Wainwright's Coast To Coast - Western Route

This is a Grade 6 moderate holiday which includes full day walks with appreciable amounts of ascent and descent with walks in some remote areas. Paths are mostly good, but there may be some steep and rough ground. Walks will last up to 6 hours and could involve as much as 750m of ascent and descent. See the 'Proposed Itinerary' section for more information.

Alfred Wainwright, the legendary walker, guide book writer and illustrator, devised a long-distance footpath from North England’s Cumbrian coast to the North Sea. Despite not being an official National Trail, the Coast to Coast has become the most popular long-distance footpath in England. 

This holiday provides the chance to tackle the Western section of the trail from St Bees to Kirkby Stephen in seven days’ walking (holiday code 77908), and the Eastern section from Kirkby Stephen to Robin Hood’s Bay in eight days’ walking (holiday code 77919), or the whole route with a rest day at Kirkby Stephen (holiday code 77920). We will be walking, on average, just over 12 miles a day throughout the holiday with the longest day being around 15 miles. The total distance we will walk if you choose to carry out the whole route is just over 190 miles, the Western section will be approximately 85 miles and the Eastern section will be approximately 107 miles in total. 

Our luggage (one bag per person only - maximum weight 20kg) will be transferred for us to our accommodation each day so we are only required to carry a daysack on the walks.

The programme of walks will be broken up into sections which we will plan to complete each day.  The sections described in the itinerary section will give an indication of the nature of the walking terrain and the format of the holiday. However, the routes may be subject to change and often at short notice. We may also end a walk at our accommodation as opposed to the town or village suggested.

Unlike most National Trails the Coast to Coast walk is not a definitive route, there are many places where alternatives exist, in fact, Wainwright encouraged walkers to seek and try different ways. For this reason, the figures for ascent and distance stated in the itinerary vary from one guide book to another and may not agree with those we have stated. Your leader will choose the best route to suit the conditions.

All local transport costs in conjunction with the advertised activity programme are included in the holiday cost. There may be occasions where additional visits or excursions are added to enrich your experience, these will be paid for locally by you if you choose to participate. Local transport can be a mix of private hire coaches, taxis, local buses and ferries depending on the itinerary.

A range of local excursions and activities may be available to book at your destination through a local operator. We have no involvement in such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised or controlled in any way by us. Your contract will be with the local activity supplier and we accept no responsibility for their actions or omissions.

When budgeting for your holiday, you will need to consider drinks, any meals not included in the holiday price, non-included entrance fees, optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally and any souvenirs or additional services such as laundry. A general guideline for lunches and drinks is £10-£20 per person per day.

Although entirely at your own discretion, tipping is an important aspect of tourism and hospitality life and expectations are fairly high. In order to simplify tipping, we strongly recommend that you allow your leader to take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff and to local guides and drivers. This will be done using some funds provided by us together with, if you wish, a contribution from you, which he/she will collect during the holiday.

Your tour leader makes the world of difference to your holiday and ours are as passionate about discovering the world on foot as you are. They're resourceful, organised and widely travelled. They will handle all the local administration and other needs that might arise to ensure that you don't have to worry about planning your days and you can enjoy your holiday. Although leading group holidays, they won't forget that every group is made up of individuals. Each tour leader has their own individual style, talents and professional backgrounds and all are trained, qualified, experienced and dedicated to making your holiday as enjoyable, interesting and inspiring as possible.

Each evening, your tour leader will discuss with you the programme for the following day. This will be your opportunity to discuss the details and ensure the planned activities suit your walking ability. If you have concerns on clothing or equipment, this can be discussed then also. If you do not wish to join the organised group programme, please let the leader know.

To reach St Bees

By car:

From the south: Continue on the M6 to Penrith, and then take the A66 to Cockermouth, then the A595 to Whitehaven. Follow local signs from here to St Bees.

Or M6 to junction 36 (South Lakes turn off), then the A590, followed by the A595 towards Whitehaven, and then turn off at Egremont for St Bees.

From the East: Take the A66 to Penrith, then the A66 to Cockermouth and the A595 to Whitehaven. Follow local signs from there.

From the north and north east: head for Carlisle (A69 from Newcastle way, the A74(M) from Glasgow direction, or the A7 from the Scottish borders). Then take the A595 to Whitehaven. Follow local signs from there.

