Which train service should I use from York to London. Horrible reviews of Grand Central?

The concept of 'overbooking' a train doesn't come into it in the UK, since anyone with a non-advance ticket valid on the route can decide to board - ie reservations are not compulsory.

Grand Central is an open access operator, so it only has a limited number of services - 5 through York - and is the only option for a direct train from some destinations, which is why it can fill up quite easily. Those without a seat reservation would have to stand if necessary.

Whichever operator you go to (LNER being the major, but this tends to be a bit more expensive), as well as reserving a seat you can book any part of Passenger Assist that you think may help you, eg:

• meet you at the station entrance or meeting point
• help you navigate around the station and accompany you to your train
• help you on and off the service
• provide a ramp on and off your train
• meet you from your train and take you to your next train or the exit
• carry your bag

Call 0800 0223720 at least 24 hours in advance.

Trains go from York to Kings Cross not Paddington

There are only two companies LNER and Grand Central.

Ignore the complaints about overcrowding. If the trains are busy people stand. Trains get delayed and sometimes things go wrong. That can happen to either company.

Another survey gives different a different view https://www.which.co.uk/news/2015/02/grand-central-tops-which-train-satisfaction-survey-394054/

Choose Advance tickets based on price and time.

It really doesn’t matter who you travel with. It’s only a train.

As the others say, use LNER, they run most of the trains: https://www.lner.co.uk/

Buy early to get the cheap fares, and reserve seat to ensure you won't stand. Your ticket will have your seat number on it. The people who stand have "open" tickets, valid on any train. Mostly business travellers who want the flexibility. They just turn up and get on the next train, sometimes you are unlucky and have to stand. Not "overbooking", they didn't book!

There are at least two departures per hour, choose any convenient time. Trip takes around 2 hours. Goes to London King's Cross, NOT Paddington.

Meals - bring your own food and drink.

Take Marco's advice about the Assistance line in your situation. Especially with LNER, they will take good care of you if they know you are coming.

Thanks...as far as booking to Paddington....that's a choice they give me in the price? I realize that I have to take the tube from Kings Cross but I assumed the price of the tube ride was included? Wrong?

If Paddington is where you actually want to get to and you specify a ticket from York to Paddington then yes it will include the tube journey from Kings Cross.

Yes, you can buy a ticket including the tube from King's Cross to Paddington, but it might not be sensible.
Presumably you will be doing travelling around London, so presumably you will be buying Oyster cards (if you don't have them already) for travelling within London.
In which case just use Oyster Cards on the tube. Buy them at Kings Cross tube if you don't have them already. That trip will be included in your daily "cap" (daily maximum price for unlimited travel)

Just echoing Emma - if you are using a walker you will possibly not enjoy the tube much.

There is an Accessibility map available for the Tube. The problem is that the escalators are very busy and generally quite long, and although a station will have escalators they don't go all the way to the platforms. There are almost always several to a few stairs too. Passageways can be long and they also often have steps. A small number of stations such as Covent Garden only have lifts but you have to check the map to see if there aren't stairs lurking somewhere.

I just tried using the lifts system at Kings Cross because I had a heavy (for me) bag full of computers and stuff. I am able bodied and found it very confusing and disorientating. There is not one lift to achieve any goal. They go up and down a couple of flights then you have to negotiate another long passage to find where the next one you need is hidden. Then up another floor, then another long passage, and so on. There are decent schematic signs at each lift but little to guide you to the next one. The are blue signs on some columns pointing towards lifts but they don't say which lifts and in one place I saw them pointing in two conflicting directions.

Being married to a vision impaired disabled lady I was not impressed at Kings Cross. I guess the problem is that with so many entrances, two main line train stations and half a dozen Underground lines there is just to much to make a simple path.

If you stay on the surface after arriving, a number 205 bus will take you to Paddington. It is modern, with a disabled person area (you may have to fight with the baby carriages and shopping trollies, but people will usually make room for you to sit), and an electric ramp.

Taxis are easy at Kings Cross too.

The map I spoke about is at the overall Tube map collection at https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube The step free map is at http://content.tfl.gov.uk/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdf and the avoiding stairs guide at http://content.tfl.gov.uk/avoiding-stairs-tube-guide.pdf

I hope that this helps.

Seconding recommendations to avoid the Tube and use black cabs. Buses for the second choice.

The morning and evening rush are long are busy in London. Platforms at stations are often completely packed with passengers from the rail edge back to the wall. Trains often arrive already in Standing Room Only mode.

Cabs can be difficult to find during rush hour, especially if you're trying to wave one down. In general, I try to avoid travel during the rush hours to avoid the hassle, even if it's simply lingering over a meal.

There's also a reason for the "Mind The Gap" announcement. That gap between the train door and the platform can be very real at some stations. Traversing them with a walker might be problematic.

Thanks for the comments!
I took your advice and booked only to Kings Cross and will find an easier way to get to flat.
Thanks again.