The route is 116 km (72 miles) long and is fully open and signed in both directions.

[1] The W2W was launched on 1 June 2005 as a cross-country cycle route from Walney Island in Cumbria to Sunderland on the River Wear .

The route descends off the Durham Dales along the lower Tees Valley for 20 miles (32 km) to Croft-on-Tees near Darlington.

Continuing on flat roads for 27 miles (43 km) until it reaches the North York Moors at Great Ayton.

This section includes several steep climbs and descents, some of them are on off-road tracks.