Introducing the South West Coast Path
Luggage Transfers is the only baggage transfers service covering the entire 630 miles of the South West Coast Path. Established in 2009, we move thousands of bags each year for visitors walking and cycling throughout the area.
Below, you’ll find more information about the route, a popular itinerary for the South West Coast Path, as well as a link to our walker-friendly accommodation for the entire route. There’s everything there you need to plan your South West Coast Path walking holidays.
England’s longest National Trail. Immerse yourself within miles of beautiful English coastline through Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.
From breath taking cliff faces to historical smugglers’ coves, fossil-filled rocks to subtropical woodlands. It is no wonder why the South West Coastal Path is a multi-award-winning route.
Winding its way around the edge of the UK, walking the South West Coast Path offers 630 miles (1,014 km) of mesmerising scenery for its visitors. What sets The South West Coast apart from others is the sheer diversity in the scenery. Unlike many man-made routes around the UK, here you can truly appreciate the beauty of mother nature and travel back in time to when smugglers, tin miners and even dinosaurs roamed these lands.
It is not just the locals who have picked up on this coastal goldmine, with The Lonely Planet Guide listing The South West Coastal Path up there with Himalayan Trekking and the famous Inca Trail in Peru!
Quick Facts about the South West Coast Path:
Official Name: The South West Coast Path | Occasionally Called: The Southwest coastal path
Managed by: The South West Coast Path Association
Located: The South West of England, in the counties of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset
Made up of: Some of the Somerset Coast Path, Devon Coast Paths, Cornwall Coast Path, Jurassic Coast, and Dorset Coast Path
Distance: Officially 630 miles / 1014 kilometres but, by the time you’ve come off the path for accommodation and an evening meal, it’s closer to 680 miles / 1094 kilometres
Start / End locations: Minehead, Somerset and Poole, Dorset
Average time to complete: 6-8 weeks, which for most people is completed over a couple of years, when annual leave allows.
Quickest time to complete: 10 days! A number of ultra marathon runners have completed the path averaging 63 miles per day.
The Ultimate Long-Distance Challenge
With 115,000 feet of ascent and descent, the trail offers the ultimate hike for avid walkers. So much so, that completing the entirety of the walk is equivalent to scaling Mount Everest 4 times! It would take 8 weeks to complete the trek in one go, so most visitors tend to take on the South West route in segments.
Enjoy the Seasons changing
The great part about trekking England is that no two seasons will offer the same scenery. Along The South West Path, in spring you are likely to see lambs rolling around the hills; in summer, the blooms of tropical plants are truly something to behold, alongside the turquoise waters of the sea; autumn is the perfect time to spot birds migrating; and in winter, there is no better location to watch storms rolling in from the ocean.
But remember, we operate March 1st to October 31st every year, so if you’re planning to walk outside of these dates, you will have to carry your bags or make your own arrangements. It’s worth noting that many of the river crossings do not have ferries operating all year.
Planning Your Trek
The route is usually trekked from Minehead in Somerset, around the peninsula of Devon and Cornwall, finishing in Poole, Dorset following one of the many guidebooks written. However, the route is well signposted in both directions so the route can fit around your itinerary. With more people using navigation apps such as AllTrails, walkers are less reliant on paper guidebooks and maps.
We’ve written a handy article called Booking Yourself vs Holiday Company to help you choose whether you’d like to organise a trip yourself, or have someone else do it all for you.
How we can help
At Luggage Transfers, we want to make your South West Coastal Path trek as enjoyable as possible, which is why we offer transport for your luggage so you can spend more time enjoying the journey, and less time worrying about your back! We cater across the whole trail and are proud to offer the cheapest prices across the whole South West Coastal Path. So, if we’ve whet your appetite for a walk on the South West Coast Path, click here to look at South West Coast Path accommodation or here to book your transfers.