choose House of Fisher serviced apartments in Reading.

Our serviced apartments in Reading, enjoy:

• Fascinating heritage at any one of the historic houses in Reading and nearby Silchester Roman Town
• Social history and archaeology at one of the many Reading museums
• Well-established annual music events including the Reading Festival
• Leisure trips on the River Thames
• Pampering at the famous Nirvana Spa, Berkshires ultimate health club
• Close to Henley (less than 9 miles away) and the world famous Henley Regatta and Henley festival
• Theatres in Reading - performance and entertainment at The Hexagon
• Shops in Reading - there's no shortage! Discover almost 100 shops, a 10-screen cinema, and riverside dining at The Oracle shopping centre
• Monthly farmers' market in Reading town centre
• Surrounding riverside towns and villages; Caversham, Pangbourne, Goring, Moulsford, Henley and Purley.

Transport in Reading

Reading by car:

The M4 motorway closely skirts the borough and serves it with three junctions (J10-J12), providing easy access to London (40 miles), Slough (20 miles), Windsor (20 miles), Maidenhead (15 miles), Ascot (14 miles) and Bracknell (11 miles).

http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp

Reading by rail:

The town lies at a major junction point in the national rail system, with excellent links to all major rail routes. Reading Train Station operates a frequent service to London Paddington, every 15 - 20 minutes with a journey time into the city in under 30 minutes, as well as trains to London Waterloo, Swindon, Oxford, Guildford, Basingstoke, Bristol, Cardiff, South Wales, Exeter, Plymouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Birmingham, and North England.

Reading by air:

Most of the major airports in southern England are within easy reach of Reading, including London Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, Southampton, Bournemouth, Bristol and Birmingham. The nearest airport, London Heathrow, is just 30 miles away by road.