I hope someone can advise me if this is a good plan. We will be in London for 5 1/2 days and then on to Edinburgh. We (mom age 70 and 2 daughters, all energetic and good sports) would like to depart London on a 9:30 train, arrive in York about noon. We would stash our bags at the station, see what we could see, have dinner and catch a 7pm train to Edinburgh, arriving 9ish and head to the b&b for a 3 day stay.

We would like to sandwich in as much as possible on this trip, but don't want to really exhaust ourselves. Please weigh in with opinions. Thanks in advance, Lynnie

Just check to make sure York has left luggage facilities. Not all stations do. Otherwise, this is certainly doable. York is worth much more time than you'll be giving it, but at least you'll have a chance to see the wonderful Minster and its precincts.

Hoping the trains are on time you could possibly get some sightseeing accomplished albeit on a very limited basis in York. The walk from thr train station is very close to the main attractions. It would be great to take time to see the Abbey, walk the wall around York to get a feel for the city. The Museum is very nice but I don't think you will have much time to enjoy it. There are of course terrific pubs to grab a quick dinner before catching the train.
I think you will do OK with this itinerary. The only other idea would be stay the night in York and take an early train over to Edinburgh. That way you probably won't be exhausted the night arriving in Edinburgh.
Have a great time. I love Scotalnd!

be careful when you buy your train tickets - if you just book London to Edinburgh you likely will not be able to break your journey in York. Unless you can find some special excursion type ticket, you need to book London to York, York to Edinburgh, and Edinburgh back to London (if you are travelling back to London) as separate tickets.

Your plan will work well, but I think the idea of spending the night in York is even better. There's lots to see there and the extra time will be a big plus. There are a lot of inexpensive B&B's just outside the walls (Bootham Crescent & St Mary's area outside of Bootham gate), so expense isn't much.

There is a left luggage office at York station. It's only a short walk to the city centre from the station, though you'd need to start dinner early to catch a train at 1900.

As the other poster said, you will not be able to break your journey on the way up from London, whatever level of ticket you have. So, you will end up having to buy L-Y, Y-E, E-L tickets, which will be expensive. Skip York and go to E'burgh direct. Go to www.thetrainline.com and get a 2nd class Apex-style ticket and pick it up at the station (Kings Cross) with a PIN.

Nigello and the other posters are correct about not being able to break your journey on the way up to Edinburgh.

However, you could break your journey at York on the way back (provided you bought a Saver NOT an APEX ticket).

Personally, I think that half a day would not be long enough (but perhaps I am biased as I spent my first eighteen years there).

What about half a day in Durham (a more compact city also en route from Edinburgh)?

Actually, LynnieD's itinerary can be quite cheap. Simply purchase a GNER standard off peak single for the morning journey to York for as low as £18. Then purchase, for as low as £25, a GNER standard off peak return ticket London to Edinburgh for the arrival time you have chosen in Edinburgh. You just don't use the London to York portion of the 2nd ticket.

These are restricted tickets, of course, that need to be purchased well in advance and will not be available on busy days or busy trains.

Is there not a ticket we can purchase from York to Edinburgh? We ar not going til the 1st of April and will be able to purchase tickets well in advance to get the cheapest fare.

Unless I've missed something, you haven't said if you are returning to London. If you buy a full-fare single from London to Edinburgh, that will allow you to break your journey, but those tickets are expensive. To get the cheapest option, look on www.gner.co.uk to see what fares it offers for London-York, York-Edinburgh and London-Edinburgh. Some cheap fares will only be available on certain trains and will sell out quickly.

I think the best plan is to buy a London to York return ticket and a York to Edinburgh return ticket. I did this and saved a lot from single fare prices. Check on the net. York deserves far more than half a day. The Jorvik museum, York museum in the old castle, the minster, the old Tudor style buildings and shops, I would take one day off London but you don't say how long you plan to have in Edinburgh.

In answer to questions: Geoff- we are flying home direct from Edinburgh so don't need a return.

Kathy, we have 3 full days in Edinburgh, depending on how we get there. Choices are: Take the itinerary described in the original post, take the overnight sleeper train from London to Edinburgh and skip York, take a direct London to Edinburgh again skipping York.

Our choice is also dependant on whether to give up a day in London to do Bath or a day in Edinburgh to do York. UGH!! such a decision.

Take a day of Edinburgh rather than London for your York stop and travel day, if you must. Sometimes a trip is enjoyed more by seeing less sites but relaxing and watching people along the way.
But if you're going, the highlight of our 2 day stay in York was a walking tour of the city, given free of charge by volunteer citizens. The lady that gave our tour should be paid to do such a great job of showing off her beautiful city. I believe we showed up at the Tourist Information Office at a certain time in the morning, without a reservation.
You have time to research through Tourist Information to see if it fits your schedule. You will see the major sites in a most entertaining way.

Our family (2 parents, 2 kids) did London/York/Edinb. 2 years ago. Full concensus is that if we ever get back to the UK, we'll bypass London, and go straight to York and Edinburgh again. If you can give York more than a pass-through, I think you'll be glad for a longer visit. I'd spend a half-day at the minster if I could, just to soak up the atmosphere! And the train museum is wonderful if you like that sort of thing. Walk the wall, go to vespers at the Minster, poke around the Shambles. The free TI tour is around 2 hours - very enjoyable.

Ok- based on these responses the revised plan is:

Take 3 p.m. train from London to York- arrive around 5 p.m.. Stay overnight in order to take advantage of 10:15 a.m.walking tour the next morning. Tour York. Pick up bags at our overnight accomodations and catch 4 p.m. train to Edinburgh.

Based on this, we are taking 1 day off of London. This still gives us 5 whole days and 2 half days in London and 3 days in Edinburgh. We plan to use 1 of the Edinburgh days for a day trip to Loch Lomand. We fly back to the states from Edinburgh, so no need to get back to London.

Does anyone have a suggestion for an inexpensive 1 night stay in York? There are 3 of us.

Thanks all, Lynnie

You might like to have more time in York and dine on an evening train. Restaurant car trains leave York at 1848 and 1953 and reach Edinburgh at 2117 and 2219.

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Great idea Ben. Do I book these trains on QJump or GNER, just the same as an ordinary ticket. We are buying the cheap tickets. Is the dining car available to us "2nd classers"? Thanks.

Yes, you book standard class seats on these trains on QJump or GNER, just the same as an ordinary ticket. The dining car is available first to the first class, and that may exclude you at breakfast time, but dinner is different, and if you walk in to the diner from the standard class the stewards will welcome you and seat you.

Please write again if I can help further.

Ben Haines

Again,thanks for all the help.

Ben- where do we stash luggage on the train. Is it checked or in an end cap in our car. If in an end cap, is it safe to stray to the dining car? Should we plan for a bike style lock for our bags?

Also, how far in advance can we book train tickets. I've been checking GNER and QJump and the cheapre tickets are not available.(trave dates are March 30 and 31st.) Thanks, Lynnie