I have only 2.5 days in York. Staying right behind York Minster within the town walls. Lots to see and do in this town but it seems small enough to get lots done in a day. Is it worth sacrificing a day to visit Edinburgh by train? Never been to either and probably won't be back again. More interested in England but I have a Brit Rail pass and Edinburgh is just over 2 hours away. Train station is close the castle. Reading mixed reviews of the castle but good reviews of the town, in general.
Posted by
Copenhagen, Denmark
971 posts
Whats attracting you to Edinburgh? It's quite a bit of travel for the short time you have and you certainly don't have to go all the way to Edinburgh from York, in order to see a great castle or a interesting town.
Posted by
UK
1015 posts
It’s perfectly doable. Edinburgh is an extraordinary city that looks very unlike York or indeed anywhere in England. You wouldn’t be “sacrificing” a day; you’d be seeing something well worth seeing.
However - Edinburgh would repay a couple of days of your time as there’s far more to it than the castle, so you could save it for when you actually can make it your focus.
If you’re never going to be back in the UK though, go for it! Personally I much prefer it to York and feel a genuine sense of excitement every time I arrive in the city, look up and see the castle perched on a high volcanic rock dominating the city. Take time to walk down the Royal Mile from the castle, too, and explore the little alleyways.
Posted by
8322 posts
Bad idea, that would be a lot of travel time wasted of your precious travel time.
We spend three nights in York and loved it. The Minster was amazing, we spent three hours there. We walked the ancient walls. We loved the part of the city with the narrow streets, stalls/shops. The National Railway Museum was great. We visited about four museums as well as what was left of the fort. We were busy for the about 2.5 days we spent in York.
Castle Howard is outside of York, not sure if you would be interested, but it was a great place to see as well.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5553 posts
Whilst it is perfectly doable the question would be why? Yes, you could 'see' much of the main attractions in York in a day but you won't actually be taking anything in or giving them the time and attention they deserve, it defeats the whole point in visiting a destination. It's like saying I've been to India when all I did was have a stopover in Mumbai airport. Techinically I have been to India but not in the sense that I've experienced it or seen anything of it. 2.5 days in York is just enough to make it worthwhile, any less and you're making a wasted journey.
Edinburgh Castle is very much worth the visit, I don't understand the naysayers, I'm really not sure what they expect. Edinburgh is a fantastic city and is certainly more than just the castle and requires a minimum of two days to explore, any less and you're going to leave disappointed.