Visiting towns along the Yorkshire coastline

Whitby and Scarborough are both easy on the Yorkshire Coastliner- https://passenger-line-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/transdevblazefield/YCD/840-timetable-20240122-ebab3d78.pdf

Fares will still be £2 each way, per person, at that date.

Scarborough is faster on the hourly train from York, although you could mix and match- train one way, bus the other.

Likewise you could mix and match Whitby- bus outward, train return- switching trains at Middlesbrough.

Lincoln is too far by bus- it will be possible, but would take all day.

Every hour, at about half past the hour take a London bound train and switch trains at Newark Northgate. Total journey time each way around 90 minutes. There are infrequent connections via Doncaster instead, but via Newark is the usual route.

Hi Maria -

Personally, I find Scarborough a bit tacky. It might be due to the run down seaside town vibe or the fact that I checked out the imposing Grand Hotel some time ago and damn near stuck to the carpet. Given it was many years ago, the cigarette smoke was so thick in there we should have been issued with gas masks on entry. While the public smoking ban will have fixed that, more recent visits to the town have done little to colour my judgement. You pays your money and takes your choice, and if you have a pressing reason to visit, fair enough. But it wouldn’t be first on my list. Although, yes, there are castle ruins and Ann Bronte is buried there, and I’m sure there are plenty of others who won’t hear a bad word said about the place.

But I’d much prefer picturesque Robin Hoods Bay, about six to seven miles south of Whitby and accessible by bus from Whitby, although the final on-foot descent to the sea is down steep narrow streets, largely free of traffic. The place is a former fishing/smuggling village clinging to the cliffs and is a maze of narrow passages accessible only on foot. It’s also now famous as the eastern end of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Path, so attracts hikers reaching the terminus of the trail. Which explains ‘Wainwrights Bar’ perched overlooking the sea. However, it’s unlikely that you’d be able to sensibly visit both Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay in one day so maybe overnight in Whitby?

Ravenscar, further south down the coast is the town that never was - it was going to be a spa town and plans were drawn up for the streets, land divided into housing plots and a railway commenced, but then it all never happened. There was some talk of King George lll being confined there during his ‘madness’ but that never came to anything either. All there is now is the large Ravenscar Hotel which overlooks the sea and is visible in the distance from the top of Robin Hoods Bay’s ‘main street’, some evidence of the former railway and a dirt road (as I remember it) grandly titled ‘Marine Drive’ (I think). Fascinating, but not compulsory unless you have oodles of time and a convenient way of getting to and from there!

North of Whitby is Staithes, which has a similarities to Robin Hoods Bay, and I hear Saltburn even further up the coast is worth a visit these days. However, getting to and from these might be a little too ambitious for day visits without a car.

Ian

can I pipe up about Scarborough?

My observations are based on several years of attending an annual convention there pre-covid and staying in rooms, B&B or small private hotels.

I was always overwhelmed by how run down and down-at-heel the town was, the worst of British seaside towns after people started going to Spain and gave up on seaside towns.

Sometimes the cliff lift was working, sometimes not. Parking in South bay is diabolical, clearly the Council don't really want tourists. North bay is nicer but was away from the convention centre in south bay.

I didn't like having to feed the electric meter with coins in the rooms, the carpets were awful, worn through and somehow sticky, the steps up were steep and then we never found in about 6 years a B&B we liked. We went because we had to go. The fish and chips was nothing special but there wasn't much else.

There is a nice wide sandy beach and vista.

I wasn't keen on the place.

Not just me, then!

OK, we're convinced. Scarborough is off the list! Many thanks for the good advice re: transportation. Now how about a good, moderately priced hotel in York? Maria

The thing is the most obvious way (the only way) by bus to get to Ravenscar is via Scarborough.
Likewise the better service to Robin Hood's Bay is via Scarborough.

In fact a good journey would be York to Scarborough to RHB to Whitby to York.

That is a very good and scenic day out.

You only have to change buses at Scarborough Railway Station which is well above the harbour area.

While it is hard to deny the truth of the above there is a big difference between staying in Scarborough and visiting for the day.

There is Peasholm Park and the North Bay Miniature Railway as attractions and boat trips from the Harbour, also the ruins of Scarborough Castle.

This forum is getting very good at calling towns dumps, it has happened several times recently. People forget that they are affecting ordinary people's livelihoods.

Now how about a good, moderately priced hotel in York?

