Last week I went on a mini cruise to York (England) with my father and stepmom. I didn’t went on vacation this summer so we decided to go on a small holiday of three days. I’ve been in England several times now, getting there with all possible ways of transportation like by airplane and high speed train. This time I went by boat, and it was pretty comfortable.

We went from Rotterdam to Hull by a vessel of P&O Ferries which departed at 9pm last Thursday. On board the vessel there were plenty of ways to enjoy myself, like restaurants, bars, music and cinemas. As the vessel departs in the evening, all passengers aboard have a small cabin with a shower and bed. I spent the evening at the restaurant and bars. The next morning when I woke up, the remaining time before arrival was just a couple of hours. Although going to England by airplane is much faster (about one hour flying), going by boat is more comfortable. After the vessel was anchored at the terminal of Hull, we got to York by coach.

It was really busy in York, which prove to me that it really is a touristic highlight. York is divided in two parts; the old historic city with the York Minster, which is car-free, and the modern part with all common shops. The city center of York is almost completely surrounded by old town walls from the middle ages. We walked around in the historic part of the city and visited lots of ‘traditional English’ shops. It seems that the English culture differs from the Dutch. Because the weather was nice, we would rather drink something outside on a terrace than inside a pub. We could find lots of pubs and bars, but the majority of them only offered seating inside their building. While walking in a random Dutch city, you’ll see terraces everywhere. Eventually we found a square with multiple terraces.

York is a wonderful city with lots of tiny streets and alleys. I believe when visiting York you’ll discover how England was hundreds of years ago, perfect for a cultural day out!