Car

If you're driving, the M1 is the principal route north from London. This major highway gets you to Leeds in about four hours. For York (215 miles) and the Scarborough areas, stay on M1 to Leeds (197 miles), and then take A64. For the Yorkshire Dales, take M1 to Leeds, then A65 north and west to Skipton. For the North York Moors, take the A64 and then the A169 north from York to Pickering, then continue north on the A169 to Whitby or west on the A170 to Helmsley. The trans-Pennine motorway, the M62 between Liverpool and Hull, crosses the bottom of this region. North of Leeds, the A1 is the major north–south road, although narrow stretches, roadworks, and heavy traffic make this route slow going at times.

Some of the steep, narrow roads in the countryside off the main routes are difficult drives and can be perilous (or closed altogether) in winter. Main roads often closed by snowdrifts are the moorland A169 and the coast-and-moor A171. If you plan to drive in the dales or moors in winter, check the weather forecast in advance.