Public Transportation

There are a number of ways to get to Lake District National Park. This is served by numerous public transit options.

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Public Transportation Details

There are a number of ways to get to the Lake District National Park, which is served by numerous public transport options. On the east side of the park, the West Coast Mainline connects Oxenholme - the Lake District, Penrith and Carlisle with London and Glasgow. Oxenholme - the Lake District and Penrith are the prime stations for the east and central Lake District. There's also a direct train from Manchester Airport and Manchester to Windermere via Oxenholme to the Lake District with its local trains, which stop in Kendal, Burneside and Staveley along the way. And if that's not enough, there's a route that follows the glorious curving Cumbrian coastline to the west of the National Park, which you can connect to from Carlisle in the north or Lancaster and Barrow-in-Furness in the south. There is also a great little railway known as La'al Ratty that connects to the main west coast line at Ravenglass and inland up Eskdale. Finally, the Haverthwaite and Lakeside railway, while not connected to any main line, offers a wonderful approach from the A590 to the southern end of Windermere lake and connects directly with the lake steamers. Bus service is similarly robust, with regular stops in most towns and villages like Keswick, Ambleside, Coniston and Windermere. Several routes run extra buses in summer and during peak periods. Cumbria County Council coordinates public transport timetables across the county and Stagecoach buses are one of the main operators across the National Park. With all those lakes don't overlook the possibility of travel by boat. There are scheduled services on Windermere, Coniston Water, Ullswater and Derwentwater. Many allow bicycles on board and all stop at several shoreline jetties to allow flexible walks and rides. At the central point on Windermere, England's longest lake, there is a car ferry service between the eastern and western shores. If you fancy a novel and fun way of getting about and keeping your carbon footprint down you can rent Twizy electric cars from several locations around the National Park. There is also an extensive network of electric bike hire outlets which help flatten out some of the more challenging climbs.If you prefer someone else to do the driving, Mountain Goat Tours do great days out with knowledgeable drivers.

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