York and The Yorkshire Dales

Hi,

Ahh York, one of the BEST places in Britain. You can try, but getting a picture and fitting the entire York Minster cathedral is tough! Try an evensong performance there at 5pm usually. There are some excellent guided walks at night, you'll see signs.

Overall, Yorkshire works well with a car for the countryside, with limited bus service. The moors pretty much require a car. The city is very train/bus friendly.

Great food in York, nice sandwhich shops and cafe stands selling baguette breads with melted cheeses and veggies, yum!

The York castle is simple and easy, nice little walk through. The Castle Museum is great. The best part of York I think, is just getting up early and walking around on the town walls watching the action below. Some of the best preserved medival walls in Europe.

For a quick sidetrip by train or bus, stop up north in Durham and check out the cathedral. Interesting comparison to the York Minster! Both are enormous.

Have fun,

Jessica, normally I'd suggest a rental car as the best method to see the North York Moors etc. However, as you'll be travelling in December you might want to consider organized coach or mini-coach tours instead. Your Hotel in York should have information on which ones operate during the winter months. The weather could be somewhat "inclement" and that's not the best time to be driving on the "correct" side of the road, using a rental car that may not be equipped with proper snow tires.

As one of the previous posts indicated, there's lots to see in York although I'm not sure which attractions might be closed in winter - I usually travel in "shoulder season"? The railway museum is one of the best in Europe, the Jorvik Viking Museum & of course York Minster! A walk through the Shambles is always nice, and the walking tours are very interesting (again, if they're on in winter). Also Eden Camp if you like WW-II history.

Check Rick's Guidebook for suggestions.

Happy travels!

Hi Jessica, there are ruins of two beautiful abbeys that are worth seeing. Rievaulx Abbey (875 years old) near Helmsley and Jervaulx Abbey near Masham in Wensleydale is so worth your time and both in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. I would rent a car, I would get a automatic. If you go to Jervaulx Abbey there is a fantastic pub The Wensleydale Heifer which has great food. Have a great trip.

Hi. Theres more than enough to do in York for a day or two, however.. if the weather is perfect blues skies think about a hire car for the day and a trip to the Yorkshire Dales. Car is the only real option to really get around the dales in a day.Rain is much more likley than ice and snow. One of englands most scenic railways runs though the Pennines, the settle to Carlise. There used to be a railrover ticket to cover the whole area up to and incuding Hadrians Wall.

If you're a beer drinker, tour the York Brewery. I didn't get to it on a recent trip, but some friends did and thought it was a neat experience. And they picked up a great souvenir: half-pint glasses with the brewery name on them. (And yep, the glasses emerged from their luggage at home in one piece.)

York has wonderful things to do. Visit the Jorvic museum- it is a "disney" type ride through the history of the Viking invasion of York. Tour the micro-brewery- it ends with a free drink of some really good beer (according to hubby- I don't like any beer myself). If you haven't booked your room yet- consider the Royal York- it is the train station hotel and we really enjoy it.