What sort of day trips from Leeds by train are there?

No matter what you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered. Our day trips from Leeds could take you on a walk down a peaceful canal, on a journey down memory lane or enjoying some great food and drink. Let’s take a look at what we’ve discovered.

Knaresborough

You’ve probably heard of its neighbour, Harrogate, but have you considered day trips from Leeds to Knaresborough? It’s a little more tranquil and peaceful, but you won’t be short of things to see and do.

Why not start with a stroll down to the River Nidd? It’s a great place to admire the railway viaduct that you’ll have just passed over, if you’ve come from Leeds:

You could also pop into Knaresborough Castle & Museum. It’s just a short walk (and a climb) along the river. It’s a Norman Castle, and the climb is worth it for the views down the river valley.

If you head down the river and under the railway viaduct, you’ll find Mother Shipton’s Cave. It’s England’s oldest tourist attraction, and it was the home of Mother Shipton, a Tudor prophetess. Legend has it that she foretold the fates of various rulers both during and after her lifetime. She even predicted the Great Fire of London.

Fancy a trip? Two trains per hour run from Leeds to Knaresborough, and they take roughly 45 minutes to complete the drip. Day Return tickets start at £10.60.

Marsden and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal

It’s time to head right to the edge of West Yorkshire. If you want to embrace the great outdoors, then this is one of the perfect day trips from Leeds for you. Marsden is situated on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. At its summit, this is actually the highest canal in Great Britain:

It’s also the point where both trains (and boats) need to cross the Pennines to reach Manchester. So, you can get up close and personal with the railway, and learn more about the Standedge Tunnels, where the trains rush in and out of, and the boats, hopefully don’t rush in and out of:

If you head in the other direction, it’s a pleasant hour-so-walk back towards Slaithwaite along the canal. Alternatively, you could head inland towards the Butterley Reservoir.

Looking to get exploring? You can reach Marsden in as little as 35 minutes with a change at Huddersfield, once every hour. 

Saltaire

Our next stop is Saltaire. The area was built by Sir Titus Salt in 1851, so that his workers in Salts Mill could live in better conditions than the slums of neighbouring Bradford. The name ‘Saltaire’ is simply his surname, and the name of the passing river – the River Aire!

Nowadays, the main attraction continues to be Salts Mill. In the modern day, it serves as an art gallery and a place to learn about the history of Saltaire and the impact that it had as a prominent textile-making hub. You’ll find a shop selling local goods, too:

If you’re after something a little more tranquil, just pop a little further down the road. You’ll soon find yourself at the Leeds & Liverpool Canal:

From here, it’s possible to walk all the way to Skipton or Leeds. Or, you might just prefer to take in your surroundings and have a walk over towards Robert’s Park…

Is Saltaire worth its salt? You can find out with just a 15-minute train ride from Leeds. A Day Return starts at £6.30.

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

How do you like the sound of day trips from Leeds by train…that take you to another train? This one looks just a little bit different, though:

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway links Keighley, Oakworth, Haworth and Oxenhope with a variety of heritage trains. You could have a steam train, a diesel one (like we did) or a more familiar-looking Pacer train.

Along the way, you can learn about the history of the railway, and get up close and personal with the trains that run along the route. Don’t forget to stop off at Ingrow West to visit the Museum of Rail Travel, or pop into the Exhibition Shed at Oxenhope:

Meanwhile, Oakworth Station is famous for starring in The Railway Children, which was released in 1970. The entire railway is a true time capsule, and operates just as it did back before it closed in 1962. By 1968, an army of volunteers had it operating again! Keep an eye out for Damems Station, too. It’s got the shortest railway platform in the UK:

Trains link Leeds to Keighley at least twice every hour. The journey typically takes 25 minutes, and Day Return fares start at £8.20. You can find out more about the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, including their operating days and times, on their website. You can also reach our next destination by taking the hourly B3 bus from the line’s terminus at Oxenhope…

Hebden Bridge

Hebden Bridge has it all. Beautiful scenery, some great places to walk and a plethora of independent shops and cafes to fill your boots in. It was even rated as the Greatest Town in Europe! With friendly touches like this, it’s easy to see why:

If you do choose to have a wander along the canal, much like other places on this list, you can go rather far! This is the Rochdale Canal, after all. You could walk it all the way through the Pennines and into Manchester City Centre, if you were so inclined.

A little closer to Hebden Bridge, you could also go exploring around Hardcastle Crags. It’s around a 35-minute walk from the station to the beginning of the area. It has 15 miles of paths to explore though, so it might take you a little longer than 35 minutes to cover it all!

You can’t have day trips from Leeds without some decent grub and a good drink to wash it down. Hebden Bridge is home to Vocation Brewery, which serves its own craft beer, loaded fries and burgers:

You can take the train from Leeds to Hebden Bridge four times every hour and the trains take 40 to 50 minutes.

