How To Get To The Lake District From Birmingham And Where To Stay
Read on for travel tips on how to get to the Lake District from Birmingham!
The Lake District in the north of England is in my opinion the most breath-takingly beautiful scenic place in the entire country, and figuring out how to get there from Birmingham can be quite tricky.
If you’re reliant on public transport, then planning your trip is not very straightforward. You’ll have to catch multiple trains and buses and you may experience delays to your journey as well.
I’ve experienced this several times when visiting the Lake District from Birmingham and know how much of a travel nightmare it can be.
So that’s why I’ve curated this blog post, which gives the best travel advice on how to reach the Lake District from the Midlands, as well as the best hotel recommendations in what has to be England’s best national park.
⌚ In a rush? My Top Hotel Recommendations for the Lake District:
Goodwin House – Keswick
Cragwood Country House Hotel – Windermere
The Swan Hotel and Spa – Newby Bridge
How To Get To The Lake District From Birmingham
So let’s crack on and take a look at the best transportation options when it comes to going to the Lake District from Birmingham, starting with public transportation options:
Train 🚆
If you are reliant on using public transportation to the Lake District from Birmingham, then I definitely recommend getting there via train.
There are a few different train routes you can take from Birmingham, depending on which part of the Lake District you plan to visit. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different train routes to the Lake District:
- Train Route #1: Birmingham New Street to Oxenholme, then Oxenholme to Windermere.
- Train Route #2: Birmingham New Street via Manchester Piccadilly, then Manchester to Penrith, then bus to different locations within the Lake District.
- Train Route #3: Birmingham New Street via Manchester Piccadilly, then Manchester to Preston, then Preston to Windermere or Keswick.
Let’s now take a closer look at these three different train routes in more detail.
Train Route #1: Birmingham to Oxenholme Lake District
This route is the fastest from Birmingham to the Lake District, taking roughly 2 hours 15 minutes. It’s also quite costly however, with train tickets priced anywhere between £50 to £150.
👉 Pro Tip: if you want cheaper train tickets, then always book your tickets online via National Rail, ideally 2-3 weeks prior to your trip.
Ticket prices will be a lot lower a few weeks before your date of departure, and will be a lot more expensive if you leave it until the last minute.
This train journey departs from Birmingham New Street Station, which is the main train station in the centre of the city. When you reach Oxenholme station in Kendall, you can then catch a train to Windermere.
Windermere is very much the central hub of the Lake District. Trains run hourly from Oxenholme and takes less than 20 minutes to reach Windermere, with tickets costing only around £5.
Windermere to Keswick
From Windermere you can catch a bus or a taxi to other popular regions within the Lake District, such as Keswick, Grasmere, Ullswater and more. The buses are cheap and it doesn’t take too long to reach your destination.
The 555 bus from Windermere to Keswick for example, takes over an hour but is very cheap (£2) and has absolutely stunning views of the Lake District. My advice is to sit on the top deck of the bus for the best views!
Train Route #2: Birmingham to Lake District via Manchester
The second train route option that you can choose on your way to the Lake District from Birmingham stops at another top UK city; Manchester.
Although this is a longer train route compared to the first route we looked at (taking around 5 and a half hours), it is the cheaper choice and you can also explore Manchester for a while and grab some lunch there, which is what I did.
Visit Manchester
Manchester is a really vibrant cultural city with lots of interesting landmarks, restaurants and bars. So I recommend taking a pit stop there if you’ve never been before while on your way to the Lake District.
Trains from Birmingham New Street to Manchester Piccadilly run hourly and only take usually an hour and a half, with tickets costing from as low as £17, if you book in advance.
Manchester to the Lake District via Penrith
After exploring Manchester for a while, you’ll then want to catch a train from there to Penrith, which takes another hour and a half, with tickets as low as £20.
From Penrith railway station you can catch a bus to Keswick which is only 45 minutes and the ride has more gorgeous views of the Lake District.
Manchester to the Lake District via Preston
Alternatively, you can catch a train from Manchester Piccadilly to Preston train station, which is what I did on my last trip to the Lake District.
There’s not much difference between going to either Preston or Penrith to be honest. Penrith is the quicker option but on my journey there were no trains from Manchester to Penrith.
This was a shame as my train from Preston to Oxenholme was delayed for over an hour. The train station was absolutely packed with travellers and the whole scene was utter chaos.
Expect Train Delays
Expect train delays when travelling around the UK! This is the downside of travelling throughout the UK via trains; you can expect delays every day and it really is a bit of a lottery.
This can make your journey extremely frustrating, but it’s just the sad reality of the state of the UK train system that you have to accept and expect I’m afraid.
Despite my train ride to the Lake District being delayed, I was totally gobsmacked during my bus ride to Keswick with the sheer beauty of the natural scenery.
If it’s sunny weather during your visit then be prepared for some of the most extraordinary landscape views you’ll ever see.
Bus 🚌
The coach company National Express operates a bus service once every day from Birmingham coach station to Penrith.
The fastest bus from Birmingham to Penrith takes just under 5 hours and the cheapest ticket I could find was for £2o, so you’re not really saving much money or time by travelling by bus.
I always prefer travelling by train rather than bus as I find the trips to be more scenic, and bus rides can be slow and not as nice in the UK.
But there’s likely to be less delays travelling by bus rather than a train, and you won’t stop at Manchester on the way. So there are pros and cons to reaching the Lake District by bus, but I would always choose to go by train personally.
