York will not sell you a pass, and it does not need to. There is no charge zone for cars: the council's Clean Air Zone applies to local buses only. What stops a driver here is the clock. The footstreets close at 10:30, the Coppergate bus gate cameras run 08:00–18:00, kerb stays over two hours are allowed only after 15:00, and the Park & Ride's last bus back leaves around 22:30.
So I plan York by the hour. My default is a Park & Ride: parking is free, the adult return bus £4.
A city that runs on opening times
York's centre is small enough to cross on foot in twenty minutes, and the wall around it is 3.4 km long, the longest medieval town walls in England according to Visit York. The wall-walk itself opens around 08:00 and shuts at dusk. Even the walls keep office hours here.
Diagon Alley that was never Diagon Alley, and ham that was never from York
The Shambles as "the real Diagon Alley". In May 2020 J.K. Rowling answered on Twitter that she had "never seen or been to the Shambles". The street is worth seeing for itself: the overhanging upper floors and the meat hooks still fixed outside some shopfronts are left from when it was a butchers' street. I would go before 09:00 and look up.
York ham as a souvenir from York. The name is a cure, not an address. A Wikipedia history piece notes York hams "are not made in York", and the story that the first ones were smoked over oak shavings from the Minster's building is a legend. I would not pay a premium for the label.
Lunch under the market roof on Silver Street
Shambles Market is open every day 09:00–17:00, closed only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Make It York counts 75-plus stalls and food kiosks, with a seated food court at the back. I go at noon on a weekday; Saturday is the busiest day.
Read the Coppergate sign before you turn
The Coppergate bus gate, between Clifford Street/Nessgate and Piccadilly, runs on cameras 08:00–18:00 every day. From 08:00 to 10:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00 only buses, taxis and private hire may pass; from 10:00 to 16:00 loading is also allowed. The penalty goes by post to the registered owner. The council page does not give the amount.
It matters because Castle car park sits right beside it. Set the satnav to YO1 9SA and check the last turns; if they cross Coppergate in those hours, I change the route.
Parking in York: Five pounds an hour, Sunday included
The council's car parks are open 24 hours and charge 08:00 to midnight every day, Sundays and bank holidays included. From midnight to 08:00 they are free.
My pick in the centre is Castle, next to Clifford's Tower: 268 spaces, no height limit, and £5.00 for an hour, £10.00 for two, £19.20 for five Sunday to Thursday (£5.50/£10.90/£22.10 Friday and Saturday). After 18:00 there is a £4.00 evening ticket (£4.80). Pay by coin, card, or PayByPhone with location 808748.
For a whole day, Marygate by Museum Gardens is £23.20 Sunday to Thursday. It reads your number plate, has no barrier ticket and takes no cash. Nunnery Lane costs the same but is 2.1 m high, like Union Terrace north of the Minster. Q-Park Shambles is lower at 1.88 m and does not publish its prices online.
On the kerb, the central streets cost the same as Castle and are PayByPhone only. The council's rule: "Parking for over 2 hours is only allowed after 3.00pm". A ticket is £70 or £50, halved within 14 days.
The other car parks to watch are the riverside ones. Rowntree Park, St George's Field and the Esplanade have all been shut when the Ouse rose, and the council warns Rowntree Park can close before the water arrives. Castle and Marygate have not appeared in any closure report I found.
