Visit Yorkshire, England one of three ways: On a budget, spending a bit more, or when the getaway calls for a splurge.
Trip tips: 1.00 British Pound = $1.59041 U.S. Dollar
Use the prefix 44 (country code) + (city code) followed by the six-digit phone number when direct dialing.
Getting there: Roundtrip rates to London of $1,034 are valid on departures through October; from $1,000 from Nov. 1-late March; nonstop British Airways or Delta. Rates to Leeds-Bradford Airport, a 45-minute drive to York, are from $1,090 in autumn; from $1,056 winter; KLM via Amsterdam. Rail service from London to Yorkshire towns takes under two hours with one-way rates from £13 standard; £30 First; www.eastcoast.co.uk or www.grandcentralrail.com. A slower route by motorcoach takes a wee bit longer than five hours at one-way rates also from £13, www.nationalexpress.com. Car rental broker, Auto Europe, offers the lowest rates with a guaranteed price match; www.autoeurope.com.
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BUDGET:
Stay: Elslack Grange is set in a Saxon hamlet and surrounded by a countryside dotted with stone cottages and farms. Stays in the Garden Room, with views of one of the three peaks of Yorkshire, is £70 per night. This renovated and lovely B&B is 10 minutes from the market town of Skipton, the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, and on the edge of The Pennine Way (a National Trail running over 250 miles from the Peak District in central and northern England and ending just inside the Scottish border, www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineWay); Elslack, Elslack Lane, (01282) 841977, www.elslackgrange.co.uk.
Eat: A 10-minute walk from Elslack Grange B&B is the Tempest Arms Country Inn with its popular pub serving hand pulled ales and fine dishes from £11; Elslack, (01282) 842-450, www.tempestarms.co.uk. Another nearby spot in Wharfdale, the 16th century Craven Arms Inn, invites Dale walkers and road trippers with a warm fire, gas lamps, traditional dishes and cask ales; (01756) 720-270, www.craven-cruckbarn.co.uk.
Experience: Skipton (from the Saxon meaning “Sheep Town”) is a market town settled more than 1,400 years. After strolling the town, take a self-guided tour at one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England; £6.70 adult; Skipton High St., (01756) 792-442, www.skiptoncastle.co.uk. An 18th-century English treasure, Harewood, is a nice day trip from Skipton (39 miles; 22 from York). This Georgian mansion overlooks the most beautiful Yorkshire landscape and features ornate interiors and a vast collection of Italian Renaissance paintings; £14 adult, Harewood, Leeds, (0113) 218-1010, www.harewood.org.
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MODERATE:
Stay: About ten minutes from Ripon is the 18th century Old Coach House, tucked between the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors. This location is an ideal base to explore the picture postcard countryside, pubs and vistas. This luxury guest house offers sophisticated rooms from £70-£99; 2 Stable Cottages, North Stainley, (01765) 634-900, www.oldcoachhouse.info. On the edge of Yorkshire Dales National Park in Reeth is the splurge-worthy Burgoyne Hotel with rates from £138-£202; (01748) 884-292, www.theburgoyne.co.uk.
Eat: Squiffys Wine Bar in Ripon is a popular wine bar (for ages 25 and older) with live music on Friday nights. A quirky Reading Room, the Wineyard garden and the ground-floor bar are settings to enjoy meeting the locals and for tapas priced from £2-£7; Duck Hill, (01765) 603-174, www.squiffys.co.uk.
Experience: Explore Ripon, the oldest city in England (and one of the smallest). Entry to Ripon Cathedral, one of the oldest sites of continuous Christian worship in Britain, is free; www.riponcathedral.org.uk. Just three miles from town in a secluded valley lies Fountains Abbey, one of the most historic and beautiful places in Europe. This World Heritage site holds more than 900 years of history (spanning more than 800 acres) with a 12th-century abbey, Medieval Deer Park, Jacobean Hall, 18th-Century Water Garden and Victorian Church; £9 adult, (01765) 608-888, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountainsabbey. In the region is the 15th-century Ripley Castle and Gardens. Guided tours visit the six rooms on display. A deer park adjacent to the gardens features 1,000-year-old oak trees and a waterfall; £9, Harrogate, (01423) 770-152, www.ripleycastle.co.uk.
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SPLURGE:
Stay: A centuries old coaching inn, The Black Swan, is in one of North Yorkshire’s prettiest market towns and 30 minutes from York. This recently renovated boutique hotel blends antiques with modern design and amenities. On-site are acclaimed tearooms, a lounge with a log fire and a walled garden. Bed and breakfast rates from £142-217; Helmsley, (01439) 770-466, www.blackswan-helmsley.co.uk.
Eat: Inside York’s Mount Royale Hotel is Burbridge’s, offering uncomplicated fine dining with entrees from £13-25; 119 The Mount, (01904) 619-444, www.burbridgesrestaurant.com. The quaint village of Bilton-in-Ainsty (between York and Wetherby) is home to The Chequers Inn, a traditional pub with some of the finest locally sourced food in the area. Main courses range from £8-16; Church Lane, (01423) 359-637, www.thechequersbilton.co.uk.
Experience: Attractions in York’s beautiful center are packed into a pedestrian-friendly zone with cobbled lanes. Highlights are the ancient Roman walls encircling the town and the iconic York Minster, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe. The city sites are best introduced aboard an open-top bus with an on-board commentary of York’s history. The route makes make 22 hop-off/hop-on stops. A 24-hour ticket is £10 adults; www.city-sightseeing.com. The York Pass gives visitors entry into over 30 of York’s top spots, including medieval castles, museums, gardens, historic homes, war bunkers and even a ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (operating through Nov. 4); £34 one day; £48 two days; £58 three days; www.yorkpass.com.
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Clara Bosonetto is a retired travel consultant.
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