York-London Itinerary for 8 days

Have you considered booking a multi-city flight? For example, you could fly into Edinburgh, which is closer to York then fly out of Heathrow on the way home. It's usually no more expensive than round trip. Just check Google Flights and click the "multi-city" option instead of "round trip."

Otherwise it seems like a good itinerary. There are some wonderful day trip opportunities in North Yorkshire. Just be aware that parking can be a bit difficult in York itself, so you might want to look for a hotel that has parking options for when you get the rental car. I love Durham Cathedral and Whitby is just a joy to visit. If you can, visit Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley, and I loved the Ryedale Folk Museum (a wonderful open air museum) in Hutten-le-Hole.

Another idea is to take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Pickering to Whitby. There are some charming towns on the way as well. It would be slower than a car, but might be fun as it's usually a steam engine, and your toddler might like riding on a train.

Can you fly into Manchester instead? A lot nearer York and there are direct trains from the airport. From Heathrow you have an hour to get into London and then another two on th3 train.

Alternatively have a couple of days in London first so that you don’t have the stress of getting off the plane , across London and on the train whilst jet lagged, especially with a 3 year old.

It sounds like a good itinerary to me! I like arriving in London and then training to the first destination. It's a lot of travel in one day, but relatively easy. Just allow for the possibility of flights delays, etc. when planning your train journey. A couple of months ago, we arrived at Heathrow at 9:50 am, took the Heathrow Express to Paddington and caught a 12:05 to Cornwall (Truro). We arrived at 4:30 pm- all very easy. I bought a railcard and purchased super off-peak tickets so it was very affordable too. I also like seeing London at the end, when one is over jet lag and still has plenty of energy.

With four nights in York, you'll have three full days. I think York is worth 2 full days, but maybe you've been there already or have other interests. As was mentioned, parking can be a challenge in York, but there are several public lots. There are lots of great possibilities for day trips and beautiful country to explore. Any particular interests?

Happy planning!

Thank you all! Those are helpful suggestions. I hadn’t thought of flying in and out from different airports, but Manchester seems like a good option for less hassle getting to York on the first day. It sounds like a rail pass would cost less for the week than point-to-point rail tickets. I’m interesting in going to a mix of classic sights and areas less visited by tourists. Is it possible to reach the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from York without a car?

A day isn’t a long time to spend exploring York. Also, Durham is a direct train journey of 45 mins or so. Might be worth avoiding hiring a car and doing one final day trip out of York by train or bus.

Others have said parking in York is difficult. As I recall, it wasn’t particularly easy in Durham either.

For the NYMR yes it is, take the Whitby bound Yorkshire Coastliner bus #840 from York
For a day out you need the 0801 from York Station, arrive Pickering 0934, and the 1736 back from Whitby (1842 at Pickering).
That is £3 flat fare each way per adult next April. Sit upstairs for the stunning views.

Since I received very helpful responses the first time around again, I have a follow-up question — if I am struggling to find affordable lodging in central London (otherwise than a few big chain hotels), would it be worth considering outer suburbs/towns within 45 minutes by train? I was considering lodging in St. Albans, since my family would like to visit the Harry Potter movie studio next door in Watford. My first choice is still central London, but I’ve been shocked by the hotel cost.

Jeff, yes you can take a taxi from York to Pickering, where you then take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam engine to Whitby.

Well it is, but don't forget you then have to pay the train fare into London every day which isn't cheap.
You could instead find a hotel in Watford.
There are 2 direct bus lines from there to Heathrow - one of which is only £3 each.
That bus, the #724, is 24/7, and also runs from St Albans, also for £3 each.
The train fare into Euston is a lot cheaper from Watford especially if you use Watford tube station rather than the main line station.
Also there are red London buses from Watford at normal London bus fares #142 to Stanmore and Edgware tube stations and #258 to Harrow on the Hill tube.
It all depends how much you want to pare costs down.

Have you tried looking at the Premier Inn and Travelodge chains? These don't show up on booking engines like booking.com but are a decent standard at what for London are affordable rates.

Others have said parking in York is difficult. As I recall, it wasn’t particularly easy in Durham either.

It depends on where you go. I went to the cathedral and parked at the huge parking center area nearby and found it quite easy as it's right off the main highway. I found info about it in Rick Steves' England guidebook. Here are the details:

Park at the 400-space Prince Bishops Shopping Centre parking lot
(coming from the A-1/M-1 exit, you’ll run right into it at the
roundabout at the base of the old town, taking the turnoff for the
A690 into Durham City.). An elevator deposits you in the heart of
Durham (£3.30/up to 4 hours). You must must enter license plate number
to use payment machines. Or you can use Trust Parking app -
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/trust-parking/id1219248732 - must
download in UK. https://princebishopsplace.co.uk/parking/

Once you finish seeing the cathedral, it's an easy walk into the city center, which has a wonderful vibe.

And I second John's rec above about Premier Inns. I've stayed at 3-4 of them and have always found them clean, comfortable and a very reasonable price. I stayed at the Premier Inn County Hall earlier this year (end of March) and paid around $180 USD per night. And that was for a Premier Plus room, which includes a mini-fridge and a few other amenities. A basic room would be cheaper.

Also if you stay at a PI with kids, they eat breakfast for free with a paying adult.

Since the parking issue has been mentioned, I will make a recommendation for a good hotel in York that has plenty of parking.
The Minster Hotel has its own parking lot, safe and secure, in a courtyard beside the hotel. I highly recommend this hotel. Comfy beds, good price. Ask for a room in the annex.....it's a lot quieter there than in the main building. http://www.yorkminsterhotel.co.uk/

About London......I agree with Mardee and John.
Definitely look at the Premier Inn hotel chain. Many good locations in London. Comfy beds; great price. Breakfast can be included in the price--you can opt to have it included or not. The price is cheaper without the breakfast and there are coffee shops all around London where you can pick up a breakfast sandwich or juice and a pastry.

To get the best deal......
Always book on the hotel's website; not through a third-party booking website.
Book early, as soon as you are sure of your dates, to get the best deal.

For an affordable accommodation in London, you could try the Vancouver Hotel and Studios in Bayswater. We stayed here last October. The location is excellent.

Great plan.
I have been to al the places that you listed and loved them all.
York is wonderful, don't miss the National Railway Museum.
Castle Howard is worth a stop on your way to Whitby.

Another vote for the York Minster Hotel, it has parking and is walking distance from the city center.

Highly recommended on this forum is this tour company, Mountain Goat.
https://www.mountain-goat.com/yorkshire
https://www.mountain-goat.com/Lake-District/York
https://www.mountain-goat.com/Yorkshire/Scheduled-Tours/North-York-Moors-and-Whitby

You may find that some of the tours they offer might be a better option for you than renting a car.

About traveling to Durham...you don't need a car. You can hop on the train in York, hop off in Durham. Easy trip.
Return to York by train. This would be easier than driving IMHO.