tudorprincess

We've almost got our 8 day trip to England planned out. We are planning on buying Britrail passes so the train tickets will be taken care of in advance.
Our plan is to arrive on Tues. Feb.15 at Heathrow stay the night in London and travel to Sheffield on the 16th, stay the night and then on to York for the night and Whitby and/or Robin Hood's Bay the next day and then back to London.
I need help figuring out how to get from A to B, do I check gner.co.uk for train times? It's still a few days to far out for that or should I wait until we get there and ask as I will already have paid for tickets?
Sheffield accommodations aren't a concern as we want to stay in the City Centre but if anyone has a suggestion for York I would appreciate it. Thanks. By the way, I've heard the responses for the opposing views of Sheffield but it's a sort of pilgrimage for me so I can't be talked out of it.

ben_haines_london

There will be little change when services alter in mid December, and you can happily plan on the present GNER timetables, and check for changes nearer the time. As you know, trains leave London St Pancras at 25 and 55 minutes past each hour: nearly all have restaurant cars. The 1125, 1155 and 1225 trains let you lunch as you go, which is always a pleasure. Journeys are Sheffield to york 50 minutes by buffet car train at 21 minutes past each hour, York to Darlington 45 minutes, Darlington to Middlesborough 30 minutes, and Middlesborough to Whitby 1 hour 25 minutes. Then back Whitby to Middlesborough 1 hour 25 minutes, Middlesborough to Darlington 30 minutes, and Darlington to London Kings Cross 3 hours by restaurant car train: again I recommend lunch on board.

The site www.deancourt-york.co.uk/ is for the Dean Court Hotel, beautifully placed beside the Minster in York. The station is 15 minutes walk from the Minster, and has a fine Victorian railway hotel built onto it, the Royal York. Please see http://www.york-united-kingdom.co.uk...el/index.html/.

Building work for the Eurostar terminal surrounds the stations at Kings Cross and St Pancras, but the signs to the trains are good and clear.

ben.haines@:btinternet.com

flanneruk

Your train plans involve different train companies, and there are several slightly different routings from Whitby back to London. Best to use a multi-company site like www.nationalrail.co.uk or qjump for advance information on timetables.

As Ben says, timetables change slightly in December, and the construction works round St Pancras always mean there'll be a slight risk of further changes nearer the time, so it's advisable to check times a day or two beforehand as well.

Morgana

Hi
You seem very organised, but if you would like any help with Whitby/Robin Hoods Bay please let me know. I live in North Yorkshire and know both places very well. You can do both easily in a day - Robin Hoods Bay is tiny. I can recommend great places to eat, what not to miss etc. M

tudorprincess

Thank you for the detailed help Ben. I've made a note of the hotel recommendations.Morgana,any advice you can give would be great. This will be the furthest trip outside London we've made on our own and we don't have public transportation where we live so I'm a little intimidated. Thanks flanneruk for the rail sites, I had forgotten about qjump.
Do you think two overnights are enough time to see all the towns I've mentioned including journey time to and from each and back to London?

Morgana

Hi
I think it is brilliant that you are exploring, and I am sure you will have a wonderful time in Yorkshire. The people are friendly, the scenery gorgeous, and the food delicious. Make sure you eat Yorkshire Pudding!
Whitby in February has its own beauty and charm - but just make sure you wrap up warmly!
Do take a look at the website www.sutcliffe-gallery.co.uk
There's a Gallery/shop in Whitby town itself and the superb Victorian photos make wonderful gifts - I have some framed in my house and they would make nice momentos of your visit to be framed on your return - cheap and light!
Don't miss Whitby Abbey of course, and maybe read Dracula before you go?? Or the Whitby Witches?
I have never been to the Captain Cook Museum in the town, but would like to go as it sounds very good.
As for eating - where else but the Magpie Cafe? www.magpiecafe.co.uk gives details. The best fish and chips you will ever taste, and there is always a queue out of the door in the summer. If you want something a bit more upmarket then the White Horse and Griffin is very good. www.whitehorseandgriffin.co.uk
You will probably need to book a table there.
Whitby is famous for jet jewellery and many little shops close to the Abbey sell this. The coastline is also excellent for fossil hunting if the weather is kind. There is also a wonderful fudge shop.
Robin Hoods Bay is very picturesque. No cars are allowed down the VERY steep main street unless they are delivering. You have to leave your car in a car park at the top of the hill. Wear flat shoes! Don't just walk along the main street, but go off and explore the little alleys. A coastal path runs along this stretch of the coastline, accessible from the Bay, but it might be a bit bracing in February! An hour or so is all you will need, unless you get waylaid by the teashops.
Let me know if you have any questions.
M

