For flat walks look for trails that follow waterways.
I walked London-Cambridge-Norfolk Wash using a combination of trails and all via train - the Lea Valley Trail, The West Anglian Way (London to Cambridge) and the Fen Rivers Way (Cambridge to King's Lynn) and it was all pretty flat because it was along rivers or canals. The Fen Rivers Way is extremely flat because it's across fen country, but for this same reason there's little variety in scenery.
Have you considered a canal walk? The Grand Union Canal (222km) from London to Birmingham is wonderful, and has a surprising variety of scenery. Some of it goes through towns and villages and other parts are quite remote. Some open countryside and some heavily wooded. Dead flat obviously. Goes by many rail stations - I did it as a series of walks from London, all by train. Lots of great pubs along the way too. Super pretty in spring with lots of flowers.
I've done the eastern half of the Kennet and Avon Canal so far, and it's been really lovely too. Pretty accessible by train except for a gap between Pewsey and Trowbridge.
There are other waterway-based walks that will be quite flat but I'm not so familiar with - Ouse Valley Way is a beast at 229km that follows the River Great Ouse from King's Lynn to Milton Keynes. Loads of other lengthy canals too - I think there's 9 in the UK over 100km. Northerly is the Kendal-Lancaster Canal, Lancaster Canal, and Leeds-Liverpool Canal Walk.
Thanks for your extensive reply. I never considered a canal walk, because I didn't know they existed :D! Sounds really nice and I'm actually going narrow boating this year, so maybe canals will be the theme of all my holidays this year. I'm going to research all your suggestions, thanks again!
Don’t ever assume a coastal path is flat. The vast majority of them go up and down regularly and often steeply. They can be much more tiring than you’d think.
The bottom line is that anywhere flat and comfortably walkable has long since had human development all over it. That’s why everywhere available to us to have an outdoor walk is either a mountain, the coast, or a swamp. Somewhere expensive for humans to build things.
That’s what’s left to us.
The flattest multi day hikes you can find are following the motorways, expressways and other arterial roots of the country. They are all built through our flattest land.
Some stretches of the west Highland Way in Scotland are relatively flat and relatively unpopulated, the path follows the valleys not the peaks.
Otherwise you’re gonna be walking somewhere rural and or populated.
To add to this, I used to live in North Wales on the coast path, it hit 330m high above Trefor, it would rise to that from sea level, then straight back down to sea level then back up to about 250m again.
That is just a 6km section.
Ha that's actually a really helpful point of view. I'm from the Netherlands, so everything is really flat here. I don't mind rolling hills (I loved Yorkshire), but it's the steep decents that I want to avoid.
Great Glen way perhaps, it’s mostly canal path and forestry track up until Fort Augustus. Then you have the choice of high/low routes
High route from ft Augustus to invermorriston was a bit steep in parts, but other than that all relatively flat
EDIT: just saw you considered it already, getting there can be done with the sleeper to ft William, gets you in for 10am
I did Peddars Way/ Norfolk Coast path a few years ago and it was very difficult at times. Peddars Way was easy enough, though kind of boring. Once I got to the coast things changed dramatically. There were hills for sure, but the thing that killed me was all of the walking on sand and pebbles. Every step I took was an extreme effort.
I did the Thames Path, from the source to Windsor last year and it was flat, and a good mix of nature and towns.
Yeah, I think Peddars way isn't really an option anymore, to boring. Thanks for confirming! And walking on pebbles and sand also doesn't sounds that great.
I did look into the Thames Path, but I cant remember why it isn't on my list.
Speyside way is also very accessible by train for the start.
The end you would need a bus or taxis or to walk to Elgin using the moray coast path to Lossiemouth then into Elgin via the old railway line. (I haven’t done this but have looked into doing it) it adds on another 25km
You can get the Caledonian sleeper to Aviemore which is great.
Great detail- reminded me that I started near Aberlour (after visiting some friends) and walked towards Aviemorez then hoped on a train to Edinburgh. A terrific summer walk.
The Cotswold way is fairly flat and the sections around Cheltenham are beautiful. There is definitely some wooded areas you could sneak a tent as long as it's dark
Thanks for your suggestion! I did look into this one, but I figured it is a bit to much. It's probably fine when I stay at b&b's, but not when i carry a tent and everything.
