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C2C Running
Holiday Information
Dreaming of freedom, peace, and tranquillity, exploring at your own pace, taking in mesmerising surroundings and truly living in the moment? If your answer is yes, then this self-guided running holiday is one for you!
The Coast to Coast trail steers across the UK’s landscape from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay, passing through three iconic national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park.
We specialise in the Alfred Wainwright coast to coast route, and, with an Owner who’s been a lifelong fell-runner, we have all the expertise to put together the best running holidays. We will help you draw up the itinerary that is right for you with the flexibility to book on any date throughout our season.
A once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable active holiday to conquer the epic trail at your own pace, (re)connect to nature, explore unspoilt hamlets, and savour the feeling of freedom!
Price on Enquiry – The price is per person and based on double/twin sharing rooms.
Optional Extras
The below optional extras incur a supplement:
- Pre-start accommodation in St Bees or Kirkby Stephen
- Post-finish accommodation in Robin Hoods Bay or Kirkby Stephen
- Single occupancy rooms – single supplement of £45 per night
- Additional rest days – Adding an extra night will change the price to that for the new total number of nights in the package. For example, from 14 to 15.
- Car Parking
- Passenger transfers to St. Bees and back from Robin Hood’s Bay
We specialise in coast to coast tours, and that means we can deliver a deluxe experience.
Free Runners Pack
All our running holiday customers also receive a free runners pack, including nutrition gels and bars, emergency bag and a pair of fell socks along with 10% discount for online purchases at Pete Bland Sports.
High Quality Accommodation
You will be staying in our personally selected and high quality, friendly accommodations. We curate a great range of country inns, guest houses, farmhouses and small family-run hotels for your trip, each visited by our team to ensure excellence. Delicious filling breakfasts are included with your stay.
Daily Luggage Transfers & Store
Our drivers travel the route each day on a consistent and reliable schedule moving your bag with care and professionalism from accommodation to accommodation, always ensuring it is there by 4pm (and often much earlier depending on location along the route). If you are coming to England as part of a longer holiday and have items you do not need for the Coast to Coast, we can store them safely and securely in our office for the duration of your trip and then drop off at your final accommodation.
Passenger Transfers
If you are unfortunately unable to walk on certain days due to injury or illness, our knowledgeable and friendly drivers will be there to pick you up with your bags and drop you off at your next accommodation, providing local insight along the driven route.
Assistance Pre- & Post Trip
If you need assistance or advice on anything related to your trip then we will happily help and can arrange for you. For example, finding train tickets from the airport, hotels in Manchester, and taxis from Robin Hood’s Bay (purchases are all additional expenses).
Detailed Information Pack
We have written and produced a comprehensive guide to your Coast to Coast Holiday covering all the things you should need to know to prepare and pack for your trip. It also includes details of what to expect and look out for along the way and the services to be found in each village (such as cash points, banks, shops etc), as well as the times to expect your bag(s) to be picked up and delivered each day. These are all emailed to you several weeks in advance of your trip in PDF format so you can carry on your tablet or smartphone (we advise this over paper versions).
Map Booklet
The Coast to Coast Map Booklet is the full route on Ordnance Survey Mapping at 1:25000 scale in an ideal booklet form. It fits perfectly into your hand whilst walking or running and is what we use when on the route! We also supply you with the GPX file of the route if you have an appropriate navigation device.
Support From Us
We’re available 7 days a week and not just in office hours to help you with any query or request either prior to or during your wonderful trip. Don’t forget we are the only local and the only specialist Coast to Coast holiday provider. Meaning we can freely give you any insights into the route, we will meet you as you pass through, we can even look outside our window to tell you exactly what the ground conditions are like and what the weather is doing.
Our packages covers all of the things you will need, with just your lunch, evening meal and travel insurance for you to choose and pay direct.
Evening Meals
Tasty options throughout the walk including country pubs, restaurants, bistros, and local takeaways (look for our suggestions in your Info Pack). Allow around £20 – £25 per person for a two-course meal.
Lunches
Your appetite may change along the route as you adapt to the challenges and you may have special requirements, which is why we avoid choosing your lunches for you. As with evening meals, there are often many great local options to choose from and in any case your accommodations can provide a packed lunch (which you simply order on arrival). Allow around £5-£7pp for a full packed lunch including sandwich, snacks and drink.
Secure Car Parking & Transport to the Start & Back from Finish
We have a secure (locked) car-park at our operating base in Kirkby Stephen, where you can leave your car for the whole duration of your trip. We will then transport you to the start in St Bees and bring you back from Robin Hood’s Bay. You can also access your car when you pass through Kirkby Stephen.
