Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is urban in character but more varied than its reputation suggests. Newcastle and Gateshead together form one of the more interesting metropolitan centres in England, with the Quayside, the Baltic art gallery, and the Sage making the riverside genuinely worth visiting. The cluster of bridges across the Tyne – seven visible from the Millennium Bridge – is extraordinary.

For van travel, Tyne and Wear is best used as a practical hub or overnight point during a longer North East England trip. The coast at Tynemouth and South Shields has good beaches and interesting military history, and the Metro system means you can leave the van parked and explore the city on foot without fighting urban traffic.

Sunderland, to the south, has the National Glass Centre and the river Wear has seen significant investment in recent years. The seafront at Roker and Seaburn is one of the better urban seafronts in the North East.

Posts in this tag cover van stops and drives in Tyne and Wear – urban stopover tips and what the area offers beyond the city centre.