mvelik

We plan to leave London on 30 September and need to return back on the 2 October. The plan is to see York and Edinburgh. What would be better - to spend a day and night in York and then go to Edinburgh, or to spend a day in York, and catch an evening train to Edinburgh, and spend the rest of the time there?

Thank you for your help,

Mike

rogeruktm

If me, I would take a morning train to Edinburgh, check into a hotel or B&B and the rest of the day exploring.

Then I would spend the entire next day in Edinburgh, leaving late afternoon to York. Night in York, and most of the 2nd seeing sights followed by a late train back to London.

PalenQ

Investigate the 4 consecutive day BritRail Pass to cover fully flexible use of all trains - no need to pre-book a certain train at certain time and perhaps with no refund no change - 2nd class at $259 p.p. for four straight unlimited travel days - just walk up and board any train anytime. that's about $65 a day or about 35 pounds a day. Look at www.nationalrail.co.uk to see what fares are available and then compare to pass - keep in mind total felxibility with pass - such tickets often are extremely expensive IME in U.K. First class, if over 58 is just $316 and on British trains IME there is a tremendous different in quality of seats and seat availability - you'll even get free coffee or tea and snacks the whole way London-York-Edinburgh. Passes not sold at British stations. I always refer two fine sites for tons of info on British train travel and passes: www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com - sites that have tons of objective info and not just the usual pass prices and an add to cart option. And this East Coast route from York to Edinburgh is often very scenic - esp when it goes along the coast around Berwick-on-Tweet. One British mag recently ranked it Britain's most scenic railway even.

$259
$316

janisj

I'd take the sleeper train to Edinburgh leaving London at 11 PM on 29 Sept, arriving at around 8 AM on the 30th.

This will give you an extra 1/2 day in Edinburgh. Then stay the nights of 30th and 1 Oct in Edinburgh and take an early AM train to York. Then spend all day the 2nd in York w/ an evening train on to London.

Another option - take the train to York the evening of Oct 1. The advantage being - having a hotel or B&B in York that after you check out, will hold your luggage for the day.

Both cities are terrific - but all of York's main sites are walking distance from each other and easily seen in one long day.

caroline_edinburgh

I would get the train London to York early on 30th & spend the rest of the day & the first night there; then get the train to Edinburgh on the 31st, spend the rest of the day, the next 2 nights and as much of the last day as you can there (or rather here ); then fly back to London. York is nice but it's quite compact & there's much more to see in Edinburgh.

I don't like the sleeper as it doesn't have showers; plus although I can sleep on it, some can't. For the full Edinburgh-London journey IME it's nearly always cheaper to fly, and more reliable than the train. If you're getting the train up to see what nice bits of scenery there are, you don't need to do it both ways. Where in London do you need to get back to ?

mvelik

Thank you for the advices. Based on them we decided to follow Caroline's recommendation, except we plan to take a train back to London. We are staying in South Kensington, and we think that all in all it will take about the same time whether you take a plane or a train. Understand that plain is cheaper but than you start counting bus to the airport in Edinburgh, extra time in both airports, weather, etc.....
Train just feels more comfortable.

Again many thanks for the advices.

Mike

PalenQ

If you got a 4-straight day BritRail Pass then it would include the train back to London and make it even a better deal than if you fly, which like you say will almost take as long with all the rigermerole involved with flying these days