Is there anything else I should know?

Ready for some more inspiration? We’ve written lots more content all about day trips by train. Whether you’re travelling from Newcastle, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow or around Kent, we’re sure to have something for you. Don’t forget that there are plenty of advantages when it comes to leaving the car at home.

The final thing we’d recommend is using the SmartSplit website to book your next adventure. We’re completely independent, so we’re happy to ‘tell you like it is’ when it comes to rail fares. Not only that, but we’ll show you the slower, cheaper options that some websites won’t.

Don’t forget that we don’t charge any fees, either. That includes if you change your mind and want to travel on a different day. If your ticket is refundable, we’ll refund it fee-free, too!

_{^{All information on this page is issued in good faith and was correct at 31/08/2023. All fares quoted for were for ONE adult and were the Off-Peak Day Return fare. Information is subject to change at any time and SmartSplit are not responsible for any loss or disappointment incurred as a result of the information provided.}}

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How we found the best value railway station pints

Well, we had to do our research! We worked together to compile a list of all of the station pubs that we knew about. We’re based in different parts of the country, so everyone could chip in and add some local knowledge to the mix. Then, we reached out to them for their help.

Of course, we had to do some in-person research as well. We’ve had the pleasure of going into a wide selection of these pubs and sampling some railway station pints for ourselves.

We found some great beers, superb pubs and brilliant community spirit along the way. All that’s left to do is to show you what we found!

What was the cheapest of the railway station pints?

That honour goes to Aberystwyth. If Ruddle’s Best is your thing, you can get a pint of it on the station for just £1.71. Whether or not you’re a fan, that’s undeniably brilliant value in 2023.

We’ve put all of this information into an easy-to-read map. So the next time that you’re wondering if there’s railway station pints to be had nearby, you’ll know what awaits you, and how much it might cost:

You can download and view the entire map here. We’ve included dedicated maps for London and Greater Manchester, as they’re just so full to the brim with places to enjoy a drink before your train.

What were the pubs like?

We can’t deny that we came across some real gems when we were checking out the prices of railway station pints. A station pub isn’t just a place to drink, but it’s somewhere that locals cross paths with travellers from across the country (and even the globe), and it serves as a meeting place for the community, too.

Track & Sleeper on Knaresborough station is a fairly ‘young’ station pub. The brewery behind it, the Gorilla Brewing Co, was only founded in 2019! Yet, it’s already a firm favourite with the community and with rail travellers alike:

It serves a variety of its own beers, as well as other guest beers on tap and cask. If beer isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of gin on offer.

Meanwhile, in Newcastle, you’ll find the Centurion. It has a selection of local cask beers as well as your usual lagers on tap, but the main thing that sets it apart is, well, the pub itself. It was the former First Class lounge back in the day, and nothing beats sitting back in surroundings like this:

Is there anything else I should know?

We hope that you’ve found our map of the best value railway station pints useful. All that’s left for you to do is to hop on a train and pay some of the pubs a visit! Looking for more about pubs? You can take a look at our favourite pubs in Yorkshire and the East Midlands, the North East and even a quick round-up of the cheapest pints. We’ve also taken a trip to find some of the best beer in East London.

It’s just as well that we specialise in great-value rail tickets, as well as beer. You can get all of your train tickets with SmartSplit. We’ll be sure to show you the slower and cheaper options, so you can get the best value fare for your journey.

Changed your mind? Need to travel on a different day? No problem at all. You can change or refund your ticket (if it’s refundable) without any extra fees.

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How do we work out the best train from Leeds to Manchester?

There are a few factors that we need to look at when we’re deciding on the best train from Leeds to Manchester:

• The cost – is it good value for money?
• Speed – will it get us there quickly?
• Comfort – what are the trains like?
• Reliability – will the train actually turn up?

We have two operators to choose from: TransPennine Express and Northern. TransPennine Express are usually the most popular option. After all, their trains tend to be faster. Meanwhile, Northern are the ‘cheap’ option. Let’s see what both companies are like.

TransPennine Express

On a typical weekday, when there aren’t any engineering works, you’ll usually find three trains per hour between Leeds and Manchester:

• One per hour goes to Manchester Victoria, stopping at Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Stalybridge
• One per hour goes to Manchester Piccadilly, stopping at all stations to Huddersfield, then non-stop to Manchester
• One per hour serves Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly, stopping at Dewsbury and Huddersfield.

The fastest trains take around 50 minutes to reach Manchester Victoria, while the peak trains to Manchester take up to 70 minutes. More services run during peak hours. 

The cost

Let’s take a look at how much you can typically expect to pay for a one-way journey a week in advance. For this, we’ll look at the cost of trains to Manchester Piccadilly:

So, you can expect to pay between 16 and 18 pounds. That’s a little steep, but these are fairly popular trains. A day return (valid after 09:29 weekdays) is £27.20, while one that’s valid at any time (and to return within a month) is £41.00.

