York - on the train...

[ChampagneTastes]

I thought it would be a good idea to take my DS(9) on the train to York in August. We're going to do all the touristy things like the Jorvik centre and the Railway Museum as well as walk the walls, etc. DS is autistic and has pointed out that a holiday is only a holiday if it has some sort of waterpark/playground/activity centre involved. I wasn't planning on taking the car so can anyone tell me what we could do that's within reach of the city walls?

There isn't a water park but there is a river, you could do a boat trip.

www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/york/york-leisure-centre

Anything here? Google maps tells me the number 9 and 12 busses get you within a 5 min walk.

Would an escape room count?

Rowntree park. About a 10 min walk down the river and has a great big playground

Waterworld closed a few years ago and was replaced by the York Leisure Centre mentioned above, but there is only a pool and a splash zone for under 5-6s. There is also bowling and Puttstars and a cinema next to the leisure centre. You can get the Park and Ride to Monks Cross.

The other good activity centre is The Web Adventure Park. webadventurepark.co.uk/. There is a decent playground in Rowntree Park, about 10 minutes walk from the centre, and Homestead Park, about 15 minutes walk from the centre.

Be careful when you go, York has the Ebor horse racing in August and the city Center gets mental with drunk people day and night during the races.

Ooh thank you for this and @Mommabear20 I had forgotten about Ebor.... I'm going in the first week so I shall go and check now...

Will check out Rowntree Park and the Web Adventure thing looks good. Thanks!

Where's good to eat these days? DS loves pizza and pasta but will go for a good burger or some such (I'm not even going to attempt to be healthy).

@ChampagneTastes

Ooh thank you for this and *@Mommabear20* I had forgotten about Ebor.... I'm going in the first week so I shall go and check now...

Will check out Rowntree Park and the Web Adventure thing looks good. Thanks!

Where's good to eat these days? DS loves pizza and pasta but will go for a good burger or some such (I'm not even going to attempt to be healthy).

If he likes pizza and pasta. There is or was a Pizza Hut near the Jorvik centre. There's also another one in the city centre as well but I can't remember where that one is. Sadly apart from Nandos and Pizza Hut I can't recommend anywhere else. Not because everywhere else is crap, but because we don't have either a Pizza Hut or a Nandos so when we go to York that's where we prefer to go

There is a Pizza Express on Lendal Bridge, and one at the bottom of the Shambles. For pasta - Ask is in the old Assembly Rooms near the Minster - beautiful building inside! Del Rios at Micklegate Bar is also good for Italian.

There is a Byron Burger on Ousegate, and GBK on Lendal, but I think the latter might have closed.

Sorry that should say Pizza Express on Lendal Bridge and Pizza Hut at bottom of the Shambles.

GBK has closed