Once you’re in Yorkshire there are plenty of options for getting around, whether you prefer your own pedal power, sitting back on a train or bus, cruising the waterways or exploring scenic back roads by car.
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Walking and cycling
Yorkshire is ideal for exploring by foot or bike, including multi-day long distance adventures. For inspiration, check out Yorkshire’s great outdoors.
Check out Walkit.com too, an online walking journey planner available for Leeds and Sheffield, to really get to know these fantastic cities.
Travel by train
Yorkshire is well served by the national rail network (for details of train times and tickets visit www.nationalrail.co.uk) and is also home to a number of heritage railway lines. YorkshireTravel.net provides impartial journey planning information about all public transport services – buses, coaches, trains and trams, throughout Yorkshire.
Grand Central offers reliable and relaxing journey’s with exceptional service, to various destinations in Yorkshire. A Train named after “Ashley Jackson – The Yorkshire Artist” travels between Bradford and Kings Cross three times a day, taking art to the people and Yorkshire to a wider audience through the faithful reproduction of Ashley’s moorland landscapes on to vinyl within every carriage on the train.
Northern Rail: runs trains across the north, including direct access to the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District and the coast.
Enjoy one of the world’s most scenic railway journeys, the Settle to Carlisle line.
The popular steam hauled ‘Fellsman‘ returns to the spectacular Settle to Carlisle railway for its 7th season in summer 2015, running on Wednesday’s over the roof of England – With great limestone peaks and deep valleys the legendary ‘Settle to Carlisle’ line is a masterpiece of Victorian engineering including the great 24 arched viaduct at Ribblehead, with time available for either sightseeing in Carlisle – or an optional tour of the Lake District by vintage coach and cruise on beautiful Ullswater.
Listening on the line… You can also listen to an audio guide narrated by Mark Holdstock, regular BBC Radio 4 presenter. The commentaries on the views, history and stories of the route are timed exactly to the speed of the train. Download the MP3 audio in advance here or purchase pre-loaded players at the stations on the line. Alternatively download the free Settle-Carlisle Railway Guide app for your smartphone.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway: enjoy this heritage steam-hauled train line running between the market town of Pickering and Grosmont, with occasional services to Whitby.
Wensleydale Railway: Take a historic journey by steam train and trains of yesteryear with the Wensleydale Railway, through 16 miles of stunning Yorkshire countryside to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Bolton Castle. Running between Leeming Bar [off the A1] and Redmire [for Bolton Castle], this breathtaking area inspired the artist Turner and was the setting for the TV series ‘All Creatures Great and Small.’ Getting to the Wensleydale Railway couldn’t be easier. Leeming Bar is under a mile from the A1, north of Leeds and York or you can join the trains at Redmire, Leyburn or Bedale. There is also a half hourly bus service from Northallerton which takes just 14 minutes and is operated by ‘Dales and District.’ Press the stop button on the bus when you pass the town name sign for Leeming Bar and alight at the next stop. The station is on the right at the small roundabout, just three minutes by foot. A Rover ticket giving freedom of the railway costs £15 for adults, £13 senior citizen, £7.50 child and £35 for a family ticket of 2 adults and up to 2 children travelling together or £22 for 1 adult and up to 2 children. A range of single and return fares are also available between all locations.
Metro is the transport brand of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority developing public transport services for the people of West Yorkshire by providing travel information, train timetables, journey planning and travel updates on Twitter and Facebook. Information about multi-operator bus and rail MCard smart tickets and concessionary fare schemes providing reduced cost travel for seniors, blind, disabled and young people can also be found via the website.
Many of Yorkshire’s towns and cities also benefit from PlusBus, letting you add discounted bus travel to your train ticket.
Park & Ride
Leeds Park and Ride
Leeds City Park and Ride is a cheap, convenient and stress-free way of getting into the city without the hassle and cost of city centre parking.
