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 |
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION |
APPROXIMATE RAIL JOURNEY TIME |
ONWARD TRAVEL |
|
Chipping Campden |
Moreton-in-Marsh OR Honeybourne |
1 hour 35 mins from London 2 hour 45 mins from London |
Bus or Taxi Taxi |
| Bath | Bath |
1 hour 30 mins from London |
On foot or taxi |
Cotswold Highlights
|
START/FINISH |
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION |
APPROXIMATE RAIL JOURNEY TIME |
ONWARD TRAVEL |
|
Chipping Campden |
Moreton-in-Marsh OR Honeybourne |
1 hour 35 mins from London 2 hour 45 mins from London |
Bus or Taxi Taxi |
| Cirencester | Kemble |
1 hour 25 mins from London |
Bus or taxi |
Kennet & Avon Canal
|
START/FINISH |
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 |
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 |
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION |
APPROXIMATE RAIL JOURNEY TIME |
ONWARD TRAVEL |
| Eastbourne | Eastbourne |
1 hour 30 mins from London 2 hours 30 mins from |
On foot or taxi |
| Winchester | Winchester |
1 hour 10 mins from London 20 mins from Southampton |
On foot or taxi |
Wessex Ridgeway
|
START/FINISH |
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 |
1 hour 25 mins from London 1 hour 15 mins from Bristol 45 mins from Southampton |
Bus or taxi from |
| 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 |
NEAREST |
APPROXIMATE RAIL JOURNEY TIME |
ONWARD TRAVEL |
|
Thames source |
Kemble |
1 hour 25 mins from London
|
Bus or taxi |
|
Wallingford |
Didcot Parkway | 45 mins from London | Bus or taxi |
| Windsor |
Windsor & Eton |
45 mins from London | On foot or taxi |
| London |
Various depending |
South West Coast Path
| START/FINISH LOCATION |
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION |
APPROXIMATE RAIL JOURNEY TIME |
ONWARD TRAVEL |
| Minehead | Taunton |
2 hours 30 mins from London |
Bus or Somerset |
| Instow | Barnstaple |
5 hours 15 mins from London |
Bus |
| Bude | Exeter |
5 hours 15 mins from London |
Bus |
| Newquay | Newquay |
5 hours 15 mins from London |
On foot or taxi |
| St Ives | St Ives |
5 hours 45 mins from London |
On foot or taxi |
| Penzance | Penzance |
6 hours 30 mins from London |
On foot or taxi |
| Falmouth | Falmouth Town |
5 hours 15 mins from London |
Bus or taxi |
| Plymouth | Plymouth |
3 hours 40 mins from London |
On foot or taxi |
| Dartmouth | Totnes |
3 hours 30 mins from London |
Bus or boat |
| Lyme Regis | Axminster |
2 hours 45 mins from London |
Bus |
| Sandbanks | Wareham |
2 hours 25 mins from London |
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 |
On foot |
| Reeth | Darlington |
2 hours 45 mins from London |
Bus via Richmond |
| Robin Hood's Bay | Scarborough |
3 hours from London |
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