The North York Moors is one of the easier National Parks to visit without a car, thanks to the Esk Valley railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Coastliner bus.
Getting in
Take the train to Middlesbrough (from Newcastle, York or Leeds via Darlington) and change onto the Esk Valley line. The two-hour ride to Whitby is one of the best branch lines in England, stopping at Great Ayton, Castleton, Danby, Glaisdale, Egton Bridge and Grosmont. Alternatively, take the Coastliner bus from Leeds or York straight to Pickering or Whitby.
Day 1: The Esk Valley
Get off at Great Ayton and climb Roseberry Topping, then rejoin the line to Danby for the Moors Centre. Continue to Grosmont to watch the engines in the sheds, and finish in Whitby.
Day 2: Steam and the south
Take the steam railway from Whitby all the way to Pickering, stopping at Goathland for Mallyan Spout on the way. From Pickering the Coastliner runs to Malton for main-line trains, or back to Whitby along the coast.
Other car-free ideas
- The X93/X94 bus runs along the coast between Middlesbrough, Whitby and Scarborough, passing Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar
- Moorsbus runs summer Sunday and bank holiday services into the dales from Helmsley and Pickering
- The Cinder Track lets you walk or cycle the old railway from Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay and on to Scarborough