The trains

Two different types of train run on the route from Leeds to Manchester. The first one is the Class 185:

These trains have three carriages and will often run in a six-car formation. You can expect to see them on the Hull to Manchester and Saltburn to Manchester Airport routes.

On the Newcastle to Liverpool services, you’ll find the Nova 1:

They’re relatively new trains and have five carriages. Certainly, they’re very modern-looking and pretty striking and are probably the best train from Leeds to Manchester if you’re basing it on looks.

The seat experience

On the Class 185, you’ll find a fair few seats around tables, and the seat comfort is fairly good:

You’ll find a power socket at every window, including a USB port. All of the seats are in a 2+2 layout, while it’s a 2+1 layout in First.

The Nova 1 interior is a little more densely packed, but Standard Class seats are still in a 2+2 formation:

Under each pair of seats, you’ll find two power sockets and a USB port. In First Class, all of the seats are in a 2+1 formation.

Storing your luggage

As you can see in the photos above, both types of train have reasonably-sized overhead luggage racks. You’ll easily store a cabin-sized bag in them. As for larger cases, each carriage on the Class 185 has at least one bigger rack, while there’s at least two per carriage in the Nova 1.

Put simply, it shouldn’t be a problem! TransPennine Express is probably the best train from Leeds to Manchester if you have a lot of luggage.

Upgrading to First Class

If you upgrade to First Class on TransPennine Express, you’ll get a bigger seat that reclines. On most trains, you’ll also get complimentary catering on part of the trip. You can take a look at the First Class menu here.

Here’s what the Class 185 trains look like in First Class:

In terms of power outlets, provision is pretty much the same as in Standard Class. You’ll still want a window seat if you need a power socket on the Class 185 trains.

Northern

Next, let’s take a look at Northern. You’ll usually find three trains per hour on a weekday between Leeds and Manchester Victoria:

• Two per hour stopping at Bramley, New Pudsey, Bradford Interchange, Low Moor (one per hour), Halifax, Sowerby Bridge (one per hour), Mytholmroyd (one per hour) Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Rochdale
• One per hour stopping at Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Mirfield, Brighouse, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden, Walsden, Littleborough, Smithy Bridge and Rochdale.

On Sundays, there are two trains per hour, and they both go via Bradford Interchange.

The fastest trains take around 75 minutes, while the slowest train via Dewsbury and Brighouse takes around 90.

The cost

This is what sets the Northern service apart and what arguably makes it the best train from Leeds to Manchester. It’s actually quite cheap! Let’s take a look at one-way fares a week in advance to Manchester Victoria:

A single fare of £6.80 is less than half the cost of the TransPennine Express fare.

The trains

The fastest Northern services on this route are operated by Class 195 trains. They have either two or three carriages, but can run in formations of up to six carriages:

They’re relatively new trains, though they’re very much designed for commuters and they’re fairly ‘lightweight’, so expect a couple of bumps in the track along the way.

The seat experience

All of the seats on these trains are in a 2+2 formation. They’re pretty thin and firm, but this means that legroom in the ‘airline’ style seats is fairly generous:

There are quite a few tables as well, and every pair of seats has access to a power socket under the seat. They’re not quite as luxurious as TransPennine Express trains, but they’re fine for a journey of an hour and a half.

Storing your luggage

The overhead racks on these trains are reasonable and will store a cabin-sized bag. You won’t find any bigger luggage stacks, but there are areas with tip-up seats and the areas around the doors have a fair amount of space.

That said, we wouldn’t recommend travelling on these trains with everything but the kitchen sink. They’re commuter trains, after all.

Upgrading to First Class

You won’t find First Class on any Northern service. You’ll need to travel with TransPennine Express if you want a little more luxury!

Verdict: What’s the best train from Leeds to Manchester?

All things considered, the best train from Leeds to Manchester at the moment has to be Northern on the basis that it’s a lot more predictable! It’s cheaper, too. Unless you want to go First Class or you have a lot of luggage, it’s simply the smarter option.

There are a couple of things that you can do to make your journey even smarter:

• At busier times, such as in the rush hour, aim for the trains that start at Manchester Victoria if you’re travelling east. They leave at around 57 minutes past the hour (54 on Sundays) and have around 20 minutes turnaround time in Manchester. This gives you a good chance to turn up and get a seat
• The trains via Bradford will swap direction there, so you’ll need to switch seats if you don’t want to travel backwards. Alternatively, take the train that goes via Brighouse and Dewsbury
• All trains start and terminate at Leeds. Just make sure you get there around 10 minutes before departure to guarantee a seat on busier trains

Is there anything else I should know?

