What is the style of the trips?
Our trips are nothing like a traditional 50 seat coach tour! We provide a friendly, relaxed, small-group, guided, road trip experience that couples, individual travellers and families are all welcome to join. Our comfortable 16 seat Minicoaches enable us to get off the beaten track to show you hidden gems that larger coaches cannot get to.
Our Driver/Guides are passionate about Yorkshire (whatever the weather!) and love sharing their knowledge and experience, whilst meeting new people from all over the world.
We usually see plenty of sheep on our trips, but we don’t herd our guests like sheep! We provide options, choices and information about the places we visit for the longer stops, then you choose how to spend your free time exploring. We do not include entry fees so you can decide whether you want to visit particular attractions or just enjoy the trip itself – you do not have to spend additional money. We negotiate discounts for our guests at the places we visit and your Guide will give you honest opinions regarding the various options available.
We usually follow our standard itineraries but we are also flexible and take opportunities to add in extra little surprises and change things around if necessary to make the best of things if the weather is not ideal.
After ensuring your safety and comfort, our priority is to make sure that ALL our guests have a great time with us and end the day agreeing with us that it is #ProperFunInYorkshire!
How do I book?
All our Day Trips can be booked online here on our website or at the Visit York Information Centre.
To book online, select the trip you require on the Home or Tours pages, then select your date on the calendar and just follow the simple booking steps and pay by credit or debit card. If you are booking more than one trip, you can add further trips at the Basket stage. We do not collect or store your card details, we use a fully secure online Booking System operated by FareHarbor and the prices displayed on our website INCLUDE all fees.
If you book more than one different trip with us at the same time there is a 10% Discount – see the trip itineraries for details of how to claim this.
Do you offer Private Tours?
Yes, we operate Half and Full-Day Private Tours of Yorkshire from York, Harrogate or Thirsk (for groups of 1-4 passengers, 5-8 passengers or 9-16 passengers) on any day throughout the year – see the Private Tours Page. We can also offer the same trips for student groups etc. of more than 16, but using a larger Coach means that we do have to adapt the itineraries a bit.
How can I contact you?
We have a chat facility on the website which you can use to chat with us online, or leave a message with your email address if we are offline and we will get back to you.
You can use the Message Form on the Contact Us page or just email us on enquiries@bobholidays.com and we will get back to you.
Our telephone number in the UK is 01609 779933 (+44 1609 779933 if dialing from overseas). We are a small family business therefore if we are not in the office to answer your call, you can leave a message and we will get back to you.
Where is the meeting point?
All our Day Trips start and finish outside the Dean Court Hotel in Duncombe Place, York, YO1 7EF (near York Minster). All trips depart at 9.00am prompt so please don’t be late as we are unable to wait for latecomers due to parking restrictions at the pick-up point!
Can you suggest places to stay close to the meeting point?
The following are all within easy walking distance of our meeting point:-
Dean Court Hotel – The closest Hotel to our Meeting Point – we meet right opposite!
Bronte Guest House– A family-run, 5-bedroom, Victorian style Guest House with period-style furnishings with a modern twist.
Alcuin Lodge Guest House– A small, independent, 5-bedroom Guest House set in an Edwardian family home.
23 St Mary’s – A 9-bedroom Victorian style Guest House decorated with period furnishings.
Goodramgate Apartments – 11 modern, contemporary, self-catering apartments situated next to the historic city walls.
Hotel Indigo– A modern Boutique Hotel with 101 bedrooms.
Safestay York – A hostel offering both shared and private bedrooms and stylish social spaces.
DoubleTree by Hilton York – A large hotel with 143 bedrooms which overlooks the historic city walls.
Park inn by Radisson York City Centre – A large hotel with 220 bedrooms overlooking city centre attractions.
Does the “York Pass” entitle me to anything with Best of Britain?
Any type of York Pass purchased from Visit York entitles you to 10% Discount off any of our Day Trips from York booked online with us – just type “yorkpass2024” in the Travel Agent’s Code box as you book to claim the discount.
Are the trips suitable for all ages?
Our Day Trips are intended for all ages but they are not really suitable for young children and we cannot accept under 5’s on the Minicoach, with or without tickets, unless specifically arranged in advance with Head Office.
Do you have Family/Group/Child rates?
Yes, we do offer Child Tickets for ages 5-15 and a 10% Discount for Family/Group bookings for four or more people (all adults or adults/children). We have some Booster Cushions suitable for children aged 5-12, if required. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Can I bring a Child under the age of 5?
Our trips are not really suitable for young children and we do not accept children under the age of 5 on the Minicoach, with or without tickets, unless specifically approved in advance by Head Office. For us to give approval, you will need to be able to provide your own Child Car Safety Seat, suitable for the age of the child and which fits standard car style seat belts, and you will still need to purchase a ticket for the child, regardless of age.
What do I need to bring as a ticket?
You can download a Booking Confirmation when you book online and will also receive an email confirmation. You can print a copy of either of those to bring along, or just show the booking confirmation to our Tour Guide on a phone or other mobile device. We will be expecting you so it’s not the end of the world if you can’t show us your ticket!
