York, England: A Travel Guide

I'm still going strong with fitting in my UK excursions in an attempt to keep to my new year's resolution of exploring more of what the UK has to offer! Last weekend I visited York - somewhere which I knew was beautiful, but had never had the opportunity to visit! I'm going to share with you some of what York has to offer, so that if you decide to take a trip there, you'll know what to look out for!

TRAVEL AND ACCOMODATION

I personally drove up to York and found that to park in the city centre was a lot of money, so opted for the park and ride, where you can park for free and buy a return adult bus fare for £3.20. There is also the main train station in the centre of York, which is walking distance to all the main attractions.

In regards to accommodation, if you haven't got the car, I would recommend staying in the city centre itself, but if you are driving and are using the park and ride anyway, then there a lots of lovely manor house hotels just a few miles on the outskirts of York which you can experience a little bit of countryside as well as a slightly cheaper hotel cost.

FOOD AND DRINK

York is FULL of places to eat, you are so spoilt for choice! I only wish I was there longer to try out more of the amazing foodie places! There are a lot of independent coffee shops, as well as 365 pubs and of course your local and chain restaurants. Unfortunately I cannot give a review of every place there is to eat, but I can tell you my thoughts on the places I experienced!

Betty's Tea Room - Established in 1919, Betty's tearoom is a 'must-go-to' in York, purely because of the tradition, history and the beautiful setting of the tea room. It serves everything from breakfasts, lunches, drinks, cakes and afternoon teas. However, due to popular demand, you can often be waiting in a queue for a table, and as a result, the table service feels very rushed. You can also expect prices to be high due to it's popularity and status. On reflection, if you wanted to experience Betty's tearoom, without the price and queues, then I would recommend getting a baked treat to take away from the counter next door. Not only are the prices much cheaper, but its quick and just as yum!

Brew and Brownie - A gorgeous cafe with breakfast, lunch and a ton of cakes on offer to suit most dietary requirements. I enjoyed a slice of courgette and rhubarb cake, whilst my partner enjoyed the banana and salted caramel pancakes - we definitely go our sugar dose! There are 2 cafes just next to each other, so you should always be able to find a place to sit.

The Judge's Lodging - Set in a beautiful old Georgian townhouse, it is definitely a sophisticated setting. We visited here at around 3 pm as we were starting our drive home at 5 pm so had a late lunch/early dinner. We had the fisherman's platter to share which was reasonably priced and was fresh and delicious. They serve a variety of options on there main menu, which would suit most people's taste buds.

Afternoon Tea at Betty's Tea Room

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

1) The York Minister - York's main cathedral, a lovely building to walk in and around to admire the architecture and also has it's own gardens.

2) The Shambles - I loved these cobbled streets, full of in independent shops/cafes/pubs. There is also the Shamble's market which has everything you can think of - a great place for something to eat, gifts, clothing or other random items!

3) The York City Walls - There are 3 different walks you can to on the city walls, the most popular (and my favourite), is the one at the rear of the York Minster where you can get a panoramic view of the city.

4) The Jorvic Museum - Whenever I go somewhere, I like to learn a little bit of history. This museum provided an animated ride experience through the lives of the first people who lived in York, as well as being able to look at old relics and artefacts. They make this museum very 'real' - meaning the smell of parts of the museum can be quite off putting.

5) The National Railway Museum - This is a personal preference option - but this museum is great! It is much bigger than you expect and you could spend almost a whole day here! There are a huge amount of trains on offer to look at and go into, as well as exhibitions around the science, making and workshops of trains. They have cafe's on site and this is also the only free museum in York.

The York Minster

The Shambles

The View from York City Walls

The National Railway Museum

HOW LONG SHOULD I STAY AND ANY EXTRAS?

I stayed for 2 days and 1 night, which is definitely long enough to see York's main attractions and to stay in the city itself. However if you want to incorporate the 'extras' below, then you could stay for between 3-5 days.

Extras - Buy a 'York Pass' which allows access to 5 different museums/events in York, visit the Yorkshire Dales for hiking and some countryside or go aboard a city cruise with or without a lunch/afternoon tea option.

Happy Travelling!

Ruth xxx