Travel to York

York is undoubtedly one of the most easily accessible cities in the UK and is ideally positioned in the heart of the country with direct rail links bringing you from London, Edinburgh, and Manchester in around 2 hours. Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds/Bradford airports are within easy reach and the ports of Hull and Newcastle are both within a two-hour drive.

Travelling to York by bus is a great way to access the city centre. York Park and Ride's zero-emission, electric buses mean you can travel sustainably and save money, and avoid the hassle of driving into the busy city centre. Coastliner buses travel from Scarborough or Whitby, and East Yorkshire buses travel from Hull and surrounding areas.

Getting to York by train is both easy and great value for money. LNER and Grand Central will bring you to York in under two hours, while Edinburgh is only two and a half hours away. There are direct services from Birmingham and the South West and additionally, TransPennine Express runs direct train services from Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. Booking your tickets direct with the train company is always the best choice, and often results in great savings on advance train fares.

Mini guide to the quickest trains to York:

London: 1h 50m | Edinburgh: 2h 23m | Manchester: 1h 30m | Sheffield: 56m | Cardiff: 4h 35m | Glasgow: 3h 24m | Newcastle: 55m | Nottingham: 1h 58m | Bristol: 4h | Liverpool: 2h 13m | Derby: 1h 33m | Carlisle: 2h 32m | Birmingham: 2h 15m

York is in easy travelling distance of 4 international airports - Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Humberside and Robin Hood Doncaster/Sheffield.
York is easy to get to from Leeds Bradford International Airport. All you have to do is take the 757 bus from Leeds-Bradford airport and go to the Leeds train station where you can find frequent trains to York.

If you’re a resident or visitor arriving in the UK, you will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, with a few exemptions. You must also provide your journey and contact details before entering the UK.

From 10 July, people arriving in England from countries including France, Spain, Germany and Italy will no longer need to self-isolate.

Situated midway between Edinburgh and London, just 20 minutes from the M1/M62 motorway network, York is within comfortable driving times of most regions in the UK. To make your trip to York even more convenient, six Park & Ride sites currently operate in York. They allow you to travel to York by car, park for free in secure car parks and complete your journey into the city centre by bus. To find the most convenient Park and Ride site click here.

If you come to York by car the approximate journey times and distances are:

London: 3h 50m / 210 miles | Edinburgh: 4h 12m / 210 miles | Manchester: 1h 34m / 73 miles | Sheffield: 1h 19m / 63 miles | Cardiff: 4h 23m / 250 miles | Glasgow: 3h 56m / 211 miles | Newcastle: 1h 47m / 87 miles | Nottingham: 1h 45m / 87 miles | Bristol: 3h 53m / 223 miles | Liverpool: 2h 01m / 102 miles | Derby: 1h 47m / 91 miles | Carlisle: 2h 23m / 116 miles | Birmingham: 2h 26m / 134 miles

Hull is the nearest port for European ferry services and it is only a 1-hour drive to York. P&O North Sea ferries have daily overnight services from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge to Hull. Details of ferry services can be obtained from P&O North Sea Ferries on +44 (0) 8716 64 20 20, visit www.poferries.com

You can bring your bike to York by train. Local Northern Rail services accept bikes on a first come, first served basis, subject to space. Long distance operators require advance bike reservation.
You can also cycle here on the National Cycle Network routes 65 and 66.
For information on cycle hire, local cycle routes and guided bike tours in York, click here

There are several places in York where you can leave your luggage whilst enjoying the city. Lockers are available at the National Railway Museum near the railway station and at the Left Luggage office located next to the Europcar Office on Queen Street adjacent to the long stay car park. There’s also YorBag, located on High Petergate, offering low prices for all day storage.