Norfolk Coast · A149 · East Anglia · Live GOV.UK data

Norfolk Coast fuel cost.

Budget the A149 coastal drive from King's Lynn to Cromer — or on to Great Yarmouth. See live Norfolk petrol and diesel prices on the map, then calculate your cost and see why the flat East Anglian terrain gives you some of the best real-world fuel economy of any UK scenic route.

⏱ 5-min read Updated 2026-07-20 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · flat terrain · £ GBP
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Quick answer: Driving the 45-mile A149 from King's Lynn to Cromer costs roughly £7 to £9 in fuel — the exceptionally flat Norfolk terrain lets vehicles hit near-optimal MPG, unlike the steep coastal routes of Wales or Scotland. The only drag is slow agricultural traffic and summer caravans causing minor stop-start delays. Extend to Great Yarmouth for an 85-mile trip. Use the live map above to find the cheapest station before you set off.

45 mi
King's Lynn to Cromer
£7–£9
Fuel for an average car
Flat
A149 — near-optimal MPG
85 mi
Extended to Great Yarmouth

How much does it cost to drive the Norfolk Coast?

Driving the 45-mile stretch from King's Lynn to Cromer on the A149 costs roughly £7 to £9 in fuel — the exceptionally flat terrain allows vehicles to achieve near-optimal fuel economy.

This is Norfolk's quiet advantage. Where Wales and Scotland destroy fuel economy with cliffs and hairpins, the A149 stays level, so you can cruise efficiently and hit close to your car's combined MPG. Extend the route east to Great Yarmouth and it becomes an 85-mile trip. Enter your own MPG and today's live price in the calculator below for a precise figure.

Is the A149 good for fuel efficiency?

Yes — the lack of elevation on the Norfolk Coast lets cars cruise highly efficiently without the high-RPM, low-gear driving found on other UK coastal routes.

That "Norfolk MPG advantage" is real: on a flat, steady route your engine spends most of its time in top gear at low load, which is exactly where it sips fuel. It makes the A149 one of the cheapest scenic coastal drives per mile in the country — the polar opposite of a mountain pass. Fill up cheaply in King's Lynn before you start; supermarket forecourts there beat the small coastal-village stations.

What slows traffic down on the Norfolk Coast?

Despite the flat roads, drivers must anticipate slow-moving agricultural vehicles and heavy summer caravan traffic, which cause minor stop-start delays that slightly dent otherwise excellent fuel economy.

The A149 also behaves more like a winding B-road than a fast arterial route in places, so overtaking is limited. It's rarely a big fuel penalty — nothing like a mountain climb — but tick the traffic box in the calculator if you're travelling at peak summer times. Search a postcode like NR27 (Cromer) or PE31 (Hunstanton) on the map above and sort by cheapest.

Calculate your Norfolk Coast fuel cost

Enter your car's MPG, the distance (45 miles King's Lynn to Cromer, or 85 to Great Yarmouth) and today's live price from the map. Tick the box to add a small allowance for summer agricultural and caravan traffic.

Real-world MPG (flat roads help you hit it)
King's Lynn–Cromer = 45 mi · to Great Yarmouth ≈ 85 mi
Enter the live price from the map above
HMRC rate — changes quarterly
Journey fuel cost—
Cost per mile—
Litres needed—
HMRC claim value—
Claim vs fuel spend—

Formula: (miles ÷ MPG) × 4.546 × (price ÷ 100) — 4.546 is litres per imperial gallon.

Covering Norfolk for work in your own car? Claim the HMRC Approved Mileage Allowance Payment: 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles, 25p thereafter — see GOV.UK simplified expenses.

Which fuel does your vehicle need? A plain-English guide

The live map above covers all six fuel grades tracked under the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Here's what each one means — and how to choose at the pump before you set off.

E10 · Standard Unleaded
Unleaded Petrol

The default pump for most petrol cars. Contains up to 10% ethanol. A small number of older or classic cars require E5 — check your handbook before filling.

E5 · Premium Unleaded
Super / Premium Petrol

Higher octane (97–99 RON) and cleaner-burning. Typically 10–20p/litre more expensive. The protected grade for older engines not approved for E10 — and popular with performance cars.

B7 · Standard Diesel
Diesel

The default diesel pump. Contains up to 7% biodiesel. Suitable for all diesel passenger cars, vans and most HGVs. Generally 2–8p/litre cheaper than premium diesel at the same station.

B7 · Premium Diesel
Premium Diesel

Includes detergent and cetane-boosting additives. Sold as BP Ultimate Diesel, Shell V-Power Diesel and similar. Use the Premium Diesel toggle to compare the price gap near you.

B10 Diesel
B10 Diesel

Contains up to 10% FAME biodiesel — higher renewable content than B7. Only suitable for vehicles whose manufacturer explicitly approves B10. Always check your handbook first.

HVO · Renewable Diesel
HVO100 / Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil

Drop-in renewable diesel with up to 90% lower lifecycle carbon than fossil diesel. Compatible with most modern diesels — check your handbook. Use the HVO filter above to find nearby stations.

Where should you refuel on the Norfolk Coast?

Fuel is easy to find at the larger towns, and thanks to the flat roads you'll use very little of it. Here are the reliable stops along the A149.

West Start
King's Lynn

Cheapest supermarket fuel on the route and the gateway from the A47 — fill up before you head east.

North Norfolk
Hunstanton & Wells

Handy forecourts near Sandringham and the north-coast beaches; limited in the smaller villages.

East End
Cromer & Sheringham

Fuel at the eastern end of the classic route before it turns south toward the Broads.

Extended
Great Yarmouth

Plenty of supermarket forecourts if you continue the A149 south to the 85-mile finish.

