Hotels in Peak District

Where you base yourself in the Peak District matters more than in most destinations, because the park is crossed by slow single-carriageway roads and a 20-mile hop can take the best part of an hour. Decide first whether you are here to walk the northern moors or to tour houses, villages and dales in the south, then book accordingly.

Walkers and climbers should look at the Hope Valley. Castleton, Hope, Edale, Bamford and Hathersage all sit on or near the railway line, which means you can walk a linear route one way and take the train back. Accommodation here skews towards inns, B&Bs and bunkhouses, with a handful of country house hotels on the hillsides above the villages. Expect to pay from around £90 a night for a pub double and £160 upwards for something with a spa.

Couples after comfort and a bit of formality are better served by Bakewell, Baslow, Rowsley and Buxton. This is where the park's dining rooms and spa hotels cluster, and where you are within 20 minutes of Chatsworth and Haddon Hall. Buxton adds theatre, restaurants and a rail link, which makes it the strongest choice if you are arriving without a car.

Families tend to do best in Bakewell or Matlock. Both have shops, chip shops, riverside space and paid attractions within walking distance, so a rainy afternoon does not become a crisis. Family rooms are limited across the park generally, so check occupancy carefully rather than assuming a double will take a camp bed.

On timing: weekends between May and September, plus half terms and the fortnight around Christmas, sell out early, and many independent properties impose a two-night minimum on Saturdays. Book those three to six months ahead. Midweek stays from November to March are a different market entirely, with dinner, bed and breakfast deals widely available and considerably lower rates. If you have a dog, say so at the point of booking; many places take pets but only in specific rooms, and the good ones fill first.