Merry Christmas in York
Surrounded by ancient Roman walls and Christmas lights, York is one of the most underrated English cities for Christmas cheer!
Logistics:
Heading to one of the largest cities in the Great North is rather simple thanks to a thriving tourist scene!
By Private Car
Because we live in Milton Keynes and had our own car, we decided to drive to the Great North. From our flat, the drive was about 3 hours which isn't terrible for a roadtrip, but pretty bad if you do it on back to back days like we did! Parking can be scarce around York town center so just be mindful of that fact!
By Public Transportation
From London, it will be incredibly easy to reach York by public transportation, depending on where you’re staying. We had friends take the 3 hour train from London to York and it was really easy. Many times during our roadtrip did I wish we had taken the train!
Travel Tip: I use thetrainline.com to find the best times and train prices!
Lodging
In York, there are LOADS of B&Bs, mini hotels that operate like B&Bs, and normal hotels. Because we wanted free parking, yet within walking distance of Old Town, we were limited in our B&B options. Thus, we settled for a one night in an AirB&B, partially for the free parking and because quite a lot was already sold out by the time we started looking at our trip! Regardless, our AirB&B was quite comfy and perfect for the situation.
Travel Tip: For non-brand hotels, I use Hotels.com for their loyalty program. Other sites such as booking.com and expedia offer similar programs!
Food
Surprisingly, the Great White North has some killer food and drink spots! Although we were only in York for just over 36 hours, we greatly enjoyed our foodie experiences!
Check out our York Google map pins for all of our hard research of the top food and drink spots!
Activities
- City Walls
- York Minister church
- Shambles Market
- Shambles Street
- Betty's Tea Room
- River Ouse
Fixed Costs:
- AirB&B: $130/night
- Gas: $50
- Christmas Cheer: Free!
To the North
Compared to our other drives to the Lake District and (future) trips to Cornwall, the drive to York is extremely easy from London and Milton Keynes. Literally straight north on the M1, the drive was long only because the weather was gray and we had hit the road early to see as much of York as possible. Plus, I just drove back from Newbury so we had to leave on Saturday morning instead of Friday night. Anyways, we managed to grab a parking spot near the old town.
Shambles Street
After a quick pub lunch, we hit the famous Shambles market and street! Known for the twisting narrow street, it is perfect for pictures if you don't mind getting claustrophobic. I would recommend getting here early for those classic pictures!
Because we were strolling with no agenda, we enjoyed watching fresh Yorkshire fudge getting made, window-shopping the various boutique (and mainstream) shops lining the alley, and dodging other tourists! Whilst we nearly did have a panic attack, the Shambles experience is worthwhile!
Christmas Markets
Located in the middle of Old Town, the Christmas market cannot be missed as the stalls line the entire square! Full of tasty food (such as warm donuts) to English beer and hot chocolate, there are so many great stalls. Similar to other European Christmas markets, each stall sells boutique handmade items. We found one of our favorite gifts - dried spices and fruits that smell wonderful. The only hard part was deciding which one to buy!
A Perfect Pairings
Because the weather turned into classic English (aka rain), we turned to a great wine bar called Pairings! Nestled in a tiny corner, the wine bar is a perfect hideaway from the cold rain and we needed a break after walking all over York. We ordered a tasty meat and cheese board. Rather than get one glass or bottle, we decided to try their wine tastings. We each had their signature tasting and it was a great decision! Not only did we get a tasty charcuterie board for an early dinner snack, but we also avoided the rain whilst sipping fine wine.
Magical Christmas Markets
During a break in the rainstorm, we ventured outside to the magical Christmas market. Whilst we enjoyed the market during the day, the combination of Christmas lights, cheer, and colorful stalls is hard to beat!
The giant Christmas tree in the middle of the square brings together the Christmas spirit of the York Christmas spirit. If only the rain didn't completely bum us out.. Unlike the southern rain, it appears rain here is more consistent and isn't the best for outdoor Christmas markets!
Old Fashioned Breakfast
After an early night due to weather, we woke up to absolutely PERFECT winter weather. With clear blue skies and warm sunshine, we hit the old streets of York for a quick tour before heading home. But first, we had an old fashioned breakfast at the great Wheldrakes! Because of the high reviews, be sure to get there early for their classic scones and tea. For my main breakfast, I had my usual eggs benedict and it was so worth it!
Beautiful York Minister
During a perfect winter day, the towering York Minister outshines the city and rises above it all! With the perfect baby blue background, the church is truly beautiful. Whilst York has had a Christian presence since the early 300 AD, the various wars between Vikings and Saxons and then the Normans prevented a permanent church. In the 1400s, the current York Minister was built and currently stands today as one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in England and Europe.
Wandering the ole streets of York
Back in Shambles Alley before the crowds, we finally captured some great photos of this famous alley. However, most people also had this idea so we hit the other famous York streets!
Similar to any normal ancient city, the streets of York twist and turn throughout and lead to some great finds! During our wander, we found Betty's Tea Room, one of the most famous tea rooms outside of London. We purchased classic tea and hot chocolate since we couldn't get a table.
Travel Tip: Book a reservation if you want to visit Betty's Tea Rooms!
In York, the entrances to the Old Town are described by the old gates and we visited some of the walls and gates during our walk. While the walls are clearly falling down or appear outsized by modern architecture, they are still a fortifying presence.
The UnChartered Summary
First of all, as the main writer, I should have written this when we visited and I would remember a lot more! In hindsight, here are my tips and tricks to best see York over a weekend!
- First of all, spend a full weekend in York. Arriving midday on Saturday was good, but I wish we had more time to see some of York's sights such as the wall or walking along the river. Granted, we did not really plan on rain...
- If you love English tea times, book a table at Betty's!
- For the perfect Shambles Alley picture, arrive incredibly early with the other dozen or so people! I don't think there will ever be a perfect shot with zero people, but it is still a great photo spot.
- We particularly enjoyed our meals in York at Pairings and Wheldrakes!