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- 31st Jul 2026
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The North East coast’s hidden gems, food and fun via the bus
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Here in the North East, we do like to be beside the seaside, and we’re lucky enough to have some of the country’s most striking coastline right on our doorstep.
The North East coast is reachable by bus from Newcastle and beyond, with a TNE Day Saver ticket covering unlimited travel across bus, Metro and the Shields Ferry for £7.50 (adult) or £3 (21 and under). Single fares are also available, capped at £2.50 for adults and £1 for anyone 21 and under, and children aged 11 and under travel free with a paying adult this summer, terms apply.
The same ticket works right across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland, so it’ll carry you from Tynemouth’s Priory to Bamburgh Castle without you ever needing to think about parking. Here’s where to go this summer, town by town.
HIGH LIFE NORTH’S TOP TIP: The North East’s biggest transport shake-up in 40 years is here, with a new consultation asking if 500+ bus routes should come back under public control.
THE TIDE TOUR: A NEW OPEN-TOP BUS FOR THE COAST
This summer, the coast between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay has its own open-top bus, the Tide Tour (Service 300), running every 60 minutes from Saturday 18th July to Monday 31st August. Supported by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness’s Mayor’s Fares scheme, it calls at Tynemouth, Grand Parade, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay, with connections to the Metro at Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Cullercoats. It’s covered by the same TNE Day Saver ticket, and there’s no faffing about with parking near any of the stops.
It’s an easy, scenic way to string Tynemouth, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay together into one day out.
NORTH TYNESIDE COAST: TYNEMOUTH, WHITLEY BAY AND CULLERCOATS
The North Tyneside coast blends proud maritime heritage with lively cafe culture and a surf scene, and it’s some of the cheapest coastline in the region to reach, with single fares from £2.50. Sit back, relax and take in those gorgeous sea views.
Tynemouth
Bus from Newcastle: 306/308/301
Tynemouth’s known for its surfers, independent cafes and the clifftop ruins of Tynemouth Priory and Castle, looking out over the mouth of the Tyne. Tynemouth Market fills the beautiful train station building every Saturday and Sunday from 9am–3pm with local makers and street food, and there’s no parking to sort out when the bus drops you close to the entrance.
For food, Riley’s Fish Shack does fish cooked over coals with a sea view, and The Cove on Front Street is a go-to for tapas and cocktails. Round off the day at Steam and Salt’s beachside sauna, a proper way to warm up after a cold dip.
THINGS TO DO IN TYNEMOUTH
Whitley Bay
Bus: 308/350/351/301 and 309
Start your day the right way with Pilates at Wellness Lane, a gorgeous new studio, and don’t miss the matcha, all made in-house. Whitley Bay’s Spanish City has been restored to its full seaside glamour, all cream stucco and old-school arcade charm, with the promenade stretching for miles alongside it. St Mary’s Lighthouse sits just up the coast, where you can often see some seals. If it’s a rainy day, head to Whitley Bay Playhouse for a show.
For food, Trenchers Restaurant inside Spanish City does fresh fish and chips with sea views, while The Glasshouse serves fresh, locally sourced Italian-style dishes nearby, and if you fancy spicing things up, Little Lobo does tacos and burritos. Bus ticket holders get 15% off at Trenchers, and travelling by bus means a drink with dinner is back on the table.
THINGS TO DO IN WHITLEY BAY
Cullercoats
Bus: 308/306
Cullercoats is a quieter, traditional village wrapped around a sheltered bay, ideal for a slower stroll or a dip in its lively open water swimming scene. Start your day at The Boat Yard with a delicious brunch before heading out with CBK Adventures, who run guided kayaking and paddleboarding tours from the bay, and Kahvi Coffee next door is the spot for artisan coffee with a sea view.
Adam’s Bakehouse has recently opened on the seafront too, adding sourdough, pastries and flat whites to the village’s growing food scene. Cullercoats sits neatly between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay, so all three fit into one day out on a single ticket, without ever doubling back for the car.
THINGS TO DO IN CULLERCOATS
SEASIDE SOUTH OF THE TYNE: SOUTH SHIELDS, ROKER AND MARSDEN
South of the Tyne, and covered by the same TNE Day Saver ticket, the Durham coast has been transformed from a former mining landscape into wildlife-rich nature reserves and dramatic cliffs, and no time is wasted in a car park queue if you travel by bus. More time for beach vibes.
South Shields
Bus: E1/E2/X34/27
South Shields Museum and Art Gallery tells the town’s social, industrial and maritime story going back four thousand years, and it’s a five-minute walk from the bus stop, so it’s an easy one even on a rainy day. Sandhaven Beach and South Marine Park sit right along the front, with Ocean Beach Pleasure Park’s mini train a hit with little ones. For food, Colmans is a long-standing name for fish and chips, and Bessy’s Sweet Bakes is worth the stop for coffee and cake afterwards. Ticket holders get 10% off in the museum shop.
