Bus

National Express serves the region from London's Victoria Coach Station and from Manchester's Chorlton Street Station. Average travel time to Kendal is just over 7 hours from London; to Windermere, 7½ hours; and to Keswick, 8¼ hours. From Manchester there's one bus a day to Windermere via Ambleside, Grasmere, and Keswick. There's direct bus service to the Lake District from Carlisle, Lancaster, and York.

Stagecoach in Cumbria provides local service between Lakeland towns and through the valleys and high passes. Bus service between main tourist centers is fairly frequent on weekdays, but much reduced on weekends and bank holidays. Don't count on reaching the more remote parts of the area by bus. Off-the-beaten-track touring requires a car or strong legs. A one-week Cumbria Megarider ticket (£28), available on the bus, is valid on all routes. Dayrider tickets (£6–£8) are valid for a day; the price varies depending on how far you wish to travel. Contact Traveline for up-to-date timetables.

Contacts

National Express. 0871/781--8181; www.nationalexpress.com.

Stagecoach. 01539/722217; www.stagecoachbus.com.

Traveline. 0871/200--2233; www.traveline.info.