Travel Insurance
We have developed a partnership with the leading travel insurance company Citybond – part of the TIF plc group. They provide a comprehensive range of travel insurance offering high levels of cover for medical emergency, repatriation, personal baggage, cancellation and much more. This partnership grants you 10% discount on their policies when you give the unique referral code C2CP10. To see more please click here.
Planning your Arrival / Departure
Which airport is closest to route?
The closest ones to the start and finish (and hence easiest to travel to/from) are Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
How to get to St Bees from Airport (applies whether London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow)
Train to Carlisle then local service to St Bees
Stay up to date with the latest route conditions, closures and diversions
Travel Advice to St Bees, Kirkby Stephen and from Robin Hood’s Bay
We recommend that you have suitable and adequate travel insurance that includes cover should you have to cancel your holiday/booking or abandon after you have started.
St Bees – If you are travelling from overseas you might find travelling by rail directly out to St Bees and back from Robin Hood’s Bay your easiest option. In this case your first night will be at St Bees rather than Kirkby Stephen. Manchester is the nearest international airport and there are rail stations at Whitehaven and St Bees on the west coast. Approximate rail journey time from Manchester to St Bees is between 4 – 4.5hrs depending on connections. It is always best to buy your rail ticket in advance – see www.nationalrail.co.uk or traveline.info
Kirkby Stephen – If you are travelling by car, your easiest option is to drive up to Kirkby Stephen, centrally situated just off J38 of the M6. Here you can spend your first night before parking your car in our secure pound in the morning and taking the Packhorse Minibus out to St Bees to start your Coast to Coast journey. If you live close to Kirkby Stephen and can get to us by 8.00am – you could drive directly to us, leave your car and catch the minibus departing by 8.15am prompt. You can also travel to Kirkby Stephen by train – it is on the famous Settle-Carlisle railway line.
Robin Hood’s Bay / The End of your Trip – If you want to come straight back to Kirkby Stephen when you finish your trip, bear in mind that the Packhorse bus departs at 4pm latest from Robin Hood’s Bay. You will need to decide whether you want another night at Kirkby Stephen before setting off home, or whether you want to jump straight into the car and head off at 6.15pm when the minibus gets back. If you are travelling from overseas, Manchester is the nearest major international airport. Travel there by bus or taxi to Scarborough station (we can arrange the taxi on your behalf) and then by train. Total journey time is approximately 3.5 – 4hrs. If your onward travel is heading north then you may find train from Whitby station to be the best option. This is approx. 20min by bus or taxi from Robin Hood’s Bay. See www.nationalrail.co.uk or traveline.info
After an exhilarating day walking, cycling or running along the Coast to Coast, the right accommodation is essential. Welcomed into a friendly, clean, comfortable and characterful accommodation to stay is an absolute must. We are very demanding in the standards we expect for our customers.
Our accommodation hosts are our trusted and valued partners in ensuring you have a special trip. From 400-year-old cottages and farmhouses, through family-owned country inns and colourful guesthouses, there are over 130 places we use and visit frequently.
We look at your overall trip and curate it so the places you stay give you a full flavour of the styles and characters to be found on the Way. No two consecutive nights may be the same as far as the physical surroundings go, though the warmth of the welcome, quality of the lodging & food and facilities to dry your kit are a constant.
With over 130 places, it’s a little hard to list without some key omissions! We take your nights and mornings seriously, and so do our accommodation choices.
The below optional extras incur a supplement:
- Pre-start accommodation in St Bees or Kirkby Stephen
- Post-finish accommodation in Robin Hoods Bay or Kirkby Stephen
- Single occupancy rooms – single supplement of £45 per night
- Additional rest days – Adding an extra night will change the price to that for the new total number of nights in the package. For example, from 14 to 15.
- Car Parking
- Passenger transfers to St. Bees and back from Robin Hood’s Bay
Coast to Coast Packhorse is part of PHSV Ltd. Your booking contract will therefore be with PHSV Ltd and your payment will be made to PHSV Ltd.
Itinerary for your
C2C Running Holiday
Dedicated to the Coast to Coast route devised by fell walker Alfred Wainwright, C2C Packhorse has served walkers and cyclists across this route for many years. Based at Kirkby Stephen, close to the trail’s halfway mark, the Packhorse provides a comprehensive range of services, thus creating a supportive backdrop to your self-guided trip.
Chat with our team
Are you dreaming of booking one of our amazing walking holidays along the coast to coast and have some questions for our team? We’d love to have a chat about our hiking staycations and help to plan a totally bespoke journey for you. Fill in the form below and our team will be in touch as soon as possible. Thank you.
C2C Contact Form
“This is something to be lived, not read about. On these breezy heights, a transformation is wondrously wrought within you. Your thoughts are simple, in tune with your surroundings; the complicated problems you brought with you from the town are smoothed away.” Alfred Wainwright