Best Yorkshire road trips

From the dramatic chalk cliffs of its long North Sea shoreline to the gentle, chocolate-box beauty of its mellow Dales, Yorkshire has one of the widest varieties of attractive landscapes of any British region.

Here are three of our favourite Yorkshire road trips: fill up the fuel tank, dig out the road atlas, make sure your insurance for a classic car is up to date – and away you go!

The Coast Run

One of the first ways to get to know Yorkshire's magnificent scenery is surely a tour of its extensive, often dramatic coastline. Yorkshire's shore stretches an impressive 90 miles, from Staithes in the north to Spurn Head in the south: and much of it is absolutely beautiful – white cliffs, imposing headlands, quaint former fishing villages, and much more.

We recommend starting a Yorkshire trip at the awesome Flamborough Head, which juts out into the North Sea beyond the lively seaside town of Bridlington. Flamborough is famed for its white cliff formations, some of which make up a large ensemble known as the ‘Drinking Dinosaur’ – and indeed, it does resemble a large T-Rex dipping its huge, powerful head into the North Sea.

You might want to park here and walk a short stretch of the coastline: there's a great 2.4-mile circular walk, for example, with stunning chalk cliffs, a lighthouse and the pretty village of Flamborough itself all within an hour's stroll. If you time your visit from mid-May to mid-July, you'll even get some close-up views of the puffins that nest on the Head. Not to be missed.

Next stop on your Yorkshire coast route is the traditional fishing town of Filey, with its expanse of pristine sand and the dramatic Filey Brigg peninsula, whose 20-metre cliffs drop down towards the North Sea. Filey is also a great place to eat, with plenty of fish and seafood cafés and restaurants.

Heading further north up the coast, you'll get to the area around Ravenscar where the North York Moors drop down to the sea. With its rocky beach – a mecca for fossil lovers – and commanding cliff-top views, Ravenscar is one of the gems of the Yorkshire coastline.

There's plenty of history here: for one thing, the Romans used Ravenscar as one of their string of warning beacons that dotted the Yorkshire coast.

Up on the clifftop you’ll also find the Raven Hall Hotel, formerly home to King George III’s physician Dr Francis Willis and, purportedly, the site of some of the king's own rest cures. Ravenscar is also one of the quieter places along this stretch of coast, so makes a perfect pit stop if you want to flee the hordes.

Just a few miles further north, meanwhile, you'll find a place every bit as atmospheric as its unusual name suggests: the historic village of Robin Hood's Bay. This place has been a significant fishing port for around five centuries, as witness its appearance on old North Sea fishing charts from 1586. Today's village features a warren of old streets, many of them steep and winding, crammed with attractive old houses. Many of the town's dwellings date from the 17th and 18th centuries: Robin Hood's Bay also features in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The next stop on the drive has to be the seaside town of Whitby, a beautiful old fishing port, a little like Robin Hood's Bay on a much larger scale. If you've got the stamina, you should try to climb the famous 199 steps that lead from the harbour up to the beautiful Abbey on top of its hill. The beach and harbour, complete with donkey rides and excellent fish and chip cafes, are also a must.

Further up the coast, you'll want to pull in at pretty Runswick Bay, with its fine-looking 18th and 19th Century houses huddled around the harbour, and its sweeping sea views and sandy beach.

We'll round off this Yorkshire coast run at Staithes, right near North Yorkshire's border with Teesside. This was once, like Robin Hood's Bay, a busy fishing port: it's now another picture-perfect coastal town, with its cobbled streets and clusters of red roofed fisherman's cottages.

The Yorkshire Dales

For many people, the Yorkshire Dales conjure up a very inviting vision of rural England. Dry stone walls, lush, verdant valleys covered in daisies and buttercups, pretty stone villages complete with cosy tea rooms and cricket on the green.

With a certain timeless feel to its villages and countryside, the Dales is certainly a region well suited to pootling around in a classic car. On the driving front specifically, there are a wealth of superb roads, winding their way sinuously uphill and down dale. We'd recommend taking these roads at a gentle pace – and making sure your classic car insurance will give you the protection you need should any unexpected events occur.

How to get the most out of this beautiful region in a day's road trip? We'd probably structure it as follows:

Start at the beautiful old town of Lancaster. OK, not the Dales, not even Yorkshire, but a few miles from the border – and a handsome and historic town that, while you're in this part of the world, you'll not want to miss. Visit the impressive Lancaster Castle, one of Britain's best-preserved medieval buildings, and mooch around the city centre with its many elegant Georgian buildings.

From Lancaster it's a relatively short, 18-mile hop over the Lancs/North Yorks border, along the A683 and A687 to Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, a dramatic circular route that follows parts of the Rivers Twiss and Doe. A five-mile walk with a gradient rise of 554 feet and some arresting waterfalls along the way, Ingleton is blessed with some of the North's most spectacular waterfall and woodland scenery.

From here, you can follow the pretty B6255 (and the course of the Doe) through the village of Chapel-le-Dale and on to the awesome feat of Victorian engineering that is the Ribblehead Viaduct. Carrying the Settle to Carlisle railway across the Ribble Valley, the viaduct is Grade II listed and presents a spectacular addition to the landscape.

