Getting Around the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley

There are many different ways to explore the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. Whether you're looking to see as much as possible with the flexibility of your own car or have a car free holiday and walk, cycle or use public transport, we hope we have provided all the information you need to discover our ancient forest and dramatic river valley:

By Foot

Walking is one of the most popular things to do here and one of the best ways to explore the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. See our Walking pages for all the information you need. We have short walks, circular walks, pub walks and long walks. We have several national trails which travel through our area and see many people walking the entire route of these travelling into and out of our area on them. There are also plenty of options if you are looking to walk shorter sections of these. They include The Offa's Dyke Path, The Wye Valley Walk, The Monmouthshire Way, The Gloucestershire Way and The Wales Coast Path. We are also on the most popular walking route for 'LE JOG' the 1083 mile Lands End to John O'Groats end to end walk.

Looking to explore the region in a wheelchair or with reduced mobility? Find out about our off-road trampers which can be hired from central locations here.

By Bicycle

There are a number of places where a bike can be hired, or of course you can bring your own and discover our miles of off-road cycle paths and our winding country roads. There is information on cycling routes throughout our area here. Don't have a bike, don't despair! You can hire bikes for everyone from one of our many bike hire companies in the forest. 

By Train

Heritage steam and diesel services are run through the Forest of Dean by the Dean Forest Railway between Lydney, Norchard, Whitecroft and Parkend. For a car free holiday why not consider catching the train to Lydney and then taking the heritage railway into the Forest of Dean?

There are also a number of mainline train stations offering opportunities for travel within the area. See our Getting Here page for more information.

By Bus

With a little planning it is easy to travel around the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley without a car. Local bus services run throughout the area with stops in many popular locations as well as all major towns and villages. For more information see Traveline here.
For buses in the Forest of Dean see here.
For buses in Monmouthshire see here.
For buses in Herefordshire see here.

The Robin is a new on-demand bus service provided by Gloucestershire County Council. You can find out more about the Robin and how to book the bus here. 

By Motorbike

We have some of the best scenery in the UK with long winding roads and plenty of pub stops and are not far from cities such as Gloucester and Bristol so exploring the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley by motorbike has always been a popular choice. The A466 through the Wye Valley, the A4136 through the Forest and the A40 and A48 on the outskirts are easy ways to see the area by motorbike and get a feel for the options here. Our driving routes are a great place to start too.

By Car

Due to our rural and expansive nature, driving is the easiest way to travel around the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. Have you seen our guide to some of the best Driving Routes in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley? It has a range of routes covering many of the highlights of the region.

Car Parks: There are many free car parks at good walking locations and there are car parks within the all main towns with varying charges. Parking fees apply at popular Forestry England sites such as Symonds Yat Rock, Beechenhurst and Mallards Pike, although the parking tickets can be transferred from site to site. The Forestry England Membership Card is an annual parking pass that enables you to discover, experience and enjoy more of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley plus it gives discounts at some of the main attractions. Of course the best way to explore is to stay here and walk directly from your holiday accommodation!

Electric Car Charging

You can see all accommodation providers with on site electric car charging here. There are also charging points at some towns and in shop car parks. For up-to-date electric car charging points in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley see here.

By Water

Bring your own or hire from one of our providers - canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard the River Wye with a 3-day trip from Hereford to Symonds Yat amongst the options. You can also take a guided boat tour from Symonds Yat.

On a Tour

You can also book a guided tour, ideal to enjoy the best of the area at your leisure. See our Tours & Trails page for all the information on walking tours, guided cycling tours, boat tours and even canoeing, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding tours!