Seems like renting the car from Leeds is really your best option. If husband is intimidated, then you drive, and he can navigate. It looks like the Leeds-Bradford airport is outside of Leeds, so driving from there won't be quite as difficult as from, for example, the center of Leeds. And then, you'd have the car available for journeying around Yorkshire.

Or, if you'd rather take the train, use the national rail link given above. I entered Leeds-Bradford airport and Thirk and a random day of travel. It looks like trains run between the two, with mostly just one change, every 1/2 hour or hour, depending on the time of day. As for the distance between the train station and your B&B, use Google maps to find that out. And/or ask your B&B.

To simplify your trip a bit, have you considered dropping the Thirsk portion, and extending your stays in the big cities? You could always do day trips from either location if you like (though that brings you back into the realm of figuring out the trains).

Take a deep breath, and remind yourself of all the planning you've gotten done already. You only have a couple more items that you have to do!

www.transportdirect.info might help. You can enter different options for mode of transport.

LBA is a long way outside Leeds, it doesn't have a train station but bus services to various places including Leeds. Thirsk Station is outside Thirsk and would probably mean a long walk or a taxi ride to the B&B.

The best option from LBA is to hire a car as it's a simple drive to Thirsk.

Don't get disheartened, its will all be fine. I may be wrong or it may have changed since I was there last as long as you don't book and pay on the day the rail trips aren't as expensive. Picking up your tickets is easy too, they will issue you with a number which you enter into the machine at the station in UK. Driving in the UK isn't really that difficult either, what we do( and this might seem over organised to some!!!) to minimise the stress is take our own GPS with UK already downloaded and programmed to where you want to go. This means you are already familiar with the GPS, and your destinations before you go. Have seen people go to pick up car with GPS and told they don't have one. You can involve the children in destinations and finding out distances to accommodation and attractions using google maps, then everyone has an idea where you are going and the stress isn't all the drivers. Don't let the organisation of your holiday overshadow your enjoyment of going, we always say the more work we do beforehand the less worry when we get there!! Best wishes.

You will probably find that residents of Thirsk who have a flight from Leeds/Bradford use a car service for the journey. Google lists several taxi firms in Thirsk, and they all offer an airport service. You will have to ask for a quote, as none quote a fixed price.

A local Thirsk firm will know the best way between Thirsk and the airport, the best way to meet you, and will know your address in Thirsk.

Hi Kandace_York

" how I would get from LBA to Thirsk by train".

Leeds Bradford Airport doesn't have a railway station. Travel to and from the airport can be found here http://www.leedsbradfordairport.co.u...to-the-airport

To Thirsk, get a bus (757) or taxi from the airport to Leeds rail station. Then a train to Thirsk. Train times and prices can be found here http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servic...journey/search.

Once at Thirsk you then have the problem of getting to your accommodation. Thirsk is a very small station on the east coast mainline with very few facilities. There are is no car hire and quite possibly no waiting taxis. Though you can likely phone for a taxi to collect you.

This will take about two to three hours (carrying luggage, while looking after children,.. and husband). A tad stressful….

Far, far simpler is to hire a car at the airport. Use 'Get Directions" in google maps to overview the route - about 45 minutes. https://maps.google.co.uk/ (this also shows where the train station is relative to the town. Put your accommodation's post code in to see where that is).

The route takes you out of the airport, away from the urban area and through Yorkshire to Thirsk. You then have your hire car for exploring Yorkshire. Driving from the airport is a no brainer. Your problem is convincing your husband - good luck on that!

Yes, you could get a taxi from Thirsk to collect you from the airport, but then what? You'll have no hire car to get around.

It might help if I describe what the roads are like near LBA (basically I live very near there). The airport is modern and sits on the side on an industrial area but by being north of Leeds is very rural with just local roads all around. Yes there are roundabouts but only one dual one, but given the very low levels of traffic you could do it in your sleep.

The road to Thirsk could go up the A1 but there is no need to do so and most of the way there can be done on minor roads with the odd bit of underused dual carriageway thrown in. Basically compared to anyother airport and journey in the South of the UK near an airport this is a walk in the park.

If the drive has more fears have a look at LBA on street view

Now I'm a non-UK resident I recently bought a Britrail pass for the first time for a trip back, and was very pleased with it. It was good value and I liked having the flexibility to get on any train. I bought the flexible one which allows any 4 days travel in a calendar month, for England only, but there are lots of other options. It doesn't cover the Eurostar or the London tube but it does cover the London airport express trains. So it may be a cheaper option for the British part of your trip. http://www.britrail.com/passes/britrail-pass

Did PalenQ take over Caroline's screen name? :D

caroline is selling snake oil too?

flanneruk's snake oil can be very good in spite of his bromides that all British railpasses are total ripoffs - snake oil!

For our first experience driving in the UK, we found driving on the freeway/motorway easier than on smaller roads. Fewer options, no side traffic, no roundabouts, and wider shoulders/verges. So a restful interlude on the A1 might be desireable.

From mapping sites like Google Maps, you can print detailed driving instructions right to your destination in Thirsk.

indy_dad, very good :-)

PalQ, I do owe a big thank you! I'd obviously absorbed what you'd written over the years about the Britrail passes and can now put it to good use. IME nobody in Britain has heard of them so I wouldn't have known otherwise.

In case anyone's interested, I started pricing individual rail fares for my 5 day trip with my first leg, Gatwick-Sheffield, which (without being able to guarantee I'd catch a particular train) was £110. Britrail flexible England pass for any 4 days in the month - E159. No contest. And 2 examples of the advantages of its flexibility - 1) I got to St Pancras 5 mins before 1 train left but thought it might be crowded by then and I'd feel rushed trying to find a nice seat, so I just waited for the next one in half an hour; 2) it was a bonus being able to leave Guildford for London in the rush hour instead of having to wait until after 9.30 or whatever for a cheaper ticket. So thanks agin, PalQ!

thank you caroline for the thanks! I do think some folk like flanneruk, who routinely castigates me for any mention of a BritRail Pass, calling them a total rip-off and me of selling snake oil - those types just have not taken a close look at the benefits of these passes - especially if wanting flexbility - how many times have I on day trips hopped off at say York and then when I was all done just went back to the station and hopped on the next train. Priceless and if doing several trips the passes can be cost effective even if compared to the discounted tickets that may also not always be available.