C2C - Coast to Coast (3 Days Cycling)

From the Irish Sea to the North Sea

The C2C — Coast to Coast — runs roughly 150 miles from Whitehaven on the Cumbrian coast to Tynemouth at the mouth of the Tyne, crossing the Lake District, the high empty country of the North Pennines and the western edge of Northumberland on its way east. It is the most ridden long-distance cycle route in Britain, well-signed throughout as part of the National Cycle Network, and the landscape changes character almost hour by hour: coastal flatland, then fells, then long open moors above 500 metres, then the soft descent of the Tyne valley back to the sea.

This is the three-day version, graded 1 out of 5 on Saddle Skedaddle's leisure scale and pitched as a relaxed run at the route rather than a forced march. Both regular bikes and pedal-assist e-bikes can be hired when you book; the e-bikes take some of the sting out of the climbs and tend to leave you with more in the tank for the pub at the end of the day.

Hartside Pass and the descent into Alston

Three cycling days at this distance means around 50 miles a day, mostly on quiet lanes and dedicated cycleways, with cafes and pubs at sensible intervals — one of the quiet pleasures of the C2C is how easy it is to break a day with a proper sit-down meal. The signature climb is Hartside Pass at 580m above sea level, a long, steady haul up the western flank of the Pennines. On a clear day the view from the top runs back across the Lake District, the Solway Firth and into southern Scotland. The long descent into Alston that follows is the part most riders remember.

The route favours rural Cumbria and Northumberland over anywhere especially touristy; you pass through small market towns and old mining country rather than honeypots. Accommodation is in bike-friendly B&Bs along the way — the kind of place that lets you wheel a bike into a shed overnight and serves a proper full breakfast in the morning.

Bookings, transfers and what's included

You spend the first night in either Newcastle or Penrith — say which you prefer at the time of booking — and Skedaddle then transfers you to Whitehaven the following morning to start riding. Three days later they meet you at Tynemouth and shuttle you back to wherever you began. Newcastle has an international airport with a direct rail link to Central Station, which makes it the more straightforward arrival point if you are flying.

The price, from £595 per person, covers accommodation, all transfers, luggage moved between B&Bs each day, and emergency back-up if anything goes wrong on the road. Navigation is handled through Skedaddle's app, so there is no faffing with paper maps. The trip runs for a minimum of two people, and four- and five-day versions of the same route are available if three days at this pace feels brisk; a two-day version exists for cyclists who would rather take longer days. Suitable for adults and older children, and a sensible first long-distance ride for anyone working up to bigger trips.