The Coast to Coast over 18 days is an iconic long-distance walking route devised by the legendary British fell-walker and guidebook writer, Alfred Wainwright, in 1973. It traverses some of the finest ground in England as it takes you from the Irish Sea at St Bee's to the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay, a distance of 309 km.
The walk takes you through 3 major national park areas – the famous Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors – with a preference for higher ground and the avoidance of urban areas where possible. Note that this is not an easy pub-to-pub walk, and will be more challenging than you might first anticipate (especially the first few days through the Lake District), but with a bit of preparation, the Coast to Coast walk is very achievable and enormously rewarding.
A real highlight of this walk is staying in the traditional English Bed and Breakfast and pub accommodations along the way. Be prepared to be spoiled with a warm welcome each day from your hosts who in many cases own the accommodation, and subsequently provide a much more personable experience. Most of your hosts have intimate knowledge of the history of the Coast to Coast track, and some of them have walked it numerous times. All the properties are clean and comfortable and offer all the local hospitality that the English are renowned for, including crisp clean local ale.
After a big day on the track enjoy a warm shower, a comfortable bed, and a cooked dinner (we’ve left this to you as there are many choices on offer). We do however include all the breakfasts and all the lunches (except for one).
All the accommodations listed below are our’ go-to’ accommodations but on some occasions, we may have to swap out one accommodation for another of equal quality due to lack of availability.
For starters, we’ve actually walked the track and taken the time to curate what we actually offer. The Coast to Coast follows clear walking tracks throughout but there are lots of tracks going in all directions. In areas like the Lakes District National Park, walking tracks are not signposted at all, it is apparently against their “ethos”. Not to worry, our very comprehensive day-by-day walking notes that we’ve created, together with our marked copy of a detailed walking map, will ensure that you can walk the Coast to Coast with full confidence, and no fear of becoming lost, even when it is foggy and misty.
The walk is available from March to October. Outside that time please check with us.
August is one of the best months in which to walk the Coast to Coast. The weather is often relatively stable, the heather is in flower, and it is often less busy at this time than one might expect! However, we also recommend spring and autumn as the best time to walk the Coast to Coast track as the weather is pretty good for walking and if you choose spring the heather is in flower!
We offer this walk from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay, from west to east so the walk starts in St Bees. The closest airports to the St Bees are listed below; then it’s a 4-hour train ride from there. Of course, London is the most popular entry route into the UK. You can catch a train which takes 5 to 6 hours from Euston Station in central London northwards to St Bees (via Carlisle).
To make it easy we have collated some useful information that will assist you in making arrangements for your travel.
By Air: The easiest option would be to fly into the UK, any of the major cities will suffice as the UK’s excellent train network will ferry you to St Bees. The main UK airports for international flights are Heathrow Airport www.heathrowairport.com, Gatwick Airport www.gatwickairport.com, and Manchester Airport www.manchesterairport.co.uk.
The nearest airports to St Bee’s are: Durham-Tees Valley Airport www.dtva.co.uk, Leeds Bradford Airport www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk, Newcastle Airport www.newcastleairport.com
By Ferry: International ferry services run to UK ports from France, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. There are also local ferry services that run from the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Man and the Scottish Isles. Visit www.aferry.co.uk/ferryports.htm
By Rail: The easiest way to get to the start of the track from London is by train. St Bees has good train services. For easy train bookings in the UK (and beyond), we recommend using the LOCO2 website https://loco2.com/en. They have an excellent smartphone APP too. Just enter your station of origin, your destination, date of travel etc, and options will be presented (times, fares etc). You can pay online. Electronic tickets or ticket pick up at the station (from a dispenser machine). Trains from London connect with the Cumbrian Coast Line (Northern Rail) which services St Bees. There are several trains daily. Trains to St Bees from London will take approx. 5 hr, with 1 or 2 changes required.
