Always remember that planning is the key to a stress-free long-distance walk.
The following sections are the culmination of our trials and tribulations over the years ... and of our realisation that "It'll be fine - we can make it up as we go along" is an exhilarating premise ... but will lead to trouble at some point.

Most people will have to make their own travel arrangements for reaching the start of the walk, and for getting back home. We choose to travel by public transport if possible.  Planning your journey(s) is so easy these days with a plethora of online resources available to find timetables and to book tickets.

Train travel tips
Check out the Cheap Train Tickets article on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website for tips on getting the best ticket deals.

This suggests lots of ways to reduce the cost of rail travel, but using a combination of booking early (12 weeks seems to be optimum, but any time before you travel will likely bring a saving), and utilising 'split ticketing' will bring the cost of tickets down significantly.

Some useful websites:
National Rail Enquiries
Trainline>
LNER (no booking fees)
traintickets.com
trainsplit.com
traintickets.com

Finally, investing £30 to buy a Railcard (we have a Two Together card) brings a further 30% off the price of your already discounted tickets.   If you shop at Tesco, even better - you can get a railcard for only £10 in Clubcard points.

Bus and Coach travel tips
We have always found the Traveline journey planner to be very useful.   It allows you to check a given route for train or bus options in addition to the more traditional depart and arrival times.   Great for deciding how best to get to your destination, but unfortunately contains timetabling information only.

Some useful websites:
Traveline
National Express
Stagecoach

In preparing for our walks, I create  Memory Map tracklogs for each day - the route between B&Bs - and convert them to standard ".GPX" files.

I import those tracks into the ViewRanger app on my smartphone so that once we start walking we can keep tabs on where we are and can easily spot if we are heading 'off piste'.   I also record our track using ViewRanger so we have a record of our actual route and mileage.

Mapping tips
An app on your phone that uses GPS but does not need a mobile signal, and that has maps pre-loaded, is a fantastic thing.
I persevered with Memory Map as my go-to 'out-and-about' app for a long time but grew increasingly frustrated by lots of little niggles and crashes.
I have found ViewRanger to be much more intuitive to use while walking ... and it is much more stable and responsive. The whole experience feels much more customer focussed - and as a bonus Ordnance Survey mapping is also considerably cheaper.   There is a thriving community constantly uploading new walks, and a great feature, Skyline, that uses augmented reality to label features visible from your current location.
 
The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) maintains a database of all known long distance paths in the UK.   The database is free to search and has summary details for each walk including a map, altitude profile and links to any publications or online sources of information.   LDWA members of can download a .GPX file for any of the walks listed.   Handy for those lesser-known routes, saves time and effort creating your own tracks/routes ... and you get a newsletter, access to lots of events and discounts at a range of outdoor shops.

I have included links to the tracklogs, daily routes and altitude profiles for each of our walks. Please feel free to download them for your own use.     (Right click on the title, and select 'Save Target As...')

This is , perhaps, the most important part of planning your walk to get right.   In many cases, the remote locations you are seeking to enjoy will, by definition, have very limited options for overnight accommodation, and you will not be in a position to drive around looking for vacancies.
If you have walked for several hours to reach your destination, you need to KNOW that at the very least you will have a comfortable bed and a shot shower waiting for you.

The good news is that researching and booking accommodation is now sooo easy.   The internet is your best friend.   There are so many websites to help you find, check customer reviews and book accommodation of all types.

When you have decided which walk you would like to do, decide how far you want to (or are able to) walk in one day and start checking for suitably-spaced places to stay along the route.

Once you have found a suitable B&B, check availability and book it.   Book it now.   Don't wait for a last-minute bargain, don't put it off for another time.   Sometimes there will be a number of options.  Great news - you get to choose which of those you really fancy ... but having decided, BOOK IT STRAIGHT AWAY.

Some useful websites:
Simply search for your preferred location on Google for hotels or B&Bs in your preferred location
Sites such as Tripadvisor or Booking.com often have price comparisons for several
If you are walking a National Trail, the official website has details of accommodation along the route
Companies offering packaged walking holidays often have lists of accommodation

While not as crucial as checking accommodation, being aware of your food options is a wise move when planning your itinerary.   A little research before you set out can pay dividends.

Enjoying a good meal (and drink) at the end of a hard day's walking is one of the joys of long distance walking.
If your overnight stay is in a hotel, it is likely you can take your evening meal there too (after all, that might be reason why you chose to stay), but don't feel obliged to.   There might be better options nearby.  In any case, it is always best to be prepared and to have checked for alternatives.   You would not believe the number of local eateries that close on one night a week (inevitably the night you hit town!)

Similarly, while a good hearty breakfast will set you up for a long day ahead, there are few things in life to beat a mid-walk alfresco feast.   Good food always tastes better out in the open air.
If you have some spare time in the evening, spend a few minutes scoping out where you might buy a packed lunch for the following day.   Local bakeries are generally the preferred option, but supermarkets and newsagents are likely to have a selection of 'eats'.   Of course if you have planned ahead, you may know there is a well-placed pub, cafe or teashop enroute.   Once again, planning ahead is likely to give you options...

Links to walk-specific information from our own long distance walks...
... with books and guides, details of our accommodation, links to download our .GPX files, elevation profiles and any other helpful snippets of advice.

• Sandstone Way
• Dales Way
• Dales High Way
• Viking Way
• Icknield Way
• White Peak Way