Hi everyone I am new to this site. I love reading all the different posts! A bit of a trap!!
My family (husband, me, two daughters 15 & 18 when we travel) are planning a trip to the US (SF, Boston and NY) and to the UK and France in July/August this year - a long story!!!!
We are arriving in Manchester from Boston early August and hope to spend 2-3 days in the Lakes District before going south.
We have looked at youth hostels but not sure if that is the best option. I have looked at the map and various websites re hotels and self catering (these tend to be for longer rentals eg 1 week minimum) and get pretty confused by where to stay especially as that will be a very busy time!! Because of the length of our trip we are on a fairly tight budget - comfortable butnot luxurious! We will probably train it to the LD adn then hire a car to go south ( we fly from london to paris about 12 days later)
thanks for any suggestions
Kate from Australia

What about looking a bed and breakfasts? There are many to choose from in the Lakes District. They are a lot more expensive than they used to be but it could be worth a look. The youth hostels in the UK can be very superior to the ones we have over here, so don't dismiss them too quickly. They have family rooms in some of them. Are you getting a car to tour around the Lakes District? You will need one, much cheaper than 4 x train fares which are horrendous. Could be worth picking up a car from the airport in Manchester and then using it for the whole time. Make sure you book in Oz and not over there. With a car you can really head off the beaten track there are so many fabulous little backwaters to look at.

We stayed in Grasmere which we found very convenient. If you do drive from the airport then make sure you drive through the Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland, make sure you visit Downham (the village of) on the way.

If you like Hugh Walpole books then drive to Derwent Water and Ashness Bridge. Walk to Watendlath to see Judith Paris' house. It is beautiful countryside. Buy yourselves an AA Atlas to use in the UK, just a paperback one, works a treat.

Hi Kate, another vote for B&Bs from another aussie. We were in the Lake District in November 2004 (like you, has spent the previous month in the US mainly in beautiful New England in the foliage season!) and were accompanied by my 18 year old son. We stayed in B&B's throughout the UK (England, Wales and Scotland) and found them to be excellent for our needs. We purchased the AA B&B Guide here in Australia but only booked on the day as we went. (Booked one double and one single.) Having said that, it wasn't peak time when we went but we found all those AA listed were great. I have had a look at my notes and we stayed in Windermere at the The Willowsmere :
http://www.thewillowsmere.com/index.htm
which was lovely except Martin the host introduced my husband to Glen Morangie whisky and he has never recovered!! I don't profess to be an expert but let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

thank you both - good ideas
I will certainly look into car hire here before we go - will have for 9 days so should get a good rate.
also will follow up with some b&b's although I am hoping we might be able to find some accommodation for more like AU$150-200 anight. With four of us and in peak season that might be too much to expect though! I'd better keep my husband away from martin!!!
Thanks again - will post again when have done some more planning/thinking! I appreciate your responses.
kate

Hi aussiekate. Wow, what a trip you have planned. We toured Great Britain in 2004 (late June) w/ out two girls. We rented a car for the entire time - really appreciated the flexibility. In the Lake District, we stayed in Hawkshead. In the end that was a little "too off the beaten path" for us ( but great place to visit ). Next time I would stay in Grasmere. Have a blast!

Hi it is villain of the last few messages "Martin the horrible" Glad you had a good stay, B&Bs in the Lake District can be fairly expensive as we suffer from high property prices and labour charges, however you really do get what you pay for, most places do a better rate for longer stays. I still think a good Guesthouse gives you much more value for money than a Hotel. Windermere is a good place to stay as you have a lot of shops/restaurants/attractions and are only a few hundred metres from the most stunning countryside. Hope you have a good visit "Martin the Horrible" www.thewillowsmere.com

aussiekate, we have always had good luck with accommodations found through www.smoothhound.co.uk hopefully there would be something to suit your budget. We stayed in Keswick and loved that area. Have a great trip. Deborah

To the friends from The Land of Oz...Aussie Kate:
We rather enjoyed the Fairfield Country House, near the pier at Bowness (Windemere)..large old country home, comfortable, good breakfasts, etc..Do rent a car! and Enjoy!
Info on Fairfield House (I don't have the e-mail address)
Phone: +44 (0)15394 46565 Fax: +44 (0)15394 46565

Stu T.

Another idea for places to stay is pubs. We like staying in a pub in a town or village so there are places to stroll around and er, maybe other pubs to visit Nice pubs generally do decent bar lunches which is a fairly inexpensive way to eat.

If you can get hold of a copy of the Good Beer Guide, published by CAMRA, it tells you if each pubs it lists does rooms.

Here's one we & our family have stayed in a few times, which does good food - www.themortalman.com.

Hey Martin, I never mentioned "horrible!!" We had a lovely stay with you and Glen Morangie sales have trebled since we got back to Oz! Thanks again!