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National Trail · 126 mi · 8–10 days · 10,240 ft of climb

North Downs Way: build your walk.

Tell it how many days you have, which way and where you will sleep, and it splits the trail into stages that end where the beds are. Free, no account. Every choice is in the link, so you can share it.

North Downs Way plan: day 1, Farnham to AlburyA map of the route, 126 mi (202 km), passing Albury, Betchworth, Oxted, Otford, Cuxton, Thurnham, Boughton Lees, Etchinghill, Dover.12345678

Route as a list, in walking order:

  1. Albury, 14 mi (23 km) from the start
  2. Betchworth, 27 mi (44 km) from the start
  3. Oxted, 42 mi (68 km) from the start
  4. Otford, 54 mi (87 km) from the start
  5. Cuxton, 70 mi (112 km) from the start
  6. Thurnham, 84 mi (135 km) from the start
  7. Boughton Lees, 100 mi (161 km) from the start
  8. Etchinghill, 113 mi (182 km) from the start
  9. Dover, 126 mi (202 km) from the start

Build your walk

01 How many days?

Number of days

02 Which way?

Direction

03 Where will you sleep?

Accommodation type

04 Travelling from?

Station search comes in phase 2; only checked journeys are listed.

Average day
14 mi
Longest day
16 mi
Total ascent
10,315 ft

Your itinerary

Day 1 of 9 · 14 mi

Farnham → Albury

14 miles with 1,181 ft of climb, through chapter 1 of the guide, and sleeps at Albury.

Distance
14 mi (23 km)
Ascent
1,181 ft (360 m) up
Off trail
+0.5 km to the bed
Height, by our terrainHighest 568 ft

Tonight

B&B or inn in Albury.

  • Limited beds — book this night first.
  • 2 places to stay within 2.5 km on the National Trail’s own list (read 29 September 2026); 1 also on OpenStreetMap. Listed is not booked — check dates and prices in the search below.

Search for a bed around Albury. Booking links arrive with our partners.

Food on the way

Food shops: 12 at Farnham, at the start; 9 along the way. The last before tonight is Wildcroft Rare Breeds, 7.4 mi before the end.

23 cafés and 22 pubs along the way.

From OpenStreetMap, read 29 September 2026. A place on the map is not a promise it is open.

On and off the trail

At Farnham

  • Farnham Station Forecourt bus · 0.1 km
    Route 18 (Stagecoach South): 27 each way on weekdays, 25 on Saturday, 12 on Sunday; weekdays 05:39 to 22:29. Stop: Farnham Station Forecourt, under 100 m from Farnham. Route 5 (Stagecoach South): 22 each way on weekdays, 20 on Saturday, 7 on Sunday; weekdays 05:48 to 23:38. Stop: Farnham Station Forecourt, under 100 m from Farnham. And 7 more routes with fewer journeys. Checked 29 September 2026.
  • Farnham rail · 0.1 km
    South Western Railway: two trains an hour to London Waterloo via Woking, two to Alton and two to Guildford; on Sundays hourly between Waterloo and Alton, and none to Guildford. Checked 29 September 2026.

At Albury

  • Newlands Corner bus · 0.1 km
    Route 25 (Compass Travel): 5 each way on weekdays, none on Saturday, none on Sunday; weekdays 07:54 to 17:59. Stop: Newlands Corner, under 100 m from Albury. SP2 (Stagecoach South): 2 a day on weekdays, at times that vary by day, between 08:09 and 15:28; none on Saturday, none on Sunday. Stop: Newlands Corner, under 100 m from Albury. And 1 more route with fewer journeys. Checked 29 September 2026.
  • Chilworth rail · 1.1 km
    Great Western Railway, between Reading via Guildford and Gatwick Airport: one train every two hours each way, hourly at peak times. Checked 29 September 2026.

Travel

Getting there. Journeys from other places are not yet checked; the stations at the start are in the next card.

Luggage

Bag transfer moves your luggage between each night's bed, so you walk with a day sack.

A transfer partner for this trail is not yet set up.

Your plan

DayFromToMilesAscentBedTransport
1FarnhamAlbury141,181 ftB&B or inn · listedFarnham Station Forecourt bus, Farnham rail, Newlands Corner bus, Chilworth rail
2AlburyBetchworth13925 ftB&B or inn · listedNewlands Corner bus, Chilworth rail, The Red Lion bus, Betchworth rail
3BetchworthOxted151,604 ftB&B or inn · listedThe Red Lion bus, Betchworth rail, Barnett's Shaw bus, Oxted rail
4OxtedOtford12725 ftB&B or inn · listedBarnett's Shaw bus, Oxted rail, Pond bus, Otford rail, Bat & Ball rail, Dunton Green rail, Shoreham rail
5OtfordCuxton151,329 ftB&B or inn · listedPond bus, Otford rail, Bat & Ball rail, Dunton Green rail, Shoreham rail, Charles Drive bus, Halling rail, Cuxton rail
6CuxtonThurnham141,680 ftB&B or inn · listedCharles Drive bus, Halling rail, Cuxton rail, Bearsted rail, Hollingbourne rail
7ThurnhamBoughton Lees16735 ftB&B or inn · listedBearsted rail, Hollingbourne rail, The Flying Horse bus, Wye rail
8Boughton LeesEtchinghill141,171 ftB&B or inn · listedThe Flying Horse bus, Wye rail, St Marys Drive bus, Sandling rail
9EtchinghillDover12965 ftFinishSt Marys Drive bus, Sandling rail, Market Square bus, Dover Priory rail

Free to plan. We earn a small commission if you book through our partner links.

Booking checklist

In the order to book, not the order you walk. How far ahead to book on this trail is not yet checked.

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