Morgana

Hadrian's Wall is over 100 miles north of York - I wouldn't be thinking about trying to see it with your time constraints.

nytraveler

Work to Edinburgh in one day with a long stop at Hardian's Wall and IMHO it was well worth it - based on our fascination with all things Roman. If not interested - there are many other places to see within an hour or so from York if you elect to spend several nights there.

thursdaysd

nyt - by public transport? If so, details, please.

ProfessorontheGo

The main train station in York is close and easy--you could easily get yourselves to York and stay for a couple days. A day trip to York is WAY too fast. We just spent four days in York (and I've been before) and loved it. York has everything and it's all so close, very easy without a car.

lanejohann

thanks again for all your input folks ( and yes we do eat vegemite, bilboburgler..ill pass on that info to her..thank you!)
i rang our hotel in leicester sq last night and confirmed that they will hold our big bags no problem while we go to york
so im thinking we go up for two nights

the train is cheap if we book it soon as you all point out..so if we get our act together we should be able to buy the tickets here next week

so...should we go up in the evening say on wednesday and have two full days and part of saturday in the area>
?
we have to be back ...remember...to meet OH in London late saturday afternoon...so we could catch an afternoon train back

id like to see the countryside by day but...that would cut into a londond sightseeing day if we leave during the daylight hours...should we sacrifice the saturday as a travelling day and leave earlier on the saturday or stay as long as we can in the york area>

im thinking we walk around york itself on the thursday and then maybe do a bus trip somewhere out a bit...on the friday...any recommendations? or is there enough to do in york for two and a half days?

if we leave london around 8pm on the wed night..is that too late for two females to be travelling? i suppose the trains are pretty full anyway no>?
we might as well leave London earlier...we would have to stop our activity in the afternoon anyway to go back to pick up our overnight bags from the hotel in leicester sq and then get back to the station..it will be peak hour...if we do that
...is that a problem?
any opinions >
? thanks so much

Morgana

Lots to do in York but I'd maybe take the train and explore Durham as well.
Or hire a car and tour the north York moors.
Bus travel exists depending where you want to go but can be slow and patchy. Depends what interests you - Whitby? Castle Howard? Rievaulx ?
Perfectly safe to travel after 8pm.

thursdaysd

Note that if you go up Wed night and return Sat that's three nights not two. I agree that Durham is worth a look, as is Hadrian's wall. Plenty to see in York as well. I'd add another night to York, you already had seven nights in London, and while there's always more to see there, no reason to short-change the north.

If you leave London at 8:00 in January you won't see anything from the train, but I guess that won't matter so much if you come back in the afternoon. Sunset on Jan 29 is 4:45 pm.

bilboburgler

traveling on the 8pm is ok, the night train (sleeper if it still runs is another issue) but 8 is ok. You can use my earlier link to see bus routes that go say to Ripon.

thursdaysd

The sleeper to Scotland is still running, and there's no reason to question its safety. However, the journey to York is far too short to make a sleeper sensible.

janisj

>>if we leave london around 8pm on the wed night..is that too late for two females to be travelling?<<

You will be totally safe no matter when you travel. (The sleeper is also totally safe -- but not really relevant for the two+ hour journey to York . . . )

eigasuki

Fellow Aussie here who's done something similar.

Absolutely don't be persuaded by travel agents to do day tours to other parts of UK from London. You spend all day on the bus and see very little, it's dark by 4.30. $460 for day trip to York? That's insane, but you've already found you can do it cheaper yourselves. Look into shorter tours out of York to the abbeys, Castle Howard, etc etc. Lot's to see in the area.

With 5 nights to play with, I'd absolutely leave London and make one or two bases further afield. York would be a great base and accommodation should be much cheaper than London - Do your own research for a B&B as opposed to touristy hotel recommended by a TA.

Personally I don't find packing up, checking out etc to be the big deal that some do. What if you don't like the hotel you've been booked into and you're stuck there for two weeks?

Personally, I wouldn't do the Cotswolds as a day trip from London and when I was researching, all the tours combined their so-called "Cotswolds" visit with Oxford or Bath, both worth at least a whole day in their own right. Basically it was a drive through.

Whatever you choose, it will be great and don't worry, you'll feel quite safe.

lanejohann

cant thank you enough...truly..this makes all those crinkles disappear and i know i just fuss so much about the unknown..dont know why really...have travelled a bit and everything works out usually and what you dont know youve missed remains just that !lol

ok
so im about to book accommodation in york
ill get the train tickets this week...some time after 5pm to york on the wednesday night which will give us two and 3/4 days
durham? havent researched this Morgana/ thursdaysd...ill have to have a look...but what do you like about this town?


as for the accommodation...we are going to be in B and bs all through ireland on the same trips..i dont know why but i think id rather have a hotel room for my daughter and myself in York
my friend recommende the Hilton in York ..what do you think?

Are there any hotels with pretty vistas? Dont want to be near raging pubs on that friday night but dont want to be on the outskirts
Are the hotels near the railway noisy?
We are spending between 139 and 169 pound for the hotel in london ( rate varies according to the night) so around that would be ok...dont want a hovel but dont need 5 star, either...
thanks again ... really youve all been so helpful!

lanejohann

Ok..just an update..cos i know youre all sleepless from not knowing lol
have decided on three nights in York..just bought advance purchase tickets from here in Sydney for an 8pm departure from Kings X
booked the Best Western Plus Dean Court in Duncombe Pl which is very central-88GBP per night which is pretty good..very happy with that

as for other travel...still dont know..might post my musings in another thread
cheerio and thanks for dropping by to see how im doing !

dwdvagamundo

We stayed inn Dean Court years and years ago and really liked it. It's quite close to everything--particularly York Minster. However, it did have a pub--one of my memories of York is a truck noisily unloading barrels into the cellar early in the morning. But I wouldn't let that deter you as it is a really nice place.