Carolyn

Thinking ahead for our next trip--and wondering how easy or hard it is to travel about in the Lake District without a car. We are not inclined to rent a car--renting one means one would have to DRIVE it, and that does not appeal to us. <BR> <BR>So . . . what does anyone know about getting around in the area(probably a little after high tourist season--maybe early October) without a private car? What other spots might be good to visit in combination with the area? Is there a place anyone would recommend as a "home base"?

bo_jack

This is a somewhat uninformed reply; hopefully you will get better. We spent one night in the Lake District this summer (passing through by car). Got into a conversation with a bus driver in a bar. From what he describes, there is a good bus network covering the area. It looked to me as if Keswick would be a good "home base" -- in that it was very bussling, with seemingly a lot to do, and probably a good transportation hub, in that it is near the intersection of a couple of major highways, and at the north end of one of the lakes. Seemed like a nice area (though I was not overly impressed by Grasmere) -- hope to spend more time there in the future.

howard

If you're talking about the Lake Como area, yes, it can be done without a car. Assuming you're coming from Milan, you would take a train to Como (the city). Trains run very often and it takes about 40 minutes. From Como, I recommend taking the ferry to Bellagio and using that town as your base. First of all, it's a charming town with a wide choice of hotels, restaurants and sites. Also, it is convenient for going to other towns on the lake via ferries. <BR>Early October is a good time of the year to go. We were there at that time this year, and the weather was perfect. <BR>You could easily spend a week or so there without a car and still get around and have a great time! <BR>If you want more information, let me know.

sonia

Well, I'll assume you mean England's Lake District, home of Wordworth and Beatrix Potter. We were there in June of 99 with the same thought -- don't want to drive, we'll use public transportation. <BR>We made our way north from London via Virgin Rail, a good deal if you prepurchase Apex train tickets (Rick Steves' web site has the information.) <BR>We had reservations at the Rowanfield Country House in Ambleside (15394.33686)-- taxied there from Windermere station. Rowanfield is UP a steep hill above the village, with wonderful views. Family run, comfortable and appealing, and excellent home-cooked food (you sign up in the morning if you want to dine in, byob). We loved it. But our plan to travel the region on busses was totally impractical -- the schedules just don't mesh well, and you could waste a lot of time waiting at bus stops. On the advice of our hosts at Rowanfield, we took a minibus tour -- they made all the arrangements, and the guide collected us at the house. Since we were the only passengers, we customized the trip to take in what we wanted to see. The guide was friendly and very well informed, took us places we would never have found alone. It was well worth the price. <BR>There are also plenty of taxis if you just want to go from A to B. Walking and lake boat trips rounded out our stay -- we had a great time, hope you do to. But don't count on bus travel unless you have LOTS of time and a very good timetable!

ron

I was in the Lake District at the end of September and found the bus service quite servicable - made excellent connexions from Penrith to Keswick to Ambleside to Coniston, for example. I agree that you need to plan your bus trips and you need a good schedule, which is available. The paper version is called Lakeland Explorer and is a 36 page magazine with maps and schedules, published by Stagecoach Cumberland. The on-line version, which was not as complete as the paper one, can be found at: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jplanner/ <BR> <BR>I agree that Keswick would be a good base for the northern lakes and Ambleside for the southern.

Mike

The traditional activity in the Lake District is walking - serious walking. You can't drive to the top of Helvellyn. That is the way to make the most of your trip. You will need some good outdoor clothing, but you can get by without a car!

Dave

I took a couple of day tours run by Mountain Goat Tours that were pretty good. I especially recommend the one which climbs Hardknott Pass. They have (or had two years ago) an office right near the Windermere rail station. If you search you should be able to find their website with more info.

Carolyn

Yeah, I DID mean lake district as in Wordsworth and England and wandering lonely as clouds etc., but I guess a mind is a difficult thing to read. Intuiting who the English majors are is not an exact science. HOWEVER, we have also contemplated an Italian adventure, so maybe there is some divine sign from on high that we got a VERY encouraging and appealing response about Italy! And Byron did Italy . . . Shakespeare's often set there . . . there are Italian sonnets . . . well . . . THANKS one and all! <BR> <BR>Comments on either lake district are welcome!