If you would prefer not to change trains, consider going direct from London to Penrith and spending the night there before continuing to St Bees by private transfer.
By Coach: National Express Coaches link most major towns and cities in the UK. For details of departure times and to book tickets call 0871 781 8181 (or +44 (0) 871 781 8181 from overseas) or visit https://beta.nationalexpress.com/.
By Bus: Various buses run to St Bees from nearby towns. Please visit http://www.traveline.info/ for up-to-date bus journey schedules.
By Road: If you have your own vehicle and are thinking of driving up to the walk then there is a free unrestricted car park at the north end of town and unrestricted parking on most side streets. Sometimes our accommodations have parking available at a small fee per night. If this appeals to you, please contact the Auswalk office about this as soon as possible. For advice on driving to St Bees, please visit www.theaa.com which has a very useful route planner.
By Air: The nearest airports to Robin Hood’s Bay are: Durham-Tees Valley Airport www.dtva.co.uk, Leeds Bradford Airport www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk, Newcastle Airport www.newcastleairport.com
By Rail: The nearest train station is north of Robin Hood’s Bay at Whitby (10 km away) or Scarborough (32 km away). For easy train bookings in the UK (and beyond), we recommend using the LOCO2 website https://loco2.com/en.
By Coach: National Express Coaches link most major towns and cities in the UK. For details of departure times and to book tickets call 0871 781 8181 (or +44(0) 871 781 8181 from overseas) or visit https://beta.nationalexpress.com/.
By Bus: You can get a bus from Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby train station which takes about 20 min (Arriva Bus Services) – route X93 or Scarborough train station which takes about 35 min. There are several buses a day. See http://getdown.org.uk/bus/bus/x93.shtml for the schedule.
By Taxi: Several local Robin Hood’s Bay taxi companies offer good deals for small groups to Whitby. Ask your accommodation for current contact details. Whitby and Scarborough’s stations are served by a taxi rank or a cab office. Check availability before travelling, and pre-book if necessary. For further information visit www.taxinumber.com
By Road: For advice on driving from Robin Hood’s Bay, visit www.theaa.com which has a very useful route planner.
To return to the start of the walk, from Robin Hood’s Bay you will need to take a bus (Arriva Bus X93) to Whitby and from here take a train to St Bees (approx. 6.5 – 7.5 hrs). Please note that there are different options for this journey, depending on the date and time you wish to travel. We recommend visiting the LOCO2 website https://loco2.com/en.
18 days is the amount of time in which to do this walk. This means no days are longer than 25 km, except for the last day at 31km, or much shorter than 15 km. We can also adjust this schedule to include rest days or, you could walk the Western Half to Kirkby Stephen, or the Eastern Half from Kirkby Stephen to Robin Hood’s Bay as another option.
The track conditions range, but all of the walks are passable, and no scrambling is required. There is some incline but we’re not talking about anything significant. The United Kingdom is prone to having rain, no surprise there, so there may be some boggy sections but this entirely depends on the time of year and the prevailing conditions. Our advice is to prepare and bring the right gear and you’ll have a fabulous walk. See gear advice in FAQ’s
This walk is not available from November to February. See the United Kingdom Met office or the United Kingdom Meteorological Service for information about the weather and average temperatures and rainfall at different times of the year.
We require that you purchase travel insurance for all of our trips. We require that you purchase a travel insurance policy for all travel overseas that includes medical evacuation.
We also have to charge a cancellation fee if you cancel your walking holiday after we have confirmed it as we incur costs both from suppliers and in the office that can not be recouped. It is also important in the event of an accident or loss of property.
See the FAQ section for more information.
For nearly 30 years we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know, even with that in mind, that you’ll have many more questions. You will receive a very detailed information pack and itinerary approximately 6 weeks out from departure outlining all the fine detail and much more.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of our destination consultants. You can get in touch with us via our contact form, email us at info@auswalk.com.au, or call us on +61 3 9597 9767.
