It’s easy to travel to York, whether you’re on a day trip, weekend break or a longer visit. The city is easy to get to by car, by air and especially by rail – York’s position as a hub on the East Coast and Trans-Pennine train routes having played a big role in its history over the last 150 years or so.
Find out:
- How to get to York by train
- How to get to York by air – which airport to fly to
- How to get to York by car
How to get to York by train
York is almost exactly halfway along the East Coast rail line between London and Edinburgh, making the city an ideal destination for people who want to see the best bits of the UK in one trip.
Trains run from London to York from King’s Cross station, the old terminus of the North East Railway, and from Waverley Street and Haymarket stations in Edinburgh.
A return (round trip) ticket on specified trains from London will cost from £61 via thetrainline.com, although the usual price is around £135. Cheaper tickets may be available from Grand Central, which operates a limited service between York and London, so look out for these in particular. Sign up to thetrainline’s email notification service, which will let you know as soon as cheap “advance” tickets to York become available.
CrossCountry train services tend to have plenty of spare seats north of York and so cheap train tickets between Edinburgh and York may be available – again, check thetrainline.com for train time and price details.
Modern York is essentially a crossroads between the cross-country rail routes, which connect the South-West of England with the North; the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh, and the Trans-Pennine routes which run from Liverpool and the North-West to Scarborough and the North-East. Trans-Pennine trains also run to Manchester Airport – which brings us to how to get to York by air.
Travelling to York: which airport to choose?
Leeds-Bradford International Airport is the closest airport to York, and if you want to rent a car is about a half-hour drive from York city centre.
If you’re not renting a car, though, Manchester International Airport is almost certainly a better option as you can get a direct train from the airport to York Station (see thetrainline.com for details). Trains run all through the night; the journey takes about 90 minutes and fares are about £25 for a return (round-trip) ticket.
To get to York from Leeds-Bradford you have to get a bus into Leeds and pick the train up there, which takes about as long, isn’t much cheaper and is much more hassle. There use to be a direct bus from Leeds-Bradford Airport to York, but, sadly, it’s been discontinued.
Flying into one of the London airports (principally Heathrow and Gatwick) will be more convenient and probably cheaper for most international travellers. However, bear in mind that the journey across London and then from Kings Cross to York by rail will take at least three hours and cost some £135 or more – a transfer to Manchester and subsequent rail journey may be quicker and cheaper.
For the best cheap flight deals we recommend you search on Cheapflights.com.
Driving directions to York
Access to York by car has become easier in the last five years or so with the completion of the M1-A1 link road which connects the south of Leeds with the A1 near Wetherby.
This means anyone travelling to York from North or South should head for the A1 and pick up the A64 near Leeds.
To get to York from the South, if you’re not already going via the A1, the best way to get to York is to come off the M1 onto the M18 south of Sheffield, and then on to the A1.
For the West, I’d take the M62 until its junction with the A1 near Ferrybridge and head north from there.
From the North-East, the A19 is often preferable as it takes you straight into the heart of York City Centre.
York has two bypasses that effectively make up a ring-road around the historic city centre. The A1237 runs to the North and forms a loop with the A64, which runs south of the city and on to Scarborough and the East Coast.
For cheap car hire in York I’d search on lastminute.com – there are a number of options available and lastminute can find you the best deal.
Check out the map below for more detailed directions.