Hello - I am planning a trip for my family in April next year. I have been to England twice before, but it will be my wife’s first visit. We have a 3 year old toddler in tow. For an 8 day trip, does anyone have feedback on the following potential itinerary?
— Fly in to Heathrow on a Saturday morning; take the train to York
— Stay in York for four nights
— On the first full day, explore York by foot
— For Day 3 and 4, rent a car to take day trips from York: possibly Durham, Whitby, towns in North Yorkshire, and/or Castle Howard
— On Day 5, return the rental car in York and take train to London
—Stay in London for 3 nights, then fly home
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8016 posts
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.
Posted by
Preston UK
1193 posts
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.