Yorkshire
Yorkshire
England is not short of bewitching cities, but few can lay claim to the unparalleled splendour of Yorkshire’s capital, York, encircled as it is by 13th-century walls. These walls frame the immense, awe-inspiring York Minster and a warren of twisting, narrow medieval alleyways, packed with restaurants and bars. On York's outskirts is Castle Howard – one of England’s most impressive stately homes. And then, slightly further out, you’ll find Yorkshire’s wild heart: the brooding dales and moors.
Two Days in Yorkshire
Be awed by York Minster on day one, then tour the city walls to get your bearings and drink in the views. Sample a few craft beers at Pivní, then head to Mannion's for foodie treats. On your second day, head straight for Castle Howard, to marvel at the house, and join the peacocks in the grounds. After a detour to Kirkham Priory, dine in fine style at Cochon Aveugle.
Four Days in Yorkshire
Get to know York better on day three: discover Vikings at Jorvik, the National Railway Museum, and ancient alleyways galore. Go ghost hunting in the evening, then recover with a stiff drink at the Blue Bell. Day four, and it's time to experience Yorkshire's wild, wind-whipped beauty by hiking the moors or dales – you'll have earned that supper at No 8 Bistro.
Arriving in Yorkshire
Bus Buses are slower than trains, but cheaper – three services shuttle between York and London daily (from £25, 5½ hours).
Car Unless your hotel has parking, a car can be a pain in the city.
Train York is a major railway hub, with frequent, fast and direct services to many British cities – London is only two hours away (£80, every half-hour).
Where to Stay
York and Leeds are the main centres for city-based accommodation, but most reasonably sized towns will also have at least a couple of hotels and a dozen or more B&Bs. Camping is, of course, a popular way to enjoy Yorkshire’s great outdoors, and there's no shortage of official campsites, especially along the coast and in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks.
Beds can be hard to find in York in midsummer. The tourist office's accommodation booking service charges £4, which can be money well spent. Prices get higher closer to the city centre, but there are plenty of decent B&Bs on the streets north and south of Bootham. Southwest of the centre, B&Bs are clustered around Scarcroft, Southlands and Bishopthorpe Rds.
TOP EXPERIENCE
York Minster
Vast, medieval York Minster is one of the world's most beautiful Gothic buildings. Seat of the archbishop of York, it is second in importance only to Canterbury, and York's long history and rich heritage is woven into virtually every brick and beam. If you visit only one English cathedral; this would be a good one to choose.
Great For…
8Need to Know
York Minster (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.yorkminster.org; Deangate; adult/child £10/free, incl tower £15/5; 
h9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 12.45-5pm Sun, last admission 30min before closing)
oTop Tip
The YorkPass (one/three days £38/60) provides entry into 30 sights, including York Minster, Jorvik and Castle Howard.
Early History
The first church on this site was a wooden chapel built for the baptism of King Edwin of Northumbria on Easter Day 627. It was replaced with a stone church built on the site of a Roman basilica, parts of which can be seen in the foundations – as can fragments of the first 11th-century Norman minster.
Later History
The present minster, built mainly between 1220 and 1480, manages to encompass all the major stages of Gothic architectural development. The transepts (1220−55) were built in Early English style; the octagonal chapter house (1260−90) and nave (1291–1340) in the Decorated style; and the west towers, west front and central (or lantern) tower (1470−72) in Perpendicular style.
Nave
Entrance to the minster is via the west door, which leads into a tall, wide nave, which is lined with painted stone shields of nobles. Also note the dragon's head projecting from the gallery – it's a crane believed to have been used to lift a font cover. There are several fine windows dating from the early 14th century, but the most impressive is the Great West Window (1338) above the entrance, with its beautiful heart-shaped stone tracery.
Transepts & Chapter House
The south transept is dominated by the exquisite Rose Window commemorating the union of the royal houses of Lancaster and York, through the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, which ended the Wars of the Roses and began the Tudor dynasty.
