Route. York to Edinburgh?
Can anyone suggest a route from near York to the Edinburgh Club Site?
Maybe with one stop.
Thanks. Andy.
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Well, if you have heard of the A1, the major road that goes from London, right up the centre of England, along the coast into Scotland, and right through Edinburgh, that would be a good one to follow😁 All you need to do from York, is get on the ring road, off onto the A64 going West, take the turning/junction that says A1North, and you have cracked it.
Lots of places to stop off along the A1. There are services, campsites, CLs all along the route, whether you want a short break or an overnight stop. You cannot take a caravan into Scotch Corner Services though, they are banned, as parking is very tight.
Any UK road atlas has the A1 marked. A Sat Nav would consider it the best route as well.
Come back if you need some good overnight stop offs👍 We have some nice suggestions.
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Amusing but a bit harsh given the OP hasn't yet changed their profile name & maybe new to CT or the 'hobby' altogether....
It is only approx a 4.5 hour drive which I would consider easily manageable without the need for a stop over, just break up your journey with a good stop for lunch.
Enjoy.
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I suppose sticking to the A1 is probably the most direct route but alternatively you could use the A19 to Newcastle which would mean going through the Tyne Tunnel (the A1 skirts around to the west of the city) From Newcastle you have two choices continue on the A1 all the way to Edinburgh and join the bypass around the south of the City and then follow the Club instructions, on here or in your site directory. You could also use the A68 across country from Newcastle. Durham Grange is only minutes from the A1 if you are looking for an overnight stay.
David
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Kasspa, the OP has been around for at least 2 years. I’ll give anyone advice about my local roads and their suitability but I’m surprised someone needs to ask about a major route. I suppose some of us have the advantage of having been used to navigating from maps🤷🏻♂️
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I was being friendly Kasspa, not trying to be “amusing”. Hence the smiley.
York to Edinburgh is about as easy a towing route as you can get, hence why I gave the basic number of roads, and simple instructions. To finish it off exactly, just before Edinburgh, you use the A199 to stay along the coast to the Edinburgh Club Site at Leith.
Make sure you check out any road works before heading up the A1, and be aware it can get very busy around the Gateshead area at certain times of the day. After Newcastle, stretches are single carriageway with some dualled miles as well. It’s a beautiful route up beyond Newcastle, there’s lots to see on the roadside.
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You have two choice to begin with, the A19 and the A1.
The A19 is quieter traffic wise and far more interesting than the A1 and our preferred route to York. Take this if time isn't pressing. There is a service station past Peterlee that will take caravans but it's not that good for food and drinks. After that it will take you to the Tyne Tunnel where there is a toll but you can pay in advance, just google Tyne Tunnel. After the tunnel it will join up with the A1. It is usually a good run through with no hold ups apart from rush hours.
The A1 is usually fast till Washington but has more traffic. There's services at Washington that takes caravans with the usual food and drinks shops. After that beware that it will be very congested at rush hour and there are very extensive roadworks which will slow you down even at other times down to about 30 mph or less and then the parts past the Metro centre are always slow (40 - 50 mph).
After that it's the A1 to Edinburgh, I can't recollect any major service stations but there are plenty of laybys. It's not all dual carriageways though.
Is your stop a comfort break or a overnighter?
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My suggestion would be. A1 or A19 / A1 to just north of Newcastle then onto the A697. Overnight at River Breamish CAMC site 125 miles from York. Onto Edinburgh site the next day, 80 miles using the A697 through Coldstream and A68 to the ring road DK mentions, then follow the clubs directions. Actually River Breamish is worth a couple of nights if you have time.
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We did this trip some years ago using the A1 to Newcastle and then the A68 through the Border Towns to Edinburgh. It’s not the quickest route but we weren’t looking for that and the Borders are lovely. I think we overnighted at Durham’s Grange although that might have been a different occasion…
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Simplicity and ease possibly best for anyone unfamiliar with the roads. A19 and A68 are good routes, but you can’t go wrong really with A64, A1 North, then A199. Good wide towing roads, only one junction to remember, no going through Teesside, Wearside, no Tunnel tolls. Piece of cake, but just look up any roadworks, and avoid Gateshead area between 4.30pm and 6pm. It’s been our preferred route for the last 40 years going North😁
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I would use the A1, we did this summer, going in the opposite direction, then as David said the Edinburgh bypass to approach the CAMC site from the west side of Edinburgh. Having worked extensively in the Edinburgh area, I would say that the route via the A199 along the coast suggested by TTDA is not that good for towing if a large outfit.
Being only a bit over 200 miles, unless you particularly want an overnight stop, it is easily done in one day. Finding a service area to stop in is not essential, though there are several, there are plenty of good lay-bys on the non motorway sections. You have everything you need in the van, so no need for more than a decent lay- by.