Car parks worth knowing
| Car park | Price | EV |
|---|---|---|
| Castle (council)Tower Street, YO1 9SA, beside Clifford's Tower; 268 spaces plus 30 Blue Badge | Sunday–Thursday £5.00 an hour, £10.00 for 2, £11.50 for 3, £19.20 for 5, then £3.80 an hour; Friday, Saturday and event days £5.50/£10.90/£13.90/£22.10. Evening 18:00–24:00 £4.00 (£4.80). Free midnight–08:00. No height limit. Coins, card or PayByPhone (808748). | No charging. |
| Marygate (council)Frederic Street, YO30 7DT, by Museum Gardens; 329 spaces | £5.00 for an hour, £23.20 all day (Sunday–Thursday). Ticketless number-plate cameras, card or phone only, no cash. No height limit. | 16 bp pulse bays, 7.36 kW Type 2, 65p/kWh according to Zapmap; the council does not publish the price. |
| Nunnery Lane (council)Nunnery Lane, YO23 1AA, inside the walls' south-west corner; 139 spaces | £5.00 an hour, £11.50 for 3, £23.20 all day, evening £4.00. Height 2.1 m. | 12 fast sockets and one rapid charger; current price not confirmed. |
| Union Terrace (council)Clarence Street, YO31 7ES, north of the Minster; 145 spaces | £5.00–£5.50 an hour, £23.20–£25.00 all day. Height 2.1 m. | No charging listed. |
| Q-Park Shambles (private)Garden Place, YO1 7NT; 265 spaces, 24/7 | Q-Park publishes no tariff online. Height 1.88 m. Visa, Mastercard, Maestro. | Two charge points; price not published. |
The cheapest way to park, by how long you stay
| If you stay | Cheapest | Cost | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours in the centre | Park & Ride (free parking, adult return bus) | £4 ≈ €4.7 | Parking is free; the £4 is the adult return bus. Up to three under-16s free with a paying adult. No overnight parking; last bus back about 22:30. |
| …and the cheapest central garage | Castle (council) | £10 ≈ €11.8 | Sun–Thu price; no day cap, £3.80 an hour after 5 hours |
| …and the kerb, for comparison | Kerb, central streets | £10 ≈ €11.8 | £5.00 an hour, £10.00 for two (Sun–Thu; £5.50/£10.90 Fri–Sat). Over two hours only after 15:00. PayByPhone only. A ticket is £70 or £50, half within 14 days. |
| A full day (10 h) | Park & Ride (free parking, adult return bus) | £4 ≈ €4.7 | Parking is free; the £4 is the adult return bus. Up to three under-16s free with a paying adult. No overnight parking; last bus back about 22:30. |
| …and the cheapest central garage | Marygate (council) | £23.20 ≈ €27 | |
| 24 hours | Marygate (council) | £23.20 ≈ €27 |
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Towed in York: The council will clamp you, then tell you nothing
City of York Council's Parking Services clamps a car with three unpaid tickets in six months when it collects a fourth, and removes it after 24 hours clamped. It removes at once from bus stops, taxi ranks, clearways, loading bays, reserved spaces and closed roads.
What it does not publish is anything about the pound: no address, no hours, no fees, no list of documents. Ring 01904 551309 or email [email protected]. I would bring a passport, proof of ownership and insurance, which is what North Yorkshire Police ask for when they impound. With a hire car, I ring the rental company first.
If your car has disappeared
- Who took it
- City of York Council Parking Services. It clamps a car with three unpaid tickets in six months when it gets a fourth, removes it if clamped for 24 hours or causing an obstruction, and removes at once from bus stops, taxi ranks, clearways, loading bays and closed roads
- Phone
- City of York Council Parking Services (also [email protected]): 01904 551309
- Collect it at
- Not published. The council's clamping and removal page gives no pound address; ring Parking Services. Their office is West Offices, which is not a pound.
- Hours
- Not published.
- What it costs
- Release and storage fees are not published. A parking ticket in York is £70 or £50, halved if paid within 14 days; after 28 days the council asks the DVLA for the keeper.
- Bring
- The council lists nothing. For police removals, North Yorkshire Police ask for photo ID (passport, driving licence or EU ID), proof of ownership and an insurance certificate; I would bring the same. With a hire car, ring the rental company first.
EV charging in York: Fast chargers, slow fix on the price
The council's HyperHubs at Monks Cross and Poppleton Bar each have four 175 kW and four 50 kW units, open 24/7, with a 90-minute stay before an overstay fee.
The price is the problem. In 2023 the council set 59p per kWh for rapid charging. A local blog reported in February 2026 that the contactless local rate had been unusable since 1 January, with bp pulse's 89p national rate charged instead. In May the new terminals were still not installed. I could not confirm today's price, so read the screen before you plug in.
