Serviced Apartments in York

Discover the best activities and attractions York has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Museum Gardens (Museum Gardens and the Yorkshire Museum)
Museum Gardens is a 10-acre riverside botanical and archaeological garden in the heart of York, surrounding the Yorkshire Museum and Roman-era remains. As a green lung for the city it delivers clear social and health benefits — providing free public space for recreation, education (school visits and citizen science), and community events — while preserving archaeological heritage that attracts cultural tourists. The gardens support the local economy by bringing visitors into nearby cafes, shops and hotels, hosting seasonal events that create short‑term jobs and supplier opportunities, and enhancing York’s appeal as a historic city to live in and visit.

National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is one of the UK’s leading transport museums, showcasing iconic locomotives, interactive exhibits and specialist collections that tell the story of rail travel and engineering. Its free-entry model and strong family appeal make it a major driver of footfall to York, underpinning nearby hospitality and retail businesses; it also creates skilled museum jobs, volunteers opportunities and education programmes that boost local skills and pride. The museum’s rotating exhibitions and high-profile loans attract national and international visitors, amplifying York’s cultural profile and contributing significantly to tourism revenue.

Bettys Café Tea Rooms (York branch)
Bettys is an iconic Yorkshire tea room and patisserie with a celebrated York branch that blends traditional afternoon tea with locally sourced baked goods and confectionery. As a culinary institution it enhances York’s reputation for hospitality, drawing both day-trippers and food tourists who spend in surrounding shops and hotels; it also supports local suppliers and preserves regional culinary craft through apprenticeships and training. The cafe’s enduring popularity helps sustain city centre footfall year‑round, providing stable employment and contributing to York’s hospitality sector identity.

The Shambles
The Shambles is one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval streets, famed for its timber-framed buildings, narrow cobbles and mix of independent boutiques, specialist food shops and tourist-focused retailers. Its unique historic character drives strong visitor numbers — benefiting independent traders, artisan producers and cultural tours — and helps command premium rents for niche retail, which in turn funds conservation of the built heritage. The street’s cinematic atmosphere (often linked to Harry Potter fandom) makes it a cultural icon for York, supporting guided-walk operators, photographers and events that amplify the local economy.

Jorvik Viking Festival (and related Viking attractions)
The Jorvik Viking Festival is an annual celebration of York’s Viking heritage featuring living‑history re-enactments, street parades, hands-on workshops, academic talks and themed trails, building on the research and displays of the Jorvik Viking Centre and York Archaeological Trust. The festival draws specialist visitors and families, generating seasonal boosts for hotels, pubs, and retailers while providing platforms for local performers, craftspeople and heritage organisations to trade and network. Beyond direct spending, the festival reinforces community identity, promotes heritage conservation, attracts media attention to York’s archaeology, and encourages year‑round interest in Viking-related tourism and education.

Explore the diverse transport options available in York, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail (York Railway Station) - Major national rail hub on the East Coast Main Line with frequent long-distance services to London, Newcastle, Edinburgh and regional connections to Leeds, Manchester, Scarborough, Hull, Middlesbrough and more; served by operators including LNER, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry, Northern and open-access operators such as Grand Central.
- Local and Regional Rail - Frequent commuter and regional services to nearby towns and cities (e.g., Leeds, Harrogate, Selby, Scarborough) with several local stops and branch-line services linking the wider North Yorkshire area.
- Bus Network (First York and other operators) - City and regional bus services run by First York (the principal operator) plus independent operators and community services; routes cover the city, suburbs and surrounding towns, with frequent services on core corridors.
- Park & Ride - Multiple Park & Ride sites around the outer ring (examples include Askham Bar, Monks Cross, Rawcliffe Bar, Poppleton Bar and Grimston Bar) offering frequent shuttle buses into the city centre and rail station to reduce city-centre car traffic.
- Coaches (National Express, Megabus and others) - Long-distance coach connections to major UK destinations with stops in/near the city centre and at the rail station; useful for lower-cost intercity travel.
- Taxis and Ride-Hailing - Licensed taxi ranks around the city centre and rail station plus app-based private hire options for on-demand door-to-door journeys.
- Community and Demand-Responsive Services - Local community minibuses, voluntary transport schemes and some demand-responsive services operate for less-served suburbs and rural villages in the surrounding area.
- Park & Cycle / Bike Parking at Stations - Secure and sheltered cycle parking at the railway station and major bus/park-and-ride sites to support multi-modal journeys.

Major Highways
- A1(M) - Principal north–south trunk route a short drive west of York, providing links toward the East Midlands and the north of England and connections to the M1.
- A64 - Main east–west trunk from Leeds through York onwards to Scarborough and the east coast; a primary route for eastbound travel and tourism traffic.
- A19 - North–south route linking York to Selby, Doncaster and Teesside to the north; important for regional freight and commuter traffic.
- A59 - Westbound route from York toward Harrogate and beyond (links toward Lancashire and the north-west).
- A1079 - Route east from York toward Market Weighton and Hull, providing an important connection to east Yorkshire and port areas.
- A1237 (Outer Ring Road) - York’s outer ring road providing orbital movement around the city and links to major radial routes and park & ride sites.
- M62 (via Leeds/A64) - Major trans-Pennine motorway reachable via the A64/Leeds, providing westward connections to Manchester and the national motorway network.
- M1 (via A1(M)) - Accessible via the A1(M) for direct motorway access to the Midlands and London.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Cycle network and routes - Extensive signed urban and interurban cycle network combining on-road cycle lanes, segregated sections on key corridors, traffic-free riverside and disused‑railway paths, National Cycle Network routes through and around York, secure bike parking at key hubs and ongoing council programmes to expand and improve connectivity for commuting and leisure cycling.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- York Central redevelopment and access improvements - Major brownfield redevelopment adjacent to the station with a new access road, improved pedestrian/cycle links and planned enhanced public transport links to integrate new housing, jobs and the rail hub.
- Station and rail capacity upgrades - Network Rail and operators’ works in and around York (platform and signalling improvements, station refurbishment phases) to improve capacity, resilience and passenger facilities; part of wider route investment programmes on the East Coast Main Line and regional routes.
- TransPennine Route and regional rail upgrades - Ongoing route upgrades and electrification/modernisation projects on key regional corridors aimed at faster, more frequent and more reliable rail services serving York and neighbouring cities.
- Bus fleet decarbonisation and service improvements - Local operators and City of York Council investing in low‑emission and electric buses, fleet renewals on Park & Ride services and timetable/service enhancements to improve modal choice and air quality.
- Active travel and cycling investments - Council-led schemes (including funding through national active‑travel and local transport programmes) to extend segregated cycle lanes, improve cycle junctions and create safer, continuous routes into the city centre.
- Highway and junction upgrades - Targeted junction improvements on the outer ring and key radial routes to reduce congestion and improve reliability for freight and commuter traffic.
- Integrated ticketing and passenger information improvements - Steps toward better multimodal information, real‑time passenger information displays and moves to simplify ticketing across bus and rail for some journeys.

In York, finding the right furnished rental apartment for short term or long term rental can be challenging - especially with affordable rates all year round in York. That is where we help companies find the right serviced apartment to stay when working away from home. Our accommodation offers you the perfect self-catering, furnished rental properties in central York and easy-access locations nearby. Whether it be one week, one month or one year, we have flexible terms to suit you.