Hi, Maria. I have not stayed here, but have seen this hotel recommended frequently on this forum. http://www.yorkminsterhotel.co.uk/

Here's a couple of threads that have some hotel recs for York as well (including several for the above hotel). https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/hotels-b-b-in-york
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/one-night-in-york-e25f5096-df0f-4217-a830-423eeddac91f

This forum is getting very good at calling towns dumps, it has happened several times recently. People forget that they are affecting ordinary people's livelihoods.

I think that travelers have the right to know what they are going into. If someone is planning to spend time at a certain destination, and forum members have had bad experiences there, I certainly appreciate it when they let others know. I believe other forum members appreciate it as well. If someone disagrees, they can also share their opinion. That's what this forum is all about.

This forum is getting very good at calling towns dumps, it has happened several times recently. People forget that they are affecting ordinary people's livelihoods.

Thanks for correction Stuart. I'll be sure to break out the rose coloured glasses and paint the lesser quality or less pleasant towns with the gold paint.

I calls 'em as I sees 'em. Some places get my undying praise and enthusiasm, others, well, not so much. You wouldn't want me to be like a politician and start telling porkies?

Judging others is as bad as judging places or experiences, imho....

Sorry to be depriving you of your livelihood.

I have several friends who love Scarborough, but like Nigel, I call it as I see it as a direct result of my (not isolated) personal experiences. I’m sorry for Scarborough and it’s inhabitants in reality, it could be so much more than it has become. There are reasons we can all point to for what I consider a decline, they are many and varied. Maybe it will rise again to fulfil its undoubted potential. There are others I’m sure, who never want it to change from how it currently is. But in my personal view, I can’t in all honesty recommend it to anybody as a shining example of what is Yorkshire’s east coast.

Ian

About York hotels; I can recommend the hotel mentioned by Mardee, having stayed there for two nights on our Rick Steves England in 14 Days tour. The rooms and beds are comfy, clean, and there is a good breakfast included. It's walking distance to York Minster and the major sights. The neighborhood it's in is quiet.
There is a small Sainsbury grocery store across the street and they have ready-made sandwiches in the cooler for times you return at the end of the day too tired to go out again. 5 pounds buys a sandwich, drink, and bag of crisps (potato chips) for a picnic back at your room.......before crashing into bed, exhausted.
We will be staying there again during our spring/early summer trip to England.

http://www.yorkminsterhotel.co.uk/

About your coastline visit......you are passing by some beautiful coastal areas as you are coming down from Edinburgh long before you get to Yorkshire.
Northumberland has lovely beaches, castles, and more. Consider a visit to Bamburgh Castle or Alnwick Castle.
There's the fishing village of Seahouses.
There's a boat ride or quick walk across the causeway to the island of Lindisfarne.
Dramatic views and lovely area.

If you stop in Northumberland (on the rail line from Edinburgh) you will want to spend a couple of nights there.
Then continue by train to York and stay several nights there. There's enough to do in York to keep you busy for days. You may not need side trips. Don't miss the Yorkshire Museum, with Roman and Viking artifacts, found there in York. You'll want to see The Shambles, walk the town walls, visit York Minster, and see the National Railway Museum.
If you still want to get out of town and see the countryside, there are several tour companies operating minivan tours. No need for you to rent a car.

Mountain Goat Tours; these go out of York.
https://www.mountain-goat.com/Yorkshire
This company is highly recommended on the forum and in Rick Steves' England guidebook.

I stayed in Whitby in 2017 and took the bus to Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough, both on the same day. I would certainly not
call Scarborough quaint or particularly attractive, but it was interesting and the castle ruins up on the cliff were cool (we did not pay to go in; just climbed up to them and walked around). This was a trip where we were seeing lots of cute towns, so Scarborough was a nice change of pace and dose of reality. But I would not do it as a day trip from York.

Maria, I’ve been reading really good reviews in RS guidebooks and other places about the Bar Convent. It’s a unique place to stay, and is supposedly very clean and offers wonderful breakfasts. We’re leaning toward booking there next spring, but the Mister Hotel looks great, too!

We caught the bus from York to Whitby last year. The £2 fare certainly is a bargain and the double decker buses are comfortable with excellent views. The only thing to bear in mind for a day trip is that even though it’s not far, the trip takes over 2 hours (each way) as there are quite a number of stops and detours to villages, including the village from Heartbeat. We really enjoyed the experience.

We loved our stay in Whitby. We stayed in a flat with a balcony overlooking the water, and it was great fun to watch the boating and fishing activity. There are also some good museums, as well as nice shops, pubs, gardens and cafes.