York, “Capital of the North”

York is an exceptional city with a rich and fascinating heritage. It has been of great regional and even national importance throughout its long history. Its charming streets are steeped in history and lined with some beautiful and impressive architecture, whilst still being full of the hustle and bustle of a modern city. The city is also renowned for the vibrant culture on offer and for the number of quality cafés, pubs and restaurants it boasts. No wonder it is sometimes called the “Capital of the North!”

For all its grandeur, York is a fairly small city with a population of only about two hundred thousand. It is very compact, cramming an impressive amount into the city centre, within the bounds of the medieval city walls.

Travel

By Car

York is well connected to the motorway network with the M1, A1(M) and M62 all close by.

Approaching from the south on the M1, take junction 45 onto the A64. The A64 is dual carriageway as far as York. There are several routes into the city and at peak times it is often slow to cross the city so it can be worth travelling further on the A64 to a junction that affords a more direct route to your destination. The directions from the northbound A1/A1(M) are almost identical since the A1(M) joins the M1 at junction 44, shortly before junction 45 to the A64.

From the north, approaching on the A1(M), either exit at junction 47 and follow the A59 eastbound for the north and west of the city or continue until junction 45 for the A64 and follow the directions above for the south and east of the city.

Approaching from the west on the M62 take junction 29 onto the M1 northbound and then follow the directions above.

By Train

York has good rail links, being on the east coast main line about half way between London and Edinburgh. The city is also well connected to the west of the country with direct trains to Manchester and Liverpool. Cross-country routes also operate through York from the South West.

The railway station is to the west of the city centre, just outside the city walls. There is a taxi rank at the main entrance and many local buses leave from just in front of the station or from Rougier Street, a short walk towards the city centre.

Train times, prices and tickets are available from National Rail Enquiries or The Trainline. Transport Direct is useful for finding complete journeys via all modes of public transport.

By Coach

York is served by several National Express coach routes, with connections to many UK cities. It is also served by a Megabus route from London. These set down at or very close to York railway station.

By Air

For those coming from further afield, the most convenient airports for York are as follows:

Manchester Airport

Trains run direct from the airport to York with a journey time of approximately two hours.

Leeds/Bradford Airport

A bus service runs to Leeds from where there are frequent trains to York. The total journey time is around one to one and a half hours.

Newcastle Airport

The airport is well connected to the railway station via the Newcastle Metro. There are frequent direct trains from Newcastle to York. The total journey time is just over one and a half hours.

Birmingham Airport

Transfer to the train is easy and typically one change of trains is required at Birmingham New Street to reach York. The journey time is typically around two and a half to three hours.

Liverpool Airport

There are frequent buses from the airport to Liverpool South Parkway railway station from where there are some direct trains to York and York can also be reached with a change at Manchester Piccadilly. The total journey time is around three hours.

London Stansted Airport

Trains leave from directly beneath the terminal building and York can be reached with one change at Peterborough in around three hours. It is also possible to travel via London but as that involves a transfer on the London Underground, from Liverpool Street to Kings Cross stations, it is a less convenient route, especially when laden down with luggage.

Humberside Airport

Whilst close in distance, public transport from the airport is limited. There is a bus service to Hull from where there are trains and buses to York. Alternatively, Barnetby railway station is about three miles walk away from where York can be reached by changing at Doncaster.

London Heathrow Airport

The airport is connected directly to the London Underground network on the Piccadilly line allowing a fairly easy transfer to London Kings Cross station from where trains run direct to York. The total journey time is around three to three and a half hours.

Accommodation

York has a variety of accommodation on offer, from budget hostels to swanky hotels. The many guest-houses and small independent hotels in the city are popular for their friendly and comfortable atmosphere and reasonable prices. For those on a tight budget, York has several Travelodges, a Youth Hostel and an independent hostel. There are many options within a short walk of the festival venue.

The accommodation lists on the tourist information website and local newspaper website are good places to start searching.

Attractions

The city is a major tourist destination and even in October there is a good selection of attractions open to visitors. The Lonely Planet Guide to York, tourism section of the City of York Council website and local newspaper website have plenty of information about the sights, activities and events available. Those on a tight budget will even find some things to do for free, such as walking the city walls, visiting the art gallery, exploring some of the smaller churches (e.g. Holy Trinity, Goodramgate) and visiting the cemetery.

Remember that there will be a free walking tour of the city for festival goers on the Sunday afternoon (so keep your wrist-band on until then) that will doubtless provide further inspiration.