weekend trips from Leeds
 

Spending three weeks in Leeds in July and have the weekends free. What are some good travel options. Car rental is not an option. Thanks.

ttt

Yorkshire Dales is a great nearby weekend retreat.

Hi, I work in Leeds and am sure I will be able to help you if you can give me ideas about your interests?

Actually, further to my reply above I am away for the next few days so I'll just give you a few suggestions to be researching and hope it's the sort of thing that appeals.
1) Train to York - loads to see here and loads of info about York on this forum so won't repeat. Takes about half an hour by train.
www.visityork.org
2) Bus from Leeds to Harewood House, stand 23 at Leeds Bus Station, buses every 20 mins (half an hour on Sunday). Bus stops almost outside Harewood House gates. Half price entry if you arrive by public transport - ask bus driver for vouchers. You could easily spend all day here and they often have special exhibitions and shows on.
www.harewood.org
www.harrogatebus.co.uk/?subSiteID=12
3) Bus (same one as above, just stay on it longer!) or train to Harrogate. Spa and floral town, good shopping, Pump Rooms, Turkish Baths, Bettys tea room, Mercer Art Gallery
www.harrogate.gov.uk/harrogate-266
4) Harlow Carr Gardens - bus or train to Harrogate and then bus close to Gardens
www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Harlow-Carr
5) Ripley - Castle and Gardens www.ripleycastle.co.uk
same bus as above and you can continue onto -
6) Ripon www.ripon.org/
7) From Ripon you can get to Fountains Abbey
www.fountainsabbey.org.uk
8) Train to Skipton - Gateway to the Dales, Castle etc
www.skiptoncastle.co.uk
9) Durham - by train
www.thisisdurham.com
These are just initial first thoughts - hope it kicks off some ideas for you.

Morgana has a good set here, could add

Manchester by train
The West Yorkshire Sculpture park
The Armouries
Saltaire (Unesco world heritage)

West Yorkshire Tourist web site is pretty good, so I might start there. I live in Leeds so come back with more info and I can see what I can find out

All of the above are great ideas if you want to stick fairly close. From Leeds you really could go almost anywhere in the UK for a weekend. Besides what's been mentioned, you could also hit Edinburgh, or London, or -- well it mostly depends on your interests.