Train help

I would never do what you are proposing. The risk of a problem with the train being late or canceled is too great. I would advise you to arrive in London the day before your flight.

It depends what time of day the flight is. When we lived in Edinburgh and were flying somewhere long haul out of London sometimes we got the train down the day before, sometimes on the day. However if you plan to come down the same day you run the risk of there being engineering works (assuming you are booking this flight more than 12 weeks ahead, which is when these are normally announced). This can significantly impact travel time.

Assuming it's a weekday there is an 0440 from York, arrive Kings Cross at 0700. Add an hour on the tube/Elizabeth Line/Heathrow Express to Heathrow, that is 8am, for an 11am flight. I would add on an hour for general bad luck. That is 12 noon, the earliest I would consider.
The next train is at 0555, arrive Kings Cross 0801, so that is a 1300 flight.
Then trains at least every 30 minutes from York.

Now the 0440 is an IC225- an older and way nicer train type than the usual Azumas, some compensation for being up so early.

I would be leery of doing that, because the unknown can happen. Only a few days ago one afternoon LNER had the twin disaster of a major power failure between York and Doncaster, and then a human tragedy as well when someone intentionally stepped in front of a train. The effect was delays of up to nearly 5 hours on trains which ran, with many cancellations. Due to trains and crews being out of place (and out of working hours) there were knock on effects well into the following morning- the 0440 was one of the trains cancelled, others ran with significant delays.

Such heavy delays and multiple simultaneous incidents are not at all normal, but incidents always happen when you least want them to. One time last year I was on the sleeper train from Cornwall, when we had such a personal tragedy in front of my train and we ran 3 hours late into Paddington. Anyone with a flight would have been in a pickle. To be honest I was also emotionally shot next morning. Luckily I was heading for Peterborough that morning, and knew exactly where to get a very good breakfast (Euston 1st class lounge) on the way, to look after myself.

So I would want to go down the previous evening- trains run half hourly all evening from York until 2130 (arrive KC 2320) and then 2259 arrive 0144. Then get a Premier Inn (other budget brands exist, as they say) at KC or continue through to Heathrow and a hotel there. Prices both at KC and the budget chains at LHR are normally very reasonable booked this far out.

Great info! Now you all are making me rethink yet again.

Here’s the situation: we are traveling the first 10 days with another couple. Into LHR, London for a few days, then Eurostar to Paris for a few days. They will go home from there but we want to spend a few days in York & Grassington, and Edinburgh before heading home. So we had planned to take a short hopper flight from Paris to Edinburgh and go south from there ending in York. Maybe best to take the Eurostar to York and then up to Edinburgh and fly home out of there?…less surprises.

I guess I didn’t realize all that could go wrong…tragic indeed! Of course, all suggestions are welcome. We really have our hearts set on Yorkshire.

Yes, so if you fly into Paris, then Eurostar to St Pancras.

St Pancras/KC would be a good place to stay while in London.

Then train Kings Cross to York. Then Grassington. After Grassington bus back to Skipton, then train from Skipton to Edinburgh via the Settle/Carlisle line to Carlisle, change there for Edinburgh.

Book that trip in two parts- Advance Single Skipton to Carlisle, and Advance Single Carlisle to Edinburgh.

If you have time between trains at Carlisle Station the new pub in Queen Victoria's former private waiting room should be open by then, and also the permanent shop for Pie Demand- who make exceedingly good pies in the arches of the station.

Then fly home from EDI. Book an Open Jaw/Multi city air ticket.

Thank you! Just to clarify…flying into LHR, Eurostar to Paris. Then train Paris to York (not stopping in London at that point.) But looking at the Eurostar tix, the advice would still be the same.

You had helped me before with train/bus from Grassington to Edinburgh so I understand that leg of it and appreciate the clarification on how to order the train tix and how to spend time at the station.

With that amount of train travel, look at buying a railcard, £35 for a 33% discount on offer peak travel. A Two Together would probably be the most suitable for you
Definitely stay in London/Heathrow the night before your flight home. Try the Premier Inn group of hotels.

Just making sure you understand that the Eurostar doesn't go to York? You'll have to stop in London St. Pancras, get off the Eurostar, and then go to King's Cross Station and get on a direct train to York.

I'd never take the train from York to LHR on the day I needed to catch my flight. Be in London the day before, and either stay in a hotel near the Elizabeth Line or Piccadilly line (or even in/near the airport ). Too much could go wrong if you wait until your flight day.

Yes I do understand now, and I appreciate all the help. We have decided to go from Paris to York (via St Pancras/Kings Cross) and then to Edinburgh for a few days and fly home from there. Thanks everyone!

that's looking better.

Just wondering about the Paris - St Pancras - Kings Cross - York by train idea.

I hate flying but in your shoes I might try to fly Paris - Leeds Bradford and train from there to York. If you need to check off the Channel Tunnel, so be it, but the scenery on that leg and on the leg from Kings Cross to York is somewhat short of spectacular.

That's a lot of train to avoid a short plane ride.

I love flying… But when I looked into it I see that by the time you have an hour and a half flight and then getting to the train station and taking another train journey it was about the same time commitment (or more) as just taking the train alone. We don’t mind the train… And after 10 days in two big cities, we might be ready for some down time and reading a book for a while. thanks for the suggestion.

just be sure to make the minimum check in times at Eurostar. You get security, an French Border control (with EES), and UK Border Force (with ETA) before you get to the waiting room and eventually down to your train. Eurostar publishes those times on its website and on the app, and they vary depending on destination and time of year.

Currently Paris to London is 75 to 90 minutes https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/your-trip/check-in

And for the record there are just 6 flights a week from Paris to Leeds/Bradford- 2 on easy jet, and 4 on Jet 2.

The easy jet flights are mid afternoon, and 3 of the 4 jet 2 flights are in the evening, with the 4th mid morning.

So you take a whole day to make the journey. Compare that to a basically hourly Eurostar/LNER service.

For anyone who did want to fly then Newcastle Airport is almost as close to York in time terms as Leeds/Bradford (at least 5 trains an hour from Newcastle to York) and the frequent metro from the airport to central station- Easyjet and Air France fly that route.
Easyjet are 1 flight a day- usually mid afternoon or early evening (not Saturday)- AF are 3 times a day so at least a sort of useful frequency.