Hello, everyone. <BR>I'll be in the UK next month and wanted to get some recommendations for York and Leeds. I'd to see some of the local sights at both, but I'm not to fussed about museums, etc. I'd like to get a flavor of the area and do some record shopping, get some postcards, etc. If I started at a reasonable hour, I would assume going from Manchester&gt;York with a stop in Leeds wouldn't be overwhelming. <BR> <BR>Is there some sort of pass I can get on the trains for this sort of trip as opposed to a bunch of one-way tickets. <BR> <BR>Many thanks! <BR>

Its only about one hour by train from Manchester Piccadilly to Leeds and less than a half hour from Leeds to York, so it is easily doable. I suspect the cheapest way would be to buy a day return ticket to York, get off at Leeds, see what you want to see there (I can't imagine what that might be), buy a single to York and then return to Manchester on the return portion of the day return ticket.

Standard day return from Manchester Piccadilly to York via Leeds costs GBP17.90 and you can use any train and break your journey at Leeds. There are around two trains an hour. Beware though that most trains on this route operated by Arriva Northern Sprint have only two carriages and can get very crowded, esp from York to Manchester, as the journey originates from Newcastle or Middlesborough. You may want to reserve return seats when you buy your ticket in Manchester.

Tim, please believe me, this is not a slam. But, what "local sights" were you planning on seeing in Leeds. I've driven right by the city many, many times, and never stopped to see anything. What did I miss? I'm not trying to be facetious and would really like to know.

Linda, <BR>I've been told by one of my friends in Manchester that there are a lot of great record stores there, hence my interest in a stop there. <BR> <BR>

Dear Tim: I was in Leeds this summer because my son attended the University there. One of the most interesting experiences of our entire "England" trip, including 8 days in London was a visit to The Royal Armouries Museum. "It illustrates the development and use of arms and armor for war, sport, hunting, self-defense, and fashion."(Frommer's England 2001)Allow a couple of hours for full tour. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.

Tim: To clarify...the Museum is in Leeds, not London, although originally it was part of the London Royal Museum. Sorry if my first post wasn't clear.