How to visit the Lake District without a carGetting there by train
The Lake District has three main stations: Carlisle, Penrith and Windermere. Choose the first two for northern areas, and Windermere for central and southern areas.
Avanti (avantiwestcoast.co.uk), the West Coast Main Line operator with an hourly service between London Euston and Scotland, calls at Oxenholme (for the branch line to Windermere), Penrith and Carlisle (prices for London-Oxenholme from £33.50). TransPennine Express (tpexpress.co.uk) also calls at these stations, with direct services from Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland (prices for Manchester-Oxenholme from £9.10).
Northern (northernrailway.co.uk), which provides the hourly connecting service to Windermere from Oxenholme (20 minutes, £7.50), and also calls at Carlisle, has services throughout the north of England (such as Leeds to Windermere, from £10.50). It also provides a coastal service to places such as Seascale, Ravenglass and Grange-over-Sands (mainline connections at Carlisle and Carnforth).
Getting there by coach
National Express (nationalexpress.com) runs from London to Penrith and Carlisle, from £27.50, and from Glasgow to both destinations, from £8.
Getting around by bus
An all-year-round bus network connects main towns, stations and larger villages, including valleys such as Borrowdale and Langdale. But you do need to plan ahead; popular routes may have several buses per hour, others may be two-hourly or less, seasonal or weekends only.
Not every bus stop has a shelter. Always have waterproofs to hand.
Useful routes include the 555 between Kendal and Keswick, 599 from Kendal to Grasmere via Bowness, 505 between Windermere and Coniston, 508 between Penrith and Windermere via Ullswater, 516 Windermere to Langdale and the 78 from Keswick up Borrowdale to Seatoller.
More remote areas, or trickier routes, are likely to be seasonal and/or weekend only – though well-used and popular with visitors – such as the 77 Honister Rambler between Borrowdale and Buttermere, and the 509 and UB1 services in the Ullswater area.
All these services are currently covered by the £2 bus fare cap (until December 31 2024). Stagecoach also offers unlimited all-day travel from £9.50 plus bus-and-boat tickets (unlimited all-day bus travel plus one boat ride on Coniston, Ullswater, Derwentwater or Windermere) from £14.50. Further information: Stagecoach Lakes timetable, stagecoachbus.com and traveline.info.
Getting around by boat
Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater and Coniston Water have cruise boats that are a handy – and scenic – way to get around. Prices vary: for example, Bowness to Ambleside is £17.50 return, Glenridding to Howtown across Ullswater is £10 single or £15 return, while single trips on Derwentwater start from £2.75, or £13.50 for a day pass. Windermere also has a cross-lake ferry between Bowness and Far Sawrey; £1 single journey, pedestrian.
Bringing a bicycle
Trains take bicycles (no additional charge) but usually only a few per service: book in advance on Avanti and TransPennine Express; first come, first served with Northern. National Express coaches allow them if they’re folded or dismantled; Stagecoach has bike racks on its 599 service between Kendal and Grasmere, via Bowness. Bikes are allowed on Windermere’s larger boats if there’s space; £2 charge. Similarly, on Ullswater Steamers it’s at the captain’s discretion, £3 charge.
Bikes (including e-bikes) can be hired in popular locations such as Hawkshead, Coniston, Keswick and Ambleside. It’s worth asking if they can deliver.
Cycling between towns is on busy roads, most without cycle lanes; try to find back routes. In the valleys, such as Borrowdale and Langdale, roads are narrow and care is needed. Having said that, there are some designated cycle paths (western shore of Windermere, for example) and plenty of bridleways. More remote areas, such as Ennerdale and Eskdale, or the coast, are a good bet for traffic-free cycling. Check Sustrans and the Lake District’s government website for more information.
Both Grizedale Forest and Whinlatter Forest offer good all-levels mountain-biking trails. Or for more hardcore routes, try LakesMTB.
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/cumbria/lake-district/leave-car-behind-lake-district-holiday/
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Publish date : 2024-04-04 03:00:00
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