By rail: There is a train station at St Bees which is served by trains coming in the direction of both the north and south.

From the north there is a mainline train from Carlisle, then a coast line train to St Bees. Some Carlisle trains terminate at Whitehaven (approx 4 miles north). You would then need to get a taxi or bus to St Bees.

From the south trains travel via Barrow-in Furness, with some through trains starting from Lancaster. Otherwise change at Lancaster or Preston for Barrow. There are direct trains from Manchester Airport and London to Carlisle and Barrow.

Taxi contacts: Downton Taxi Whitehaven: 01946 691 511 / 07972 544 464

By coach: there is no direct bus or coach services to St Bees. National Express operates a service departing from many destinations in the UK as far as Whitehaven.

Parking facilities: If you wish to drive to St Bees we wish to make you aware that your vehicle will be left at your own risk and we cannot be held responsible for it. We therefore advise you to arrive at your destination using public transport. If you however decide to leave a vehicle in St Bees you may do so free of charge at the Seacote Hotel. If this is your intention and you need to get back to St Bees at the end of your holiday to collect your vehicle, there is a bus service from Robin Hood’s Bay to Richmond which operates each afternoon by Sherpa Van. The following morning you can continue your journey with Sherpa Van from Richmond to St Bees. Each journey will cost around £22. For more details please contact: www.sherpavan.com

To return from Kirkby Stephen

By car: take the A685 from Kirkby Stephen for 12 miles, thennorthbound ono the M6 at Junction 38 to Penrith. Alterntively, take the A685 towards Brough, then take the A66 east towards Penrith.

By rail: rail connections are direct to both Leeds and Carlisle, from where you can continue on to your final destination. Please note that Kirkby Stephen station is some 2 miles from the actual town.

By coach or bus: 

the following local buses operate from Kirkby Stephen: The 571 service (on Mondays only) between Bough and Kendal and the 574 service (on Tuesdays only) between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen are both operated by Cumbria Classic Coaches. A National Express services operates from Penrith (but not from Kirkby Stephen) travelling onwards to many destinations in the UK.

You can obtain more information on the transport options above as follows:

UK rail information - www.nationalrail.co.uk

UK coach information - www.nationalexpress.co.uk

Travel information - www.rome2rio.com

Meeting your tour leader and fellow walkers:

Please aim to arrive at the hotel in St Bees at or before 6.30pm where your tour leader will be there to introduce themselves and inform you of the evening’s dinner arrangements. Your leader will brief you with an outline of the planned programme for your holiday and you will have the opportunity to meet your fellow walking companions.

To ensure that we can accurately administer your holiday arrangements, please confirm that the personal details we hold for you are up to date and that you have provided the information we need to secure your holiday travel and accommodation arrangements. Please check your passport details, date of birth and any other important details necessary for us to properly manage your holiday booking. You can view and update information already provided, and add details not yet asked for, by using the Manage My Booking facility on our website www.ramblersholidays.co.uk, or by calling our Sales and Reservations team on +44 (0)1707 331133. When you receive your booking confirmation please check the details as soon as possible.

Any non UK or EU citizens may be subject to passport, identity card or visa requirements to enter the United Kingdom.

Breakfasts and dinners included each day.

Lightweight waterproof walking boots with a good moulded sole (such as Vibram or similar) and a deep tread and which provide ankle support are strongly recommended and may be essential for some walks. 

Outdoor activities are always safer and more enjoyable if you are prepared.

If you have not travelled with us before the following list might be of use:

• Waterproof jacket (Goretex or similar) and trousers
• Lightweight quick-drying trousers
• Walking T-shirt/shirts
• Walking socks
• Fleece or jumper
• Sun hat, sunglasses, lip salve and sun block
• Warm hat and gloves (if appropriate)
• Swimwear (if appropriate)
• Day sack (this should be able to carry all you would need for the day's activity)
• Day sack liner
• Water bottle - at least 1 litre capacity (more than 1 bottle may be required)
• Basic first aid kit
• Lunchbox
• Walking poles (should you find them useful)
• Sit mat

This list is not exhaustive and every walker is different and may have their own preference.

Please note that our luggage transfer provider will only transfer one bag per person and it must not weigh more than 20kg. Please therefore ensure the weight of your bag doesnt exceed 20kg to avoid your bag not being transported.