Car 🚘
Of course, the best option when it comes to travelling from Birmingham to the Lake District is by car.
This is the fastest choice, taking about 3 hours and 30 minutes or less to cover a distance of 170 miles to reach the Lake District, depending on motorway traffic obviously.
If you’re looking to rent a car to travel from Birmingham to the Lake District, then I recommend using Discover Cars to compare the best deals available and for decent discounts.
Best Places To Stay At The Lake District
Choosing where to stay at the Lake District can be quite a challenge. There are a large number of ‘bread and breakfast‘ accommodations in different regions within the Lake District.
So it all depends on which area of the Lake District you want to visit and what budget you have available too. Here are my personal accommodation recommendations at three different price ranges:
Budget Recommendation: Goodwin House
I can personally recommend a stay at Goodwin House as I stayed there during my most recent trip to the Lake District.
Based in the beautiful village of Keswick, this is a charming bread and breakfast with lovely hosts. My room had stunning views of nearby hills and it was quite affordable as well, so it is an ideal option if you’re on a budget.
➡️ Check availability for Goodwin House here
Mid-Range Recommendation: Cragwood Country House Hotel
Based almost within touching distance of Lake Windermere, Cragwood Country House Hotel is a marvellous 4 star hotel with decently priced rooms available.
Surrounded by beautiful landscape gardens, this hotel has fantastic facilities, including a restaurant and bar, parking spaces and room service is also available.
⭐ Check out Samantha’s review of Cragwood Country House Hotel:
“Stunning!! We had a wonderful time in this beautiful hotel. Highly recommended.”
➡️ Book a stay at Cragwood Country House Hotel here
Luxury Recommendation: The Swan Hotel and Spa
If you’re in the mood for a luxurious stay in the Lake District (especially if you go hiking each day), then you can’t go wrong with choosing to stay at The Swan Hotel and Spa.
Situated next to Newby Bridge, a small but picturesque village in southern Windermere, the Swan Hotel and Spa offers it’s guests exceptional facilities.
With two swimming pools, a spa and wellness centre, a restaurant and bar, this 4 star hotel also has exhilarating views of the Lake District.
⭐ Check out Matt’s review of The Swan Hotel and Spa:
“The staff were accommodating, they catered for us and made us feel very safe and welcomed. The facilities like the pool and sauna were great, and the spa was completely superb.”
➡️ Check for availability at The Swan Hotel and Spa here
Lake District from Birmingham FAQS
If you still have some doubts about visiting the Lake District from Birmingham then let’s answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this topic:
What’s the fastest way to reach the Lake District?
As detailed earlier in this blog post, the fastest way to reach the Lake District from anywhere in the UK is by car.
From Birmingham, you can expect to reach the Lake District in about 3 hours and a half. While from Manchester, you can get to the Lake District in just 2 and a half hours.
What is the closest city to the Lake District?
Manchester, Lancaster and Carlisle are the three closest cities to the Lake District. If you plan on visiting just one, then I would certainly recommend spending a few hours in Manchester during your trip.
Manchester is one of the liveliest cities in the UK and most British people refer to it as the northern capital of England (Scousers would disagree lol).
Many Brits also have the opinion that Manchester is England’s real second city after London rather than Birmingham (which is officially the second capital of England).
I disagree with this however and think that Birmingham easily rivals Manchester in terms of culture, history and things to do.
Is there a train station in the Lake District?
Yes, Oxenholme train station is recognised as the major train station in the Lake District, and is based in Cumbria. From here you can hop on a bus to all of the popular villages and towns in the Lake District like Windermere and Keswick.
Penrith North Lakes is the other train station in the region of the Lake District and you can also catch buses from here to the major tourist towns in the area.
What is the nicest part in the Lake District?
That’s very much up for debate and comes down to personal preference really. It depends on if you fancy seeing the biggest tourist places such as Windermere or want to try and totally avoid tourists in places like Buttermere.
I always prefer the town Keswick as it’s very quaint and quiet compared to the other crowded places, and the town comes alive each night with live music and entertainment in the many bars and pubs there.
Here are the nicest places to explore (in my opinion) in the Lake District:
- Keswick – just a short walk away from Derwentwater, one of the major lakes in the region, as well as mountains popular for hiking such as Skiddaw and Catbells.
- Windermere – home to the longest lake in the Lake District, surrounded by stunning scenery.
- Grasmere – a beautiful quaint village, full of cottages and shops, this is a delightful place to visit for a few hours or longer.
- Ullswater – home to a glacial lake, the second largest after Windermere and one of the most beautiful areas in the Lake District.
- Buttermere – another quiet village that hasn’t been spoilt (yet) with too many hotels or restaurants and features arguably the most dramatic scenery in the whole area.
Conclusion: How To Get To The Lake District From Birmingham
So that’s a wrap on this blog post about all the details you need to know on how to get to the Lake District from Birmingham. It can be a real struggle using public transport to the Lake District, but it is without a doubt worth the effort.
If you’ve never been to the Lake District (especially if you’re in the UK), then you’re really missing out on one of the most best beauty spots in England and I’d argue the rest of the world as well.
It’s full of dramatic landscapes, rolling hills and lovely small picturesque villages that are worth visiting despite whatever travel nightmares you may endure along the way.
I hope you’ve found this blog post useful and are now fully prepared to visit the Lake District from Birmingham and make the most of this gorgeous place.
➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
