Walking Holidays Near Cities and Transport Hubs
Contours Walking Holidays
Walking Holidays Near Cities and Transport Hubs
https://www.contours.co.uk/walks-near-cities-airports
Find great walking holidays within easy reach from your city or airport by train. These walks are all accessible either by a very short train journey or one with minimal changes, with care to find as many direct routes as possible.
Please be aware that transport routes can change. To make sure our suggestions apply to your particular holiday schedule, we recommend double-checking your travel plans at the National Rail website. Happy to try out other forms of public transport? Traveline is a great tool to stitch together travel to and from the trail, while the National Express website shows all their coach routes.
Don’t feel limited by this list! The vast majority of our walking holidays begin and end at towns with strong public transport links.
Keep in mind that getting out of London generally involves tube travel to reach the right train or bus station. The London Underground is a mixed blessing — brilliantly well-connected but often quite hectic. If the tube seems daunting, you can find useful line maps and other resources at the Transport for London website.
Walk the banks of the River Thames from its source to the sea, enjoying tranquil landscapes and picturesque villages along the way. Linger in Oxford, a historic city of gothic towers and beautiful buildings of honey-coloured stone, and explore London at the route's end.
This riverside walking holiday winds right through London, all the way to the sea at the Thames Barrier. You’ll only have to travel to the start. The Thames Path begins out in Kemble and a train will see you there with one or fewer changes.
Walk the length of the chalk downs of Hampshire and Sussex on the South Downs Way. This spectacular National Trail boasts a wealth of old beacon viewpoints overlooking patchwork fields and woodland, inland vistas matched only by the breath-taking views from chalk clifftop trails out over the English Channel at the adventure’s end.
Gatwick Airport’s railway station is directly connected to the end of the South Downs Way in Eastbourne. Reaching the start of the trail in Winchester will probably involve a change or two, but should take under two hours.
Wander along the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal through fields, woodland and picturesque valleys, through the fringes of the Cotswolds and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bath.
The Kennet and Avon Canal starts in Reading, roughly an hour from Heathrow, with train services running regularly and often.
Explore Wales on foot along Glyndŵr’s Way, setting out from Knighton on the English border and cutting through farmland and forest, along riverbanks and down hidden valleys. Far-reaching green views are a staple of this great walk.
You can reach Glyndŵr’s Way from Birmingham with one change on the way to Knighton. The return trip from Welshpool is direct. This is a good option if you're travelling via Birmingham Airport, adding just one easy change to the trip to Knighton.
Wander along the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal through fields, woodland and picturesque valleys, through the fringes of the Cotswolds and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bath.
The Kennet and Avon Canal is neatly connected to Birmingham by rail, with direct services to and from Bristol and Reading.
Explore an ancient landscape of green field and gnarled oak woodlands, surrounded by a rugged coastline of cliffs and isolated coves.
The Llŷn Peninsula is not close to major cities like most of the walks on this list so the journey will take considerably longer, but the route is very simple. The outward trip to Bangor varies dependent on the time of day, but no-change services are available. Returning to Birmingham from Porthmadog is a direct train ride through beautiful Wales.
Manchester's various train stations are neatly joined by the city's tram service. Transport for Greater Manchester provides a useful map of the tram network.
Winding through sand dunes and salt marshes, the North Wales Coast Path links Chester and Bangor along the Wales Coast Path. You'll visit seaside towns and golden beaches, with an alternate inland option that sweeps up to the highest point on the Welsh coast.
Trains run direct from Manchester to Chester or with one change if you're travelling from Manchester Airport. Returning from Bangor will be direct or with one change required depending on the particular service.
The White Peak Way explores seven distinct dales of the Peak District National Park, clambering along ridges and gritstone edges, following riverbanks and exploring historic villages like Bakewell and Youlgreave.
The White Peak Way is a circular trail, so you'll be able to buy a return ticket to Buxton. Services run directly here from Manchester, with one change if travelling from the airport.
Newcastle's Metro links the airport with major points within the city. Nexus provides a useful map of the Newcastle Metro service.
Walk the length of an enormous Roman monument on this rolling trail across the north of England. Visit Roman forts and local museums, take in the vast openness of Northumberland and indulge on an adventure in the footsteps of Roman legionaries.
Hadrian's Wall Path runs into Newcastle itself, concluding at Wallsend. Trains run directly between Newcastle and Carlisle, although you will need to catch a connecting bus to link Carlisle and Bowness.
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Win breath-taking views across the Scottish Highlands on this gorgeous and immersive route, clambering over windswept moorland and rugged mountainsides. The West Highland Way is one of our best-loved walking holidays, and it offers a truly epic experience.
Trains run directly between Glasgow and the start and end of the West Highland Way in Fort William and Milngavie.
The John Muir Way connects the best sights of the Scottish heartland along low-level, approachable paths. Visit distilleries, the Antonine Wall, the Falkirk Wheel and more on this fascinating walking holiday through a particularly friendly and beautiful part of the world.
The John Muir Way was built to be accessed readily on public transport. You'll reach Helensburgh without changes on a direct train from Glasgow. The return trip from Dunbar requires one change.
Tour the golden coastline of Fife on the Fife Coastal Path. This seaside walking holiday departs urban Queensferry and slips north into a rural area of cliffs and low dunes, where grey seals bask in sight of the shore and brilliant fish dishes await in harbour towns along the way.
You'll reach the Fife Coastal Path with a direct train from Edinburgh to North Queensferry. Trains run directly back from Dundee, but you will need to catch a bus across the estuary up from Newport-on-Tay first.
The John Muir Way connects the best sights of the Scottish heartland along low-level, approachable paths. Visit distilleries, the Antonine Wall, the Falkirk Wheel and more on this fascinating walking holiday through a particularly friendly and beautiful part of the world.
The John Muir Way was built to be accessed readily on public transport. From Edinburgh, your trip to Helensburgh will involve one change if travelling to Upper Helensburgh station and one or fewer if travelling to Central station. The return trip from Dunbar is direct.
Wander along the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal through fields, woodland and picturesque valleys, through the fringes of the Cotswolds and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bath.
The Kennet and Avon Canal ends within Bristol. To reach the start by rail, you can take a direct train to Reading. Nice and simple!
