Transport between London and Pateley Bridge (Harrogate)

Hi Wilhelmr1 -

For starters, here’s the bus timetable for service 24, the Harrogate to Pateley Bridge service.

https://www.dalesbus.org/uploads/1/1/3/9/113919127/24.pdf

You’ll note it doesn’t run overly late, so bus back to Harrogate from Pateley Bridge after dinner would be a non starter. Also if your course finishes at 4.00pm on a Sunday you’d have to be a bit light on your toes to make sure you didn’t miss the last bus!

I think therefore a rental car would be the best option. But I would suggest you catch the train from Kings Cross to Leeds and rent a car there for the journey through to Harrogate and Pateley Bridge. It doesn’t make much sense to me to return to London on the Sunday evening (although it’s probably doable), so I’d think staying over a final night in Harrogate makes more sense, return the car back in Leeds and take the train down to London (frequent service). For best results, as has been discussed on the forum, you would need to book ‘Advance’ tickets which ties you to a specific train (make sure you reserve a seat too, it’s a very busy service) but these tickets can be purchased very near to departure. I use the LNER app on my phone which is easy to use, even for a technophobe like myself.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask!

Ian

Don't know about your options within Yorkshire, but getting from Harrogate to London takes about three hours. Quite doable if your workshop ends at 4pm, depending on how long it will take you to get back to Harrogate and get your things packed. Check whether your hotel needs advance warning of an evening arrival time.

Ian, Philip,

Thank you! I think we’re going to do the train to Leeds and rental car to Pateley Bridge. We’re going to stay in Pateley Bridge, rather than Harrogate. If my wife can’t find enough to do while I’m in my workshop, she can take the car or bus to Harrogate. (She’s not too adventuresome and said she doesn’t want to try driving on the right side of the road, so I suspect she will do a hike or something in Pateley.)

I will download the LNER app and buy tickets in advance. Good suggestion. I’m probably going to return the rental car on Monday morning and take the train to London on Monday, rather than have a late arrival into London Sunday night.

Richard

does your wife like gardens? One of the best gardens in the country, RHS Harlow Carr https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr is right in town, linked to the town by a lovely flowery walk. Love gardens? Slam dunk.