How to visit Yorkshire. And York!

So York was pretty good!

As you know, I spent the Autumn and early winter, visiting the UK and travelling around Cheshire, Staffordshire, Manchester, Blackpool, Derbyshire and Yorkshire! And Liverpool!

If you’re just joining in, here’s a recap:

• Exciting news! I’m travelling to the English countryside. Isn’t that spiffing!
• Have you ever been to Blackpool – Britain’s version of Las Vegas – OMG!
• 21 things to do on a Blackpool beach ‘cos winter is coming!
• How I went to Liverpool, and I wasn’t robbed!
• 51 reasons to visit Manchester. And more!
• 10 exciting things you didn’t know about York!
• 3 days in York – 33 things to do!

Yay!

And of course, if you want to read about Scotland and other British things, just follow the link here!

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YORKSHIRE

You really can’t talk about York, without talking about Yorkshire, the county (state) from which it came!

Yorkshire, otherwise known as Yorks or the County of York, is a county in Northern England, and the largest in the UK!

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LET’S GET A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY!

As far back as 866, the south of Northumbria – otherwise known as modern-day Yorkshire – was invaded and conquered by fierce Norsemen from Scandinavia, which is present day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, known as Jórvík!

The word Yorkshire, comes from the very same viking word – Jórvík, and the Old English word – Shire – meaning to take care of, or the official charge of.

Thus Yorkshire!

Yorkshire has a very rich heritage and has been around for more than 2,000 years!

In fact, my fellow British blogger – Thomas Peck – reminded me in my previous post that

Constantine the Great was crowned Emperor of the Roman Empire in York in 306AD. He was the Caesar that allowed religious tolerance and thus the survival of the early Christians. He popularised the festival of Christmas and converted to Christianity in 312AD. As a result, York had its first Bishop in 314. He was also the one who moved the capital of the Empire eastwards, and set up the new city of Constantinople. True, he moved from York to Trier (better wine no doubt), but it all started in the great city of York!

And another hilarious British blogger – Mike Snowden – decided it would be fun to sleep outdoors.

In Winter.

In the North York Moors National Park.

Without a tent!

Or anything. Just a bag!

He didn’t really like it!

But isn’t it funny?

Even though everyone in the UK knows all about Yorkshire, most people outside it, seem not to have heard of it!

Because Yorkshire is so huge, it has been divided into North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, and of course, the historical city of York!

Not only that, even though technically, Yorkshire is part of North-West England, remote parts of the county such as Great Ayton, Runswick Bay, Middlesbrough and Dalton-on-Tees, are now considered to be a part of North East England!

It’s been years since I’ve been to Newcastle, Tyneside, Northumberland, and Durham.

In fact, my first MA was actually at Durham University – the Number four (4) ranked university in Britain!

Within the borders of the historic county of Yorkshire, are areas which are widely considered to be among the greenest in England, due to the vast stretches of unspoilt countryside in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors!

Indeed, Yorkshire is also known as God’s Own County or God’s Own Country because of it’s beauty, and is considered to be one of the best places in Europe!

In fact, I initially watched this marvellous film at the British Shorts Film Festival, and now it’s deservedly winning award upon award. As it should!

Take a look below.

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WHY GO TO YORKSHIRE?

Why not?!

Well, Yorkshire is in England.

And regardless of Brexit, who doesn’t like England?

It’s entwined with civilizations, history and culture, that goes back centuries!

And.

We recognise far more than we realize.

If you are versed in English history, you’d know well the two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the House of Lancaster – a red rose – and the House of York – a white rose.

Think Vikings!

Think Guy Fawkes!

Think the Wars of the Roses!

Think the Tudors!

Think Henry VIII!

Think Harry Potter!

And then, book your hotel here!

Ha! Ha! Ha!

You won’t believe it, but before this visit, I had never previously been to York!

I know!

It’s as bad as when I didn’t go to Switzerland, even though Switzerland is literally next door!

Happily, I can say that I certainly changed this situation!

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TAKE ME THERE?

We started from Blackpool and took the train to York.

The ticket above was from our journey from Cheshire to Manchester, and even though we took the Northern Railway train from Blackpool to York, the seating arrangements and look of the train, is similar!

I booked the tickets online and in advance. If you use the website National Rail Enquiries, it would give you the variety of available train options. Britain isn’t known for having cheap transportation, so the trick is to book well in advance!

Our journey took a little over 3 hours!

Cost: Blackpool North to York – on an Advance Single ticket – Adults – £12.50 each. Children (5-15) – £6.25 – Altogether a very reasonable £31.25 on the Northern Railway train!

If you’re really short on cash, you could of course take the bus-coach using the National Express or Megabus and check for prices, as in many case, the trains were surprisingly, by far the cheapest way to travel through the North!

The trains are not as plush or as spacious as those in Germany, and the train station in Blackpool is rather small, so give yourself plenty of time, as you can’t reserve a seat!

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IS IT GOING TO BE CROWDED?

It depends on the time of year!

We were in York during the best time of all – Halloween – and it was thrilling!

The Music Producer and The Tall Young Gentleman had never been in the UK during Halloween before, so they were pretty excited!

There are loads of night events and ghost activities in the city. York is quite small, so we frequently met other groups, but it was pretty well organised, as times were staggered so that you weren’t all standing in the same corner! There were a couple of whoops, and “get them,” but it was all in good fun.

