Station-to-station walks: the best car-free days out in Britain

This is one of the prettiest short coastal walks in Britain, and the branch line it follows is a treat in itself, hugging the edge of St Ives Bay. From Lelant station, the South West Coast Path runs high above the bay past the Hayle Estuary, an RSPB reserve, the dunes of Porthkidney Sands and the golden beach at Carbis Bay, before dropping into St Ives.

The ups and downs are modest, but the path is exposed to sea winds, so take a layer. Part of the route crosses a golf course, so stay on the marked path. There's a station at Carbis Bay too, so you can cut it short.

The Thames Path between Goring and Pangbourne follows the river through the Goring Gap, where the Chilterns and the Berkshire Downs close in around the Thames. You pass under one of Brunel's brick railway bridges, past the Hartslock Nature Reserve (famous for its orchids and red kites), through the village of Whitchurch-on-Thames and across its toll bridge into Pangbourne.

It's flat, gentle and easy to follow, which makes it a good first station-to-station walk.

Photo: © Philip Halling (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Geograph

This is the big one. From Seaford, the route crosses Cuckmere Haven, with its famous meandering river, then climbs and drops over each of the chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters. Beyond Birling Gap it passes the old Belle Tout lighthouse and climbs to Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, before descending into Eastbourne.

Be honest about how hard it is: it's a long day with a lot of steep ups and downs, and very little of it is flat.

Shorter option: Stop at Exceat or Birling Gap and catch a bus instead.

Start at Edale, at the foot of Kinder Scout, and climb to Hollins Cross on the Great Ridge, the spine of high ground between the Edale and Hope valleys. Follow the ridge east over Back Tor and up to Lose Hill, with huge views in both directions, then drop down to the village of Hope.

It's a proper hill walk, with steep climbs and exposed ground on the ridge, so wear boots and take a waterproof.

The Settle–Carlisle line is a great walk in itself before you've even got off the train. From Horton-in-Ribblesdale, follow the Pennine Way north past Sell Gill Holes, a pair of potholes, then across open limestone country. A short detour takes you to Ling Gill, a deep wooded ravine that's now a nature reserve.

The route finishes at Ribblehead, beneath the vast 24-arched Ribblehead Viaduct. It's a long walk, but without serious hills, which makes it a good option when the cloud is down on the Three Peaks.

Photo: © I Love Colour (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Geograph

This short, flat walk ends with something special: crossing the Mawddach Estuary on foot over Barmouth Bridge, a long Victorian timber viaduct that carries both the railway and a footpath. The views up the estuary towards Cadair Idris are among the best in Wales.

From Fairbourne, follow the path along the estuary to Morfa Mawddach, then cross the bridge into Barmouth. There's a small toll for walkers on the bridge, so carry some change or a card.

These two neighbouring villages in the Cairngorms National Park are both on the main line between Perth and Inverness. A route between them climbs through woodland and moorland to Loch Gynack before descending to Newtonmore, with views across Strathspey to the Cairngorm mountains.

Trains on this line are less frequent than in the south, so plan around the timetable. Newtonmore is home to the open-air Highland Folk Museum, which is open seasonally if you fancy finishing with some history.