Well the obvious advice is DON'T drive to York, but failing that the city operates a number of Park & Ride schemes so you don't have to rive anywhere near the centre.

It's a case of just following the signs as they are well signposted from any direction

http://www.york.gov.uk/parking/ride/

The castle or manor house you are staying in will probably have parking.

I am getting confused with this trip.

Some of the B and Bs in the city have parking and some don't, the budget hotels generally do.

Failing that stay outside the city and use the park and ride service-but it only runs into the early evening

Thanks for the Park n' Ride website, Alanrow! Very helpful! Our problem will be that we can only use it IF we merely go into York proper for the DAY, which is a possiblity. I do plan to try and find a B&B or some type of accommodation w/free or inexpensive parking if we do stay IN York. I recall when we went to Italy, EVERYONE on the Rick Steve's website, except ONE man, told us NOT to drive in Italy - esp. along the Amalfi Coast. We were SO GLAD we didn't not listen to them! Then when we went to St. John, USVI, the same thing. I'll be honest when we get back and let you know if we were happy we drove or not.

If you think YOU'RE confused, Littlewillie, what do you think I feel like?! LOL! Just kidding. You are correct - sort of. I did want to know about castles or manor houses in the York vicinity, but so far have not found any avail. for the night we'd prob. need it. (Most likely a Sat. But I'm not done checking. And anyway, I just want to stay in such a place for ONE night, SOMEWHERE along our way - it doesn't have to be on that particular night. I was just checking that area out as I am some others in re: to that type of accommodation.)

Fair enough - The reason people advise you not to drive in York are threefold really

1st and most importantly - parking. If you are staying in a hotel with its own car park in the centre of York, you'll be OK but otherwise parking in the city centre is very expensive, even if you can find a space for all day. The most central car park is Piccadilly, where it costs £10 for 5 hours maximum. Others such as Peel Street or Marygate charge £10 all day, but are a few minutes walk further from the city centre. There's a full list of parks and their charges at www.york.gov.uk/transport/Parking/Car_parks/

2nd, York has a minefield of one-way streets, streets that are pedestrianised at some times of day and not others, streets unexpectedly blocked by bollards, streets that taxis can use but not private cars ... it can be difficult figuring out exactly where you need to go.

3rd, you don't actually need a car in the centre of the city. Everything is close enough together to walk. I live in York, a little further out than the Railway Museum. We own a car, and use it about once a week to get to Asda for the weekly shop. Everywhere else we walk.

Having a car at your disposal is great if you have a few days in the area to maybe drive out into the North York Moors or the Yorkshire Dales, but many of the people who ask on these forums are flying into London or Manchester and considering hiring a car there and driving to York. So it has become something of a reflex to just tell people to get a train instead.

The Park and Ride is by far the best option for all-day parking, but if you are staying the night in the city it's probably best to ask them about parking, and walk or get the bus into the centre, depending on where it is

Have a look for B&Bs/hotels along Holgate Road. Some will have parking available. Holgate Rd is just outside the city centre, well served by buses & is walkable too. can't recommend any one place though as I've never used any of them, so you may need to do a bit of research.

brickie, the advice about the one way sts. and taxi only sts. is a good thing to know. And we sure don't want to get stuck w/having to pay the pricey parking. (Although I have to say, it can be way worse here in some places - most esp. NYC and Chicago (how's $17 for the first half hr. and $27 per hr. after THAT?!). Not that we've every paid it. We'd have to drive to the ends of the earth and walk back first! LOL!

Harry, I will have to keep my eyes open for that road. I'm so short of time now that I fear I will be doing most of my research along the way!

Thanks to all of you!

Have fun, anyway. Do you know which way you will be approaching York?

Holgate Road is what the A59 is called when it reaches the city centre, so if you're coming in from the northwest you'll come up the A59 normally. Otherwise you can use the ring road to find the A59.

Other good roads for B&Bs are along Clifton and Bootham (the A19 as it nears the city centre) and Scarcroft Road (which turns right off the A1036 as you head towards the city centre)

Hi, we stayed at the Bootham Guest House in Bootham Crescent for a couple of nights in July. We drove into York along the A19, so it was easy to find the B&B. We were given a free parking permit for the car when we checked in, and we didn't use the car for the whole time we were there as it was just a short walk to the city centre.

Dont be put off by those that tell you not to drive. You know your capabilities in traffic and whether you are a confident or nervous driver. I live to the east of York and regularly drive into town. I have recently driven to Rome Italy, right into the centre at night and found it no different than York, Leeds or London. The hardest thing as the other posters have said is knowing where you are going. Of course being on the "wrong" side of the car and the wrong side of the road also adds to the confusion.

Have you thought to rent a satnav during your vaction?

http://www.cheapsatnavhire.co.uk/

http://www.rentasatnav.com/

Even the cheapest new ones, once in the UK can be bought for @£100. Not the cheapest holiday accessory I know but still one to consider. Also enquire about having satnav with your hire car.