C2C Cycling
Holiday Information

The Coast to Coast cycle stretches from the beach at St Bees on the Irish Sea coast to the beach at Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea. It is the classic long-distance off-road ride in the UK.

 

First written up by Tim Woodcock in the 1980’s, it is 200 miles long through three National Parks providing stunning scenery, technical riding challenges and the best natural off-road riding.

 

This West to East direction is by far the most popular!

 

The Coast to Coast is a special route and the enjoyment of it can be further enhanced by careful planning to fit your own unique requirements, aims, fitness, experience, and any time constraints.

 

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 challenge to conquer the miles at your own pace, (re)connect to nature and explore the wonders of the iconic coast to coast way!

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
  • Bike Hire – We have good relationship with Dales Cycle Centre and Eden E-Motion and can facilitate your hiring of a bike – electric, mountain-bike, hybrid or road. We shall collect and return the bike on your behalf.
  • 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 in Kirkby Stephen
  • 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.

 

High Quality Accommodation
We have an unrivalled working knowledge of all the accommodations along the Coast to Coast. We only use those which provide a high quality experience, not just in terms of facilities, décor and food but also their service and understanding of the requirements of long distance cyclists. The places we use are a mixture of small country hotels, inns, guest houses & farmhouse B & B) that are located on or close to the route (we do not place our customers a distance away from the route). We also look at the entirety of your trip so you can experience the different styles of high quality places and find no two nights are the same.

 

Maps & Guide Books
We include the GPX (for Garmin / smartphone devices) and google earth files of the various route options. We can also supply other guide books and maps at cost (with an additional post and packing charge current at time of order). These include the Harvey Maps.

 

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. Alongside the Pack is a full colour guide and location map for the accommodations so you can easily find them and read our suggestions on places to eat in the evening. You also receive your own bespoke Personal Itinerary setting out all the details of where you are staying, daily distances, and any other specific arrangements for you. 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).

 

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, bike hire, evening meal and travel insurance for you to choose and pay direct.

 

Cycle Hire
We have good relationship with Dales Cycle Centre and can facilitate your hiring of a bike – electric, mountain-bike, hybrid or road. We can also collect the hire bikes and return them afterwards on your behalf if you hire through us.

 

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.

 

Car Parking in Kirkby Stephen
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.

 

Passenger Transport

  • Kirkby Stephen to St. Bees
  • Robin Hood’s Bay to Kirkby Stephen
  • Back up passenger transport to the next route location where required
  • PSV registered and fully insured vehicles driven by our fully qualified, safe and courteous drivers.

 

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

Bus links – Train Links

 

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.

 

The Start

  • 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.
  • 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 at 8.20am prompt.

 

The Finish

  • Cycling across the country from the Irish Sea to the North Sea in a few days is a major achievement and one we recommend you savour at the end, rather than rushing off home. Robin Hood’s Bay and the surrounding area is a lovely place to relax in (or keep active if you desire). From having a cold beer or two overlooking the beautiful bay, wandering around the village or sitting on the beach to being a bit more active and walking the coastal path 8 miles to Whitby (and bus back). For a bit more riding (of a more genteel nature) take the Cinder Track – a converted 21 mile old railway line from Whitby to Scarborough through Robin Hood’s Bay – traffic free and never more than a mile from the sea.
  • If you want to come straight back to Kirkby when you finish your trip, bear in mind that the Packhorse bus departs at 4pm latest from Robin Hood’s Bay. To catch it therefore we suggest you cycle from no further away than Osmotherley on your last day.
  • You will need to decide whether you want another night in 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 international airport and Scarborough (East Coast Mainline) the nearest rail station on the east coast.

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
  • Bike Hire – We have good relationship with Dales Cycle Centre and Eden E-Motion and can facilitate your hiring of a bike – electric, mountain-bike, hybrid or road. We shall collect and return the bike on your behalf.
  • 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 in Kirkby Stephen
  • Passenger transfers to St. Bees and back from Robin Hood’s Bay

Book Your Coast to Coast Adventure

Secure your booking with just a £100 deposit today.

