Trail transport
Manchester Airport (MAN) is described by multiple sources as the easiest airport for reaching St Bees, roughly 3 hours 30 minutes-4h door to door by rail with a change at Carlisle. Newcastle Airport (NCL) is an alternative, roughly 4.5 hours with a couple of changes, also via Carlisle.
Manchester Airport (MAN) is described by multiple sources as the easiest airport for reaching St Bees, roughly 3 hours 30 minutes-4h door to door by rail with a change at Carlisle. Newcastle Airport (NCL) is an alternative, roughly 4.5 hours with a couple of changes, also via Carlisle. From London, trains run roughly hourly from Euston via Lancaster or Carlisle, about 5 hours. St Bees itself sits on the Cumbrian Coast Line (CRS: SBS) between Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness. The one gap to know about: the Carlisle-St Bees leg does not run on Sundays -- on a Sunday, travel to Whitehaven instead and taxi the last few miles.
Robin Hood's Bay has no railway station. The standard route out is the Arriva X93/X94 bus (roughly hourly year-round, about every 20 minutes in summer) or a taxi to either Whitby (CRS: WTB, ~20–30 minutes) or Scarborough (CRS: SCA, ~35–45 minutes), then a connecting train. Walkers who parked at Kirkby Stephen or booked a package can instead use Coast to Coast Packhorse's 16:00 minibus back to Kirkby Stephen (Apr-Sep) or Sherpa Van's afternoon passenger service towards Richmond, in season.
This is a strictly linear trail and no dedicated car-relocation service covering the whole route was found. The practical answer used by operators and independent guides alike is to park roughly at the midpoint in Kirkby Stephen -- specifically at Coast to Coast Packhorse's own staffed car park -- and use that operator's daily minibus (08:00 to St Bees, 16:00 from Robin Hood's Bay, April-September) to close the loop; one independent guide states plainly that returning from Robin Hood's Bay to a car left at St Bees by ordinary public transport is very difficult, which is why the Kirkby Stephen option exists and is recommended. A minority instead leave a car informally with St Bees accommodation, or in one of St Bees' own car parks , and make the multi-leg rail/bus journey back from Whitby or Scarborough at the end.
The trail runs close to a public transport option for most of its length: the Cumbrian Coast Line near St Bees; the Stagecoach 508 (year-round on the Penrith-Patterdale section) plus the Ullswater 'Steamers' ferry at Glenridding (seasonal timetable programme, not a single fixed year-round schedule -- confirm the current 'colour' timetable on the operator's own site) in the Lake District section; Kirkby Stephen on the Settle-Carlisle line at roughly the midpoint; the Little White Bus Swaledale Shuttle (Mon-Sat, summer and winter timetables both exist) through Reeth and Keld; and the Esk Valley Line (daily, year-round) through Glaisdale, Egton and Lealholm in the final third. The two stretches genuinely furthest from a fallback are the high Lakeland crossing between Ennerdale Bridge and Patterdale/Shap, and the North York Moors crossing from Ingleby Cross/Osmotherley to the coast, where Moorsbus is the only bus actually crossing the moor and it runs Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays only, roughly April-September -- outside that pattern, a taxi from Northallerton/Stokesley/Whitby is the realistic option.
Station is at the trail start itself, on the Cumbrian Coast Line (Carlisle-Barrow-in-Furness). No onward transfer needed. No ticket office, no left luggage, no staff help on site (Northern-managed, unstaffed halt).
Trains run year-round, but the Carlisle-St Bees leg does not run on Sundays; on a Sunday, travel to Whitehaven instead and take a taxi the last few miles to St Bees.No direct rail to Robin Hood's Bay (8km away); take the Arriva X93/X94 bus (roughly 20–30 minutes) or a taxi. Ticket office Mon-Sat 08:30-16:00 (closed for lunch 13:00-13:30), closed Sundays.
Trains (Esk Valley Line to Middlesbrough) run daily year-round; the connecting X93/X94 bus runs year-round but is more frequent in summer.No direct rail to Robin Hood's Bay (24km away); take the Arriva X93/X94 bus (roughly 35–45 minutes) or a taxi.
Year-round; the X93/X94 bus is year-round but runs about every 20 minutes in summer versus hourly for the rest of the year.On the Settle-Carlisle line, roughly the trail's midpoint (near chainage 128km). Used as the base for Coast to Coast Packhorse's car park and minibus shuttle, and for Sherpa Van's passenger service, both described under luggage transfer.
Year-round Settle-Carlisle service; the operator minibuses connecting it to St Bees/Robin Hood's Bay are seasonal (see luggage transfer).Stagecoach 508 bus to Pooley Bridge, Glenridding and Patterdale (the trail passes through Patterdale, chainage ~72km) runs year-round on this Penrith-Patterdale section; taxi is the fallback (roughly a 20-25 mile run).
The Penrith-Patterdale section of the 508 is year-round; the onward continuation over Kirkstone Pass to Windermere is a predominantly summer service (late March-early November), so only relevant if changing further into the central Lakes.Described as the easiest UK airport for this trail. Direct-ish rail via a change at Carlisle to St Bees, roughly 3 hours 30 minutes-4h. Reverse journey from Robin Hood's Bay (via Whitby or Scarborough) to Manchester Airport is roughly 4 hours.
Year-round; watch the Sunday Carlisle-St Bees rail gap noted under getting to start.An alternative to Manchester, roughly 4.5 hours door-to-door to St Bees via Carlisle with a couple of changes; similarly roughly 4 hours from the Robin Hood's Bay end.
Year-round; same Sunday Carlisle-St Bees caveat applies to the western leg.