Hi;
We are a family of four (young adult 22yo kids) traveling to London/Edinburgh end of May/early June. We will be spending 5 days in London and then taking train to Edinburgh where we will spend 4 nights.
Should we take train straight to Edinburgh - or debating taking train London to York and spending the afternoon in York and then train York to Edinburgh?
Not sure if it's worth it if we will only have 4-5 hours in York.
Appreciate any input. Thanks.
not worth it for that length of time
I wouldn’t. You might barely have time for the Railway Museum but that’s all. And with luggage, it becomes a hassle.
For the amount of time available, it isn't worth it.
I hope I'm not about to make any enemies here ( I do love Wasleys posts ) , but , another thought . - York isn't that big , and if there is luggage storage available at York Station ( I'm not sure , as on previous visits I had a car ) or at The National Railway Museum , which is next to the station , then four or five hours would be worth it , if you are sufficiently caffeinated . You would have two possible choices - The Minster is a relatively short walk from the station , about twenty minutes , OR The Railway Museum , a favorite for me , right next to the train station . Again , it all hinges on a place to store your luggage . Finally to get an advance taste of what is on tap , watch the video on the thread that I posted , just below this one .
According to Stasher, there is left luggage available at both the PI's on Blossom Street, and at a hostel called Safestay York on Micklegate. But nothing at the station itself. The NRM don't mention that they have luggage storage so have to assume not.
Just been looking at the NRM website- it's another place which has jumped on the bandwagon of you should make an advance booking, or you MAY not be able to get in on the day, if they are busy.
it’s on the way, and unless you have a full slate of things planned for Edinburgh, then taking a few hours from your Edinburgh arrival time will give you an additional experience by including a quick York stop. Even if you’re just strolling thru the Shambles, seeing the medieval walls and Clifford’s Tower, or popping in Betty’s Tearooms for a break, places in York, a Roman settlement subsequently invaded by Vikings (Jorvik to them) is worth seeing.
When I went to York in 2019 there was a "Luggage Storage" sign visible not long after you exited the station and headed toward town. Google will probably reveal that option and possibly others.
However, I come down on the "not worth it" side of the question because:
The train station is a bit of a walk from what you'd want to see. Take a look at Google Maps; the station's on the west side of the river.
The luggage-storage bit will take a bit of time, and you don't know how long you'll have to wait to retrieve your luggage when you return.
You'll presumably have bought rail tickets that require you to take specific trains. It would be a costly error to miss the York-Edinburgh train, so you'll need to head back to the station with some time to spare, including an excessive allowance for retrieving your luggage.
Lunchtime will probably fall within the time you're in York. Unless you buy something packaged at a grocery store, some of the time you allot to York will be spent eating rather than sightseeing.
I wonder whether the total rail fare for London-York plus York-Edinburgh would be quite a bit more expensive than London-Edinburgh. (But it might not be--perhaps an Advance fare is still available for one of those segments but not both, in which case splitting the journey conceivably could be cheaper.)
The above notwithstanding, I don't think it's a dumb idea to stop off in York. If you choose to do so, I'd try for a longer stopover than 4-5 hours. If you cannot extend the time, I'd consider your sightseeing plans carefully. York Minster reportedly takes multiple hours to see. The Yorvik Viking Centre is a family attraction, with all the pros and cons that connotes, and I don't think it's a quick visit either. (I didn't have time for those despite spending multiple nights in York.) I enjoyed walking the walls and just wandering around the old streets in the city center.
Answer yes do it
I am biased as a Yorkshireman.
Walmgate bar makes a excellent stop ,roof top cafe ,view to the Minister
Re acravens post above I have just looked randomly at 25 May and a very quick look. The best London to Edinburgh fare I can see that day is £59.50.
But doing a split on the 0906 from KX, then a variety of mid to late afternoon trains from York it comes to £60.90. Leave York after 5.30pm (which is still into Edinburgh at 8.15pm) the split comes down to £54.
So almost no difference, potentially a bit cheaper. Leave York at 5.30 and you've had over 6 hours there.
If you can find a place to store your luggage, go for it.
You can't see everything but you can get a "taste" of the city.
One further thought about your luggage - The general ,well advised consensus for travel is to pack light, one of the principles I adhere to . Since it looks like your trip is about ten days total , each of you should be ablie to do this with a backpack each . If you do that , it eliminates the issue when it comes to stashing your bags . Both the railway museum and The Minster are easily accessible with only a backpack .
I agree with Frank. Just because you may not have the time to see it all, doesn't mean you shouldn't see it at all. With half a day you could walk around the city center, see the Minister, grab a quick lunch and be on your way.
