← Plan a walk

Walking questions, answered plainly

The things people ask before they go out: how long to walk, what to take, what the law lets you walk, and where to go. Written to be read quickly — and to be quoted accurately.

Planning a walk

How do I plan a walk?
Decide how long you want to be out, not how far — time is easier to judge than distance. Pick an area, then a route that starts and ends somewhere useful and has something to look at along the way. Check the weather for the hills as well as the valley, work out how you are getting there and back, and tell someone your route and rough return time. Build in a margin: the last mile always takes longer than the first, and it is dark earlier than you expect in autumn and winter.
How do I choose a walk that suits me?
Match the walk to the least confident person in your group, not the fittest. If anyone struggles with steep ground, avoid ridges and long climbs. If you are walking with young children, choose something with a destination they can see — a tarn, a café, a playground — and keep it under two hours. If you want a proper day out, three to five hours with a stop for food is a comfortable target for most people.
How do I plan a walk without a car?
Look for routes that start and finish at a railway station or a bus stop, or use two different points so you do not have to double back. Check the last train or bus before you set off, not after, and allow time for a service that does not turn up. Village buses often run only a few times a day, and some only on weekdays, so the walking time is not the whole journey time.
How do I find a walk with a pub or café on the way?
Choose a route that passes a village or returns to where you started, then check that the place is open when you will arrive — many country pubs serve food only at lunchtime and some close one or two days a week. Book at weekends and in high season, and have a plan B in the next village. If a hot drink is the point of the walk, carry a flask as well.

Distance and pace

How far should a beginner walk?
Start with about 5 km, or roughly two hours, on flat or gently rolling ground. Most people can do that without any training. Once two hours feels easy, move up to 10 km rather than jumping to a full-day hill walk — and remember that a hill day costs more than the distance suggests.
How long does it take to walk 5 km or 10 km?
On flat ground, most people walk 5 km in about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, so 10 km takes roughly two to two and a half hours. Add time for hills and rough ground. A useful rule of thumb is one hour for every 5 km, plus ten minutes for every 100 m of climbing, then add a little for breaks and photographs.
Is a steep walk hard?
Short, steady climbs are tiring but manageable; long exposed ridges and loose ground are what really wear people down. If you want views without a hard day, choose an edge or a low top rather than a high mountain. If knees are the issue, descents hurt more than ascents, so a route with a gentle way down matters more than a gentle way up.

What to wear and take

What should I wear on a country walk?
Footwear that has been worn in matters more than anything else: trail shoes are fine on dry paths, boots help where it is muddy or rocky. Take a waterproof top even on a dry morning, plus a warm layer — the top of a hill is noticeably colder than the car park. Avoid cotton, which stays wet and chills you.
What should I carry?
Water, something to eat, a phone charged with your route saved offline or a printed copy of the directions, and a small torch in winter. Add a basic plaster and a bin bag as an emergency shelter on longer days. In the UK, a paper map and the ability to read it are worth carrying on open ground, because phone signal disappears on exactly the days you need it.

Rights of way and access

Can I walk anywhere in the countryside?
No, not in England. You have a right to walk on public rights of way — footpaths, bridleways and byways shown on the map — and on designated access land, which is mostly mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land, under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Everywhere else you are a guest of the landowner, whether or not a path appears on an app.
What is the difference between a footpath, a bridleway and a byway?
A footpath is for walkers only. A bridleway is open to walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Restricted byways and byways open to all traffic allow horse riders and non-motorised vehicles as well, and some allow motor traffic. The right you have depends on the classification, not on how well-trodden the path looks.
Is the law the same across Britain and Ireland?
No. Scotland works differently: the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives everyone a right of responsible access to most land and inland water, so long as you act sensibly. Northern Ireland has no equivalent general right to roam, so there you rely on public rights of way, permissive paths and roads with a footway. If you are walking outside Great Britain, check the local rules before you go.
Do I need a permit or pay to walk?
No. Walking a public right of way is free and needs no permit. Charges and bookings apply to car parks, some estate trails and certain popular car parks in national parks at busy times, but not to the walking itself.
Can I go off the path?
On access land you can roam on foot away from paths, with some exceptions such as enclosed fields, land around buildings and seasonal restrictions. Elsewhere, leaving the path can be trespass even if the ground looks inviting. Where a route crosses access land, a good planner will say so.

Dogs and livestock

Can I take my dog on a walk?
Usually yes on footpaths and access land, but keep it close and under control. Livestock is the real hazard: a dog that chases sheep or calves can be shot by the farmer, and the dog's owner is liable for the damage. Where cattle are grazing, especially with young, give them a wide berth, keep your dog on a lead and watch the livestock as you pass. Some beaches, reserves and bird areas ask for dogs to be kept out or on a short lead at certain times of year.

Where to go

What's the best walk in the Peak District?
There is no single best — it depends what you want. The most reviewed walk on this site is Dovedale and the stepping stones, with Thorpe Cloud as the short, steep climb at the end: limestone paths, a river, a pub nearby and a gentle option that skips the top. For big views choose the Mam Tor ridge or Curbar Edge; for a long day on open ground, Kinder Scout on the Pennine Way. Dovedale is busy on summer weekends, so go early or midweek.
What's the best walk in the Lake District?
For an easy day, Tarn Hows is a short woodland loop around a tarn and is one of the few genuinely flat walks in the Lakes. For water and hills together, walk the Derwentwater shore or take the ferry and go up Catbells for the classic view over the lake. Grizedale Forest mixes walking with sculpture trails and is a good choice with children. In poor weather, the woodland and valley walks are far safer than the tops.
What's the best walk in the Cotswolds?
The Cotswolds suit gentle, long views and village finishes rather than big climbs. Well-known walks follow the Coln valley near Bibury, the escarpment above Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold, or the ancient routes along the Cotswold Way. Because the ground is limestone, paths can be hard underfoot and muddy in winter, so footwear matters more than fitness.
Where can I find walks other people have actually done?
The community pages here show walks that somebody has walked and reviewed, with photos, ratings and notes on path conditions. A walk only stays on those pages while its review is visible, so what you see has been through moderation. Reviews are credited to "A walker" rather than a name, so the advice is there without anybody's identity being published.

Staying safe

How do I walk safely in the countryside?
Keep to public paths and avoid walking along roads, especially at night or in the dark; if you must use a road, face oncoming traffic and wear something bright. Cross railways, motorways and major roads only at official crossings. Check the weather forecast for the high ground as well as the valley, tell someone your route and rough return time, and do not rely on a phone signal. Turn back early rather than late — there is no prize for the last mile.
Do I need navigation skills?
For a waymarked or well-signed walk, no — but be able to recognise where you are and admit quickly when you are lost. For open ground or poor visibility, a map and compass and the willingness to use them are worth learning, because a phone battery and a signal both fail on exactly the day it matters.

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