Getting Around, Scarborough Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK)



Seafront view, showing local trafficThe majority of Scarborough's attractions line the seafront, and simply walking between the beaches and places of interest is generally the simplest way to travel around, rather than using local bus transport. Other places of interest reside in Scarborough town centre and just slightly inland, and although you can walk up the steep main road, many choose to take one of the remaining funicular cliff railways.

Much of Scarborough is fairly hilly, and so does not really lend itself to cycling, unless you are especially fit and enjoy a challenge. Nearby villages are connected by buses, which are a cheap way to travel outside of the town, while if you are looking to cover more distance, then rail or coach transport may be your best option. There are currently no ferry services within the town as such, although Hull offers ferry connections to northern Europe and is under one and a half hours away.


Airports / Arriving by Air

The following are the closest airports to Scarborough and easy to reach by road:


Photo of the town's train station

Car Rental

The road network around Scarborough is well developed, with the main road from the south being the A64 between Leeds and York, which incorporates a fast dual-carriageway. Other notable roads in the area include the A165 from Hull to East Yorkshire, the A170 between Thirsk and Pickering, and the coastal A171 connecting Whitby and Teeside.

Parking in the town centre is readily available, with a total of 26 pay and display car parks on offer. During the summer months, the spaces can be quick to fill up thanks to the seasonal influx of tourists. Many prefer to use the Park and Ride services operating at both Filey Road (A165) and Seamer Road (A64), which is well signposted and linked to the centre of Scarborough by regular shuttle bus transportation.

WG Car Rental Logo Book your Durham Car Rental here.

WG Car Rental Logo Book your Humberside Car Rental here.

WG Car Rental Logo Book your Leeds Car Rental here.

WG Car Rental Logo Book your Manchester Car Rental here.

WG Car Rental Logo Book your York Car Rental here.

Picture of the North Bay's Atlantis Water Park

Buses and Coaches

Local town buses regularly depart from the westerly side of Westborough, and also directly outside of the railway station. In total there are some 25 different bus routes around the area, run by Arriva North East, Scarborough and District, and Yorkshire Coastliner. This bus transport provides an easy way to travel between outlying destinations, such as Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Middlesborough, the North York Moors, Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby and York. Once a day, National Express coaches travel to and from London and suit those on a budget, since this journey is considerably cheaper than by train.

Photograph taken at the train station

Trains

Scarborough's train station is to be found near to the town centre and is operated by the First TransPennine Express group. Between Monday and Saturday, trains from the town travel to Bringlington, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Liverpool (Lime Street Station), Manchester (Piccadilly Station) and York, using the scenic Yorkshire Coast Line and North TransPennine route. On Sundays, a further service is available, connecting York, while in the summer, Sunday trains also travel to Hull. East Midlands Trains offer a Saturday service to St. Pancras Station in London, although this only runs during the peak season. Interestingly, the town's train station is home to the world's longest station seat, which measures almost 140 metres / 460 feet in length.