I am interested in staying for a few days in the Lake District next summer. I am not planning on having a car - I will be on my own and don't fancy driving by myself in a new location. I was wondering about the transportation from town to town. I was thinking of basing myself in Kendal or a close by town and also doing some organized walking tours. Thanks in advance for any advice. Gail

easier w/ a car but certainly doable by bus.

Lots of good links here https://www.golakes.co.uk/travel/by-...ue#anchorLink1

Kendal isn't in the Lakes.

Stay in Keswick http://www.keswick.org

Windermere is the railhead for the Lakes and along with Bowness a nice resort town with many b&bs - Keswick has a bus link to the rail system too so is easy to reach by train and bus and to me is a nicer proper town. Public buses go to most places a tourist would want to go and mini-bus excursions to more remote parts too.

You can easily take a train to Windermere then a bus to Keswick too.

For lots on British trains check www.nationalrail.co.uk for schedules and booking your own long-distance tickets at discounts; www.seat61.com is the expert site for that; general info on British trains and places they go www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

There is a superb walk from Windermere via the iconic chain ferry across Lake windermere and then uphill thru woods to Hilltop Cottage and Beatrice Potter's house and garden and then onto Conniston Water - a hike I did long ago and still must be nice.

In Kesick also pencil in the Derwent Pencil Museum where they claim the 'first pencil was made' and was a major source of pencils for long after from local graphite:

http://www.keswick.org/what-to-do/at.../pencil-museum

http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/walking>

you can do your own or take part in guided walks -figure which walks are easily reached by bus from janisj's link above.

THere's also a well-know tour company called "Mountain Goat" which you may be interested in:

http://www.mountain-goat.com

I also recall that someone here did a walking holiday in the Lakes last/this year using two of the Holiday Fellowship hotels in the area:

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/destina...lake-district/

My DH went on three of their holidays [not in the lakes] and had a great time on each of them.