Drop a couple of steadies, turn the fridge to gas and enjoy some fresh hot coffee ( or whatever you prefer), a good lunch, and a little snooze if desired.
I would make an early-ish start, on the road by 9am, then an early lunch stop, say by 12, to avoid the lunch time crowds in the services or lay-bys.
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Kj
Last time we went to the Edinburgh site we went via the A199 via Portabella and wished we hadn't! I don't know it if was the wrong day or just the wrong time of day, it was mid afternoon, but it was very slow with roads narrowed by parking. That was why I suggested using the bypass. On the plus side going via the A199 is a more direct route and and once on Granton Road it is only a right turn to the campsite so probably less confusing that the Club instructions? I think somehow we got onto West Shore Road which got us even nearer the site!
David
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It would depend on which side of York you are setting off from as to whether A1 or A19 is the better bet. The A1 does get busy especially as you pass The Angel of The North until you get past Newcastle. The A19 is quieter but don't forget to pay the toll for the Tyne Tunnel. It's online only now and must be paid within 24 hours or there's a hefty fine.
If you're considering an overnight break in the journey there's a couple of CLs which are minutes off the A1 (which you'll have joined at this point, if you've opted for the A19 route): East Cawledge Park and Swan Field, both of which are before the Scottish border.
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I find it hard to believe that anyone does not know how to get to edinburgh from york most drivers use the satnav ,its only the older driver that uses a paper thing called a map ,
navigating the last few miles from the Edinboro bypass is the most difficult part of the journey to the site
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We rarely use a satnav and prefer road maps but are frequent travellers on this route due to family visits. I agree with KJ about the traffic in Edinburgh and that can be a challenge, especially if tired after a longish journey. We use the A19 Tyne Tunnel route if going to the NE coast etc but if heading to Edinburgh would stick to the A1, just be prepared for delays around Newcastle and start early!
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Don’t forget though, the OP lives hundreds of miles away from York, in Dorset, so despite A1 being a major route for us lot further North, there will be folks not familiar, and wanting the easiest towing route. 😁
As for “older” drivers using maps, too much reliance on smart devices can bring its own issues, so a bit of proper basic map reading can be useful. There has been a recent report in the press about the number of vehicles ending up going the wrong way down motorways, and aside from those high as kites on alcohol and drugs, it is thought that too much reliance on the Sat Nav “take the next left turn” is overriding basic driving common sense, however incredible it might seem🤷
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Just actually back from along the A1 past Gateshead and even at 9:30 the traffic through the extensive roadworks was slow, and some narrow lanes to negotiate with traffic joining or going off. Congested round the Metro centre too but that's probably because of the school holidays.
If I was heading northwards and towing I'd take the A194(M) off the A1(M) just after Washington services and use the Tyne Tunnel and rejoin the A1 after Newcastle. Did that last week and it's free flowing (no more stopping to pay) and easier.
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I always carry a road atlas too, but if we're heading to pastures new I always plan the route on AA Routeplanner first. It gives a number of alternatative routes and you can add in 'via' points too. Just print it out and give it your co-driver
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Most modern cars do have a sat nav built in although I expect they are more of challenge compared to specialist caravanning/motorhome ones. I have a TomTom sat nav built into my Peugeot based motorhome and one would have hoped that it might take into account the size of the vehicle but it doesn't so I have to be alert for it trying to take me down short cuts (funnily one of those short cuts occurred on the York ring road!) I try where possible to review the route but sometimes its not always possible to know where it is taking you if you are unfamiliar with the area. So I can understand why a map is still used. Having said that I am not sure many sat navs would duplicate the route supplied by the Club to the Edinburgh campsite? At least with a map it is easy to identify the next major town on your route and road signing will also provide that information.
David
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You do need a map reading co pilot, but we have a great deal of fun deviating off all sorts of main routes, not towing, but in MH.
We did once tow straight through Edinburgh, down Princes Street on a Saturday. It was all fine until we encountered an Orangeman Parade coming the other way. Late 1980’s, before the trams were installed.
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SatNavs have a habit of taking you along narrow, windy lanes and don't always know the best routes if roads have been improved and the SatNav hasn't been updated.
I think its always wise to have an alternative. How many times to we see written instructions including the line 'don't follow SatNav' ?
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Mmm.....frequently!!
Our Touareg does have built in sat nav, but annoyingly it cannot be upgraded free like newer models, and I refuse to pay VW approaching £200 to do it, so we do find ourselves occasionally "navigating off road".
However we have a very good Garmin sat nav so use that and keep the one in the car north up as a reference point and for zooming in to see small streets in towns.
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This may be of interest..... I used them to purchase an SD Card for my 2014 Qashqai which had 2013 maps.... I'm sure the upgrade is only 2021 but much has changed since 2013....
It updated software before install & my wife says there are more DAB radio stations available also.... for £17 it's worth every penny rather than 120 quid Nissan want..... no doubt it's a copy but it works
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