Opposite, in the north transept, is the magnificent Five Sisters Window, with five lancets over 15m high. This is the minster's oldest complete window; most of its tangle of coloured glass dates from around 1250. Just beyond it to the right is the 13th-century chapter house, a fine example of the Decorated style. Sinuous and intricately carved stonework – there are more than 200 expressive carved heads and figures – surrounds an airy, uninterrupted space.
yDon't Miss
Climbing York Minster's massive tower. It can get busy on the stairs, but the 275 steps lead to unparalleled city views.
Choir Screen & East Window
Separating the choir from the nave is a superb 15th-century choir screen with 15 statues depicting the kings of England from William I to Henry VI. Behind the high altar is the huge Great East Window (1405). At 23.7m by 9.4m – roughly the size of a tennis court – it's the world's largest medieval stained-glass window and the cathedral's single most important treasure. Needless to say, its epic size matches the epic theme depicted within: the beginning and end of the world as described in Genesis and the Book of Revelations.
Undercroft
A set of stairs in the south transept leads down to the undercroft (open 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, 1pm to 5pm Sunday), the very bowels of the building. In 1967 the minster foundations were shored up when the central tower threatened to collapse; archaeologists uncovered Roman and Norman remains including a Roman culvert, still carrying water to the Ouse. An interactive exhibition here, York Minster Revealed, leads you through 2000 years of history on the site of the cathedral. The nearby treasury houses 11th-century artefacts including relics from the graves of medieval archbishops.
Crypt
The crypt, entered from the choir close to the altar, contains fragments from the Norman cathedral, including the font showing King Edwin's baptism, which also marks the site of the original wooden chapel. Look out for the Doomstone, a 12th-century carved stone showing a scene from the Last Judgement with demons casting doomed souls into Hell.
5Take a Break
The laid-back, music-themed Café Concerto is just a few paces away from York Minster, ready to feed you from breakfast through to dinner.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Castle Howard
Stately homes may be widespread in England, but you'll rarely find one as breathtakingly stately as Castle Howard, a work of audacity and theatrical grandeur set in the rolling Howardian Hills.
Great For…
yDon't Miss
The Pre-Raphaelite stained glass in Castle Howard's ornate chapel
8Need to Know
Castle Howard (
GOOGLE MAP
; www.castlehoward.co.uk; adult/child house & grounds £17.50/9, grounds only £9.95/7; hhouse 10.30am-4pm, last admission 4pm, grounds 10am-5pm; 
p)
5Take a Break
Castle Howard has its own cafe or head to the nearby Stone Trough Inn.
oTop Tip
Try to visit on a weekday, when a quieter Castle Howard has even more atmosphere.
Welcome to one of the world's most beautiful buildings, instantly recognisable from its starring role in the 1980s TV series Brideshead Revisited and in the 2008 film of the same name. Both were based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel of nostalgia for the English aristocracy.
The Beginnings
When the Earl of Carlisle hired his pal Sir John Vanbrugh to design his new home in 1699, he was hiring a man who had no formal training and was best known as a playwright. Luckily, Vanbrugh hired Nicholas Hawksmoor, who had worked as Christopher Wren's clerk of works – not only would Hawksmoor have a big part to play in the house's design, but he and Vanbrugh would later work wonders with Blenheim Palace.
The House & Grounds
What Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor created was a hedonistic marriage of art, architecture, landscaping and natural beauty. The great baroque house with its magnificent central cupola is stuffed full of treasures, including the breathtaking Great Hall with its soaring Corinthian pilasters.
The entrance courtyard has a good cafe, a gift shop and a lovely farm shop.
As you wander around grounds patrolled by peacocks, views open up over Vanbrugh's playful Temple of the Four Winds, Hawksmoor's stately mausoleum and the distant hills.
Getting to Castle Howard
Castle Howard is 15 miles northeast of York, off the A64. There are several organised tours from York – check with the tourist office – or take bus 181 (£10 return, 40 minutes, three daily Monday to Saturday year-round, and on summer Sundays).