The Coast to Coast over 18 days is an iconic long-distance walking route devised by the legendary British fell-walker and guidebook writer, Alfred Wainwright, in 1973. It traverses some of the finest ground in England as it takes you from the Irish Sea at St Bee's to the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay, a distance of 309 km.
The walk takes you through 3 major national park areas – the famous Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors – with a preference for higher ground and the avoidance of urban areas where possible. Note that this is not an easy pub-to-pub walk, and will be more challenging than you might first anticipate (especially the first few days through the Lake District), but with a bit of preparation, the Coast to Coast walk is very achievable and enormously rewarding.
A real highlight of this walk is staying in the traditional English Bed and Breakfast and pub accommodations along the way. Be prepared to be spoiled with a warm welcome each day from your hosts who in many cases own the accommodation, and subsequently provide a much more personable experience. Most of your hosts have intimate knowledge of the history of the Coast to Coast track, and some of them have walked it numerous times. All the properties are clean and comfortable and offer all the local hospitality that the English are renowned for, including crisp clean local ale.
After a big day on the track enjoy a warm shower, a comfortable bed, and a cooked dinner (we’ve left this to you as there are many choices on offer). We do however include all the breakfasts and all the lunches (except for one).
All the accommodations listed below are our’ go-to’ accommodations but on some occasions, we may have to swap out one accommodation for another of equal quality due to lack of availability.
For starters, we’ve actually walked the track and taken the time to curate what we actually offer. The Coast to Coast follows clear walking tracks throughout but there are lots of tracks going in all directions. In areas like the Lakes District National Park, walking tracks are not signposted at all, it is apparently against their “ethos”. Not to worry, our very comprehensive day-by-day walking notes that we’ve created, together with our marked copy of a detailed walking map, will ensure that you can walk the Coast to Coast with full confidence, and no fear of becoming lost, even when it is foggy and misty.
The walk is available from March to October. Outside that time please check with us.
August is one of the best months in which to walk the Coast to Coast. The weather is often relatively stable, the heather is in flower, and it is often less busy at this time than one might expect! However, we also recommend spring and autumn as the best time to walk the Coast to Coast track as the weather is pretty good for walking and if you choose spring the heather is in flower!
We offer this walk from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay, from west to east so the walk starts in St Bees. The closest airports to the St Bees are listed below; then it’s a 4-hour train ride from there. Of course, London is the most popular entry route into the UK. You can catch a train which takes 5 to 6 hours from Euston Station in central London northwards to St Bees (via Carlisle).
To make it easy we have collated some useful information that will assist you in making arrangements for your travel.
By Air: The easiest option would be to fly into the UK, any of the major cities will suffice as the UK’s excellent train network will ferry you to St Bees. The main UK airports for international flights are Heathrow Airport www.heathrowairport.com, Gatwick Airport www.gatwickairport.com, and Manchester Airport www.manchesterairport.co.uk.
The nearest airports to St Bee’s are: Durham-Tees Valley Airport www.dtva.co.uk, Leeds Bradford Airport www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk, Newcastle Airport www.newcastleairport.com
By Ferry: International ferry services run to UK ports from France, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. There are also local ferry services that run from the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Man and the Scottish Isles. Visit www.aferry.co.uk/ferryports.htm
By Rail: The easiest way to get to the start of the track from London is by train. St Bees has good train services. For easy train bookings in the UK (and beyond), we recommend using the LOCO2 website https://loco2.com/en. They have an excellent smartphone APP too. Just enter your station of origin, your destination, date of travel etc, and options will be presented (times, fares etc). You can pay online. Electronic tickets or ticket pick up at the station (from a dispenser machine). Trains from London connect with the Cumbrian Coast Line (Northern Rail) which services St Bees. There are several trains daily. Trains to St Bees from London will take approx. 5 hr, with 1 or 2 changes required.
