Choosing a stretch of coast that suits your legs

Multi-day coastal walking is a different animal from a day on the hills. The sea sets the pace: cliff steps, shingle beaches, sand dunes and the odd bit of road all slow you down, and the distances on the map rarely match the time on your feet. Choose a section rather than an entire path. The South West Coast Path runs for over 1,000 km, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path for nearly 300 km, but four or five days of either is plenty for a first trip. In Scandinavia, look at Sweden's Bohusleden coastline, the Danish island of Bornholm, or the flatter coastal stages of Skåneleden.

Work out roughly how much ascent a stage includes and treat every cliff descent as a loan you repay on the way up. Somewhere between 15 and 20 km a day suits most reasonably fit walkers on coastal terrain. If you are carrying your own pack over shingle or soft sand, knock a third off that and you will still feel it in your calves by day three.

Setting daily distances for happy legs

The golden rule is to plan your longest day early, while legs are fresh and enthusiasm is high, and to keep the final day short so you finish with something left in the tank.

• Day one: 12–15 km. Travel days eat time, and a gentle introduction settles you into pack weight.
• Middle days: 15–22 km with no more than 600–700 m of ascent.
• Final day: 10–14 km, ideally finishing near a station or bus stop.

Build in one shorter day per four. Coastal weather, a long ferry wait or a route diversion inland can swallow an hour without warning, and a little slack turns a stressful day into a good one. Check for seasonal services too: a foot ferry that runs in July may not exist in October, and that can turn a 12 km day into a 26 km one.

Tide tables, ferries and the awkward bits

Tides catch out more coastal walkers than terrain does. Some stretches are only passable within a two-hour window either side of low water, and a handful of routes cross estuaries, causeways or tidal sands where being early is not merely inconvenient.

• Print a tide table for the nearest standard port and note the times next to each day's plan.
• Check whether a river crossing has a bridge alternative if you miss the window.
• Identify accessible escape routes — a road, a bus stop, a village — for every stage.
• Allow extra margin on the first day of a spring tide, when ranges are largest.

In Norway, Denmark and Sweden, some coastal paths use small ferries or seasonal boats. Confirm timetables a week before you travel, and again on the morning, because shoulder-season services are trimmed without much fanfare.

Where to sleep, and how to book it

Accommodation shapes the whole itinerary, so pin it down before you book anything else. In the UK, popular coastal villages fill up months ahead in summer, particularly on the Pembrokeshire, Cornwall and Northumberland stretches. Book refundable rates where you can, and keep your cancellation deadlines in a note on your phone.

Scandinavia gives you more options. Norwegian Trekking Association cabins have a mix of self-service and staffed beds, with members paying less. Sweden's right to roam — allemansrätten — lets you pitch a tent on uncultivated land away from houses and crops for a night or two, as long as you leave no trace. Danish shelter sites and primitive campsites are cheap and often beautifully placed. Carry a little cash in Norway and Sweden for cabin honesty boxes, and a sleeping bag liner for shared bunks.

Luggage transfers and travelling light

Luggage transfer is the single biggest upgrade to a multi-day coastal walk. Most areas with an established path have local operators who move a bag between your overnight stops for a modest daily fee, usually with a 20 kg limit and a bag that needs your name clearly attached. Book at the same time as your accommodation, because the two are typically arranged together.

Even without a transfer service, you can lighten the load. Post a small parcel of clean clothes and spare kit to your halfway stop, or use a left-luggage facility at the start and finish. Aim for 8–10 kg including water if you are self-carrying; anything above that stops feeling like a holiday somewhere on day two.

Weather, kit and a Scandinavian footnote

Coastal weather changes fast. A waterproof jacket, a spare warm layer, a hat and gloves in the pack all year round is not overkill, and neither is a headtorch for a late arrival. Take two litres of water capacity, treat water from streams with a filter in Scandinavia, and carry slightly more food than you think you need on remote stages.

In Norway and western Sweden, expect wetter, cooler and windier conditions than the UK coast, with fewer shops between settlements. Midges and ticks are a real presence in summer — a head net weighs nothing and repays its place. Above all, let the sea decide the day's shape. A short walk taken slowly along a good cliff path beats a rushed one every time.