Northumberland has some great travel links with England and Scotland. We’ll give you details of how you can use a bus, train, your car, and even a plane or ferry when getting here.
There are some excellent local routes for getting around on public transport. If you do drive, there are convenient car parks for most places.
The average drive from London and the south east takes about six hours. It is one-and-half hours from Carlisle, one-and-three-quarter hours from Edinburgh, and under an hour from Newcastle.
From the M6 at Carlisle turn east along the A69 and then the A68 north.
From the A1 at Newcastle take the A696 north west.
From Edinburgh you can take either the A68 or A7.
The Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus AD122 runs throughout the year, and links major sites along the Hadrian’s Wall corridor between Newcastle and Carlisle.
The AD122 bus is the main route serving Hadrian’s Wall. It runs every two hours for most of the day between Hexham Bus Station and Haltwhistle Rail Station via Hexham Rail Station, Acomb, Wall, Chollerford, Chesters Roman Fort, Housesteads Roman Fort, Once Brewed (for The Sill), Vindolanda, Milecastle Inn, the Roman Army Museum, Walltown and Greenhead. The service operates daily.
From Newcastle or Carlisle, there are various Arriva services, also, Go North East and Stagecoach run services into the National Park. There are also National Express and Megabus services from throughout the UK to Newcastle and Carlisle.
Traveline is the easiest way to plan your journey and gives you details on any journey using public transport throughout the North East, they can be contacted on 0871 200 2233.
Find out about other ways to visit Northumberland National Park.
While Newcastle is not in the National Park, it is a major gateway city and is well connected by rail. East Coast links Edinburgh, York, Peterborough and London to Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed; Virgin operates services from London, Manchester, Glasgow, Carlisle, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham and South West England; and TransPennine services serves Newcastle from Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and York.
From Newcastle, the Tyne Valley Line takes you into the southern part of Northumberland National Park, with stations close to Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site. Key stations for visitors are located at Wylam, Prudhoe, Stocksfield, Riding Mill, Corbridge, Hexham, Haydon Bridge, Bardon Mill and Haltwhistle. Trains are operated by Northern Rail and First ScotRail.
The nearest airport is Newcastle International Airport. From there you can catch the Metro train to Central Newcastle (Haymarket). Catch buses from here to Morpeth, Alnwick, Rothbury and Wooler. Or walk round the corner and catch buses to Hexham and Carlisle from Eldon Square Bus Station.
You can also hire a car from the airport. Northumberland National Park and Hadrian’s Wall is less than an hour’s drive away.
DFDS Seaways operate ferries from Amsterdam in Holland to Newcastle, less than an hour from the Northumberland National Park. Find out more at DFDS Seaways.