What's Nearby
Kirkham PrioryRuins
(EH; www.english-heritage.org.uk; adult/child £4.50/2.70; h10am-6pm Wed-Sun Apr-Sep, daily Aug, 10am-5pm Wed-Sun Oct; p)
Just five miles from Castle Howard, the picturesque ruins of Kirkham Priory rise gracefully above the banks of the River Derwent. You'll see medieval floor tiles and an impressive 13th-century gatehouse.
Stone Trough InnPub Food££
(
%01653-618713; Kirkham; mains £11-18; hfood served noon-9pm Mon-Sat, to 8pm Sun; p
W
c
#)
Rest up from sightseeing in this traditional country inn full of cosy nooks. It rustles up gourmet-style pub classics and its outdoor terrace has views of Kirkham Priory.
York
Nowhere in northern England says 'medieval' quite like York, a city of extraordinary cultural and historical wealth that has lost little of its pre-industrial lustre. A magnificent circuit of 13th-century walls encloses a medieval spider's web of narrow streets that are home to myriad museums, restaurants, cafes and traditional pubs.
York
1Sights
5Eating
1Sights
Jorvik Viking CentreMuseum
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk; Coppergate; adult/child £10.25/7.25; h10am-5pm Apr-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar)
Jorvik pulls off interactive multimedia exhibits with aplomb. Here a smells-and-all reconstruction of the site's Viking settlement is experienced via a 'time-car' monorail that transports you through 9th-century Jorvik (the Viking name for York). Reduce queue time by booking online.
National Railway MuseumMuseum
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.nrm.org.uk; Leeman Rd; h10am-6pm; pc)
York's National Railway Museum is the biggest in the world, with more than 100 locomotives. It's so well presented it's interesting even to folk who don't get nostalgic at the smell of coal smoke and machine oil. Highlights include a replica of George Stephenson's Rocket (1829), the world's first 'modern' steam locomotive; the sleek and streamlined Mallard, which set the world speed record for a steam locomotive in 1938 (126mph); a 1960s Japanese Shinkansen bullet train; and the world-famous Flying Scotsman, the first steam engine to break the 100mph barrier.
Yorkshire MuseumMuseum
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk; Museum St; adult/child £7.50/free; h10am-5pm)
Most of York's Roman archaeology is hidden beneath the medieval city, so the superb displays in the Yorkshire Museum are invaluable if you want to get an idea of what Eboracum was like. There are maps and models of Roman York, funerary monuments, mosaic floors and wall paintings, and a 4th-century bust of Emperor Constantine. The dinosaur exhibit is centred around giant ichthyosaur fossils from Yorkshire's Jurassic coast.
Museum GardensGardens
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; entrances on Museum St & Marygate; hdawn-dusk)
In the grounds of the peaceful Museum Gardens, you can see the Multangular Tower, a part of the City Walls that was once the western tower of the Roman garrison's defensive ramparts. On the other side of the gardens are the ruins of St Mary's Abbey dating from 1270 to 1294. The ruined Gatehall was its main entrance, providing access from the abbey to the river.
The ShamblesStreet
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
The Shambles takes its name from the Saxon word shamel, meaning 'slaughterhouse' – in 1862 there were 26 butcher shops on this street. Today this narrow cobbled lane, lined with dramatically overhanging 15th-century Tudor buildings, is arguably the most picturesque in Britain.
York Castle MuseumMuseum
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk; Tower St; adult/child £10/free; h9.30am-5pm)
This excellent museum has displays of everyday life through the centuries, with reconstructed domestic interiors, a Victorian street and a prison cell where you can try out a condemned man's bed – in this case, that of highwayman Dick Turpin (imprisoned here before being hanged in 1739).
DigMuseum
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.digyork.com; St Saviour's Church, St Saviourgate; adult/child £6.50/6; h10am-5pm, last admission 4pm; c)
Under the same management as Jorvik, child-friendly Dig cashes in on the popularity of archaeology programs on TV by giving you the chance to be an 'archaeological detective', unearthing the secrets of York's distant past as well as learning something of the archaeologist's world.