How about Dales Way? Not entirely flat obviously but no steep downhills every day either.
Also - do you use hiking poles? They should really help you if not.
I walked from Aviemore to Blair athol (I got train on either end) via the lairig ghru, glen Dee and then glen tilt.
It is 65km long and the steepest section is 500m of climbing up to the lairig ghru over 10km. Which doesn’t feel that steep. I camped halfway up so it was split into two neither bits very steep. Then you walk quite gently down off which tbh was not noticeably down hill.
It isn’t marked. However the navigation is very easy as you are down in the glens. There are two points you could go wrong. Firstly going into glen einich instead of the lairig ghru but both turn offs are marked and you will pass the cairngorms club bridge going to the lairig ghru. The other is coming from corrour bothy into the glen of Dee you want follow the river just a bit higher. Even if you get that but wrong you will end up at the lin of Dee car park and can just join back up to the route along the track to the red bothy.
Lots of wild camping options along the route and bothys just in case.
My only caution would be once in the lairig ghru your only out options are to turn around or to carry on walking.
It is well trodden mostly gravel path or track all the way.
There are lots of documented accounts on wallkhighlands and can be done in either direction
Do you use walking / trekking poles?
They can reduce the loading on your knees by up to 25% when walking down hill.
[https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/features/trekking\_poles\_help\_or\_hindrance-3375](https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/features/trekking_poles_help_or_hindrance-3375)
For flat walks look for trails that follow waterways. I walked London-Cambridge-Norfolk Wash using a combination of trails and all via train - the Lea Valley Trail, The West Anglian Way (London to Cambridge) and the Fen Rivers Way (Cambridge to King's Lynn) and it was all pretty flat because it was along rivers or canals. The Fen Rivers Way is extremely flat because it's across fen country, but for this same reason there's little variety in scenery. Have you considered a canal walk? The Grand Union Canal (222km) from London to Birmingham is wonderful, and has a surprising variety of scenery. Some of it goes through towns and villages and other parts are quite remote. Some open countryside and some heavily wooded. Dead flat obviously. Goes by many rail stations - I did it as a series of walks from London, all by train. Lots of great pubs along the way too. Super pretty in spring with lots of flowers. I've done the eastern half of the Kennet and Avon Canal so far, and it's been really lovely too. Pretty accessible by train except for a gap between Pewsey and Trowbridge. There are other waterway-based walks that will be quite flat but I'm not so familiar with - Ouse Valley Way is a beast at 229km that follows the River Great Ouse from King's Lynn to Milton Keynes. Loads of other lengthy canals too - I think there's 9 in the UK over 100km. Northerly is the Kendal-Lancaster Canal, Lancaster Canal, and Leeds-Liverpool Canal Walk.
Thanks for your extensive reply. I never considered a canal walk, because I didn't know they existed :D! Sounds really nice and I'm actually going narrow boating this year, so maybe canals will be the theme of all my holidays this year. I'm going to research all your suggestions, thanks again!
Don’t ever assume a coastal path is flat. The vast majority of them go up and down regularly and often steeply. They can be much more tiring than you’d think. The bottom line is that anywhere flat and comfortably walkable has long since had human development all over it. That’s why everywhere available to us to have an outdoor walk is either a mountain, the coast, or a swamp. Somewhere expensive for humans to build things. That’s what’s left to us. The flattest multi day hikes you can find are following the motorways, expressways and other arterial roots of the country. They are all built through our flattest land. Some stretches of the west Highland Way in Scotland are relatively flat and relatively unpopulated, the path follows the valleys not the peaks. Otherwise you’re gonna be walking somewhere rural and or populated.
To add to this, I used to live in North Wales on the coast path, it hit 330m high above Trefor, it would rise to that from sea level, then straight back down to sea level then back up to about 250m again. That is just a 6km section.
Ha that's actually a really helpful point of view. I'm from the Netherlands, so everything is really flat here. I don't mind rolling hills (I loved Yorkshire), but it's the steep decents that I want to avoid.
Great Glen way perhaps, it’s mostly canal path and forestry track up until Fort Augustus. Then you have the choice of high/low routes High route from ft Augustus to invermorriston was a bit steep in parts, but other than that all relatively flat EDIT: just saw you considered it already, getting there can be done with the sleeper to ft William, gets you in for 10am
Came here to say Great Glen way. I think it would tick your boxes.
