Highlights
- UK’s favourite long distance cycle route
- Dramatic English landscapes
- Cycle friendly route
- Stress-free cycling complimented with an abundance of pubs and cafes en route
- Bike friendly B&Bs offering mouthwatering breakfasts
- Flexibility to choose your own start date or one of our great value scheduled departure dates
- Suitable for adults and older children
The approach and clarity is what makes Saddle Skedaddle an excellent organisation. For my wife and I, this coast to coast was our first organised ride. The whole experience was outstanding, with such attention to detail.
Itinerary
Getting to Newcastle or Penrith is easy. If you are planning to arrive by air, there is an airport at Newcastle with direct services to Newcastle Central train station. For those arriving by car, you will be able to leave your vehicle at your accommodation at no additional cost, or if the train is your preferred transport mode, you can either take a taxi from the station to your accommodation or it is just a short 10-15 minute walk away.
Please make sure that you let us know whether you prefer to arrive into Newcastle or Penrith at the time of booking.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 800 Metres Approx.
After an early breakfast, you will be met by our Skedaddle representative at your accommodation in either Newcastle or Penrith and they’ll provide you with your rental bikes (if renting) and your map and chat you through how to use the navigation app. They will then transfer you to Whitehaven to begin your journey.
Whitehaven Harbour marks the start of your ride and it’s only a few pedals before you leave the somewhat industrial Cumbrian coast and reach some of the prettiest countryside in the UK. Initially following the Cumbrian Cycle Network, you will follow the route of a disused mineral railway to Kirkland. From here you follow quiet country lanes along an undulating route via Loweswater and Low Lorton to Whinlatter Pass. From here an excellent descent takes you through Braithwaite and Portinscale on the banks of the River Derwent to Keswick. Leaving Keswick you follow another railway line, this time alongside the River Greta. You will quickly pass near the sacred Castlerigg Stone Circle; a Bronze Age meeting place, followed by Threlkeld and your accommodation for the evening.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 1100 Metres Approx.
Leaving Threlkeld the route is now one of quiet traffic free country lanes through hillsides dotted with small farms. Next place of interest is Greystoke Castle, former home of Lord Greystoke, on which the legend of Tarzan is based.
The next stop will be at Penrith before you continue on to Edenhall and Langwathby. From here the route gets a little harder as you reach Hartside Pass (580 metres). If you know anyone who has done the C2C, this is ‘THE’ climb! Take a moment to stop and admire the spectacular views before we set off to our night’s rest in Alston.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 1100 Metres Approx.
Today you will encounter the hilliest and highest points of our trip. From Alston it’s a short, but tough climb up and over into the old lead mining village of Nenthead. Climbing again you will reach the highest point on the route, Black Hill (609 metres). After crossing Killhope top, you reach Allenheads. Not only boasting it’s the highest village in England, it’s also home to one of the quirkiest pubs – The Allenheads Inn. Containing rooms full of bric-a-brac and nick-nacks it’s a challenge to negotiate your way to the bar…never mind from it! Just a few more miles before we get to Rookhope.
From Rookhope we skirt the contours of Stanhope Common on quiet lanes and continue along to Stanhope, where we climb the steep Crawleyside Bank before descending to our accommodation in Edmundbyers.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 550 Metres Approx.
This morning you will have the last big climb of the trip up to Parkhead where you join the Waskerley Way, which is a traffic free trail that takes in the rugged, expansive scenery of the North Pennines, and contours thankfully, pre-dominantly downhill towards the once thriving steel town of Consett.
With the hardest cycling behind, you head towards your goal of Tynemouth. The route then follows a pleasant green route leading over numerous bridges and old railway viaducts and affording great views of the countryside. On reaching the Newcastle Quayside you’ll see the impressive Baltic Arts Centre on the Gateshead bank just across the Blinking Eye Millennium Bridge. Continuing on the northern bank of the Tyne The Cycle Hub is situated on your right and the perfect place for a well-earned cuppa and a slice of delicious homemade cake. It’s dedicated to the cyclist and also the home of Saddle Skedaddle – if you catch up during office hours, why not come and say hello? Waving goodbye, you complete your final few miles of the coast to coast alongside the River Tyne to Tynemouth.
Congratulations – you’ve just Skedaddled the Coast to Coast!
We’ll meet you in Tynemouth and load your bikes up for the return trip to either Newcastle or Penrith.
Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
The route follows quiet country lanes, cycleways and paths including sections on old railway lines with gravel or cinder surface.
Most of the route is on tarmac roads and paths with some short sections of hardpacked gravel surfaces, so the ride can be completed on almost any type of bike. The first few miles leaving Whitehaven has some tree root damage and a very short hard-packed gravel section, which is suitable for road bikes when ridden with a little extra care. The majority of the route between Stanhope and Newcastle along a former railway line also has gravel surfaces, which can be ridden on a road bike with touring tyres fitted, however there is a tarmac alternative to the standard route if preferred. Most roadies tackling the route in a few days prefer this option.
It is possible to use an e-bike on this holiday, which would be particularly beneficial on Hartside Pass and some of the other longer climbs, if you’re after a bit of a boost. Please note, e-bikes are generally heavier than standard bikes, so it is worth considering when handling the bike over some of the rougher / uneven terrain.
For more information about riding an electric bike on our holidays please click here
Coast to Coast uses a part of the National Cycle Network, a route from the charity, Sustrans, who are working to make it easier for everyone to cycle in the UK. Skedaddle will donate to Sustrans for every mile that you and others ride on this route with us. If you fancy donating more to Sustrans, you can choose to make your own donation for the development of the National Cycle Network when you make a booking with us.
Leisure Cycling Grade
Distances generally between 20-45 miles / 32-72 kms per day
For the leisure cyclist with a good level of physical fitness
May include some steeper, cheeky climbs
Possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc).