York City Walls
Don't miss the chance to walk York's City Walls (www.yorkwalls.org.uk), which follow the line of the original Roman walls and give a whole new perspective on the city. Allow 1½ to two hours for the full circuit of 4.5 miles.
Start and finish at the site of a Roman gate at Bootham Bar where a multimedia exhibit provides historical context, and travel clockwise. Highlights include the Monk Bar medieval gate (complete with working portcullis), and Walmgate Bar.
TTours
Ghost Hunt of YorkWalking
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.ghosthunt.co.uk; adult/child £6/4; htours 7.30pm)
The kids will just love this award-winning and highly entertaining 75-minute tour laced with authentic ghost stories. It begins at the top end of The Shambles, whatever the weather (it's never cancelled) and there's no need to book, just turn up and wait till you hear the handbell ringing…
YorkwalkWalking
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.yorkwalk.co.uk; adult/child £6/5; htours 10.30am & 2.15pm Feb-Nov)
Offers a series of two-hour walks on a range of themes, from the classics – Roman York, the snickelways (narrow alleys) and City Walls – to walks focused on chocolates and sweets, women in York, and the inevitable graveyard, coffin and plague tour. Walks depart from Museum Gardens Gate on Museum St; there's no need to book.
YorkBoatBoating
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.yorkboat.co.uk; King's Staith; adult/child from £8/4; htours 10.30am, noon, 1.30pm & 3pm Feb-Nov)
Hour-long cruises on the River Ouse, departing from King's Staith and, 10 minutes later, Lendal Bridge. Special lunch, dinner and evening cruises are also offered.
York CitysightseeingBus
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.city-sightseeing.com; day ticket adult/child £13/5; h9am-5.30pm Easter-Nov)
Hop-on, hop-off route with 20 stops, calling at all the main sights. Buses leave every 10 to 30 minutes from Exhibition Sq near York Minster.
Yorkshire's Moors & Dales
Yorkshire's varied landscape of wild hills, tranquil valleys, high moors and spectacular coastline offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities. See www.outdooryorkshire.com for more details.
For shorter walks and rambles, the best area is the Yorkshire Dales, with a great selection of walks through scenic valleys or over wild hilltops, with a few higher summits thrown in for good measure. The East Riding's Yorkshire Wolds hold hidden delights, while the quiet valleys and dramatic coast of the North York Moors also offer many opportunities.
7Shopping
Coney St, Davygate and the adjoining streets are the hub of York's city-centre shopping scene, but the real treats are the secondhand bookshops, and antique, bric-a-brac and independent shops to be found along Gillygate, Colliergate, Fossgate and Micklegate.
Antiques CentreAntiques
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.theantiquescentreyork.co.uk; 41 Stonegate; h9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun)
A Georgian town house with a veritable maze of rooms and corridors, showcasing the wares of about 120 dealers selling everything from lapel pins and snuffboxes to oil paintings and longcase clocks. And the house is haunted as well…
InkwellMusic
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %07846 610777; www.ink-well.co.uk; 10 Gillygate; h10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun)
Laid out like an old schoolroom, complete with desks and blackboard, this place is a welcoming haven for anyone interested in vinyl records – as well as new and reissued vinyl, there are wooden crates filled with secondhand LPs, and you can even buy record players to play them on. There's also a good selection of secondhand books and comics.
Ken Spelman BooksellersBooks
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.kenspelman.com; 70 Micklegate; h9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat)
This fascinating shop has been selling rare, antiquarian and secondhand books since 1910. With an open fire crackling in the grate in winter, it's a browser's paradise.
5Eating
Mannion'sCafe, Bistro£
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-631030; www.mannionandco.co.uk; 1 Blake St; mains £6-11; h9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat, 10am-5pm Sun)
Expect to queue for a table at this busy bistro (no reservations), with its maze of rustic, wood-panelled rooms and selection of daily specials. Regulars on the menu include eggs Benedict for breakfast, a chunky Yorkshire rarebit made with home-baked bread, and lunch platters of cheese and charcuterie from the attached deli. Oh, and pavlova for pudding.
