Yorkshire Getting there & around

Getting there & around

Yorkshire covers a large part of northern England, and a vast range of landscapes. From the Pennine Hills on the western side of the region (separating Yorkshire from age-old rival Lancashire), you can travel through the green valleys of the Yorkshire Dales, across the plains of the Vale of York and the rolling hills of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds, to finally end at the dramatic east coast.

The major north–south transport routes – the M1 and A1 motorways and the main London to Edinburgh railway line – run through the middle of Yorkshire following the flat lands between the Pennines and the Moors, and serving the key cities of Sheffield, Leeds and York.

Yorkshire’s main gateway cities by road and rail are Sheffield in the far south, Leeds for the west and York for the centre and north. If you’re coming by sea from northern Europe, Hull (in the East Riding) is the region’s main port. For inquiries, the national Traveline (0870 608 2608) covers buses and trains all over Yorkshire.

Bus & tram

Bus

Long-distances buses and coaches run by National Express (08705 808080) regularly service most cities and large towns in Yorkshire from London, the south of England, the Midlands and Scotland. More details are given under Getting There & Away in the individual town and city sections.

Bus transport around Yorkshire is frequent and efficient, especially between major towns. Services are more sporadic in the national parks but still perfectly adequate for reaching most places, particularly in the summer months (June to September).

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Train

The main line between London and Edinburgh runs through Yorkshire with at least 10 services per day, via York and Doncaster – where you might change to reach other places in Yorkshire. There are also direct services between the major towns and cities of Yorkshire and other northern cities like Manchester and Newcastle. One of England’s most famous and scenic railways is the Settle–Carlisle Line (SCL), which crosses the Yorkshire Dales via a spectacular series of tunnels and viaducts. Trains start/end in Leeds, and Carlisle is a good stop on the way to Scotland. Call or check out National Rail Enquiries (08457 484950; www.nationalrail.co.uk) for timetable details.

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