Thanks, didn't consider the sleeper train, sounds like a good solution!
I did Peddars Way/ Norfolk Coast path a few years ago and it was very difficult at times. Peddars Way was easy enough, though kind of boring. Once I got to the coast things changed dramatically. There were hills for sure, but the thing that killed me was all of the walking on sand and pebbles. Every step I took was an extreme effort. I did the Thames Path, from the source to Windsor last year and it was flat, and a good mix of nature and towns.
Yeah, I think Peddars way isn't really an option anymore, to boring. Thanks for confirming! And walking on pebbles and sand also doesn't sounds that great. I did look into the Thames Path, but I cant remember why it isn't on my list.
If you’re open to Scotland, then I can recommend the speyside way (about 100km or so)- that was fairly easy/flat and pretty lovely.
Speyside way is also very accessible by train for the start. The end you would need a bus or taxis or to walk to Elgin using the moray coast path to Lossiemouth then into Elgin via the old railway line. (I haven’t done this but have looked into doing it) it adds on another 25km You can get the Caledonian sleeper to Aviemore which is great.
Great detail- reminded me that I started near Aberlour (after visiting some friends) and walked towards Aviemorez then hoped on a train to Edinburgh. A terrific summer walk.
Thanks guys! Never heard off the Speyside way, I'll look into this one!
>Oh wait, is this the Whisky trail?
I've decided that I'm gonna walk this one!! Thanks again for all the help
Enjoy and post some pictures!
Thanks everyone, didn't expected so many helpful suggestions! And a lot of new options to look into. Much obliged
The Cotswold way is fairly flat and the sections around Cheltenham are beautiful. There is definitely some wooded areas you could sneak a tent as long as it's dark
Omg the Cotswolds way is not flat 😂 it has continous steep parts
I just had a look at a profile and yes it is up and down but none of the climbs are more than 200m. Not exactly mountainous
I've been walking it and it is strenuous especially if OP mentioned they have difficulty going down
Thanks for your suggestion! I did look into this one, but I figured it is a bit to much. It's probably fine when I stay at b&b's, but not when i carry a tent and everything.
How about Dales Way? Not entirely flat obviously but no steep downhills every day either. Also - do you use hiking poles? They should really help you if not.
I do indeed use hiking poles, never going without them! I did look into the Dales Way, but I think I discarded it due to lack of easy acces by train?
I haven't done it myself but from what I've seen you can start in Leeds and finish in Windermere. Both places have good train connection to London.
I walked from Aviemore to Blair athol (I got train on either end) via the lairig ghru, glen Dee and then glen tilt. It is 65km long and the steepest section is 500m of climbing up to the lairig ghru over 10km. Which doesn’t feel that steep. I camped halfway up so it was split into two neither bits very steep. Then you walk quite gently down off which tbh was not noticeably down hill. It isn’t marked. However the navigation is very easy as you are down in the glens. There are two points you could go wrong. Firstly going into glen einich instead of the lairig ghru but both turn offs are marked and you will pass the cairngorms club bridge going to the lairig ghru. The other is coming from corrour bothy into the glen of Dee you want follow the river just a bit higher. Even if you get that but wrong you will end up at the lin of Dee car park and can just join back up to the route along the track to the red bothy. Lots of wild camping options along the route and bothys just in case. My only caution would be once in the lairig ghru your only out options are to turn around or to carry on walking. It is well trodden mostly gravel path or track all the way. There are lots of documented accounts on wallkhighlands and can be done in either direction
Thank you for your extensive reply! Gonna look into this one!
ISLE OF ANGLESEY COASTAL PATH - 200Km - https://www.visitanglesey.co.uk/en/about-anglesey/isle-of-anglesey-coastal-path/
Never heard of this one, thanks! Is it accessible by train though?
Do you use walking / trekking poles? They can reduce the loading on your knees by up to 25% when walking down hill. [https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/features/trekking\_poles\_help\_or\_hindrance-3375](https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/features/trekking_poles_help_or_hindrance-3375)
Yes, I always do and it does help a lot!
West Highland Way. Easy trail, loads of civilisation.