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
Although you may not cycle everyday, you do keep yourself relatively fit and maybe enjoy an afternoon out on your bike at the weekend. Your preference is perhaps for flatter terrain but you don’t mind tackling some hills, and the occasional steep climb if you can take it at your own pace. For those happy to tackle some ups and downs, and possibly some sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc) we’d recommend our grade 3 trips. We’d generally expect those on a Grade 3 trip to have a decent level of physical fitness and be comfortable with some longer days in the saddle.
For more information about the grading of this holiday in particular, please check out the terrain section which will give you some specifics of what to expect on this tour.
Super trip! We all really enjoyed it and thought the route was perfect with a great combination of quiet roads, cycle paths and forest trails.
Dates & Prices
Daily departures available from April to end of September, call us about October. Choose your own dates from:
2025 $1205 per person
You either can make a booking online or over the phone. Once we have your details, we’ll be able to check availability.
Alternatively for a great value holiday select one of our scheduled weekend departures below:
SAVE ON 2025 EARLY SEASON ESCAPES!
Book your early cycling escape before the 31st of October and save $60. Applies to departures between the 1st April and the 30th April 2025. Apply the promo code FYR2025 when you book. Your discount will be applied once your booking is confirmed.
Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit
Book now with a $200 deposit and nothing more to pay until 30 days before departure. Choose a date to start your booking and see all prices, including bike hire and single room supplements.
Whats Included
A) Accommodation (shared twin/ double rooms)
B) Meals as per the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) Access to an app for holiday information and navigation
D) A printed map
E) Luggage transfer service
F) Local Skedaddle representative
G) Emergency tool kit, pump etc. (if renting your bike from Skedaddle)
H) Financial Protection through ABTOT
What's not Included
A) Bike and helmet rental (available if required)
B) Travel or flight costs or charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to cultural or historical sites and visitor centres
I) Other optional activities
The Essentials
News, Reviews & Stories
Cycling Coast to Coast
Strap in as we take a closer look at this classic journey by bike! Here's everything you need to know...
Customer Story: C2C, a long way up!
Juliet attempts the ride from Whitehaven to Tynemouth - the classic C2C route
12 hours in...Newcastle
Stopping off in Newcastle pre/post trip? Don't miss our ultimate guide to the city.
Reviews
Lynsey, Cambridgeshire, UKDoing it over four days was perfect...Nothing to improve, every day had its challenges and rewards, this is meant to be a challenging ride and it was. Doing it over four days was perfect!
Day three was our favourite day, good terrain, lovely swooping descents followed by short sharp challenges uphill Beautiful countryside and we had good weather which was a bonus.
It was really great to get away, in a beautiful part of our country and enjoy some downtime in this craziest of times of Covid, it felt almost normal – the best moment was stoping for the most delicious ice cream near Keswick sitting in the sun and soaking up the atmosphere. Just the best feeling after a day in the saddle.
Andy, UKSuperb...Our ‘holiday’ (we would prefer to call it a ‘challenge!‘) was superb! We had been unsure as to whether three days or four was appropriate and are glad we chose the four-day option.
Fiona, London, UKThank-you for a really enjoyable holiday!Every day was wonderful, there were high points on every day of the holiday and no low points. The information provided by the representative was invaluable. Without the information the holiday wouldn’t have gone as smoothly. He thought of things we needed to know but would never have thought to ask as well as answering the questions we did have. He was also pleasant and friendly and we feel went the extra mile to make our holiday special. Thank-you for a really enjoyable holiday!
Jon, Wiltshire, UKEvery day was magical...Every day was magical! Great and a very professional driver, saily briefings were very useful.
Peter, Powys, UKSaddle Skedaddle's service made this ride...The approach and clarity is what makes Saddle Skedaddle an excellent organisation. For my wife and I, this coast to coast was our first organised ride. The whole experience was outstanding, such attention to detail. Being first timers I had several questions and all were dealt with by the appropriate expert with good humour. Nothing seemed too much trouble! A pity more organisations do not have the same approach. Can’t wait for the next holiday!
Paul, UKEnjoyed the whole experience...Enjoyed the whole experience. The best part was conquering the climb up to Beatrice summit peddling all the way. I have recommended to friends. An excellent C2C cycling holiday enjoyed by all four of us. Some hard but very rewarding climbs. The whole Skedaddle team provided excellent service throughout. The taxi transfers and baggage handling were seamless. The Skedaddle app was a great asset throughout from planning to riding.
Lawrence, Nottinghamshire, UKOverall, a really good trip - as always with Skedaddle.Super trip, we all really enjoyed it and thought the route was perfect with a great combination of quiet roads, cycle paths and forest trails. All the accommodation worked well with staff that were universally friendly and helpful. The GPX files worked well. Overall, a really good trip – as always with Skedaddle.
Kate, UKSkedaddle holidays are always great...Skedaddle holidays are always great; you can ride your bike and they pretty much do the rest! I checked in and out each day via text; It was lovely to know somebody was checking on me from a distance! Cycling has been even more therapeutic than normal during the pandemic! Being able to use two wheels as a mode of transport to travel across the country, supported by Skedaddle, just shows the beauty, and power, of bikes. Thank you for making it possible!
Alison, UKI'll definitely recommend Skedaddle...It was great – really well organised; nice staff; a good standard of accommodation. The taxi driver was also very helpful! I’ll definitely recommend Skedaddle – thank you for a great trip! :-)
Julia, UKScenery was gorgeous on all days...Scenery was gorgeous on all days, Day 1 was eventful, Day 2 was fab, Day 3 lovely scenery but tough hills! Across the moorland of Waskerley Way was stunning!