You should be able to lift and carry and handle your own luggage. At some hotels, the coach may have to stop some distance short of the hotel entrance. Also, within some of the hotels themselves, there may be some long walks between the rooms and entrance area which could include some steps.

Documents and Information to take with you:

• Holiday money
• Credit or debit cards (and separate details of who to call if lost)
• Car parking ticket and car park directions (if prebooked)
• Coach or rail travel tickets (if prebooked)
• Holiday booking confirmation document
• Travel insurance details (if applicable)
• Details of any medical condition or allergy your holiday leader should know about

An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a refillable bottle containing its own water filter such as a Water-to-go bottle available from www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water source and save the environment from disposable plastic bottles.

We have negotiated an exclusive 15% discount with our partners Water-to-Go for you as a thank you for helping the environment. Please go to their website at www.watertogo.eu and enter the code RWH17 when ordering. In addition, Water-to-Go will match the discount with a donation to our charity, Heart & Sole, which will allow us to continue to make a difference in the countries you visit on our holidays.

Our intended walks are covered by the following maps:

Harvey’s Coast to Coast West 1:25,000
AZ Adventure Coast to Coast Walk – 1:25,000 maps of the whole route in a very neat little book
For all of this section of the trail you will need OS Explorer 1:25,000 sheets 303, OL3, OL4 and OL19
Coast to Coast Path: St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay by Henry Stedman (1 Apr 2012) Publisher – Trailblazer Guide  
Coast to Coast Walk (A Coast to Coast Walk) by Martin Wainwright (1 Jun 2012)

Maps and guidebooks relating to the areas you will be walking in may be bought before your holiday from The Map Shop at www.themapshop.co.uk

Visit the following websites for an idea of the climate in your destination:

• Weather2 - www.myweather2.com
• BBC Weather - www.bbc.co.uk/weather

Health requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements at least 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Advice on vaccinations is available from your GP.

No compulsory immunisations are required for holidays in the UK although you should be up to date with the usual immunisations recommended for life in Britain. Tetanus immunisation is recommended.

For further advice please visit:

• The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) travel health website at www.travelhealthpro.org.uk
• The NHS 'Fit for travel' website at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
• The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
• Or a local travel health clinic

You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to wash your hands.

Although not compulsory for British and EU citizens resident in the UK, we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover you in the event of eventualities such as unexpected cancellation, accident or illness before your holiday or the loss of personal possessions.

Visitors who are not British Citizens (or who are not EU citizens resident in the UK), must be adequately insured to join our holidays and will be unable to participate in our local walking and other activity programmes without being able to demonstrate that you have valid travel insurance.

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office provides up to date information on security and local laws for travellers, together with current passport and visa information, at www.gov.uk/travelaware. Please take a few minutes to look at the current advice on your planned destination.

Please be aware of what's going on around you, take sensible precautions with your credit cards and passport and avoid displays of wealth such as wearing expensive jewellery or watches. Do not carry more cash on you than you will need for each day, and we recommend that a money belt is used.

We're committed to ethical tourism in all our destinations. Our holidays are designed for you to discover the essence of the country you are visiting. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate environment. We feel that the most important starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website.

Unlike many tour operators we have our own trust through which RWH Travel’s profits are channelled back into a variety of outdoor, walking-related or environmental conservation projects in the UK. The focus of the Trust’s financial support is Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and their role in promoting the benefits and importance of walking to the British public. In addition the Trust welcomes applications for small grants from local organisations in the UK who need support for walking-orientated activities. This includes the establishment of footpaths and bridleways, funding for rebuilding bridges and renovating huts, as well as bursary funding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for children who could not otherwise afford to do it. Please visit the ‘About Us’ section of our website and click on the Charitable Trust link for more details.

We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to be able to use our profits to help make a difference to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart of the communities in the countries we visit. Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a long term, direct impact to these communities, particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way. See our website for more information and details of some of the projects we support.

Please do provide us with a mobile phone contact number. We will only use this to contact you with important information relating to your holiday arrangements. 

Do keep your mobile phones switched on and readily available when travelling to the airport or if delayed in transit so that we can contact you with any last minute information relating to your travel arrangements.  

As a matter of courtesy, please switch off your mobile phone during walks, or endeavour to minimise its use. Please also try to minimise the use of mobile devices during group meals.