A market is not automatically worth a 40-minute drive because the photos look lovely.

The better test is simple: does it give you a proper reason to go, and does the whole outing work once you add the journey, parking, food and time?

That can mean different things in Cambridgeshire.

 A Cambridge market might be one stop in a much bigger city day. A market visit in Ely could sit alongside the cathedral, a walk and lunch.

Elsewhere, the draw might be a particular food, a Fenland setting or the chance to buy something you would not find in a supermarket.

So before you put the postcode into your phone, ask these five questions.

1. What are you actually going for?

“Going to the market” sounds like a plan, but it is a bit vague.

 Are you after fresh food, a particular ingredient, handmade gifts, vintage finds or simply a morning out?

The answer changes the kind of market you need.

Someone looking for bread, cheese and seasonal produce will judge the trip differently from someone hoping to find crafts or antiques.

 If the real aim is atmosphere, a compact market in a pleasant town may be more enjoyable than a larger event that feels like a row of identical stalls.

Give the trip a job before you leave.

Find one product, stall type or experience that would make you glad you came.

If you cannot name it, you might want to think will the trip be worth it for other reasons?

2. Is there a good mix, or just one photogenic stall?

A long stall list can sound impressive. It does not always mean a varied visit.

Look for a mix that suits the people coming with you.

Food shoppers may want more than cakes and coffee.

Families may need enough to see and do without circling the same square twice.

A person travelling for a distinctive local product needs a named trader or a clear product description, not a promise of “something for everyone”.

Social media can make one colourful stall look like the entire event.

That is not necessarily a criticism one brilliant cheese stall or bakery may be exactly why you go but it helps to know what you are buying into.

A small market is not a problem by itself.

A small market with one thing you love, a good café nearby and an attractive town to wander around may beat a bigger one that leaves you wondering where the interesting bit was.

3. What will the trip really cost?

Do not compare the price of two markets while ignoring the journey to one of them.

Add up the fuel or fares, parking, lunch, drinks and the money you are likely to spend at the stalls.

Then add the less visible cost: half a Saturday in the car, a rushed return journey or a tired child who has had enough before you reach the first coffee queue.

That does not mean the cheapest market wins.

A more expensive outing can still feel like good value if it gives you a distinctive purchase, a decent meal and another reason to stay in town.

This is where Cambridge and Ely make worthwhile comparisons.

They are not just market locations; they are visitor destinations with other things to see.

A market that forms part of a wider day is competing with a local quick shop, not with another identical market visit.

4. Are the details right for the day you want to go?

Opening times are not a footnote. They are the trip.

Check the current organiser, council or venue information before setting off.

Look at the date, start and finish times, cancellations, parking, public transport and access arrangements.

If you are bringing a pushchair, using a wheelchair or travelling with someone who cannot manage a long walk from the car, check the route rather than guessing from a map pin.

Also think about timing.

Going early may give you the widest choice, but could mean queues.

Arriving near the end may be quieter, but some traders may have sold out or packed away.

There is no perfect time for every market. It depends on what you want from it.

5. What else can you do nearby?

The safest way to make a longer market journey feel worthwhile is to give the day a second reason.

That could be a cathedral, a museum, a riverside walk, a bookshop, a café or a pub.

Cambridgeshire has plenty of places that can carry the rest of the outing, from Cambridge’s wider visitor offer to Ely Cathedral, Anglesey Abbey and Oliver Cromwell’s former family home.

The county’s waterways and Fen landscapes can also turn a short browse into a proper change of scene.

You do not need to plan an exhausting itinerary.

One good extra worthwhile stop is enough to change the whole story. The point is not to force a market into a grand day out.

 It is to avoid asking one row of stalls to justify every mile of the journey.

So, when is a Cambridgeshire market worth travelling to?

When you have a clear reason to go, the stall mix suits your group, the total cost feels fair, the current details are confirmed and there is something else nearby you would enjoy.

Small is not the problem. Vague is.

Save this before your next market trip.

Then tell us about the Cambridgeshire market that earns the journey for one specific reason a standout product, a brilliant atmosphere, an easy train ride or a nearby place that turns it into a better day out.