In town, Marygate has 16 bp pulse bays at 7.36 kW, 65p/kWh on Zapmap, and Nunnery Lane has 12 fast sockets and one rapid. My choice is Poppleton Bar: charge there, ride in, and the parking costs nothing.
Where to charge
- Monks Cross HyperHub — Monks Cross Park and Ride, north-east of the ring road. 4×175 kW and 4×50 kW, 24/7, bank card on the rapid units, 90 minutes then an overstay fee. A local blog reports the 59p contactless rate unusable since 1 January 2026 and 89p charged instead
- Poppleton Bar HyperHub — Poppleton Bar Park and Ride, north-west on the A59. Same layout as Monks Cross: 4×175 kW and 4×50 kW. Charge while you ride the free-parking Park & Ride into town; read the price on the screen
- Marygate car park — 16 bays — Marygate car park, by Museum Gardens. bp pulse, 7.36 kW Type 2, 65p/kWh on Zapmap. Slow, so only useful if you are parked here all day anyway
Free parking in York: Free at the edge, free after midnight
Park & Ride parking is free at all six sites. The adult return is £4.00, up to three under-16s ride free with a paying adult, and a day ticket for up to five people is £13 (after 09:00 on weekdays). The last bus back leaves around 22:30. No overnight parking. Askham Bar has 1,100 spaces and a 2.1 m warning; Poppleton Bar's route stops at the National Railway Museum.
Two other free windows: council car parks are free from midnight to 08:00, and Micklegate, Lawrence Street and Priory Street are free on Sunday 08:00–13:00.
For hotels, the Minster Hotel advertises "FREE PARKING" on its own site when you book direct, first come, first served. The Clifton Bridge Hotel lists free parking and a 15-minute riverside walk into town.
Free or nearly-free spots
Park & Ride: free parking, £4 bus
Six sites, parking free, adult return £4, up to three under-16s free with a paying adult; a day ticket for up to five is £13 (after 09:00 on weekdays). Last bus back from the centre around 22:30; no overnight parking.
Council car parks after midnight
Council car parks charge 08:00 to midnight every day, Sunday included, and are free from midnight to 08:00. Buy the £4.00 evening ticket at 18:00 and you are covered until morning.
Sunday mornings on three streets
Lawrence Street, Micklegate and Priory Street are free on Sundays from 08:00 to 13:00, then £3.00 an hour until 18:00. Pay by PayByPhone.
Hotels with free parking
- Minster Hotel — 58-60 Bootham, York YO30 7BZ Map. Its own site: "FREE PARKING" when you book direct, "first come, first served". No space count given
- Clifton Bridge Hotel — 23 Water End, York YO30 6LL Map. Its own site lists free parking; about a mile, a 15-minute riverside walk, to the centre
⚠ The small print on 'free' parking
- Footstreets: 10:30–17:00 every day, vehicles barred unless you hold a waiver. Shambles and Stonegate are closed to traffic at all times. The fine for entering is not on the council's page.
- Coppergate bus gate (between Clifford Street/Nessgate and Piccadilly), cameras 08:00–18:00 daily: buses, taxis and private hire only at 08:00–10:00 and 16:00–18:00, loading also allowed 10:00–16:00. The fine goes to the registered owner; the amount is not published on that page.
- Kerb in the centre: stays over two hours are only allowed after 15:00. PayByPhone only. A ticket is £70 or £50, half within 14 days.
- Flood closures: Rowntree Park, St George's Field and the Esplanade car parks have been shut when the Ouse rises. The council warns Rowntree Park can close before the water arrives, for days.
- Union Terrace and Nunnery Lane are 2.1 m, Q-Park Shambles 1.88 m. With a roof box use Castle or Marygate (no limit).
Take these places with you
Every place on this page as a file you can keep — car parks with their prices, the free and park-and-ride spots, the chargers and the pound.