There are no hard and fast rules about how many days you should walk the Coast to Coast over. It will depend on your fitness, time constraints, your urge to complete or your decision to soak up as much of the flavour of the route as you can. You can build in rest days to recover from your previous days exertions or simply to spend some time in some of the many wonderful places along the route such as Grasmere and Richmond.

You may decide to split the route into 18 days or keep it at Wainwright's original 12 days and follow as much of the 'purists' route as you can. You may have to take into account people walking with you not being as fit as some of the other members of your party or in some places the lack of accommodation may dictate your itinerary. To hopefully help in making your decision I have placed below a few of the more popular schedules to give you an indication of what other Coast to coasters have done in the past but remember that none of the schedules have rest days - you can simply add your own as and when you like.

Don't forget though that the walk doesn't have to be completed in one go. You can tackle sections at weekends or midweek - for many of us family and work commitments dictate that two weeks or more is maybe too much.

At the end of the day you make the decision based on your own personal circumstances but remember that above all - it is meant to be fun!



The original Wainwright schedule
Day 1: St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge. 14 miles (22.5km)
Day 2: Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite. 14.5 miles (23km)
Day 3: Rosthwaite to Patterdale. 17½ miles (28km)
Day 4: Patterdale to Shap. 16 miles (25.5km)
Day 5: Shap to Kirkby Stephen. 20 miles (32km)
Day 6: Kirkby Stephen to Keld. 13 miles (21km)
Day 7: Keld to Reeth. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 8: Reeth to Richmond. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 9: Richmond to Ingleby Cross. 23 miles (37km)
Day 10: Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top. 12.5 miles (20km)
Day 11: Clay Bank Top to Glaisdale. 18.5 miles (29.5km)
Day 12: Glaisdale to Robin Hood's Bay. 19 miles (30.5km)
The original and what some consider to be the 'challenge'. Don't be fooled by this 'challenge' nonsense as the Coast to Coast is a challenge regardless of how many days you opt for, besides you are not doing it for the challenge but for the enjoyment.



Day 1: St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge. 14 miles (22.5km)
Day 2: Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite. 14.5 miles (23km)
Day 3: Rosthwaite to Grasmere. 9 miles (14.5km)
Day 4: Grasmere to Patterdale. 8½ miles (13.5km)
Day 5: Patterdale to Burnbanks. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 6: Burnbanks to Orton. 13 miles (21km)
Day 7: Orton to Kirkby Stephen. 13 miles (21km)
Day 8: Kirkby Stephen to Keld. 13 miles (21km)
Day 9: Keld to Reeth. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 10: Reeth to Richmond. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 11: Richmond to Ingleby Cross. 23 miles (37km)
Day 12: Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top. 12.5 miles (20km)
Day 13: Clay Bank Top to Glaisdale. 18.5 miles (29.5km)
Day 14: Glaisdale to Robin Hood's Bay. 19 miles (30.5km)
With three long days out of four coming at the end, these are perfectly timed as you have by then built up your fitness and stamina. This schedule should be within most walkers abilities.



The 'new to long distance walking' option
Day 1: St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge. 14 miles (22.5km)
Day 2: Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite. 14.5 miles (23km)
Day 3: Rosthwaite to Grasmere. 9 miles (14.5km)
Day 4: Grasmere to Patterdale. 8½ miles (13.5km)
Day 5: Patterdale to Burnbanks. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 6: Burnbanks to Orton. 13 miles (21km)
Day 7: Orton to Kirkby Stephen. 12 miles (19km)
Day 8: Kirkby Stephen to Keld. 13 miles (21km)
Day 9: Keld to Reeth. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 10: Reeth to Richmond. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 11: Richmond to Ingleby Cross. 23 miles (37km)
Day 12: Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top. 12.5 miles (20km)
Day 13 : Clay Bank Top to Glaisdale. 18.5 miles (29.5km)
Day 14: Glaisdale to Littlebeck. 8 miles (13km)
Day 15: Littlebeck to Robin Hood's Bay. 11 miles (17.5km)
This schedule only has one long days mileage in it (Richmond to Ingleby Cross) and that is flat as a pancake. Still hard enough to make you sweat but probably one for the first-timers new to long distance walking.



The 'take it easy & enjoy the scenery and places' option
Day 1: St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge. 14 miles (22.5km)
Day 2: Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite. 14.5 miles (23km)
Day 3: Rosthwaite to Grasmere. 9 miles (14.5km)
Day 4: Grasmere to Patterdale. 8½ miles (13.5km)
Day 5: Patterdale to Burnbanks 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 6: Burnbanks to Orton. 13 miles (21km)
Day 7: Orton to Kirkby Stephen. 13 miles (21km)
Day 8: Kirkby Stephen to Keld. 13 miles (21km)
Day 9: Keld to Reeth. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 10: Reeth to Richmond. 11 miles (17.5km)
Day 11: Richmond to Danby Wiske. 14 miles (22.5km)
Day 12: Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross. 9 miles (14.5km)
Day 13: Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top. 12.5 miles (20km)
Day 14: Clay Bank Top to Blakey. 9.5 miles (14.5km)
Day 15: Blakey to Glaisdale. 9 miles (14.5km)
Day 16: Glaisdale to Littlebeck. 8 miles (13km)
Day 17: Littlebeck to Robin Hood's Bay. 11 miles (17.5km)
This schedule gives you relatively easy days with time to spend sigh-seeing before and/or after your days walking as well as allowing you to take time exploring the many diversions along the route such as Easby Abbey near Richmond.