Whitehaven to Whitby: Cycling Coast to Coast – 5 nights | Cycling Holiday in Britain | Self Guided Cycling Holiday

This English Cycling Holiday is a modern classic.  Taking in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks, the Coast to Coast cycling tour is famous both for its fabulous scenery and for being a real challenge and because of this it has become a firm favourite, not only for holiday cyclists, but also for many people wishing to raise money for charities.

Grade: Quite demanding. This five night holiday covers the same route as our Whitehaven to Whitby 7 night holiday, but with different overnight stops. It is definitely a ride for the more experienced or fitter cyclist who can comfortably cover 45-55 miles per day.

Meals:
You will normally be staying in a town or village where there is at least one place to buy an evening meal. On the rare occasion that this is not possible, we will book you into an accommodation which provides an evening meal (this is not included in the holiday price). Lunches can usually be bought on route and we can advise you of the days when this is not possible. On these days you can book a packed lunch from your accommodation by letting them know the night before or we can book it for you. These usually cost about £5. Alternatively, most of the towns and villages in which you stay have shops where you can buy items to make up your own packed lunch.

When to Go:
April, May and June are when everything comes to life so it is very green, wild flowers are abundant and blossom abounds. July and August tend to be the warmest months, but it is rarely so warm as to be uncomfortable for walking or cycling. September tends to be one of the most pleasant times in the countryside and is quieter as most people with children have finished their holidays. By October the days are getting shorter and the weather is much more changeable.

Getting There:
By Rail: Train to Whitehaven
By Air: Fly to Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, or Heathrow International Airports and transfer by train to Whitehaven

Day 1 Arrive in Whitehaven

Day 2 Whitehaven to Pooley Bridge
Leaving the Irish Sea behind, your route passes Ennerdale, Loweswater and Keswick on its way to the next overnight stop at Pooley Bridge on the shores of Ullswater. ~50 miles

Day 3 Pooley Bridge to Reeth
Today you cross the Pennines and cycle down into beautiful Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, to end the day in the typical Dales village of Reeth. ~ 50 miles

Day 4 Reeth to Osmotherley
Continuing down Swaledale, through the interesting market town of Richmond and across the Vale of York to the village of Osmotherley, nestling under the western hills of the North York Moors. ~ 35 miles

Day 5 Osmotherley to Whitby
You climb up to the unique heather moorland of the North York Moors and enjoy the magnificent scenery passing through the delightful Moors village of Castleton. You continue across the North York Moors National Park into lovely Eskdale (with its steam railway to Pickering), and on to the sea at Whitby, home of Captain Cook, associated with Count Dracula, and with its fascinating Old Town. ~ 43 miles

Day 6 Departure

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