Travel Information
Detailed Travel Information for the Dales Way will be supplied in your Information Pack, but the following may help with your planning.
Manchester is a major transport hub in the North West of England and has excellent rail, road and air links from both Scotland and the South of England.
Arriving into England
By Air:
Nearest International Airport: Manchester (long-haul) and Leeds / Bradford
There is a regular train service from Manchester Airport to Ilkley via Leeds (journey time 2 hours 20 minutes). There are frequent bus services from Leeds/Bradford Airport to Ilkley (journey time 25 minutes).
By Rail:
Nearest Railway Station: Leeds train station.
There are many train services to Leeds from around the UK where you can connect with a service to Ilkley. There is a fast and frequent service from London Kings Cross to Ilkley via Leeds (journey time 3 hours 30 minutes).
By Road:
If you plan to travel by car it is usually possible to leave it at the Guest House or Hotel at the start or end of your walk, for the duration of your holiday. We can check this for you when your booking is confirmed. Leeds is also accessible by National Express coaches with local buses connecting to Ilkley.
Getting to Ilkley
From Leeds train station, take a train to Ilkley. Trains depart every hour from Leeds (journey time 30 minutes). There are also bus services to Ilkley from Leeds (journey time approx 1 hour). A taxi direct to Ilkley from Leeds/Bradford airport is also a reasonably priced option.
Returning from Bowness-on-Windermere
From the end of the walk at Bowness-on-Windermere you can travel onwards by all forms of public transport, as it is well linked.
By Rail:
Regular train services operate from Windermere to London Kings Cross (journey time 5 hours 30 minutes) and to London Euston, both services via Oxenholme and on to North to Scotland on the West Coast mainline.
By Road:
National Express coach services serve Windermere.
Taxi Service:
If you would rather travel to Ilkley and return from Bowness-on-Windermere by taxi, then we'd be delighted to provide you with the contact details of taxi companies who offer this service.
Train Tickets
Great savings can be made by buying your train tickets in advance through the Trainline website at www.thetrainline.com. Although tickets can only be mailed to a UK address, overseas customers can still order tickets in advance and collect them from a Fast Ticket machine in the UK. Fast Ticket machines are located in most mainline railway stations.
