Most Efficient Route

Whitby is a bit of an outlier, in that without it the itinerary is a simple triangle of direct trains: London to Liverpool to York to (presumably) London (or the reverse). No matter which way you go, you'd likely need to change trains in York to get to or from Whitby. So it's up to you whether you see Whitby before or after York.

Are you flying into London and also out of it? If it were me, I would probably go to Liverpool first. After that, head to York and then Whitby.

Getting to Liverpool from London is about a 2 1/2 hour train ride and a pretty easy one. I would definitely go with three nights in Liverpool if you can, because it's really a fun and interesting city. I don't know if you're going because of the Beatles, but even if you are, there is much more to see and do. And if you go for three nights, you might have room for a quick day trip to Chester, which is definitely a must-see city. I loved Chester, and it was so lovely and fun to walk around in.

After that, take the train to York, which is another two and a half to three hour train ride approximately, and enjoy the beauty of that city. Then make your way to Whitby, which is such a cool place. I really liked Whitby a lot, although it's been over 20 years since I've been there. Actually, almost 30. Yikes! Time to get back!

ETA: CJean is right in that you might need to transfer to York, but there are other trains where you won't, although you almost certainly will go through York. There's one train I know that transfers at Darlington, and then you get on that and stay there until you get to King's Cross. But it will vary depending on which train you get. There are a lot to choose from. 😊

Thanks, these are great tips! Spouse and adult son are doing the Beatles touring, I'm doing ancestry research in Liverpool. York seems extremely interesting, and a British friend suggested Whitby because we enjoy visiting historic seaside resorts.

If you go to Chester from London, you can take the train to Conwy Castle in Wales which is next to Llandudno which is a Victorian Style Beach Resort with hotels and restaurants. I stayed in Chester a couple of times. It is a Walled City with a Roman history. It also has a famous Horse Race Track in Season. You can take the train to Liverpool from Chester. Blackpool, an old carnival Boardwalk, is not too far north from Liverpool. You can cut across country from Liverpool to York with maybe some train connections, but I would skip Whitby until you can spend more time in this northern area. Also I would reccommend driving yourself when there if possible to be able to get around in a timely manner. Spend more time in York, with the Beautiful York Minster, now and take the train to London.

Blackpool, an old carnival Boardwalk, is not too far north from Liverpool. You can cut across country from Liverpool to York with maybe some train connections, but I would skip Whitby until you can spend more time in this northern area.

Here are my thoughts on that. I spent almost six weeks in England in 2024, and thought about Blackpool as one of my destinations. I was told emphatically by most of the Brits here not to bother, that it's run down and really not worth it, so I left it off my itinerary. Your mileage may vary, of course.

I also respectfully disagree about skipping Whitby. With two or three overnights in York, you've got plenty of time to spend a night in Whitby. It really doesn't take too terribly long to get there from York—around 2-3 hours, and Whitby is such a charming place to visit. Once you're there, you can visit the Abbey, climb the steps, think about the legend of Dracula, walk down to the sea, and just enjoy yourself. It would be a shame to go to England and spend all your time in larger cities. I was there for just one overnight and planned to go back, but just being there for that amount of time was worth it. It's a really lovely seaside town and well worth a visit.

Spouse and adult son are doing the Beatles touring,

When I was in Liverpool in 2024, I stayed with a friend of mine and her husband. They took me to see the Philharmonic, which is a spectacular and very opulent pub, with mahogany fireplaces, and mosaic bar counters. It was really gorgeous and had a very art nouveau vibe. Her husband snuck me into the men’s toilet so I could see the beautiful marble urinals and inlaid mosaics. I'm not sure if you're the father or the mother, but tell your son to sneak mom in if possible. If you're the mom, tell your husband and son to check it out. 😂

However, the important thing is that the the Beatles used to frequent the Philharmonic bar many decades ago. In 2018, however, James Corden and Paul McCartney filmed a Carpool Karaoke episode and at the end, they wound up in the Philharmonic with Paul performing before a very stunned crowd (the scene starts at 15:30). The episode was really moving. It's well worth a visit .

You would get more responses if this had been posted in the England forum. All the title says is ‘Most Efficient Route’ - this could be anywhere in the world.

Closer than Blackpool from Liverpool, as a seaside resort is Southport- on the frequent Merseyrail service.

Another somewhat faded resort, but not as faded as Blackpool. And on the way you have the Antony Gormley sculptures at Crosby Beach- https://www.visitliverpool.com/listing/another-place-by-antony-gormley-at-crosby-beach/16098101/

But closer still to Liverpool and on the Merseyrail network is New Brighton (at the north end of the Wirral)- a rare example of a one time seaside resort which has pretty successfully rejuvenated. Two delights of New Brighton are the Mermaid Trail and the Street Art Trail. More street art has been added since that web page was produced. You also have Fort Perch (a Napoleonic era fort (one of a series) built to defend the port of Liverpool, but which ironically only ever fired a shot in anger in WW1, even then it was a genuine mistake, firing on an unarmed Norwegian ship).
Just off shore is the Perch Lighthouse (which you can walk out to at Low Tide)- as you leave Liverpool on a ship to the New World (or anywhere else) the symbolic 'Leaving of Liverpool'), as much so if you are only sailing to the Isle of Man or Belfast, as opposed to New York.

Yes, straight up, New Brighton is a deeply important place to me personally, so much so that some of Mum's ashes are scattered there (and my family on Dad's side has very strong history in the Lifeboat Station there), so I will admit to being strongly biased.

From New Brighton there is miles and miles of coastal walking- turn right for the trail to both Mersey ferries terminals (eventually) which also has the often missed Blitz Trail (markers of where the Mersey Docks were bombed in WW2, with many notable moments), or turn left for the Wirral Coastal Walk to Hoylake, West Kirkby, Caldy and Thurstaston beaches and beyond. Hoylake may now be better known for Golf, but was (and still to an extent is) a more genteel kind of resort town, with miles of sandy beach as far as the eye can see at low tide (but beware of quicksand). When the tide allows you can even walk out to the Hilbre Islands (plural)- one of the secrets of Merseyside- not Liverpool, as the Wirral was historically Cheshire.