The E2 European long distance path or E2 path is a 4850 km (3010-mile) series of long-distance footpaths that is intended to run from Galway in Ireland to France's Mediterranean coast and currently runs through Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, with an alternative midsection equally designated via the Netherlands and east coast of England. It is one of the network of European long-distance paths. The paths are aimed at walkers; alternative routes exist in some parts for horse riders and cyclists.

Route

The route has two alternative midsections, reuniting in north-east England and northern Belgium: the first devised route includes Oxford, Reading, Bruges and

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

and does not include the southern part of the Dutch coast. The corollary midsection, listed as the alternative route, includes

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

, Lincoln, Cambridge and Bergen op Zoom. In Belgium the route starts from Ostend on the GR5A (Grote Route 5A) via Bruges and

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

. After a few kilometres in the mid-northern municipality (district) of

Zoersel Zoersel () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of , , and Zoersel proper. In 2021, Zoersel had a total population of 22,142. The total area is 38.65 km2. Sports The women's A sq ...

in Belgium it joins the GR 5 (Grande Randonnée 5), which forms the remainder of the route, passing through Luxembourg, Eastern France, then Switzerland at Lake Geneva before returning to France to finish at Nice. The highest point of the route is at Col de l'Iseran at .

Ireland

The Irish section of the route is not yet open. ramblers.org
Irish section not yet open.

Great Britain

In Scotland the route starts from

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...

and follows the Southern Upland Way, to

Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnet ...

, and

St. Cuthbert's Way St Cuthbert's Way is a long-distance trail between the Scottish Borders town of Melrose and Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off the coast of Northumberland, England. The walk is named after Cuthbert, a 7th-century saint, a native of the Borders ...

, from Melrose to

Kirk Yetholm Kirk Yetholm ('kirk yet-ham') is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, southeast of Kelso and less than west of the border. The first mention is of its church in the 13th century. Its sister town is Town Yetholm which lies ...

, and on to the Anglo-Scottish border via the Pennine Way. In England the route continues on the Pennine Way from the border to

Standedge Standedge () is a moorland escarpment in the Pennine Hills of northern England between Marsden, West Yorkshire and Diggle, Greater Manchester. Standedge has been a major moorland crossing point since Roman times and possibly earlier. From east ...

, the Oldham Way from Standedge to Mossley, the Tameside Trail from Mossley to

Broadbottom Broadbottom is a village in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Cheshire, it stands on the River Etherow which forms the border with Derbyshire. Description Home Farm dates from 1604 and Broadbottom Hall from 1680. There wa ...

, the Etherow/Goyt Valley Way from Broadbottom to

Compstall Compstall is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England; it is situated between Marple Bridge and Romiley and is historically part of Cheshire. It was formerly a mill village, built by George Andrew in the 182 ...

, the

Goyt Way The Goyt Way is a walking route from Etherow Country Park, Greater Manchester, to Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, following the valley of the River Goyt. It is part of the longer Midshires Way, which in turn is part of the E2 European long-distance p ...

from Compstall to

Disley Disley is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. It is located on the edge of the Peak District in the Goyt valley, south of Stockport and close to the county boundary with Derbyshire at New Mills. The population at the 2011 Census ...

, the Peak Forest Canal from Disley to Marple, the

Gritstone Trail The Gritstone Trail, or Cheshire Gritstone Trail, is a long-distance footpath in England which follows the most westerly hills of the Peak District from Disley Station to Mow Cop, and on via the Macclesfield Canal to Kidsgrove Station. Man ...

from Disley to

Rushton Spencer Rushton can refer to the following: People with the surname * Dave Rushton (born 1973), English footballer * Herbert J. Rushton (1877–1947), American politician * J. Philippe Rushton (1943–2012), Anglo-Canadian psychology professor * Julian Ru ...

, the

Staffordshire Way The Staffordshire Way is a long-distance walk in Staffordshire, England. The path links with the Cheshire Gritstone Trail, the Heart of England Way and the North Worcestershire Path. The Way was opened in three stages by Staffordshire Cou ...

from Rushton Spencer to Cannock Chase, the

Heart of England Way The Heart of England Way is a long-distance walk of around through the Midlands of England. The walk starts from Milford Common on Cannock Chase and ends at Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds linking south Staffordshire through Warwickshi ...

from Cannock Chase to

Bourton on the Water Bourton-on-the-Water is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, that lies on a wide flat vale within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village had a population of 3,296 at the 2011 census. Much of the village ...

, the

Oxfordshire Way The Oxfordshire Way is a long-distance walk in Oxfordshire, England, with 6 miles in Gloucestershire and very short sections in Buckinghamshire. The path links with the Heart of England Way and the Thames Path. The path runs for from Bourton ...

from Bourton on the Water to Kirtlington, the Oxford Canal from Kirtlington to Oxford, the Thames Path from Oxford to Weybridge, the Wey Navigation Path from Weybridge to

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

, and the North Downs Way from Guildford to

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

. In England, the alternative midsection begins on the Pennine Way at Middleton-in-Teesdale. It then follows the

Teesdale Way The Teesdale Way is a long-distance walk between the Cumbrian Pennines and the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire in England. The walk is in length; it links in with other long-distance walks such as the Pennine Way and the European walking ro ...

, the Cleveland Way, the Yorkshire Wolds Way, the

Viking Way The Viking Way is a long distance trail in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland. History The route was officially opened on Sunday 5 September 1976 at Tealby, by the Deputy Chairman of Lincoln ...

, the

Hereward Way The Hereward Way is a long-distance footpath in England that links the Viking Way at Oakham with the Peddars Way at Knettishall Heath, near Thetford. The path takes its name from Hereward the Wake, the 11th-century rebel leader who fought again ...

, the

Fen Rivers Way The Fen Rivers Way is a long distance footpath that spans a distance of . It runs between the City of Cambridge and the town of King's Lynn in West Norfolk. It follows the course of the River Cam and River Great Ouse across the Fenland land ...

, the Icknield Way Path, the

Stour Valley Path The Stour Valley Path is a long-distance footpath in Suffolk, England, from Newmarket to Cattawade , a village near Manningtree. The path follows the catchment area of the River Stour. The majority of the route forms part of European P ...

and the

Essex Way The Essex Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath long, along footpaths and roads in Essex, England. The trail starts in Epping in the southwest, crosses Dedham Vale and Constable country to finish at the port of Harwich on the Stour es ...

to Harwich International Port. Urban highlights are Lincoln and Cambridge.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands the eastern route begins at the ferry port of Hook of Holland (where ferries from Harwich International Port arrive) and passes over islands and dams and through Bergen op Zoom. This corollary section picks up the main route at Sint Antonius,

in northern Belgium.

References

External links

Waymarked Trails

''E2'' - map and information by traildino

European Ramblers Association
{{Transport in Surrey European long-distance paths Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom Hiking trails in France Hiking trails in Switzerland