Accommodation
We
use a variety of accommodation
along the Dales Way,
including guest
houses in market towns, village
inns, Bed and Breakfasts
in farm houses, country cottages,
and Victorian town houses. In selecting
accommodation
we look for helpful
and friendly hosts of good quality, characterful
accommodation close to the trail. We
always try to arrange
en suite accommodation
(ie rooms with their own bathrooms) for each
night of your stay, and in the
vast majority of cases we are successful. However,
in some of the more remote locations accommodation
is
limited,
and
occasionally
we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms
for one or two nights of your holiday,
especially if
the booking is made at short notice – but
we will always let you know if this is likely
to be
the case.
We understand how important good
accommodation is to your enjoyment
of the holiday and we put a
great deal of effort into selecting our accommodation.
As well as visiting accommodation ourselves,
we ask all our customers to complete
a short evaluation
of each night’s accommodation, giving us
an insight into the day to day operation to add
to our
own opinions.
Luggage Transfer
We will transfer your luggage between
each overnight stop – you leave
your luggage at the accommodation
when you set off in the morning,
and it will be moved on to your next
B&B. You only need to carry a
small day sack with the clothes and
provisions you require during the
day’s walk. As some people
prefer to carry their own baggage,
luggage transfer is included as an
option in our holidays.
Meals
Breakfast
is included each morning, with
a choice of full
cooked breakfast or continental
breakfast taken
at your accommodation before the days’ walk. On most evenings there will be
a pub or cafe within easy
walking distance of your accommodation,
where you will be able to have
a meal in the evening. Details
of places to eat are included in
your holiday pack, and the accommodation
proprietors will be happy to give
further advice.
We also can arrange for packed
lunches to be provided for each
day’s walking by the accommodation.As
some people prefer to stop for
lunch,
or organise
their
own
packed lunches, packed lunches
are included
as an option.
On this route, on most, but not
all, days you
will pass
a cafe
or pub,
or there will be a shop in the
village you
spend
the night, so you could buy your
own provisions. If you're making
your own arrangements make sure
you stock up before leaving Buckden,
as there
are
no refreshments on the route until
Dent. Occasionally, where there
is no convenient local pub, we
will either
arrange for the proprietor or a taxi* to
take you to a nearby eatery, or
book you an evening meal at your
accommodation. *This may incur a small additional
charge.
How to Get
There and Away
We are happy to
advise you on the best arrangements
to suit you needs,
whether
you
intend
to travel by public transport or car.
There is a train station at Ilkley
which is about 40 minute from
Leeds, 4.5 hours from London,
and 1.5 hours from Manchester.(
Both with one change at Leeds) At the other end, there is a
train station on Windermere,
about 1 mile up the road from
Bowness.
This connects to the West Coast
Mainline at Oxenhome. Windermere
to London takes under 4 hours
and Manchester under 2 hours,
We will include information
on public transport along the
route,
as well as details of local taxi
companies. Parking
and Transfers
If you by car, we can arrange off
road parking for
you
car
for the duration, leaving you to have a worry free
holiday. ( this normally costs about £2 a day).
Getting from Bowness to Ilkley by rail is a torturous
journey
of 4 hours with 4 changes - not a nice end to your
holiday! Alternatively we have arrangements
with
local taxi companies to provide your return transfer
- this takes about 1.5 hours, and costs around £70.00.
When to Book
The Yorkshire Dales are a popular holiday destination,
and accommodation is limited in many locations
- so
early booking
is
advisable to avoid disappointment, and to ensure the
best accommodation. We can, however, often arrange
last minute holidays, especially if you can be flexible
with your dates or overnight stops, or are booking
outside peak season.
When to Walk and the Weather
The most popular time for doing the walk in
between Easter and the end of October, with May probably
being the busiest month. The summer months are warmer,
and often drier, but people successfully complete
the walk throughout the year. Northern England has a maritime climate – meaning
the weather is not often stable for long periods,
and predicting the best time to walk is difficult!
You should always be prepared for both rain and sun!
The table below gives a rough guide to temperatures
and rain.
|
|
Max Temp ºC
|
Days with Rain
|
Jan
|
6
|
14
|
April
|
12
|
10
|
July
|
21
|
8
|
Oct
|
12
|
14
|
Dogs
We can somtetimes accommodate dogs on
the Dales Way but as accommodation is more limited
early booking is essential, and you may have
to accept a few adjustments to the itinerary
( we'll check these with you if they are necessary).
Some accommodation makes a small charge for dogs
and most have a few common
sense rules. Give us ring if you wish to bring
your dog, and we’ll try to work something
out!
Prices and Payment
Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing a
room. Unfortunately we have to charge a single
e supplement of £ 12 per night for single
occupancy. All prices are in GB Pounds, and we
accept all major credit and debit cards. We take
a 20% deposit at the time of booking and the balance
6 weeks before the start of your holiday.
Your Holiday Pack
All the information and material you need for an
enjoyable and trouble free holiday is contained
in your holiday pack:
- A Guidebook to the
walk, published by the Ordnance Survey and including
a 1:25000 Ordnance Survey strip map.
- The Harvey Maps 1:40000 Dales
Way Map, covering the entire walk on waterproof
paper
- A personal itinerary, setting
out each overnight stop.
- Large scale maps of, and directions
to, each accommodation, to ensure you find it easily.
- Recommendations on the best
place to eat each evening.
- Personal luggage labels to
attach to your transported luggage (if luggage
transport option taken)
- Public transport details details
and numbers of local taxi companies.
- Details of services to be found
along the route – such as cash points, banks,
post offices, village shops, inns, cafes and telephones.
|
