View an interactive map of Whitby and the surrounding area here...
COMING TO WHITBY BY CAR & BIKE
From the North, take the A171 out of Guisbrough, and follow the road across the rolling hills
until you're suddenly greeted by a panoramic view of Whitby and the sea. Keep following the
road all the way, and you'll arrive in the town. (See note below about parking in Whitby)
From the South, West and South West, follow the A64 from York, then take the A169 from Malton,
through Pickering and then across the North Yorkshire Moors, with stunning panoramic views. Stay
on the 169 all the way down Blue Bank, through Sleights, and up the other side of the valley to
a roundabout connecting you with the A171. Turn right, and follow the road all the way into town.
(see note below about parking in Whitby)
From the South East (the East UK coast), follow the A171 coast road North from Scarborough. Stay
on the road all the way into Whitby. (see note below about parking in Whitby)
PARKING IN WHITBY: Parking in Whitby is problematic at times, especially on holiday weekends but
generally whenever the weather is good and/or there's something going on. Various extra parking
is laid on at these times, and plans are afoot for more, so as you approach the town, please look
out for signs guiding you to appropriate parking locations. If you can, avoid driving all the way
into the town centre. You will almost certainly not find parking in the centre, and movement is
very very slow. The largest area of parking is on the West Cliff, close to the very large and
noticable Metropole Hotel and the children's amusement area. Expect to have to walk about a quarter
of a mile from here to reach the town centre. If you can, come to Whitby by bus or train - see below.
COMING TO WHITBY BY BUS
From all directions except the North (Scarborough, Bridlington, Leeds, York, Malton etc), use the
Coastliner service. Full online schedules are available on their excellent web site here:
http://www.coastliner.co.uk/
From the North, come to Middlesbrough, then use either the X56 or 93 bus services to Whitby. The X56
runs along the coast road, and offers some interesting scenery along the way, not least a stunning view
across the bay to Whitby from Lythe, above Sandsend. The 93 comes across inland and gives great views
of the moors - and an awesome panorama when are just about to drop down "Skelder", about 4 miles from
Whitby.
COMING TO WHITBY BY TRAIN
Most trains to Whitby come via Middlesbrough. The route follows the Esk Valley through some stunning countryside
with wooded valleys, bridges and of course, the river Esk itself. It's worth taking a trip on the train just for
the views. For full train timetables to Whitby, use The Trainline:
http://www.thetrainline.com/
Another way to get the train to Whitby is to make your way to Pickering, then take the steam train service across
the North Yorkshire Moors to Grosmont, where you must change trains and travel the last 10 miles into the centre of the town.
The journey across the moors is stunning, and the carefully restored steam trains add to the magic of this Hogwart's Express
type experience. Grosmont and Pickering stations were used as locations for the production of some of the Harry Potter movies!
Bear in mind that the steam train services are limited, and may well be booked up in advance. See schedules and booking information here:
http://www.nymr.co.uk/
View an interactive map of Whitby and the surrounding area here...