From here we'll lead you in a south-south-easterly direction, taking the B6479 to the remote upland town of Settle, and then the A65 to Skipton. You might want to detour, between Settle and Skipton, to the charming town of Malham, home of the famous limestone amphitheatre Malham Cove. This, thanks to its starring role in the Deathly Hallows film, will be well known to Harry Potter fans. If you've time for a meal or an overnight stop, we'd definitely recommend a visit to the beautiful (and dog-friendly) Beck Hall hotel and restaurant – or to the welcoming Lister Arms, which we've singled out for praise before.

Back onto the main route, Skipton is well worth a few hours of your time: home to another fine castle, it's a busy, friendly market town that serves as a gateway to not one but two fantastic expanses of wild countryside – the Dales and the North York Moors.

From Skipton your next port of call is a pair of wonderfully atmospheric ruined abbeys. First, a short haul east of Skipton on the A59, is Bolton Abbey – the Priory church and ruins of a once-great Augustinian Priory in a wonderful riverside setting. Bolton was a busy monastic community for nearly four centuries, until Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. Don't miss the 60 stepping stones over the river: once the crossing point for the Priory's lay workers, now a fun (and moderately challenging!) part of your visit.

From Bolton Abbey you can head east along the A59 to the smart Georgian spa town of Harrogate, home to the famous Betty's Tea Rooms. We recommend taking some time over one of their superb Yorkshire Fat Rascal teacakes. Next, it's time to atone for your sweet-toothed sins by heading north to another religious monument, the National Trust-run Fountains Abbey.

After that, though, it's a return to gastronomic pleasures, as you'll want to take in two of the Dales' most beautiful and iconic valleys, Wensleydale (home to a famous cheese) and Swaledale (home to some magnificent honey). We'd recommend the scenic route from Fountains to Wensleydale via the local roads A6108 and A684.

York and the North York Moors

We definitely can’t pick out the best of Yorkshire without mentioning the wonderful cathedral city that gives the region its name.

So, our third drive begins in the peerless city of York – and we'd definitely recommend spending some time here if you can, before you hit the road. York is a city packed with history – it was, among other things, the Vikings' capital in Britain and the North's largest Roman settlement – and it makes for a hugely absorbing city to wander around.

Time permitting, take some time to take in the medieval city walls, the stunning York Minster and the beautiful Ouse river as it snakes through the city. Rail buffs will clamour to spend time at the National Railway Museum, chocoholics will enjoy York's Chocolate Story – and anyone intrigued by our Viking past should visit the Jorvik Viking Centre, a truly immersive, multi-sensory exploration of Viking-era York. You should definitely wander around the city centre, too, with its wonderful mix of architecture – Tudor, Georgian, Victorian and more. Make sure your walk includes The Shambles, a beautiful old street with a fascinating history.

Once you can tear yourself from York, take the A64 to the smart market town of Malton, which deservedly dubs itself Yorkshire's Food Capital. Within Malton's pretty streets you'll find first-rate butchers, delicatessens, chocolatiers, brewers and many more. Make for the Talbot Yard Food Court and Yorkersgate, two of the town's foodie hubs.

From Malton, you've got a picturesque drive along the B1257: and who doesn't love a twisting B-road in a classic car? It's in situations like this – when you're driving for the handling and responsiveness of the car, and the feel of the road, rather than for out-and-out speed – that classics can often be enjoyed at their absolute best. As specialist providers of classic car insurance, our message is to respect and protect your beloved classics – but to enjoy them, too!

Your destination is Helmsley, a quintessential market town and the gateway to the North York Moors. Helmsley ticks a lot of 'perfect English town' boxes: the bustling market square, the handsome old stone houses, the brooding castle ruins, the inviting tea rooms and cosy inns. It also sits in a wonderful location, with the North York Moors rolling onward to the horizon.

The next part of the drive is a real treat: a tour of the Moors proper, from Helmsley to Danby, continuing on the B1257 and passing through miles of dramatic upland scenery. Soon after leaving Helmsley, you may want to pause to take in Rievaulx Abbey, like Bolton and Fountains above a stunningly atmospheric ruin – a Cistercian abbey and one of Britain's most important religious communities until, you guessed it, seized by Henry VIII as part of the Dissolution.

Danby is a beautiful village high on the Moors: nearby is the Moors National Park Centre, a base for some wonderful views and rewarding walks among this most expansive and undisturbed of landscapes. It's also an official Dark Sky Discovery Site, a perfect spot for stargazing.

From Danby, our next destination is Goathland, chiefly famed for its railway station which doubled as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter film series. If you're in need of a pit stop, you'll find several cafes and a pub in the village.

Your final part of the drive takes you along the beautiful Esk Valley to the historic seaside town of Whitby, which we featured in the Coast Run above.

Classic car insurance for your Yorkshire road trip

We hope that you enjoy putting your classic car through its paces on any or all of these fantastic Yorkshire road trips.

You'll want to set out on any trip like these with a strong level of protection for your classic – and, with our 35 years of experience in the classic car insurance business, we are well positioned to provide the cover you need at a price you can afford.

Contact us today to arrange some classic car insurance.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.