Coast & Castles Cycle Tour Newcastle to Berwick

Tour description

A five centre self-guided cycle tour from Newcastle to Berwick along the Coast of Northern England. Includes 5 nights bed and breakfast in guest house or small hotel accommodation, 4 days cycling, bike rental, luggage transfers, route information and daily navigation.  Emergency back-up is also available if needed.

Sample schedule

START and FINISH NEWCASTLE: Newcastle is on the north-east coast of England.

ARRIVAL DAY: At Newcastle. Your 1st night’s accommodation is in the vibrant city of Newcastle. There are many places to eat in the town centre from traditional pubs to luxury restaurants. Overnight: Newcastle, England.

DAY ONE: Cycle from Newcastle to Ashington. Distance approx. 27 miles (43 km). After breakfast you will be met with your bikes and you will begin cycling on a delightful traffic-free section out of Newcastle, giving you time to get used to the bike. Following the course of the River Tyne you will see a mixture of modern and old architecture along the quayside. At Tynemouth, with its ruins of a priory and castle, the route then heads north along the Northumberland coastline. There are plenty of opportunities to buy refreshments or lunch from many seaside towns like Whitley Bay before heading a couple of miles inland to your first overnight stop, Ashington. Overnight: Ashington, Northumberland, England.

DAY TWO: Cycle from Ashington to Alnwick. Distance approx. 28 miles (45 km). From here the route becomes much more scenic as you leave urban Tyneside behind. Returning to the coast this is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Northumbrian coast, with nature reserves such as Druridge Bay. Continuing along the coastline you reach the seaside town of Amble, followed by Warkworth with its impressive castle (a lovely place to stop for lunch). Then heading inland, the route follows country roads through farmland to your next destination Alnwick, once voted one of the most desirable places to live in the UK. A very popular tourist attraction is Alnwick Castle and Gardens, home to the Duke of Northumberland. There is the option to add an extra night stay in Alnwick to explore the market town further. Overnight: Alnwick, Northumberland, England.

DAY THREE: Cycle from Alnwick to Bamburgh. Distance approx 25 miles (40 km). Today the ride uses minor country roads, passing quaint fishing villages such as Craster, famous for is kippers, which you may have had for breakfast. The next castle is the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. This 14th Century castle is perched right on the cliff edge. The route takes you inland for a while before returning to the coast to the aptly named village of Seahouses just before your next overnight stop at Bamburgh. Known as the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria, Bamburgh castle is the most impressive castle of them all. It housed more people than any other castle in England with the exception of Windsor castle. The small village of Bamburgh is the birthplace of Grace Darling famed for her daring rescue of 5 people from a shipwreck. Local pubs and hotel restaurants will provide your evening meal tonight. Overnight: Bamburgh, Northumberland, England.

DAY FOUR: Cycle from Bamburgh to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Distance approx 23 miles (37 km). Heading inland again on quiet country roads broken-up by farmsteads and villages, you will catch sight of Holy Island. Adding an extra 6 miles to your ride, this excursion is well worth the additional effort. Subject to the tide times, this unique island is cut-off from the mainland twice a day by the incoming North Sea. Once on the island historically known as ‘Lindisfarne’ there is a castle and a priory to visit with plenty of places for refreshments or lunch. The last section of the route is a mixture of country lanes and gravel tracks along the coast to the Scottish border and the town of Berwick. This attractive walled town changed hands 13 times in the England Scotland border wars. There are many places to eat in the town centre from traditional pubs to luxury restaurants. Overnight: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.

FINAL DAY: Departure from Berwick back to Newcastle by train. The tour finishes after you have returned the bike to Newcastle.

Travel Description

RAIL TRAVEL from LONDON to NEWCASTLE (NOT included in tour price): There is a half hourly train service from London (Kings Cross) to Newcastle. The nearest international airport is Newcastle.

RAIL TRAVEL from BERWICK UPON TWEED to NEWCASTLE (included in tour price): There is a half hourly train service from Berwick upon Tweed to Newcastle and Edinburgh.

ARRIVING and DEPARTING by EUROLINES or NATIONAL EXPRESS COACH: This is by far the cheapest option for long-distance travel in England, Scotland, and Wales. There are very convenient buses from each major airport. National Express carries over 16 million passengers to 1000 different places in the UK every year, and thousands more from destinations across Europe and Ireland. You can purchase an e-Ticket where you print your travel ticket online in a matter of minutes OR you can obtain an m-Ticket and have your travel ticket sent to your mobile phone - no paper ticket required. You then present this to the driver on arrival.

ARRIVING BY CAR: Please ask for details.

TYPE OF HYBRID BIKE WE USE ON THIS TOUR: Please ask for details.

Tour Start Location

Tour End Location