Base Yourself for the North Yorkshire Railway: Stations, B&Bs & Day Trips

Where to sleep if you want the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the Settle–Carlisle line and the coast all within reach — with real drive times, price bands and the bases I'd actually book.

Pick your line before you pick your bed

North Yorkshire has two railways that visitors mean when they say "the railway". The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) runs 18 miles from Pickering through Levisham, Goathland and Grosmont to Whitby. The Settle–Carlisle line runs west of the county through Ribblehead and Dent. They are 90 minutes apart by car and share no station, so decide first: heritage steam through the moors, or the limestone viaducts of the Dales?

For the NYMR, Pickering is the southern terminus and the most practical base — Malton is 8 miles south on the A169, York is 26 miles and roughly 45 minutes by car or a 50-minute train to Malton plus a bus. For the Settle–Carlisle, base in Settle itself or in Skipton, 40 minutes down the A65. Trying to do both from one hotel means two long drives; I would split the trip.

Pickering, Goathland and Whitby: three different holidays

Pickering gives you the steam depot, a castle and the A170 to Helmsley. Expect £90–£150 for a double in a pub-with-rooms or town-centre B&B, more in the cottages on Hungate. Goathland — Aidensfield in Heartbeat — sits on the moors with the NYMR station in the village; rooms run £110–£180 and you need a car for everything except the train. Whitby, at the line's northern end, is the seaside option: 20 minutes from Grosmont by steam, and a totally different trip.

Whitby is also where demand is strongest. Almost every traveller searching this region looks at Whitby first, then York, then Pickering. In Whitby the choice is between the abbey side of the Esk — Church Street, the 199 steps — and the West Cliff above the beach. West Cliff is quieter and easier for parking; the old town is prettier and noisier. Book three to four months ahead for July and August; April, May and September give you the same trains with softer prices.

Settle, Ribblehead and the Dales by rail

Settle is a small town with a big station, 50 minutes from Leeds and 40 from Skipton. Doubles in pubs and B&Bs run roughly £85–£140. From here you can ride to Ribblehead for the viaduct and Blea Moor, or to Dent, England's highest mainline station, an hour's walk from the village it is named after. Appleby and Kirkby Stephen are further stops if you want a longer day out.

The trade-off is evening food. Settle has a handful of pubs and a couple of restaurants; Skipton has far more, plus a castle and the Leeds–Liverpool canal, and works better if you want a town rather than a village. I would book Skipton for a two-night Dales stay with one day on the railway, and Settle only if the train itself is the point. Grassington, 30 minutes from Skipton, is lovely but adds a drive to every station.

What I'd book, and what to skip

For a first trip: two nights in Pickering for the NYMR and the moors, then two nights in Whitby, moving by train via Grosmont and leaving the car if you have one. That covers steam, coast and abbey without long transfers. If you are coming for the Settle–Carlisle, do three nights in Skipton and ride out; York suits a separate city break but is too far east for either line to work as a daily base.

Skip the cottage 20 minutes outside Pickering that looks cheap on the map — the lanes are narrow, taxis are scarce and the first train leaves early. Skip Grosmont as a base; it is a junction, not a town. And skip trying to see both railways in a two-night stay. Check the NYMR timetable before booking anything: it runs daily in peak season but not every day in spring and autumn, and some services are diesel, not steam.

Questions, answered

Do I need a car for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway?

Not strictly. The NYMR links Pickering, Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby by train, and buses run to Malton for connections. But coastal villages, Rosedale and the moors need a car. Most visitors drive to Pickering and ride the line.

When is the best month to visit?

May, June and September. The trains run, the moors are at their best and rooms are easier than in July and August, when Whitby fills up and prices rise. April is quiet but some weekday services do not run.

Which is better, Whitby or York as a base?

Whitby for the railway and coast; York for the city, with day trips to Pickering by car in about 50 minutes. They suit different holidays, and combining them means roughly 50 minutes on the A64 or a train via Malton.

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