Your Bike ShedCafe£
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-633777; www.yourbikeshed.co.uk; 148-150 Micklegate; mains £4-7; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun; W
vc)
Reinvigorated by the 2014 Tour de France (which began in Yorkshire) and the annual Tour de Yorkshire (from 2015), York's cycling scene has latched onto this cool cafe and bike workshop. Fitted out with recycled furniture and classic bikes, it serves reviving portions of halloumi burger, pie and peas, and carrot cake to hungry cyclists, washed down with excellent coffee.
Shambles KitchenFast Food£
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-674684; www.shambleskitchen.co.uk; 28 The Shambles; mains £6; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; v)
Fast food doesn't mean unhealthy at this hugely popular little takeaway (there are only three tables inside). The place is best known for its pulled-pork sandwiches on sourdough bread, but there are also yummy vegetarian wraps, daily specials such as Goan curry and Korean chicken, and a choice of freshly made juices and smoothies.
Parlour at Grays CourtCafe, British££
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.grayscourtyork.com; Chapter House St; mains £9-20; h10am-5pm & 6-9pm; W)
An unexpected pleasure in the heart of York, this 16th-century mansion (now a hotel) has more of a country-house atmosphere. Relax with coffee and cake in the sunny garden, enjoy a light lunch of Yorkshire rarebit, or indulge in a dinner of scallops and sea bass in the oak-panelled Jacobean gallery. The daytime menu includes traditional afternoon tea (£18.50).
No 8 BistroBistro££
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-653074; www.no8york.co.uk/bistro; 8 Gillygate; 3-course lunch/dinner £16/25; hnoon-10pm Mon-Thu, 9am-10pm Fri-Sun; Wc)
A cool little place with modern artwork mimicking the Edwardian stained glass at the front, No 8 offers a daylong menu of classic bistro dishes using fresh local produce, including Jerusalem artichoke risotto with fresh herbs, and Yorkshire lamb slow-cooked in hay and lavender. It also does breakfast (mains £6 to £9) and Sunday lunch (two courses £18). Booking recommended.
Café ConcertoCafe, Mediterranean££
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-610478; www.cafeconcerto.biz; 21 High Petergate; mains lunch £6-9, dinner £13-19; h9am-9pm)
Walls papered with sheet music, chilled jazz on the stereo, and battered, mismatched tables and chairs set the bohemian tone in this comforting coffee shop–cum-bistro. Expect breakfasts, bagels and cappuccinos big enough to float a boat in during the day, and a sophisticated Mediterranean-style menu in the evening.
Ate O'ClockBistro££
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-644080; www.ateoclock.co.uk; 13a High Ousegate; mains £8-18; hnoon-2pm & 6-9.30pm Tue-Fri, noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9.30pm Sat; W)
A tempting menu of classic bistro dishes (sirloin steak, slow-roasted pork belly, pan-fried duck breast) made with fresh Yorkshire produce has made this place hugely popular with locals – best to book a table to avoid disappointment. A three-course dinner costs £19.50 from 6pm to 7.55pm Tuesday to Thursday.
Cochon AveugleFrench£££
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-640222; www.lecochonaveugle.uk; 37 Walmgate; 6-/9-course tasting menu £40/60; h6-9pm Tue-Sat)
Black pudding macaroon? Strawberry and elderflower sandwich? Blowtorched mackerel with melon gazpacho? Fussy eaters beware – this small restaurant with huge ambition serves an ever-changing tasting menu (no á la carte) of infinite imagination and invention. You never know what will come next, except that it will be delicious. Bookings essential.
Yorkshire Afternoon Tea
At Bettys (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.bettys.co.uk; St Helen's Sq; mains £6-14, afternoon tea £18.95; h9am-9pm Sun-Fri, 8.30am-9pm Sat; c) you get old-school afternoon tea, with white-aproned waiters, linen tablecloths and a teapot collection ranged along the walls. The house speciality is the Yorkshire Fat Rascal, a huge fruit scone smothered in melted butter, but the smoked haddock with poached egg and hollandaise sauce is excellent, too.
