Peak District without a car: where to go, what to do

[Hello63]

Hi!
we’re thinking of spending about 5–7 days in the Peak District (2 adults and a 6 yo), travelling by train and bus (no car).

We love cycling, nature, and exploring villages, and cycling is a must for us!

Ideally, we’d love a route where we can rent bikes and ride from village to village on mostly traffic-free paths.

That said, would you recommend doing a point-to-point cycling trip like that, or is it better to stay in one place and do shorter day rides? If staying put is better, which village would you suggest as a base?

We’re open to any recommendations, routes, bike hire, places to stay, or general tips. Everything I’ve seen online looks amazing, so I'm a bit stuck on where to start.

Thanks :-)

You are spoiled in the Peak District for cycle
routes. Three of the best are the Monsal Trail (starts in Bakewell), Tissington Trail (starts in Ashbourne) and High Peak Trial (intersects with Tissington Trail).
I know of good bike hire places in Ashbourne town centre (Bike Barn) and on the trail on the edge of the town (at Mappleton Lane), and at Hassop (one “stop” along the Monsal Trail from Bakewell).
I think Monsal is the best of the three in having plenty of cafe / village type stops… High Peak is a bit sparse, and Tissington only has Ashbourne at the start, lovely tea room in Tissington and a pub nearby to the route at Thorpe, but not much else (I think there is a cafe where Tissington and High Peak trails intersect at Parsley Hay).

https://letsgopeakdistrict.co.uk/bike-rides/
https://peakdistrictkids.co.uk/cycling-for-families/

It’s a walk rather than bike ride, but the walk up Padley Gorge is wonderful (directly accessible from Grindleford train station) and great for a paddle on a warm day.

Thank you so much!! this is amazing.

An old friend from years back went to Hathersage with her family by bike via the train. They camped nearby at North Lees. I used to go for the hikes there, rather than cycling.

@Hello63 It is without doubt our favourite place for a family holiday - the kids are always asking when we can go back with our bikes!

The train line between Sheffield and Manchester (Hope Valley line) goes through the Peak District and is spectacular. Longshaw NT Estate is walkable from Grindleford railway station and Hathersage, both on the train line, and Hathersage has a heated outdoor swimming pool.

Here is a Peak district bus map which shows the routes available. This bus website is also really useful to find out about bus schedules and frequencies. There is a train service available from Derby up to Matlock. Or the Hope valley line between Sheffield and Manchester, which is a little more useful.

The Pennine Bridleway runs through the peak district, but further west. You can also cycle around Carsington Water and there are more details from the PDNP authority page here.

There is a Bike and Boot hotel as well, near Hope. Never stayed as live nearby but could be useful for bike hire and advice?

There’s the tissington trail starting in Ashbourne. There’s really nice self catering options in tissington , we’ve stayed there, and a lovely cafe.

Hope you like hilly terrain 😬. I live in North Derbyshire, born and bred, it’s beautiful. Visit Chatsworth House if you can , the grounds and house are stunning. Bakewell is quaint, Matlock is lovely, it has a seaside vibe, great chippy. There’s also Gullivers Kingdom, small theme park at the top of a steep access road, cable cars with amazing views.

I once caught the wrong train home from Sheffield to Chesterfield 🤦‍♀️, I jumped onto the Manchester train, first stop Manchester Piccadilly. The journey was stunning, fabulous countryside. I had twice the joy with the return journey back to Sheffield, then I caught the correct train back home, I’m a wazerk 🤣

The other trans Pennine rail route between Huddersfield and Stalybridge is even more dramatic.

Sorry for derailing.