If you would prefer not to change trains, consider going direct from London to Penrith and spending the night there before continuing to St Bees by private transfer.
By Coach: National Express Coaches link most major towns and cities in the UK. For details of departure times and to book tickets call 0871 781 8181 (or +44 (0) 871 781 8181 from overseas) or visit https://beta.nationalexpress.com/.
By Bus: Various buses run to St Bees from nearby towns. Please visit http://www.traveline.info/ for up-to-date bus journey schedules.
By Road: If you have your own vehicle and are thinking of driving up to the walk then there is a free unrestricted car park at the north end of town and unrestricted parking on most side streets. Sometimes our accommodations have parking available at a small fee per night. If this appeals to you, please contact the Auswalk office about this as soon as possible. For advice on driving to St Bees, please visit www.theaa.com which has a very useful route planner.
By Air: The nearest airports to Robin Hood’s Bay are: Durham-Tees Valley Airport www.dtva.co.uk, Leeds Bradford Airport www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk, Newcastle Airport www.newcastleairport.com
By Rail: The nearest train station is north of Robin Hood’s Bay at Whitby (10 km away) or Scarborough (32 km away). For easy train bookings in the UK (and beyond), we recommend using the LOCO2 website https://loco2.com/en.
By Coach: National Express Coaches link most major towns and cities in the UK. For details of departure times and to book tickets call 0871 781 8181 (or +44(0) 871 781 8181 from overseas) or visit https://beta.nationalexpress.com/.
By Bus: You can get a bus from Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby train station which takes about 20 min (Arriva Bus Services) – route X93 or Scarborough train station which takes about 35 min. There are several buses a day. See http://getdown.org.uk/bus/bus/x93.shtml for the schedule.
By Taxi: Several local Robin Hood’s Bay taxi companies offer good deals for small groups to Whitby. Ask your accommodation for current contact details. Whitby and Scarborough’s stations are served by a taxi rank or a cab office. Check availability before travelling, and pre-book if necessary. For further information visit www.taxinumber.com
By Road: For advice on driving from Robin Hood’s Bay, visit www.theaa.com which has a very useful route planner.
To return to the start of the walk, from Robin Hood’s Bay you will need to take a bus (Arriva Bus X93) to Whitby and from here take a train to St Bees (approx. 6.5 – 7.5 hrs). Please note that there are different options for this journey, depending on the date and time you wish to travel. We recommend visiting the LOCO2 website https://loco2.com/en.
18 days is the amount of time in which to do this walk. This means no days are longer than 25 km, except for the last day at 31km, or much shorter than 15 km. We can also adjust this schedule to include rest days or, you could walk the Western Half to Kirkby Stephen, or the Eastern Half from Kirkby Stephen to Robin Hood’s Bay as another option.
The track conditions range, but all of the walks are passable, and no scrambling is required. There is some incline but we’re not talking about anything significant. The United Kingdom is prone to having rain, no surprise there, so there may be some boggy sections but this entirely depends on the time of year and the prevailing conditions. Our advice is to prepare and bring the right gear and you’ll have a fabulous walk. See gear advice in FAQ’s
This walk is not available from November to February. See the United Kingdom Met office or the United Kingdom Meteorological Service for information about the weather and average temperatures and rainfall at different times of the year.
We require that you purchase travel insurance for all of our trips. We require that you purchase a travel insurance policy for all travel overseas that includes medical evacuation.
We also have to charge a cancellation fee if you cancel your walking holiday after we have confirmed it as we incur costs both from suppliers and in the office that can not be recouped. It is also important in the event of an accident or loss of property.
See the FAQ section for more information.
For nearly 30 years we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know, even with that in mind, that you’ll have many more questions. You will receive a very detailed information pack and itinerary approximately 6 weeks out from departure outlining all the fine detail and much more.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of our destination consultants. You can get in touch with us via our contact form, email us at info@auswalk.com.au, or call us on +61 3 9597 9767.