The Best Motorhome Routes from Yorkshire: 5 Road Trips to Try

Pontefract sits roughly in the middle of northern England, which is convenient if you run a motorhome hire business and very convenient if you are the one picking up the keys. Mountains, coast, national parks, and lakes are all within comfortable driving distance - none of these routes requires a full day on the motorway before the scenery starts. These are the five best motorhome routes from Yorkshire that we recommend to customers, each one road-tested by people who drive these roads regularly.

1. The Yorkshire Dales Circuit (3-5 Days)

Distance: 150-180 miles circular | Difficulty: Easy to moderate (some single-track roads over the tops)
Best months: May to September (lambing restricts access in spring, snow closes passes in winter)
Highlights: Skipton, Malham Cove, Hawes, Ribblehead Viaduct, Aysgarth Falls, Grassington

The Yorkshire Dales are barely an hour from our Pontefract depot, making this the easiest first trip for new hirers. Head north-west to Skipton - the gateway town with an excellent Saturday market and a castle worth half an hour. From Skipton, drive to Malham and walk to the Cove, the curved limestone cliff that featured in Harry Potter. Continue over the tops to Hawes, home to the Wensleydale Creamery where you can sample the cheese Wallace and Gromit made famous.

From Hawes, head east along Wensleydale to Aysgarth Falls - three stepped waterfalls on the River Ure, impressive after rain. Drop south through Coverdale or Bishopdale to Grassington, a handsome village with good pubs, before heading home via Skipton and the A65. The road over Buttertubs Pass between Hawes and Thwaite is one of the most spectacular in England but narrow in places - take it slowly in a larger motorhome.

Campsites: Knight Stainforth Hall near Settle (100 pitches, riverside), Bainbridge Ings near Hawes (flat pitches with Wensleydale views), Wood Nook near Grassington (quiet, well-maintained).

2. The Yorkshire Coast (4-5 Days)

Distance: 200 miles with return | Difficulty: Easy (all A-roads, no mountain passes)
Best months: June to September (warm enough for beaches, long daylight hours)
Highlights: Filey, Scarborough, Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby, Runswick Bay, Staithes

The Yorkshire Coast from Filey to Staithes is ninety minutes from Pontefract and one of the most varied stretches of coastline in England and arguably the best short Yorkshire road trip you can do by motorhome. Sandy bays, dramatic cliffs, fishing villages unchanged in two hundred years, and some of the best fish and chips in the country. Start at Filey's gentle crescent beach and work north through Scarborough, Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby, and Staithes, spending a night or two at each.

Two practical notes: you cannot take a motorhome down into Robin Hood's Bay village (too steep and narrow - park at the top and walk), and the A171 between Scarborough and Whitby has some steep gradients around the Hole of Horcum. Neither is a problem, just worth knowing. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Pickering to Whitby is worth building into the trip if you can spare half a day.

Campsites: Filey Brigg Caravan Park (clifftop, views to Flamborough), Hooks House Farm at Robin Hood's Bay (basic, great location), Whitby Holiday Park (walkable to town, 8 hardstanding pitches).

3. The Lake District (5-7 Days)

Distance: 300-350 miles return | Difficulty: Moderate to challenging (mountain passes with steep gradients and hairpins)
Best months: April to October (passes close in snow, campsites book out July-August - reserve early)
Highlights: Windermere, Ambleside, Keswick, Ullswater, Honister Pass, Buttermere

The Lake District is about two and a half hours from Pontefract via the M62 and M6. The classic route enters via Windermere and works north through Ambleside and Grasmere to Keswick, then east to Ullswater before looping south through the Kirkstone Pass. Each lake has its own character - Windermere is busy, Coniston is quieter, Ullswater is many people's favourite, and Buttermere in the west is stunningly peaceful.

