There are many sides to the city of York. On the one hand, with over 2,000 years of history to its name, it is a place coloured by its incredible past and abounding in glorious ancient monuments, such as York Minster and Clifford’s Tower. On the other, it is a thoroughly modern and sophisticated city with shops, restaurants and nightclubs to rival any major urban centre. To put it simply, there really is something for everyone to enjoy in this fascinating place, from the vast array of visitor attractions in the town itself to the rural beauty of the Yorkshire Dales beyond. And now it’s even more affordable to visit this awe-inspiring city with family or friends, with a wide range of great value rail fares and special offers.

Enjoy all the splendour of York for less when you travel by train. If you can book in advance and be flexible about when you travel, you can take advantage of some great value fares to York. Travel from Birmingham for as little as £8.50 one way, from Edinburgh from £14 one way, Manchester from £6.50 and London from £11. Use the Cheapest Fare Finder to check out the range of great value fares.

Book your Advance tickets online with East Coast and get an additional 10% off – add that to the 1/3 discount received by Railcard holders and you could make a massive saving of around 40%!

Meanwhile, students can enjoy some amazing discounts on their journeys to York – those with an NUS Extra card can enjoy a 10% off Advance tickets when they book online with CrossCountry. If you have a 16-25 Railcard you can get a whopping 50% off Advance tickets simply by booking online with First TransPennine Express, meaning you can travel from Liverpool to York for just £5.20 one way.

Make it a shared city adventure with a friend and take advantage of Northern Duo, which gives you one return ticket and another half price when two adults travel together on certain routes to/from York.

What better way to explore this exciting city than with a card that allows you to save while you sightsee? With the great-value York Pass, you’ll enjoy discounted entry on a huge list of top visitor attractions, including York Castle Museum, the Roman Bath and the delightful Model Railway. You’ll even receive special offers for a wide range of shops and restaurants across the city, making this the ideal way to enjoy all that York has to offer. And that’s not all – travel by train with CrossCountry, Grand Central or First TransPennine Express and you can get up to 15% off the price of a York Pass.

If you’re more of a ‘guided tourer’ than a city explorer, climb aboard the York City Sightseeing Bus. The distinctive red and yellow buses are world leaders in open top bus tours and are a fantastic and convenient way to take in all the sights. With the route covering all the major tourist attractions, such as York Minster, Clifford’s Tower and The Shambles – plus handy commentary to guide you through the city - all you need to do is hop on and hop off, which you can do as many times as you like! For an attraction-packed day out that’s great value too, travel with First TransPennine Express and receive a 25% discount on City Sightseeing Tours.

Discover the blood-curdling history of this haunted city at the thoroughly terrifying York Dungeon. You’ll journey deep below the streets, where you’ll come face to face with the ghosts of Vikings, Romans and other tortured souls from the city’s grisly past. With gruesome spectacles such as ‘The Great Plague’ and ‘Labyrinth of the Lost’, plus a host of chilling live shows, this is one attraction that’s not for the faint-hearted! If you’re sure you’ve got the nerve to enter, purchase a York Dungeon add-on ticket to York from any First Trans Pennine Express station and you can enjoy discounted admission to the Dungeon.