Want a more bespoke Coast to Coast trip? Create your own adventure here.

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.

Key Information

Price from: £

Days: 6

Type: Non-Guided

C2C Holiday

Itinerary for your
C2C Cycling 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.

Arrival in St. Bees via train – routes available from all major airports.

St Bees includes St Bees Head, the most westerly point of Cumbria, on the coastal strip between the Lakeland fells and the Irish Sea. It has a history going back over 1,000 years and has been a popular holiday destination for over 150 years.

Accommodation – available in the town.

OR Arrival in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
This option is recommended if you are driving and from more than 90minutes away.

Kirkby Stephen is our home town and a place we are very proud to be in. It is a lovely traditional small market town with nice friendly cafes, small galleries, shops, cobbled yards and quaint corners, along with really good pubs. Attractive local walks to loosen your legs after your journey.

Accommodation – a good selection in the town.

Having dipped your wheel in the sea, the ride rolls out gently for the first few miles on quiet lanes amd converted railway line towards Ennerdale Water then a steady climb up to Black Sail. Here the tough challenge begins as you go up to Black Sail Pass and then descend towards Wasdale. Very steep and technical. Then another climb over Burnmoor to Boot before the next classic (and tough) climb over Walna Scar. Superb views to Irish Sea and Scafell Pike. Descend into Coniston

Accommodation: a selection in Coniston

A continuation of stunning scenery and classic Lakeland Mountain-Biking. Initially through Little Langdale, past Loughrigg and through Ambleside onto the Garburn Pass into Kentmere. Then across the fells into Sadgill and into Longsleddale then Garnett Bridge before crossing Whinfell to Tebay. Under the shadow of the Howgills on quiet lanes before crossing Smardale Fell and into Kirkby Stephen.

Kirkby Stephen is our home town and a place we are very proud to be in. It is a lovely traditional small market town with nice friendly cafes, small galleries, shops, cobbled yards and quaint corners, along with really good pubs.

Accommodation – a good selection in the town.

Now for classic Yorkshire Dales scenery and riding. Not quite as technically demanding but no less exhilerating. Over Kaber Fell and long climb up to Tan Hill – the highest pub in England – before crossing the grouse moors with remnants of the lead mining era and down into Reeth.
Another ascent on quiet lane and bridleways throguh Marske and then through Applegarth to descend into Richmond.

Accommodation: In Richmond

Gentle riding for the first part along quiet lanes and bridleways across the Vale Of Mowbray via Danby Wiske to Osmotherley and into the N York Moors National Park. From here the riding is nice and rugged on a series of track climbs and descents, the final one bringing you down into Chop Gate in the midst of Bilsdale.

Accommodation – The Buck Inn in Chop Gate

Further cracking moorland track riding initially up onto Urra Moor and along the old mine railway line over Farndale Moor to the Lion Inn – the third highest pub in England. Then around the fringe of Great Fryup Dale onto Glaisdale Moor and down into the delightful Esk Valley. A few more ups and downs taking in the wonderful Littlebeck Woods and Falling Foss befire final descent down into Robin Hood’s Bay. Don’t forget to dip your wheel in the sea and through in your pebble!

Accommodation – in Robin Hood’s Bay

Depending on your onward travel arrangements, you will either make your own way to Scarborough Station for trains OR enjoy a day at leisure in Robin Hood’s Bay or Whitby before catching our minibús back to Kirkby Stephen at 16:00. This usually arrives back at around 18:00 and so you may wish to consider adding an extra night in Kirkby Stephen if you have a long way to drive home.

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.

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

“Oh, how can I put into words the joys of a walk over country such as this; the scenes that delight the eyes, the blessed peace of mind, the sheer exuberance which fills your soul as you tread the firm turf? This is something to be lived, not read about…” Alfred Wainwright