We went on two night-time walking tours and ended up sprinting through the nooks and crannies of historical York with torches, a Dr. Who-like character, and being chased by zombies!

But in the summer, crowds are going to be huge, and the streets are quite narrow, so watch your handbag and wallets, queue smartly, and elbows at the ready!

Plan well.

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WHAT IS YORKSHIRE LIKE?

We were only there for 3 days, but Yorkshire definitely made an impression on me.

Yorkshire as a whole is just wild!

It’s of historical and architectural interest, the local people are common folk, open-minded, loyal, reliable, packed with common sense, and typical of the North in speaking plainly, with a lovely Yorkshire burr!

And it’s quite beautiful!

I DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH VERY WELL.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

The locals speak with a Yorkshire accent.

The type of working class English that you would find in Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Northumbria, the Merseyside, Cumbria, Cheshire, Leeds, Hull, Middlesbrough, and certain parts of Northern England!

The proud accent of Sean Bean, and pretty much most of the Stark clan and anyone from The North, in Game of Thrones!

But don’t worry.

Just smile.

Have a drink.

And you’ll be fine in a jiffy!

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AM I GOING TO LIVE IN A HUT?

Ha! Ha!

This is England!

Not unless you want to!

I’M ON A BUDGET, BUT I’M LOOKING FOR A BIT MORE LUXURY AS I DON’T WANT TO ROUGH IT! WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Now, let’s be honest.

Britain isn’t cheap.

If you’re from Western Europe, the US, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, or any of the Nordic countries, then Britain will be similar, if not cheaper than your own country!

If not, you could be in trouble!

The trick is clever planning!

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WHERE WE STAYED:

After our holiday in Madrid last year, we decided to always get an extra hotel / hostel room, or an apartment, so that our teenager doesn’t have to share personal space with his parents!

Frankly, if you’re paying between £35.00 – £60.00 per night, for huge apartments with a working kitchen, a terrace, and in some cases, even a piano, you simply can’t go wrong!

Book ahead to get good prices.

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After much research, I chose the very nice Clearly Apartments Bootham York.

I made our reservation via booking.com.

Use my link and book your hotel!

In many cases, I prefer to use booking.com because you can make hotel / hostel / apartment reservations, and cancel for free, if you’re not sure. Not only do I recommend them, but I use them myself! Note: I’m an affiliate member of booking.com. Please consider using the links, because every time some sort of accommodation is booked via my links, I get a little percentage, but at no extra cost to yourself!

The Clearly Apartments Bootham York is a lovely two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment in a quiet residential neighbourhood.

I loved the fact that the apartment was a mere seven (7) minute walk from the city centre.

We had two bedrooms with two en-suite bathrooms (yes!) which our teenage son liked enormously. There was also free refreshments, milk, WiFi, and a laundry room (with dryer), that we forgot to use until it was too late!

In fact, our bedspread and pillows were so comfy, that I dropped off within minutes!

Cost: For a standard two bedroomed – two bathroom apartment in the UK – £143.10 (including tax) per night, or for 4 people – £35.78 a pop!

You’re welcome!

Book the Clearly Apartments Bootham York or your Yorkshire hotel / apartment here!

I’M LOOKING FOR SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT. ANY IDEAS?

Always!

Click here for more inspiration!

WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORT POSSIBILITIES?

Yorkshire is huge, so travelling by train is best!

Your next most enjoyable means of transport is hiking, trekking, rambling, walking, & cycling through open fields.

As well as sailing or river cruising.

Or you can of course, use the Yorkshire local services or the car, when you’re utterly knackered!

ANYTHING ELSE?

Most museums and galleries, are free of charge.

Most importantly, if you live in the UK or visit the UK on a regular basis, there is quite frequently, free admission for 12 months included in your ticket, so don’t throw it away!

MY VERDICT:

I have happy childhood memories of camping and hiking through Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors!

I’m sure you will too.

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WOULD I COME AGAIN?

Totally!

Yorkshire is heaven.

It’s wild and captivating, and makes you feel alive!

I can’t wait to visit again.

Let’s do it!

HOW TO VISIT YORKSHIRE. AND YORK!

This article isn’t sponsored, and all opinions and the wonders of Yorkshire that we gloried in, are my very own!

I have so much to share with you.

I went on a press trip to Hamburg. Watch out for the details!

I’ll be continuing my last visit to the UK next year!

In January, I’ll be visiting Belgium!

I’ll be at the British Shorts Film Festival taking place between 11th – 17th January, 2018. If you’re an aspiring film-maker submission is free of charge, so hurry!

I’ll be at Berlin Fashion Week taking place between 16th – 18th January, 2018

I’ll be at the 33rd British Council Literature Seminar – #BritLitBerlin taking place between 25th – 27th January, 2018. If you want to attend or join in, registration is now open!

Save the Date!

I’ll be there. Will you?

If you’re not in Berlin in winter, you’re missing out!

December is going to be glowing!

Yay!

Watch this space!

Note! I never travel without insurance as you never know what might happen.

I learnt my lesson in Spain. And obviously, in countries like Qatar, where technically the risk is higher, I can’t imagine going that far beyond WITHOUT INSURANCE. No siree! You can get yours here, at World Nomads!

Please note that there are now affiliate links (for the very first time) connected to this post. Please consider using the links, because every time some sort of accommodation or travel insurance is booked via my links, I get a little percentage, but at no extra cost to yourself!

A win-win for all!

Thanks a million!