6Drinking & Nightlife
York's best drinking dens tend to be the older, traditional pubs. The area around Ousegate and Micklegate can get a bit rowdy, especially at weekends.
Blue BellPub
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-654904; bluebellyork@gmail.com; 53 Fossgate; h11am-11pm Mon-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun)
This is what a proper English pub looks like – a tiny, 200-year-old wood-panelled room with a smouldering fireplace, decor untouched since 1903, a pile of ancient board games in the corner, friendly bar staff, and Timothy Taylor and Black Sheep ales on tap.
King's ArmsPub
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-659435; King's Staith; h11am-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun)
York's best-known pub enjoys a fabulous riverside location, with tables spilling out onto the quayside. It's the perfect (if busy) spot on a summer evening.
Ye Olde StarrePub
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.taylor-walker.co.uk; 40 Stonegate; h11am-11pm Sun-Wed, to midnight Thu-Sat; Wc)
Licensed since 1644, this is York's oldest pub – a warren of small rooms and a small beer garden, with a half-dozen real ales on tap. Used as a morgue by the Roundheads (supporters of Parliament) during the Civil War, the atmosphere has since improved considerably.
PivníCraft Beer
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.pivni.co.uk; 6 Patrick Pool; hnoon-11.30pm Sun-Thu, 11am-11.30pm Fri & Sat; W)
A slick, modern pub set in an ancient half-timbered house, Pivní provides an atmospheric setting for sampling some of their 80 international draught and bottled craft beers.
3Entertainment
City Screen PicturehouseCinema
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0871 902 5726; www.picturehouses.co.uk; 13-17 Coney St; Wc)
An appealing modern building in a converted printing works, screening both mainstream and art-house films. There's also a nice cafe-bar on the terrace overlooking the river.
Grand Opera HouseLive Music, Comedy
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0844 871 3024; www.facebook.com/GrandOperaHouseYork; Clifford St)
A wide range of entertainment from live bands and popular musicals to stand-up comics.
York Theatre RoyalTheatre
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-623568; www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; St Leonard's Pl)
Well-regarded productions of theatre, opera and dance are staged here.
8Information
Post Office (
GOOGLE MAP
; 22 Lendal; h8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat)
York Tourist Office (
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-550099; www.visityork.org; 1 Museum St; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun) Visitor and transport info for all of Yorkshire, plus accommodation bookings, ticket sales and internet access.
8Getting There & Away
Bus Intercity buses stop outside the train station; local and regional buses stop there and also on Rougier St (
GOOGLE MAP
), about 200m northeast of the train station. For timetable information, call Traveline Yorkshire (%0871 200 2233; www.yorkshiretravel.net) or check the computerised 24-hour information points at the train station and Rougier St. Destinations include London (from £25, 5½ hours, three daily) and Edinburgh (£40, 6¼ hours, daily).
Car A car is more hindrance than help in the city centre, so use one of the Park & Ride car parks at the edge of the city. Rental options include Europcar (
GOOGLE MAP
; %0844 846 0872; www.europcar.co.uk; Queen St; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat), near the train station.
Train Rail destinations include London Kings Cross (£80, two hours, every 30 minutes), Edinburgh (£60, 2½ hours, every 30 minutes) and Cambridge (change at Peterborough; £71, 2¾ hours, hourly).
8Getting Around
Central York is easy to get around on foot – you're never more than 20 minutes' walk from any of the major sights.
Bicycle Rent bikes from Cycle Heaven (
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-622701; www.cycle-heaven.co.uk; York Railway Station, Station Rd; h8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat year-round, 11am-4pm Sun May-Aug) for £20 per day.
Bus Local services are operated by First York (www.firstgroup.com/york). Single fares range from £1 to £3; day passes are £4.
Taxi (
GOOGLE MAP
; %01904-623332; www.yorkstationtaxis.co.uk; Train Station, Station Rd)