Coast to Coast – 17 Days

The walk starts in St Bees and finishes in Robin Hood's Bay, crossing the north of England from west to east. The closest airports are Manchester (MAN) and Newcastle (NCL). From London, trains from Euston reach St Bees via Carlisle in around 5 hours, with one or two changes required. Those preferring a direct service can travel to Penrith and arrange a private transfer to St Bees. Ferry services from France, Ireland, and other European ports also connect to nearby UK ports. Always purchase your train ticket before boarding in the UK.

The walk ends in Robin Hood's Bay. A bus to Whitby takes around 20 minutes, from where trains connect to Newcastle, Manchester, and London. The closest airports for departure are Newcastle (NCL) and Leeds Bradford (LBA).

This walk is available from April to September, with no fixed start days. May is historically one of the driest months, with wildflowers in bloom and quieter trails. Late August into early autumn is the finest time to see the heather on the North York Moors, when swathes of purple carpet the hillside. September brings crisp autumn days and golden moorland, though conditions become more changeable as the season closes. A waterproof is essential whatever the month.

This walk is graded challenging. Most days reach up to 25 kilometres, with Day 12 extending to 37 kilometres and the final day to 31 kilometres. Track conditions vary but all sections are passable without scrambling, and boggy sections are possible depending on the season.

Good waterproof walking boots are essential. Rest days can be incorporated if needed, and the walk can be split into two halves as an alternative. Back-to-back walking days and some longer training efforts are strongly recommended in preparation.

Daily walk notes, maps, and GPX tracks are provided.

You must hold adequate travel insurance for your trip, including cover for personal liability and accidental injury and illness. For all trips involving international travel, your policy must also include emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation cover. We strongly recommend your policy also covers trip cancellation and curtailment, and loss of or damage to luggage.

A cancellation fee usually applies if you cancel after your booking is confirmed. Travel insurance with cancellation cover will generally cover this fee, so it's worth arranging your policy at the time of booking.

Full insurance requirements are set out in our booking terms and conditions.

A detailed information pack and itinerary will be sent to you around six weeks before departure, covering everything you need to know for a seamless experience. In the meantime, our team is always on hand to answer any questions.

For your safety and well-being, we are unable to accept bookings for solo walkers on this self-guided trip. The remote nature of some tracks and limited mobile reception mean that walking alone presents a higher risk in case of emergencies.

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.