Drive the Honister Pass if you are comfortable with steep, narrow single-track roads with passing places - it is one of the most dramatic mountain passes in England, and the slate mine at the top does tours. If that sounds daunting, skip it - there is plenty to see without tackling the steepest roads. The steamers on Ullswater and Windermere let you see the lakes from the water, and the walk to Aira Force waterfall near Ullswater takes about forty minutes.

Campsites: Park Cliffe at Windermere (lakeside, excellent facilities), Castlerigg Hall near Keswick (views of the fells), The Quiet Site at Ullswater (off-grid feel, family-friendly).

4. The Peak District Loop (2-4 Days)

Distance: 100-130 miles circular | Difficulty: Easy to moderate (Winnats Pass is steep but short)
Best months: Year-round (lower altitude means less snow than the Dales or Lakes, and autumn colours in Padley Gorge are outstanding)
Highlights: Castleton, Bakewell, Chatsworth, Stanage Edge, Monsal Trail

The Peak District is the closest national park to Pontefract - Castleton is under an hour via the M1 and A625. This compact loop takes in both the White Peak (limestone dales, pretty villages) and the Dark Peak (gritstone edges, open moorland). Start at Castleton and explore the show caves - Speedwell Cavern, where you take a boat underground, is the most atmospheric.

Drive the Winnats Pass (steep, spectacular, single-track) to Bakewell, home of the Bakewell Pudding - not tart, the locals are particular about this. Visit Chatsworth House if you have time; the grounds and farmyard are brilliant for children. From Bakewell, head north to Hathersage and walk along Stanage Edge, the gritstone escarpment from the Pride and Prejudice film. The Monsal Trail offers gentle cycling through tunnels and across viaducts between Bakewell and Blackwell Mill. For the full breakdown, see our Peak District guide.

Campsites: Losehill Club Site near Castleton (sheltered valley setting), Chatsworth Club Site (walking distance to the house), North Lees near Hathersage (small, quiet, Stanage Edge on your doorstep).

5. The North York Moors and Coast (3-5 Days)

Distance: 180-220 miles circular | Difficulty: Easy to moderate (the descent into Whitby from the moors is steep but well-surfaced)
Best months: Late August to September (heather in bloom turns the moors purple, fewer crowds than summer)
Highlights: Helmsley, Hutton-le-Hole, Goathland, Whitby, Rievaulx Abbey, Castle Howard

This route combines open heather moorland with the dramatic coastline around Whitby, and it works beautifully as a three to five day circuit. Head north from Pontefract to Helmsley - a market town dominated by a ruined castle and close to Rievaulx Abbey, one of the most atmospheric monastic ruins in England. The abbey ruins in their valley setting are worth an hour of anyone's time.

From Helmsley, drive across the moors to Hutton-le-Hole, a village that looks like it was designed for a chocolate box lid - stone cottages, a sheep-grazed green, and the Ryedale Folk Museum. Continue to Goathland, which Harry Potter fans recognise as Hogsmeade station, and where the surrounding moorland walks are superb. Drop down to Whitby, spend a day in the town, then head south along the coast through Robin Hood's Bay to Scarborough before cutting inland through the Howardian Hills. Castle Howard is worth a stop on the way home - particularly the Temple of the Four Winds and the woodland walks.

Campsites: Golden Square near Helmsley (well-equipped, good base), Goathland Club Site (small, moorland setting), Whitby Holiday Park (town within walking distance).

Which Route First?

If this is your first motorhome trip, start with the Peak District or the Dales - shorter distances, easier roads, and you are never far from Pontefract if you need anything. If you want the most variety in one trip, the Moors and Coast route gives you moorland, fishing villages, a market town, and a stately home in under a week. If you have a full week and want the biggest scenery, the Lake District is hard to beat.

All five routes start and finish at Pontefract, and the first leg of each is under two hours. These are five of the best motorhome drives Yorkshire has to offer, and the north of England is extraordinarily varied, and a motorhome unlocks all of it without the hassle of booking hotels along the way.

See our long-term motorhome hire for more.