The final thing we’d recommend is using the SmartSplit website to book your next journey. We’re completely independent, so we’re happy to ‘tell you like it is’ when it comes to rail fares. Not only that, but we’ll show you the slower, but cheaper options that some websites won’t.

Don’t forget that we don’t charge any fees, either. That includes if you change your mind and want to travel on a different day. If your ticket is refundable, we’ll refund it fee-free, too!

_{^{All fares stated on this page are for ONE adult with no Railcard discount and were correct at 15:00 11/09/24. Advance fares quoted are from March 2023. Timetable info is correct to December 2024. They’re subject to change at any time and SmartSplit are not responsible for any loss or disappointment incurred as a result of the information provided.}}

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What are the best eateries near stations?

Howst (Sheffield)

Kicking off our best eateries near stations list is HowSt in Sheffield. Located at the top of Howard Street, next to Sheffield Hallam University, it’s a short five minute walk or so up (or down!) the hill to/from the station.

They specialise in a selection of breakfast and brunch foods, as well as your standard hot drinks and even cocktails. You can find the menu here.

It’s quite popular too, and we were lucky to get a table when we visited around midday. It’s really cosy and welcoming though, and the staff give you some true friendly Sheffield hospitality.

For food, we picked the ‘Sroom’, which is poached eggs on toast with mushrooms and a Bloody Mary sauce. It came to £9.50:

We’d definitely recommend paying a visit. Just try to avoid the rush around 12 to 1pm, as it can get very busy! The food here is delicious and the service is brilliant.

Meat:Stack (Leeds)

Okay, so Meat:Stack don’t actually have their origins in Leeds. They’re a Geordie-born business, but their Leeds branch is just around the corner from the station. Just pop out of the main entrance, turn left, then take a sharp right back along Bishopsgate Street.

It’s a pretty basic fast food-esque restaurant, but you wouldn’t come here to kill a lot of time. It’s all about filling yourself up with delicious food!

Think Five Guys burgers, but with some friendly northern service and way more flavour and creativity. If you want to see what’s on offer, click here.

We went for the New Mexico burger and some loaded spicy fries. A meal deal for a burger, fries and a drink starts at around £14:

When you order, you’re given a little buzzer that’ll go off when your food is ready. However, the staff just brought ours straight away as it was fairly quiet.

If you really want a good burger, then Meat:Stack is one of the best eateries near stations that you’ll find.

Partisan (York)

This is the most walking you’ll need to do for one of our best eateries near stations. Partisan is around a 10-minute walk from York Station, located on Micklegate. If you’re after an ‘elevated’ brunch, we’d recommend paying a visit.

It’s really popular, and even when we visited at 2pm on a Wednesday, it was pretty full. Thankfully, there’s a heated and covered outdoor terrace, so we sat there.

You’ll find the menu here. We went for the chorizo on toast (front) and vegan breakfast (rear) which were £14.50 each:

It’s a little expensive for just one dish, but it’s filling and tasty food. The chorizo on toast is very generous with the amount of meat you get, and the caramelised onions are absolutely delicious.

Partisan is one of the best eateries near stations for brunch. If you’re visiting York too, we’d recommend making it part of your itinerary!

The Sitting Room (Saltburn)

The Sitting Room is definitely one of the best eateries near stations if you’re all about location. Simply step off your train and turn left. Take a few steps forward and it’s on your right.

We just popped in for a cup of tea, so don’t have any food pictures to share. But as you can see, it has a cosy little bar and plenty of places to sit and relax with a book or the paper:

They specialise in sandwiches, cakes and hot drinks for the most part. It’s classic café food with friendly service. Once it gets a little later though, you’ll find cocktails and beers to choose from as well.

It seems to have two different ‘vibes’, with it being a cosy little cafe during the day, but it has a more intimate restaurant feel in the evening. We loved it as a spot to come in and enjoy a hot drink, especially on a cold windy day.

Zapatista (Newcastle)

Zapatista is a Mexican taco and burrito restaurant, which started out on Newcastle’s Ridley Place. Nowadays, you’ll find a branch on Grainger Street (just two minutes from the station) as well as one in Durham.

Each restaurant is full of quirky decor and has loads of places to sit and relax. The one by the station isn’t too busy if you want to sit down either, as it’s more popular with delivery apps and takeaway orders.

The menu is available here. You’ll find tacos, burritos and fajitas as well as items like nachos and chilli. As it happens, we went for the chilli and rice, which cost £7.20:

It’s customisable (like most dishes on the menu) so you can put your own twist on it, and it was a really filling bowl of chilli as well. It’s a great lunch spot and one that we’ve visited for a number of years.

Feeling hungry yet? Don’t worry. You can book a trip to all of these eateries with SmartSplit. We don’t charge any fees, including if you change your mind. All of our tickets are either refundable or changeable with no extra charges.

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