Buses run every 10-15 minutes from Elland Road or Temple Green, with quick journey times into the city centre. With free WiFi, USB points, leather seats and audio visual screens, the Park and Ride hybrid buses will get you there in style.
Tickets are just £3 a day or £2.70 when you buy five or more on a smartcard and up to three children(16 and under) travel free with every fare-paying adult. Plus on a weekend 5 people travel for £4.50 when travelling together.
Find out more at iparkandride.com
Travel by bus
Why not let someone else do the driving and go by bus?
There are comprehensive networks of local bus services throughout most areas of Yorkshire, providing an easy way to explore the area. YorkshireTravel.net provides impartial journey planning information about all public transport services – buses, coaches, trains and trams, throughout Yorkshire.
Here’s some of the major bus services that will get you around Yorkshire:
Plan your journey online with Arriva, who have buses running across Yorkshire on a regular basis. Saver tickets can be bought online, in your local shop, on the bus itself, or even via your mobile phone. Getting around has never been easier!
DalesBus is one of Britain’s most successful network of weekend leisure bus services. The network is designed to offer visitors a Swiss-style network of bus services that meet trains both on the celebrated Settle-Carlisle line and local Metro lines at Ilkley or Skipton. The bus network also allows connections between services to allow through journeys not only from the centres of towns and cities such as Leeds, Harrogate, Bradford, Manchester, Wakefield, Lancaster, Middlesbrough and York into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale AONB
Metro is the transport brand of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority developing public transport services for the people of West Yorkshire by providing travel information, bus timetables, journey planning and travel updates on Twitter and Facebook. Information about multi-operator bus MCard smart tickets (season, weekend, day and ‘pay as you go’) and concessionary fare schemes providing reduced cost travel for seniors, blind, disabled and young people can also be found via the website.
East Yorkshire Motor Services – EYMS runs over 300 buses and coaches throughout Hull, East Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast (including summer open top buses in Scarborough) and onto the North York Moors. If you live in North Yorkshire you’ll know them as “Scarborough & District”. They also run a fleet of luxury coaches offering the latest in comfort that can be hired for days and weekends away, corporate trips and transport to and from events. Find full details, including timetables for all bus services, on the website.
York City sightseeing Bus – What better way to see York than to take a tour on an open top bus? You’ll be shown around the City, with all major tourist attractions pointed out to you and an on-board commentary giving you an introduction to the history of York. Tours are daily throughout the year (except 24-26 December and 1 January). The full tour takes 45 minutes – 1 hour and are valid for 24 hours so hop on and off as much as you like. Tickets can be purchased on the bus.
Keighley Bus Company – For frequent services in and around Keighley and the Worth Valley taking you to Skipton, Otley, Bradford and everywhere in between in comfort and style. Also featuring the Brontë Bus, giving you the opportunity to see the landscape which inspired Charlotte, Emily and Anne.
Harrogate Bus Company – Regular services around Harrogate, Knaresborough and Leeds, on award-winning electric buses, meaning you can make your travel stylish and convenient, as well as better for the environment. Featuring free charging and WiFi on board as well as late night buses until 2am.
Yorkshire Coastliner – Coastliner run services between Leeds, York and the popular resorts of Whitby, Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington on the East Coast of Yorkshire.
Red Bus Days – Experience tailor made transport for your special occasion be it a Wedding, a trip to the Theatre, a special Birthday Treat or a Family Reunion.
Scenic Bus Routes in West Yorkshire – All on the One Ticket! A Great Day Out… Locations include Wharfe, Aire & Calder Valleys, Oxenhope Moor, Haworth & Hebden Bridge.
CityZap – This high-spec direct bus runs every 30 minutes between York and Leeds and every hour between Leeds and Manchester. The bus is fitted with a sat nav so the drivers takes the fastest route and avoids the traffic! With comfy leather seats, free wifi and a USB power point at every seat – you’ll be travelling in comfort and style.
