Travelling to Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a large county in the North of England, set between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to the south, Durham and Teesside to the North, Lancashire and Cumbria to the West and the North Sea to the East, and is very easily accessed by sea, air, road and rail networks. Many parts of the county are also accessed on foot by walkers either over the Pennine hills, often as part of the Coast to Coast walk, or from the North and North West of Yorkshire.
By Road:
All the main cities, towns and villages in Yorkshire are linked by the UK road network, and hence driving to, from and within Yorkshire is very easy. The M1 motorway links London to Sheffield and then Leeds where it becomes the A1 and continues into North Yorkshire and onto Scotland. The M62 links to Leeds to Hull in the East and Manchester in the West. The M18 motorway skirts the South East corner of Yorkshire and links the M1 to the M180 thus providing easy access from North Lincolnshire and the Humber Estuary to South Yorkshire.
Approximate Driving times to Leeds (roughly the centre of Yorkshire):
- Birmingham - 2hr 15mins
- Bristol - 3hrs 33mins
- Edinburgh - 3hrs 40mins
- Exeter - 5hr 5mins
- Glasgow - 3hrs 24mins
- Liverpool - 2hr 10mins
- London - 3hrs 8mins
- Manchester - 1hr 30mins
The above times are based on reasonably clear roads, and can be extended either due to road works or adverse weather. It is always advisable to check your route before setting off.
Links to Traffic information:
By Coach:
Travelling by coach is often a cheap alternative to car or train journeys. Yorkshire is interconnected by coaches that link the cities and larger towns together. Smaller towns and villages are connected by local bus services.
Approximate coach journey times to Leeds:-
- Birmingham - 2hrs 46mins
- Bristol - 4hr 15mins
- Edinburgh - 4hrs 50mins
- Exeter - 6hrs 20mins
- Glasgow - 4hrs 32mins
- Liverpool - 2hr 40mins
- London - 4hrs
- Manchester - 2hrs
Links to coach Operators:
By Train:
Yorkshire is well connected to the UK main rail network. The East coast mainline, high speed electrified rail service runs from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh stopping at Doncaster, York and Thirsk within Yorkshire. There is also a route to Sheffield that leaves St. Pancras in London and another route from Kings Cross that travels to Leeds. St. Pancras is connected to the Eurostar link to France which makes Yorkshire directly accessible by rail from mainland Europe. Another important Yorkshire route crosses the Pennines from Manchester to Sheffield, a very scenic journey through countryside; the local stopping service is popular with walkers.
Approximate journey times to Leeds (based on fastest direct trains):
- London - 2hrs 15mins
- Bristol - 3hrs 33mins
- Birmingham - 1hr 52mins
- Edinburgh - 3hrmins
- Glasgow - 4hrs 7min
- Exeter - 4hrs 39mins
- Liverpool - 1hr 55mins
Links to Rail Travel Information & tickets:
By Air:
Yorkshire has two large commercial airports with regular international and internal flights. For overseas visitors or those based in based in Cornwall, Devon and Scotland, a flight may well be the quickest and most cost effective method of travel to Yorkshire. South Yorkshire's Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster is still relatively new but has a growing list of carriers operating international flights, and Leeds Bradford airport in West Yorkshire is a well established air route directly into Yorkshire. Outside of Yorkshire but still very close is Manchester, Humberside, Durham Tees Valley and East Midland airports.
Links to Yorkshire airports:
Links to other nearby airports:
By Sea:
North Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire have direct access to the North Sea. Hull receives passenger and car ferries from various parts of Europe. Further North, Newcastle also receives ferries from Northern Europe and Norway. Visitors from Ireland can access Yorkshire via Liverpool and Holyhead in Anglesey.
Links to Ferry Operators:
Getting Around Yorkshire:
Once you have arrived in Yorkshire, travelling around the county is relatively straight forward. The cities, towns and villages of Yorkshire are fully interconnected by roads, the rail network and the local bus services. Hence it is very easy to get about and see many different areas including the beautiful remote countryside and the big cities. Travelling around at a more leisurely pace can be enjoyed in many ways including walking, horse-riding, canal boating and cycling.