A cruise boat on Windermere with fells in the distance, Lake District National Park

How to get to the Lake District

Train

Major rail stations:

Oxenholme for Kendal and the Southern Lakes, Carlisle and Penrith for Keswich and the northern and western Lakes.

Local rail stations:

Connect at Oxenholme to Kendal, Staveley and Windermere

Connect at Preston or Lancaster onto the Furness line, to Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness

Connect at Preston or Lancaster onto the Cumbrian Coast Line, from Barrow-in-Furness with stops around the west coast to Carlisle

There are two steam train lines, one starts at Haverthwaite and the other operates from Ravenglass

Bus

Local buses

Buses stop at Windermere train station, Troutbeck, Waterhead, Ambleside, Lakeside and Newby Bridge. Frequent buses are:

  • 599 Windermere to Bowness
  • 555/556 Windermere Kendal Ambleside Grasmere and Keswick
  • 618 Lakeside, Newby Bridge and Ulverston
  • 541 Winster, Crosthwaite and Kendal
  • 108A Troutbeck and Ullswater

Special bus services

  • Cross Lakes Experience - boats on Coniston and Windermere with transport back on Mountain Goat or Stagecoach
  • Lakeslink - picturesque route between Lancaster and Carlise, through Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, Thirlmere, Keswick and Bassenthwaite.

Cycle

Walking

Boat

visiting