Self-guided Paths and Trails

 

Travel Information

 

Nearest or recommended International Airports

London airports;  The South Downs Way; Cotswold Way; Cotswold Highlights; all sections of the Thames Path; both sections of the Wessex Ridgeway; the Kennet & Avon Canal; Ridgeway National Trail; all sections of the South West Coast Path

Bristol Airport;  Workable for all of our Self-guided Paths and Trails with the exception of the South Downs Way and the Coast to Coast, but particularly convenient for the Cotswold Way, Cotswold Highlights, Wessex Ridgeway North and the Exmoor Coast Path section of the South West Coast Path

Exeter Airport;  All sections of the South West Coast Path

Southampton Airport;  Workable for all of our Self-guided Paths and Trails with the exception of the Coast to Coast, , but particularly convenient for the Wessex Ridgeway, the Dorset and South Devon sections of the South West Coast Path and the South Downs Way

Manchester Airport;  Coast to Coast

Although we have detailed the most convenient airport against each destination one of the London airports could be used as the port of entry for any of the holidays, so the journey time from London to the closest railway station for all tours have been included in the list of typical journey times below.

 

Travel between various international airports and their nearest mainline railway station

Heathrow Airport
Guests travelling to destinations other than those detailed below will have to go into central London before embarking on the next leg of their journey. The Heathrow Express is a direct rail link Heathrow Central station and London Paddington railway station. Trains run every 15 minutes and the journey time ranges from 15 minutes for Terminals 1, 2 and 3, to 30 minutes for Terminal 4 and 5.

Guests travelling directly from Heathrow Airport to Cornwall, Exmoor, Devon and the Cotswolds need not go into the centre of London. Instead they can take the Rail-Air Link bus from Heathrow Airport to Reading to intersect with the train travelling westwards out of London. The service departs every 30 minutes (every 20 minutes at peak times of day) and the journey time (from the furthest terminal) is 55 minutes.

Gatwick Airport
There is a railway station right in the heart of the airport complex and the Gatwick Express to London Victoria departs every 15 minutes. The journey takes 30 minutes (35 minutes on a Sunday).

Other airports in England
Manchester Airport
 has its own mainline railway station. From Bristol Airport there is a bus link to Bristol, Temple Meads Railway Station (journey time 30 minutes), Southampton Airport is adjacent to Southampton Airport Parkway railway station, and from Exeter Airport there are buses to Exeter St David's railway station from early morning to early evening (journey time 25 minutes).

 

Typical rail journey times

The journey times quoted below are for a typical train journey between the mainline railway station nearest to the recommended airport (central London stations in the case of Heathrow or Gatwick Airports) and the mainline railway station closest to the hotel/guesthouse at which the tour starts/finishes. Where there is a change of train en route waiting times may vary so allowance should be made for this when planning your journey.

 

Cotswold Way

START/FINISH
LOCATION

NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL

Chipping Campden

Moreton-in-Marsh

OR

Honeybourne

1 hour 35 mins from London
2 hours 45 mins from Bristol

2 hour 45 mins from London
2 hours 35 mins from Bristol

Bus or Taxi
 

Taxi

Bath Bath

1 hour 30 mins from London
15 minutes from Bristol 

On foot or taxi 

 

Cotswold Highlights

START/FINISH
LOCATION

NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL

Chipping Campden

Moreton-in-Marsh

OR

Honeybourne

1 hour 35 mins from London
2 hours 45 mins from Bristol

2 hour 45 mins from London
2 hours 35 mins from Bristol

Bus or Taxi
 

Taxi

Cirencester Kemble

1 hour 25 mins from London
1 hour 15 mins from Bristol 

Bus or taxi 

 
Kennet & Avon Canal

START/FINISH
LOCATION

NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL

Reading

Reading

30 mins from London

1 hour 15 mins from Bristol

Walk or Taxi
 

Bath Bath

1 hour 30 mins from London

15 minutes from Bristol

On foot or taxi 
 
Ridgeway National Trail

START/FINISH
LOCATION

NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL

Avebury

Swindon

1 hour 5 mins from London

Public bus or taxi

Aldbury Tring

45 mins from London

Taxi 
 
South Downs Way

START/FINISH
LOCATION

NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL
Eastbourne          Eastbourne         

1 hour 30 mins from London

2 hours 30 mins from
Southampton

On foot or taxi
Winchester  Winchester 

1 hour 10 mins from London

20 mins from Southampton 

On foot or taxi 

 