The fact most guides miss, answered here: the flat A149 lets vehicles achieve near-optimal MPG, making it one of the cheapest scenic coastal drives in Britain — unlike the steep routes of Wales or Scotland — with only slow agricultural and caravan traffic causing minor delays. For live prices across East Anglia, this page shares the GOV.UK dataset behind our UK-wide fuel map.

Fuel & driving

The Norfolk coast road: flat miles, slow villages and the bus alternative

By CalculatorDashboard Editorial Team·Updated ·Reviewed ·3 min read

The A149 follows the north Norfolk coast for about 45 miles from King's Lynn to Cromer, and on round to Great Yarmouth for roughly 85 miles in all. It's one of the flattest scenic drives in Britain, which makes it about as economical as touring gets. The limits on this road are about speed and traffic rather than hills.

Flat road, slow pace

With no significant climbs, a car can run at its most efficient for long stretches. The catch is that the A149 is narrow, twisting in places, and passes straight through a string of flint villages: Brancaster, Burnham Deepdale, Wells-next-the-Sea, Blakeney, Cley. Each one means slowing down, and in summer the busiest, around Wells and Blakeney, can bring traffic to a crawl near the quaysides and car parks. Economy stays good, but journey times don't.

A worked cost

For the 45 miles from King's Lynn to Cromer in a car averaging 50 mpg on these flat roads, at an illustrative 140p a litre, fuel costs about £5.70. Extending to Great Yarmouth, about 85 miles, costs around £10.80. That's one of the cheapest scenic drives on this site per mile.

Leaving the car behind

The Coasthopper bus runs along the coast road, linking many of the villages. A popular way to spend a day is to drive to one end, then use the bus to travel along the coast and walk back on the Norfolk Coast Path. It saves fuel, avoids the hunt for parking at the most popular spots, and lets everyone enjoy the views, including the driver.

Refuelling and charging

Fill up in King's Lynn before heading east, or in Hunstanton, Wells, Cromer or Sheringham. Villages between those towns rarely have forecourts. Electric car drivers will find the most charging in the larger towns at either end and along the A148 inland. The coast is popular with motorhomes and cyclists, so allow plenty of room when passing on the narrower sections.

Seasons on the coast road

Spring and autumn are the most relaxed times to drive the A149. Summer brings holiday traffic and full car parks at Wells, Holkham and Blakeney, while winter brings the bird-watchers: the north Norfolk marshes are among the best places in Britain to see migrating geese, and the reserves at Titchwell and Cley draw visitors on cold, bright mornings. Winter driving here is usually easy, but salt spray and standing water on the coast road after storms are worth watching for.

Tides and flooding

Parts of the coast are low-lying, and some quayside roads and car parks, including at Wells and Blakeney, can flood at very high tides. If you're parking near the water, check the tide times and any signs before leaving the car for the day. Flood water, especially salt water, can damage a car far more expensively than any fuel saving.

Making a day of it

Because the road is flat and the villages close together, this is one of the few scenic drives where a cycle carried on the car can replace much of the driving. Park at one village, ride along the quieter lanes or the coast path where cycling is allowed, and you'll see more of the coast while using almost no fuel.

A second example: a return day out

Driving from Norwich to Wells-next-the-Sea and back, a round trip of around 70 miles, costs about £9 in a car averaging 50 mpg at an illustrative 140p a litre. Spending a day on the Coasthopper rather than driving between villages along the coast saves a few pounds more, as well as the search for parking at each stop.

Norfolk Coast fuel questions

The A149 runs about 45 miles along the north Norfolk coast from King's Lynn to Cromer, and continues south to Great Yarmouth for a total of roughly 85 miles. It's a flat, scenic coastal road that behaves more like a winding B-road than a fast A-road in places.
Yes, notably so. The Norfolk Coast is one of the flattest scenic routes in the UK, with no significant hills or gradients. That flat terrain lets cars cruise efficiently and achieve near-optimal fuel economy, making it a cheap route to drive.
The A149 is narrow and winding in places, with limited overtaking, and it carries slow agricultural vehicles year-round plus heavy caravan and tourist traffic in summer. These cause minor stop-start delays that slightly reduce the otherwise excellent fuel economy.
The 45-mile King's Lynn to Cromer stretch needs about 5 litres in an efficient car — roughly £7 to £9 at average prices. Because the road is flat you'll get close to your car's combined MPG. Enter your figures in the calculator for an exact cost.
The A149 coastal road itself is largely single carriageway and B-road-like, though the A47 and A11 approaches into Norfolk include dual-carriageway sections. Don't expect fast overtaking on the coast road — but the flat, steady driving keeps fuel use low.
For genuine business travel, yes. The HMRC Approved Mileage Allowance Payment is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in your own car and 25p thereafter; company cars use the quarterly Advisory Fuel Rates. The calculator shows an indicative claim value.

Planning fuel for another coastal drive, or the wider cost of your trip? These help.

Tools
UK-Wide Live Fuel Map →

Find the cheapest petrol or diesel anywhere in the UK.
Route
Northumberland Coast Fuel Cost →

Another flat, fuel-friendly coastal drive along the A1068.
Route
Jurassic Coast Fuel Cost →

Dorset's hillier coast, where summer traffic bites harder.

Data & estimate disclaimer: Live fuel prices are sourced from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder API under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025. While every forecourt is legally required to report price changes within 30 minutes, CalculatorDashboard.com does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of third-party data — always verify the displayed price at the pump before fuelling. Journey fuel-cost figures are estimates only: real-world consumption varies with driving style, load, weather and traffic, and quoted route distances and MPG penalties are approximate. HMRC advisory rates are shown for guidance and change quarterly — check the official rate before submitting a claim. Not financial or tax advice. CalculatorDashboard.com is not affiliated with any fuel retailer, supplier or government body.