flanneruk

You asked about timings.

Pilgrimages always involve rituals: finding and getting to the place where you want to carry this ritual out can take a lot of time - and only you know what the object of your Sheffield pilgrimage is. But don't underestimate the time involved in locating, say, the cinema your mother had her first date, or whatever. England's mania for destroying old street layouts in the past 50 years can make finding anyone's old haunts astonishingly difficult.

If you want to all the early Christian, Captain Cook and Dracula stuff at Whitby, you should bear in mind that there aren't that many trains a day and that waiting for connections will make the journey to London surprisingly long. You'll be pushed to do it all if you've only got a morning.

GeoffHamer

From York to Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby, the best route is by train to Scarborough, then by bus. It's much more direct than the railway to Whitby which involves a long detour through Middlesbrough. There is a good train service to Scarborough (www.nationalrail.co.uk), then buses run about every hour from outside Scarborough station - it's a scenic journey with great views of the coast and the Yorkshire moors. The buses are run by Arriva (www.arriva.co.uk).

janis

Everyone has give you really good info (I am unfortunately a little weak on the rail options since I almost always drive when out in the country)

But to answer you basic question -- can you do Sheffield, York, Whitby, R'hood's Bay, and back to London using public transport in Feb -- in just two days - It will be a real trek.

I assume you want to see at least the major sites in York -- the city is amazingly interesting and it really takes a full day to see the high points. Then the next day you want to get to Whitby -- Seeing the Abbey, having a nice meal and also traveling the approx 5 miles to Robinhood's Bay and back by taxi or infrequent bus then catching a train back to London.

It can be done - but it won't be easy. Be prepared for delays and missed connections . . . . .

janis

I should have said "two nights/three days"

annesherrod

As Morgana mentioned The White HOrse and Griffin is a fabulous place to eat in Whitby. We also stayed in the hotel. It is a 500 years old. The floors are crooked but it is great. Our room had a firelplace. We were there in winter so it was so cozy.
We LOVED whitby. don't forget the Abbey.
We also had some of the best fish and chips we ever ate there!!!!
Have fun.

tudorprincess

Thank you for all the help. I'm going to email this thread to myself so that I can look at it at length. I'm rereading Dracula for the millionth time and definitely want to see Whitby Abbey. York Minster and the York Museum are the two things I have in mind for York. I really don't know anything about Robin Hood's Bay, someone on this board recommended a trip if I were in the area and I saw a picture in my DK book that looked quite charming.
Sheffield will entail a day of visiting Def Leppard related sites including the cemetery.
Should I assume that I can find a Sheffield United shirt rather easily while in Sheffield?
I wish Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth House were open in February but I'll just have to plan a return trip. Thanks.

tudorprincess

Could someone also explain the Supertram to me? Is it like a trolley car that you just hop on and off and it runs the same route all day? Morgana, do you know if this tram runs to Hillsborough?

Morgana

Sorry, can't help with Sheffield as I live a long way from the place and avoid it as much as possible! I understand and appreciate your reasons for going though. I believe there is a Sheffield United shop in the town centre, but you will also be able to buy the shirts in any of the 'chain' sports shops - it won't be a problem.
I have been thinking about Robin Hood's Bay and if it is causing you travel problems then I would really miss it out without regrets. Yes, it is charming, but also it can be bleak and uninviting in February, and many of the tiny shops will be closed. Maybe best to concentrate on Whitby and York.
M