Wessex Ridgeway

START/FINISH
LOCATION

NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL
Marlborough           Swindon                

1 hour from London

40 mins from Bristol

2 hours from Southampton

Bus or taxi

 

Ludwell 

Tisbury is closer but
only convenient if
travelling via
London 

1 hour 25 mins from London

1 hour 15 mins from Bristol

45 mins from Southampton 

 

Bus or taxi from
Salisbury or taxi
from Tisbury 

Lyme Regis Axminster

2 hours 45 mins from London

3 hours 15 mins from Bristol

2 hours 30 mins from Southampton

Bus or taxi

 

Thames Path

START/FINISH
LOCATION

NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION

APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL

Thames source
near Cirencester

Kemble   

1 hour 25 mins from London   

 

Bus or taxi

Wallingford 

Didcot Parkway     45 mins from London Bus or taxi 
Windsor 

Windsor & Eton
Central 

45 mins from London  On foot or taxi 
London 

Various depending
upon destination 

   

 

South West Coast Path
START/FINISH
LOCATION
NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL
Minehead Taunton

2 hours 30 mins from London 
1 hour 15 mins from Bristol
1 hour from Exeter

Bus or Somerset
Steam Railway

Instow  Barnstaple 

5 hours 15 mins from London 
1 hour 15 mins from Exeter
3 hours 45 mins from Bristol 

Bus 
Bude  Exeter 

5 hours 15 mins from London

Bus 
Newquay  Newquay 

5 hours 15 mins from London 
3 hours from Exeter 

On foot or taxi 
St Ives  St Ives 

5 hours 45 mins from London 
3 hours 45 mins from Exeter 

On foot or taxi  
Penzance  Penzance 

6 hours 30 mins from London 
3 hours 15 mins from Exeter 

On foot or taxi  
Falmouth  Falmouth Town   

5 hours 15 mins from London 
2 hours 45 mins from Exeter  

Bus or taxi 
Plymouth  Plymouth 

3 hours 40 mins from London 
1 hour 10 mins from Exeter 

On foot or taxi 
Dartmouth  Totnes 

3 hours 30 mins from London 
45 mins from Exeter 

Bus or boat
Lyme Regis  Axminster 

2 hours 45 mins from London 
40 mins from Exeter 
2 hours 30 mins from
Southampton 

Bus 
Sandbanks  Wareham 

2 hours 25 mins from London 
3 hours 45 mins from Exeter 
1 hour 20 mins from
Southampton  

Bus or taxi 

 

Coast to Coast
START/FINISH
LOCATION
NEAREST
RAILWAY
STATION
APPROXIMATE RAIL
JOURNEY TIME
ONWARD TRAVEL
St Bees St Bees

5 hours 15 mins from London
4 hours from Manchester Airport

On foot
Reeth  Darlington 

2 hours 45 mins from London
2 hours 30 mins from Manchester
Airport 

Bus via Richmond 
Robin Hood's Bay Scarborough      

3 hours from London
3 hours from Manchester Airport 

Bus or taxi 

 

If you would like further advice on travel within the UK we are always willing to help, so please do contact us.

Specific train times are always sent with final joining details but can be made available earlier on request. The rail timetable for trains in Great Britain are rolled out online eight weeks prior to date of travel, although the rail companies do reserve the right to make further changes after than point, particularly if engineering works become necessary.

National Rail Enquiries have an excellent website with interactive timetable information.

 

 

 

 

Travel Information Quick Links

National Rail Enquiries for British train times and other rail-related information http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

BritRail Information on the British rail system, exclusively for the use of travellers from abroad seeking information prior to their arrival in Britain http://www.britrail.com

London Heathrow Airport http://www.heathrowairport.com

London Gatwick Airport http://www.gatwickairport.com

Manchester Airport http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk

Rail-Air Link timetables and information on coach transfer from Heathrow Airport to Reading railway station, for travel to the south West of England. http://www.railair.com

Heathrow Express for travel from the airport into central London https://www.heathrowexpress.com

Gatwick Express for travel from the airport into central London http://www.gatwickexpress.com

National Express for cross-country coach travel http://www.nationalexpress.com

The Automobile Association (The AA) for lots of information on British roads and travel/route planning, including mileage calculator http://www.theaa.com

GoEuro for door-to-door travelling planning within Europe http://www.goeuro.co.uk

Google Map http://maps.google.co.uk

 
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