THINGS TO DO IN SOUTH SHIELDS
Seaham
Bus: X10, X6 and 60
Seaham’s known for its clifftop walks and beaches, where sea glass, smoothed by decades of old colliery waste, still washes up along the shore. Start at Seaham Beach for a mile of sand, pebbles and sea glass, then carry on to Nose’s Point to spot the lighthouse and explore the nature reserve. For food, Downey’s does classic fish and chips, while The Lamp Room is the pick for seafood and tapas.
Want to try something new? Rosebud Ceramics runs classes regularly from Sunderland and Durham, and with the whole trip covered under one ticket, there’s no need to think about a return fare on the way home. And why not wind down later at Seaham Hall’s twilight spa session? Check out their brand-new 1m Zen Garden.
THINGS TO DO IN SEAHAM
Roker
Bus: X24/56
Roker is known for its long stretch of sandy beach and Victorian pier, with Roker Lighthouse marking the end of the breakwater. Start with brunch at Love Lily or Ruhe, then walk the seafront promenade before heading into Roker Park, just behind it, for the model railway and boating lake.
The National Glass Centre is close by for an afternoon of glass art, and Tin of Sardines Gin Bar is a good spot for sunset drinks over the sea. It’s all within easy walking distance of the bus stop, so there’s no trek back to a car park at the end of the day.
THINGS TO DO IN ROKER
Marsden
Bus: X34/E1/E2
Marsden Bay is all high limestone cliffs and striking rock formations, with Marsden Rock a favourite for photos at low tide. The Marsden Grotto, built into the cliff face, is one of the more unusual spots on this stretch of coast for lunch, styled as Europe’s only cave pub.
From there, it’s a scenic 10-minute walk along the clifftops to Souter Lighthouse, the UK’s first electric lighthouse, with ice cream from The Lighthouse Café to follow. The Leas has some of the coast’s finest views back along the cliffs, and Shingle Bay, a hidden cove nearby, is well worth the detour.
THINGS TO DO IN MARSDEN
NORTHUMBERLAND COAST: BLYTH, BAMBURGH, SEAHOUSES AND ALNMOUTH
Further north, and still covered by the same TNE Day Saver ticket, Northumberland’s coast has some of the region’s most dramatic beaches and castles, and the longer bus journey is exactly where the ticket’s unlimited travel earns its keep.
Blyth
Bus: X11
Blyth is a coastal town confidently rewriting its story, with wide sands, colourful beach huts and a buzzing promenade at Blyth South Beach. The reopened Newsham Railway Station puts Newcastle under 20 minutes away.
The town’s cultural scene is thriving, with the new Market Pavilion, live shows at Phoenix Theatre and festivals like Blyth Live and Blyth Celebrates. Add Blyth Spartans matchdays and heritage at Blyth Battery, and there’s always something on.
THINGS TO DO IN BLYTH
Bamburgh
Bus: X18
Bamburgh is dominated by Bamburgh Castle, its beach recently named third in a global ranking of the world’s best coastlines.
For food, The Potted Lobster specialises in local seafood, and The Copper Kettle does a proper cream tea in its garden. Bamburgh’s a longer bus journey from Newcastle, so the TNE Day Saver’s unlimited travel makes it the better-value ticket for the trip, and your bus ticket also gets 10% off entry to the castle.
THINGS TO DO IN BAMBURGH
Seahouses
Bus: X18
Seahouses is a working harbour and the main departure point for boat trips out to the Farne Islands, where puffins and grey seals gather in their thousands, with Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips one of the longest-running operators on the harbourside.
Seahouses Harbour also has a run of well-known fish and chip shops for afterwards, and Lewis’ Fish Restaurant is worth seeking out for a sit-down meal with a view. Seahouses sits just south of Bamburgh, so both fit easily into the same day out on one ticket.
THINGS TO DO IN SEAHOUSES
Alnmouth
Bus: X18
Alnmouth is a village of colourful houses looking out over a wide estuary and a stretch of open sand, quieter than Bamburgh or Seahouses, with a handful of independent shops along its main street. Climb Church Hill for views back across the estuary, then seek out the Ferryman’s Hut, said to be Britain’s smallest museum.
Grab coffee from Scott’s of Alnmouth, crab sandwiches at Bistro 23, or a pint at The Red Lion Inn by the water. Alnmouth’s reachable by bus too, with the fare covered under the same ticket as everywhere else on this list.
THINGS TO DO IN ALNMOUTH
Whichever stretch of coast you choose this summer, the bus will get you there. No traffic, no parking, no fuss.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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