Nice stop over between London and York.

[Scud]

Stamford is nice...
or at least it was in 1972 - but York is not that far north - just drive there

Stamford is very nice, the Burghley estate is right on the edge of the town. Nice places to stay and eat depending on budget.

[v8-powered]

Fearing sounding for too much like a redneck - divert to North Norfolk, Downham Market, Holkham etc. Stunning places and very much under-rated.....

[Mr Moofo]

Fearing sounding for too much like a redneck - divert to North Norfolk, Downham Market, Holkham etc. Stunning places and very much under-rated.....

Other than by the millions who flock there every holiday - and all the North London Yuppies who have 2nd homes there

[Taipan]

Butlins at Skeggy!

[millemille]

Where I live, Ashbourne, is popular for grockles.

Plenty of pubs and eateries and lots of independent shops and supposedly some of the finest Edwardian town architecture still around.

The chrimbo lights went on last night.

On the edge of the white peak part of the peak district national park, so you've got Dovedale 5 mins drive and villages like tissington with tea rooms and the like.

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's a 3 hour drive, does it really need breaking up?

Anyway, being an East London type you'll be going up the M11 and then the A1, on route I'd go for stopping in Newark, it's the least awful, but you could go via Lincoln, which is quite nice, come off the A1 at Newark and follow the signs for Lincoln. Lincoln to York is over the Humber Bridge and up through some of the Yorkshire Wolds, not a bad drive, but don't expect it to be quick.

Virtually guaranteed to get stuck behind a tractor towing a trailer load of potatoes. I've done that journey a million times, it is one of the ways we go from MK to Mrs Ds home town of Louth.

My rents are in Lincoln right now as it 'appens, they're at the Christmas Market presumably buying that over priced cheese in different coloured waxes.

Personally I'd stuck to gremlin's original "westish" route

[wheelnut]

Fearing sounding for too much like a redneck - divert to North Norfolk, Downham Market, Holkham etc. Stunning places and very much under-rated.....

It is lovely. We’ve done the broads in a floating bathtub twice this year. Caught a good break with the weather both times. First time we just did the northern broads, second time we did the southern broads up to Norwich. And I only fell in once.

Really enjoyed it. Being meaning to do it for years but always bottled it and went somewhere warm.

[millemille]

Where I live, Ashbourne, is popular for grockles.

Plenty of pubs and eateries and lots of independent shops and supposedly some of the finest Edwardian town architecture still around.

The chrimbo lights went on last night.

On the edge of the white peak part of the peak district national park, so you've got Dovedale 5 mins drive and villages like tissington with tea rooms and the like.

Saturday night in Ashbourne, out with t'waife for a drink or two...

[Horse]

Never mind eastern route or west, pick a destination!

https://www.nationalworld.com/lifestyle ... 349922?amp

[gremlin]

being an East London type

Saaaaaahf luhndun!!!

I thought you were Bexleyheath way, not Catford

Locksbottom.

I sold out.


Anyhow. We're all going to Harrowgate, for reasons I can't fathom. Mrs. G has ever worsening sciatica, hence the thought of a midway stopover, but after haranguing AXA Health she's hopefully getting a bit of treatment before we go, so we'll drive straight there.

Just for shit and giggles, I looked at getting a train up there. One suggested timing on The Train Line app was £1,060 for four people, standard class. Admittedly that was the most pricey, but nothing under £500 for decent times and it wasn't that much quicker, plus you have the hassle of having no transport whilst up there. Fuck me, is it any wonder people ain't giving up their cars?

[Yorick]

Saaaaaahf luhndun!!!

I thought you were Bexleyheath way, not Catford

Locksbottom.

I sold out.


Anyhow. We're all going to Harrowgate, for reasons I can't fathom. Mrs. G has ever worsening sciatica, hence the thought of a midway stopover, but after haranguing AXA Health she's hopefully getting a bit of treatment before we go, so we'll drive straight there.

Just for shit and giggles, I looked at getting a train up there. One suggested timing on The Train Line app was £1,060 for four people, standard class. Admittedly that was the most pricey, but nothing under £500 for decent times and it wasn't that much quicker, plus you have the hassle of having no transport whilst up there. Fuck me, is it any wonder people ain't giving up their cars?

Fly to Leeds/Bradford

[wheelnut]

Anyhow. We're all going to Harrowgate, for reasons I can't fathom. Mrs. G has ever worsening sciatica, hence the thought of a midway stopover, but after haranguing AXA Health she's hopefully getting a bit of treatment before we go, so we'll drive straight there.

Harrogate is nice. Other places worth a visit round there are Knaresborough (for a walk along the river), Grassington and Skipton. If you like driving nadgery roads with spectacular views the road between Kettlewell and Carlton is up with the best (From there drop in to Leyburn which is nice).

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Harrogate is nice, I did a few BT courses their in the 90s, getting pissed at Betty Luptons, trying to steal Gyrating Geoffrey's wig and strippers in Trotters Bar on a Thursday night.

[millemille]

Just for shit and giggles, I looked at getting a train up there. One suggested timing on The Train Line app was £1,060 for four people, standard class. Admittedly that was the most pricey, but nothing under £500 for decent times and it wasn't that much quicker, plus you have the hassle of having no transport whilst up there. Fuck me, is it any wonder people ain't giving up their cars?

When are you travelling?

[gremlin]

Just for shit and giggles, I looked at getting a train up there. One suggested timing on The Train Line app was £1,060 for four people, standard class. Admittedly that was the most pricey, but nothing under £500 for decent times and it wasn't that much quicker, plus you have the hassle of having no transport whilst up there. Fuck me, is it any wonder people ain't giving up their cars?

When are you travelling?

Weekend before Christmas.

I know, I know......

[Mussels]

I don't think the date makes that much difference to train prices, I've looked a few times to see if a long journey is worth doing on the train and it's always been much more expensive than driving for anything more than an off peak day return. I've never found these wonderful ultra cheap tickets for any journey I wanted, seems to be a few select routes to look good.

[millemille]

Just for shit and giggles, I looked at getting a train up there. One suggested timing on The Train Line app was £1,060 for four people, standard class. Admittedly that was the most pricey, but nothing under £500 for decent times and it wasn't that much quicker, plus you have the hassle of having no transport whilst up there. Fuck me, is it any wonder people ain't giving up their cars?

When are you travelling?

Weekend before Christmas.

I know, I know......

Try some of the fare splitting websites like...

https://www.splitmyfare.co.uk/

[millemille]

I don't think the date makes that much difference to train prices, I've looked a few times to see if a long journey is worth doing on the train and it's always been much more expensive than driving for anything more than an off peak day return. I've never found these wonderful ultra cheap tickets for any journey I wanted, seems to be a few select routes to look good.

It's not necessarily the date itself but how far in advance you are booking that makes the difference.

[Mussels]

I don't think the date makes that much difference to train prices, I've looked a few times to see if a long journey is worth doing on the train and it's always been much more expensive than driving for anything more than an off peak day return. I've never found these wonderful ultra cheap tickets for any journey I wanted, seems to be a few select routes to look good.

It's not necessarily the date itself but how far in advance you are booking that makes the difference.

I've not found that makes any difference for the journeys I wanted, might be because I have to go through London to get anywhere far. l tried the link you put up for a 200 mile journey to my parents next month with weekend travel, £80 each so one person is almost as cheap as taking the car. Add a passenger or three plus taxis and it gets very expensive and takes twice as long. Rail travel is a joke.

[Mr. Dazzle]

When I used to visit Manchester for work quite a lot the train was cheapest. London is also pretty cheap from here, especially if you consider parking.

I do however live on the Manchester/London mainline