Whether you're walking near to home or planning a longer break away, you'll find some useful practical advice on this page to help you organise your walking trip, from where to find suggestions for walking routes to sorting out transport and accommodation.
This page assumes you have a little walking experience: if you're starting from scratch, see Getting started. For advice on devising easy walks, and walks suitable for families and people with disabilities, see Walking for everyone.
When planning your route, you should know something about the general arrangements for access to the countryside in Britain: see Access for walkers
Walking information sources
The following can help you find suggestions for routes in a particular area:
- The Ramblers' Association: see Walking Down Your Way for information about specific regions, and the Paths and Routes pages for a selection of named routes and trails.
- Local councils: they are responsible for local footpaths and access and also manage parks and countryside areas. Some have excellent walking sections on their websites.
- Tourist/Visitor Information Centres: these are a mine of information for locals as well as visitors, and often stock walks leaflets and guidebooks as well as being able to give details of local accommodation and services.
- Parks and countryside offices: National Parks, AONBs, Regional Parks, Community Forests and organisations such as the National Trust and Forestry Commission have information about walking in the areas they manage.
For more information about finding easy access walking routes and routes suitable for children or pushchairs, see Walking for Everyone.
Guides and maps
Most named walking routes and long distance paths have their own guidebooks or leaflets. Our Paths and Routes section gives details of guides for the routes shown.
There are also numerous publications with suggestions for shorter, mainly circular, walks in particular areas. We list some of these under your region or country.
Walking magazines regularly publish walking routes.
- Country Walking has easier, country walks across the UK
- tgo covers hillwalking routes across Great Britain and abroad.
- Trail includes more rugged routes and hillwalking in the UK
- Walk Wales (Kittiwake) has a range of walks in Wales.
- Walkwise offers easy, healthy walks in Scotland.
These magazines are available from newsagents or on subscription from the publisher.
An increasing number of websites offer suggestions for walking routes. A regularly updated index of these can be found on the Walking-Routes website.
Even if you are following a recognised route, we recommend you also take a good map: this will give you an idea of the wider area, help you to find short cuts and alternative routes and be useful if you get lost. You can also use the map to plan your own routes using the local footpath network. In rough and remote areas knowing how to use a map and compass is essential, especially in bad weather where visibility is low: see Navigation.
The best and most comprehensive series of maps for walkers is the 1:25 000 Explorer series covering the whole of Britain, published by Ordnance Survey (OS). These show many useful details including paths and open access areas and additional tourist information. A commercial publisher, Harvey Maps, offers a range of alternative walkers’ maps covering popular walking areas and long distance paths. Some local councils produce walking maps for their areas in varying styles. Read more about maps.
Printed publications are often available from the local information sources indicated above, and in local bookshops. Those with ISBN numbers can be ordered through any bookshop or from internet retailers. A few bookshops specialise in walking books and maps: see a list of specialist stockists. Many publications are also available direct from the publisher.
An excellent introductory guidebook, mainly aimed at overseas visitors but useful to British residents too, is the Lonely Planet guide to Walking in Britain, ISBN 0 86450 280 0). The same publisher also has Walking in Scotland, ISBN 1 86450 350 5. For a comprehensive long distance path listing consult The Long Distance Walkers’ Handbook from the Long Distance Walkers' Association ( (ISBN 0 7136 6096 1, A&C Black £12.99) and its companion Long Distance Path Chart (ISBN 1 85137 387 X, Harvey £9.95) Order Here!
Weather
British weather is generally mild, especially in the south, and rarely severe except in the most mountainous areas in winter, but it can be wet at any time. Weather forecasts are obtainable over the phone (see the phone book), on teletext and online from the Met Office and BBC. Walkers heading for the Scottish hills during the winter should check SportScotland's Avalanche Information Service.
What to take
Waterproof clothing is essential unless you're only going out for a short walk and are sure it's not going to rain. Proper walking boots with moulded grip-giving soles are strongly recommended for longer walks on rough or hilly ground. In winter, especially in the more remote upland areas of Wales, Scotland and northern England, you will need to take warmer clothing and extra food, and to observe more stringent safety precautions. For more see Outdoor footwear, clothing and equipment.
