The actual Shambles market was somewhat a disappointment, being less the traditional market I was expecting, and more a fairly small selection of craft stalls, better than most, but far from the best. As you walk around this area, the Harry Potter connection is exploited to the full, especially with it being such a tourist trap, wands, spells, potions, tours, ghosts, it's all here. There's a vast, varied selection of quirky shops, cafes and eateries, so there's a great atmosphere, but it's also extremely busy, with lots of mostly Chinese tourists queuing up for the many walking tours & experiences. The architecture is easy to overlook, but look beyond the shop fronts, and you'll get to appreciate some incredibly interesting, and very old buildings, all adding to the overall charm, and sense of stepping back in time, especially with the narrow cobbled streets. All very Scrooge like. It's unfortunate York has become such a tourist focused city, with most stores doing their best to rip them off, with stupidly high prices & lots of tat masquerading as quality items with prices to match, e.g a quality, but unbranded shirt bought in Whitby for £15, was £99! I feel sorry for the overseas visitors, they don't know any better . Overall, York is a fascinating place to visit, there's plenty to see & do, more shops than I've seen anywhere, and if you're a Harry Potter or Viking fan, so much the better, but be prepared to spend a lot. Facilities: If you want to spend a penny, there are public toilets nearby on Silver St. Rather than a penny, they're 40p, and pretty basic, old, and grubby looking, not a great experience. Parking: Nearby parking is available at Monks Bar Car Park, but expensive at £15 all day. As an alternative, you could use the park & ride service into York.