Getting to York by Plane

Either Manchester or Leeds/Bradford airports are probably the most convenient for getting to York. Some details are provided below which will hopefully make the journey easier!

Manchester Airport

Manchester airport is probably the largest airport in the UK outside of London. Situated in the north-west of England, it is 80 miles (129km) from York and serves some 95 airlines. The Transpennine Express serves the airport with direct trains to York every hour, taking approximately 1 hour 50 minutes and costing £20 (€29/$37).

Leeds/Bradford Airport

Although of modest size, Leeds/Bradford airport is the closest to York, at a distance of some 30 miles (48km). BMI (who code share with United and Lufthansa) have several flights a day to and from London Heathrow. KLM also have several flights a day to and from Amsterdam. A number of cheap airlines including Ryan Air and jet2.com also fly to a number of European destinations.

Getting to York from Leeds/Bradford airport is relatively straightforward. A bus service, MetroConnect 757, runs every 30 minutes at peak hours (every hour otherwise) to Leeds City centre (click here for a full timetable). It takes about 35 minutes and costs only £1.80 (€2.62/$3.31). From Leeds, there is a regular direct train service (every 30 minutes or so) to York, that will take another 30 minutes and cost £8.50 (€12.34/$15.63). A bus service is also available from Leeds City centre to York by Yorkshire Coastliner, costs £4.20 (€6.10/$7.72) and takes 70 minutes.

Finally, a taxi from the airport to York will take about an hour and cost approximately £42 (€61/$77).

London Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow is situated about 15 miles (24km) west of London and claims to be one of the busiest airports in the world with four terminals servicing some 90 airlines and 170 destinations worldwide.

For general information about the airport and which airlines fly to which terminals, see the British Airports Authority web page.

The best way to get to York from Heathrow is probably by express train and/or underground train (tube) to London Kings Cross Station and then by main line express train direct to York.

Getting to Kings Cross station by tube alone takes about 50 minutes but is cheap. You will need to buy a ticket for travel to Zone 1 which currently costs £3.60 (€5.24 /$6.60) for a single fair. Most tube stations have ticket machines (which take notes and coins) and staffed ticket offices.

For a quicker (and more luxurious) journey you can take the Heathrow Express train from the airport to London Paddington Station, which takes only 16 minutes and then take a short (10 minute) tube journey to London Kings Cross station. The fare is £14 (€20.37/$25.76) single for the train and £1.80 (€2.62/$3.31) for the subsequent tube journey.

It should be possible to get a through ticket (including tube) from Heathrow Airport to York. Return tickets are often cheaper than buying two single tickets.

A taxi from Heathrow Airport to London Kings Cross station will take about an hour and costs a small fortune (£50/€73/$92).

London Gatwick Airport

Gatwick airport is some 28 miles (45km) south of London but has a fast direct rail link, the Gatwick Express, to London's Victoria Station, which runs every 15 minutes, takes 30 minutes and costs £12 (€17.42/$22.10) each way. From London Victoria, take a direct tube train on the Victoria line to London Kings Cross station from where you can get a direct express train to York. It should be possible to get a through ticket (including tube) to York. Agian, return tickets are often cheaper than buying two single tickets.