Shops and services in the countryside can be sparse, even in heavily populated areas. Unless you are walking in a town or city you should not rely on finding what you need along your route, so make sure you take some food and water, and perhaps a first aid kit. For more advice see Health and Safety.
Transport
Britain has a relatively good public transport network, and by combining walking with public transport you can help reduce congestion and help create a more pleasant environment where more people choose to walk. You can forget about car crime and parking problems, plan linear walks as easily as circular ones and allow yourself to have a drink on the way. In some remote rural areas services are sparse or non-existent, but many useful regular services do exist and there are increasing numbers of new services aimed at countryside visitors.
There is a national system of public transport information services available either by phone or internet, and details of local services, including those specially aimed at countryside visitors, are usually available from the walking information sources listed above. See Public transport for walkers for both national information contacts and some useful notes on particular regions. Many of the listings in our Paths and Routes section also include transport details.
Accommodation
If you are walking away from home and need to stay overnight, you are likely to prefer relatively simple accommodation that is welcoming to walkers. Options include:
- Bed and Breakfast (B&B): these range from people with spare bedrooms in their own houses to small hotels and guest houses. B&Bs can sometimes arrange transport and luggage transfer for walkers.
- Self catering: furnished and equipped houses or flats, ideal if you want to explore a particular area over the course of a few days. Many will only accept bookings for a week or more but some offer short breaks and weekends.
- Hostels: budget accommodation. The cheapest beds are usually in dormitories but modern hostels also offer smaller rooms and family accommodation. Many hostels can provide meals but there are almost always cooking facilities for self-catering guests. As well as establishments run by the official Youth Hostel Associations, there are a number of independent hostels, sometimes called "backpackers' hostels", especially in Scotland where official hostels are more sparse. There is generally no upper age limit in hostels.
- Bunkhouses: barns and other converted buildings with bunk beds, cooking and toilet facilities, sometimes basic.
- Camping barns and bothies: buildings providing very basic shelter, mainly in areas of rough country. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag, sleeping mat or mattress and cooking equipment; some bothies do not have toilets or piped water.
- Campsites: these vary widely in the facilities on offer besides a space to pitch a tent. Some hostels also provide camping facilities. For advice on wild camping, see our access page.
Further information about accommodation is available from
- Our online Accommodation Finder which lists thousands of walker-friendly B&Bs, including those who offer transport and luggage transfer, plus some self-catering accommodation, bunkhouses, camping barns, campsites and independent hostels. B&B accommodation along particular routes can also be found through our Paths and Routes pages.
- Tourist/Visitor Information Centres and official tourism websites, for comprehensive lists of all types of accommodation in their areas.
- YHA England and Wales with an extensive network of youth hostels and camping barns across England and Wales and online bookings.
- SYHA with more than 70 youth hostels in Scotland, and online bookings.
- IBHS and Highland Hostels representing over 100 independent hostels and bunkhouses in Scotland
- The Independent Hostel Guide managed by the Backpackers Press, with online listings and an annual printed guide to 300 independent hostels, bunkhouses and camping barns, mainly in Britain.
- Mountain Bothies Association for bothy accommodation in remote parts of Scotland and rural England.
- Camping and Caravanning Club for a network of campsites, including many simple rural sites.
Group walks, festivals and holidays
Many organisations run local led group walks: Ramblers association local Areas and Groups, local councils and countryside bodies and numerous independent walking clubs. The majority of Ramblers group walks are listed on our online Group Walks Finder and information about those that aren't can be obtained directly from the Areas and Groups themselves. Local libraries and Tourist/Visitor Information Centres usually have details of walks by a wide range of organisations.
Walking festivals offer a busy programme of walks in particular area over a set time period, usually a long weekend, a week or a fortnight. Often there are other events, special arrangements for accommodation and promotion of independent walking opportunities, making it easy to explore an area as part of a led group but with varying company. For a diary of walking festivals, including Ramblers national events such as Welcome to Walking Week, see our Events pages.
Walking holidays are provided by a variety of operators, from all-in, fully guided packages to more independent holidays where you do your own walking but accommodation, transport and luggage transfer are provided. Some companies offer individual support services such as accommodation booking and luggage transfer covering popular areas and routes. See our Walking holidays and services directory for more details.