How far is the meeting point from the station?
It is less than half a mile, so an easy 10 minute walk. We can drop you off at the station after a trip if you wish, but you should not book onward travel too close to our planned arrival time back in York, just in case we have traffic problems!
Do you offer hotel pick-ups?
Unfortunately, other than on our Private Tours, we are unable to provide hotel pick-ups. The reason is that the morning traffic in York can be problematic and, to be fair to our other guests, it is important that we depart promptly to ensure we can fit everything into the trip. There is a very good public bus service into the city centre, which drops off just 2 minutes walk from our pick-up point, and they have the major advantage over us of being able to use the local service bus lanes so can get you there quicker than we can!
On which days do the trips run?
Our public Day Trips from York operate from March to November:
Whitby & The North York Moors trip on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays in March & November.
Yorkshire Dales trip on Wednesdays from March to November.
Herriot & The Yorkshire Dales trip on Fridays in March & November and on Mondays & Fridays from April – October.
Moors, Whitby & The Yorkshire Steam Railway trip on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays from April – October.
Private Tours are available on any day throughout the year.
Is there a minimum number for the trips to run?
No, if you book, the trip will run. We will never cancel a tour because of low passenger numbers. We appreciate that many of our customers plan their travels many months in advance, and have a long time to get prepared and excited about joining one of our tours. You can do that with confidence, knowing that we will never subsequently cancel your tour due to insufficient demand.
What is included in the ticket price?
All transportation within the tour using a comfortable, air-conditioned 16-seat Minicoach with a Tour Leader/Guide. We do not include entry fees to attractions or food. Our Itineraries offer options and choices, so it is up to you whether you want to visit particular attractions or not.
What are the group sizes?
All our Day Trips are conducted on a 16 seat vehicle. Using a smaller vehicle allows us to get “off the beaten path” to show you hidden gems and makes our trips more personalised, nothing like a regimented “50 seater bus trip”. This does, however, mean that space is limited so book early to avoid disappointment!
What if the weather is bad?
There is no such thing as bad weather in Yorkshire, just the wrong clothes! We operate our trips in all weathers and are positive minded people, so we have great days out whatever the weather!
Should I bring food?
We have plenty of stops where you can buy food and drinks but, if you prefer to bring your own picnic along, that is fine. We just do ask that, in fairness to other guests, you do not bring smelly food onto the Minicoach!
Are there plenty of toilet stops?
Yes, we have regular stops where there is access to toilet facilities.
Will we be getting off the Minicoach?
Yes, that is one of the features of our trips, you will be able to get off to enjoy the scenery and fresh air at our photo stops, as well as at the scheduled longer stops.
How much walking is required?
Our tours are designed to take you as close to the places of interest as possible and our smaller vehicles allow us to do this. However, there may be places where you need to walk a bit to see a particular attraction. If that is a problem, just talk to your Tour Guide, there are usually more relaxing alternative options!
Can I bring a suitcase with me?
Yes, if you are arriving or departing York on the day of your trip with us, we can accommodate your suitcase up to 20kg in the luggage compartment for the day.
Can you accommodate wheelchairs?
We can carry standard wheelchairs in the luggage compartment of the Minicoach. There are three steps at the entrance to the Minicoach but there are handrails to assist passengers entering and exiting.
Are dogs allowed on the trips?
We are happy to accommodate Registered Assistance Dogs on our trips by prior arrangement. Please email us before booking to arrange this. No other animals are allowed on public tours.
What happens if I need to cancel my booking?
We will fully refund tour bookings cancelled, at least, 24 hours before the tour departs. We are unable to provide any refund for cancellations made less than 24 hours before the trip departs or if you are late at the meeting point and miss the departure. If you want to change the date of your trip after booking, we will do our best to accommodate you. Just email or give us a call if you have a problem after booking.
What happens if you cancel my trip?
We will only cancel a trip in exceptional circumstances, such as vehicle breakdown that we are unable to overcome or dangerous road conditions due to the weather. In the event of that happening, we will provide a full refund or a trip on an alternative date, whichever you prefer.
Can I read independent reviews of your trips?
Yes, we are the top rated operator of Day Trips from York on TripAdvisor and you are welcome to read our reviews here:
Tripadvisor Reviews for Best of Britain – Yorkshire Day Tours
Where is BOBH?
NEW FOR 2024: We have had a rebrand! We are now known as Best of Britain – Yorkshire Day Tours.
For the last ten years we have been known as ‘BOBH – Day Tours of Yorkshire’ which was an abbreviation of our company name ‘Best of Britain Holidays Ltd’. However we feel we should be proud of our roots and felt it was time for a little freshen up. Nothing else has changed, just #properfuninyorkshire
Some useful Links:
Visit York Visitor Information Centre
North York Moors National Park – Guide to the North York Moors – Kilburn White Horse – Whitby – Helmsley – Goathland – NY Moors Railway
Yorkshire Dales National Park – Guide to the Yorkshire Dales – Aysgarth Falls – Arncliffe – Hawes – Wensleydale Creamery – Oldest Sweet Shop