Private Hire
VAMOOZ – VAMOOZ offer trips to events and destinations. Upcoming trips in and around Yorkshire are on their app, free from the App Store and Play Store, where you can also book tickets. VAMOOZ trips are crowdfunded so the more that ride…the less you pay and you can see your ticket price falling as more people book on. The VAMOOZ promise – go where you choose – also means you can request your own trips in the app or on social media so if you’re in a group, this could be ideal for you.
Waterways
British Waterways: looks after around 270 miles of inland waterways, from the mighty Humber to the scenic Ouse and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Yorkshire’s waterways are an excellent way of getting around at a more leisurely pace. Find out more about Yorkshire’s canals, boat hire and boating holidays.
Chauffeur Service
The Sovereign Chauffeur Co is widely experienced in providing personalised guided tours throughout Yorkshire and the North of England. Tours are conducted in air-conditioned executive saloons or people-carriers by chauffeurs who are extremely knowledgeable, live in the region and have benefited from professional training.
Car Rental in Yorkshire
Arrow Self Drive
Arrow Self Drive is Yorkshire’s largest independent vehicle hire company, renting cars, vans, minibuses and trucks. A family run business, the company has over 2,000 vehicles on fleet and eight depots across the region, so whatever your transportation needs, call on the team at Arrow Self Drive to supply the right vehicle for you. Business fleets, long term leasing and flexible terms available for companies with between 1 and 100 vehicles.
Rhino Car Hire
Rhino Car Hire is a leading UK based car rental broker offering excellent value car rentals throughout the UK and all over the world. A family run business launched in 2007, Rhino offer a wide range of vehicles from mini / economy cars to people carriers, luxury and convertible cars at over 45,000 locations globally.
Tel: 0845 508 9845
Auto Europe Ltd
As a leading global car hire broker, Auto Europe is well positioned to provide you with incredibly low car rental prices from an unmatched selection of providers. Having over 60 years of experience has allowed us to build strong professional relationships with top worldwide car hire brands, but without also forsaking some of the local and national providers. By partnering with companies such as Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, etc., we have been able to give our customers greater choice and flexibility when booking a hire car.
Tel: 0800 358 1229
Skipton Self Drive
Skipton Self Drive Ltd. is a family run vehicle hire company based in the picturesque market town of Skipton, North Yorkshire. They are a family run, friendly and accommodating service which will be sure to find the right vehicle for you. They have a broad range of vehicles from small cars to 7.5 ton box van with an electric tail lift load bed.
Tel: 01756 792911
Yorkshire 4X4 Vehicle Hire
Yorkshire 4×4 Vehicle Hire is the UK’s favourite car rental business. Offering a range of Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles for short or long term rental at realistic prices with cars delivered direct to your address or arrival point. We also offer chauffeur services for any occasion. Discount available when mention WtoY.
Tel: 01423 323335
Email: northyorks@4x4vehiclehire.co.uk
www.4x4vehiclehire.co.uk/northyorks
Classic Car Hire North
Classic cars in Yorkshire. Make your holiday, day out or romantic weekend away extra special by hiring a classic car. Choose one of our fleet of fabulous modern classic sports cars of the 1990s, or take a trip back in time and enjoy driving as it used to be in one of our classic cars from the 1960s.
Tel: 07788 276309
Yorkshire Motorhomes Affordable Motorhome Hire
Yorkshire Motorhomes Affordable Motorhome Hire is a family run business based in Barnsley South Yorkshire, we have many years’ experience working within the motorhome industry with an enviable reputation for outstanding customer care and service as we do everything possible to ensure our customers are totally happy. We recently expanded our business into motorhome hire and through our network of nationwide hirers we can provide motorhome hire almost anywhere in the country, please ask for details.
Nationwide Hire UK
Hire cars, minibuses, trucks and mpvs from over 100 locations in the UK. Each rental includes 20% off all vehicles, free delivery and collection, free unlimited mileage and European cover.