By Coach, Sea and Air

Coach

Scheduled coach services run throughout Britain including to Cumbria. It is relatively cheap, a ‘door-to-door’ service and comfortable. From Edinburgh, Manchester or Newcastle it can take as little as 2 hours.

There is a National Express coach service from London Victoria, via Birmingham and Preston, though Cumbria – Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, Keswick, Cockermouth, Workington and Whitehaven.

For coach and bus information and to book – see National Express.

Ferry

There are ferries from Belfast and the Isle of Man to Lancaster (Heysham); Belfast and Dublin to Liverpool or Holyhead, and Northern Europe to Newcastle (North Shields) and Hull.

Road and rail networks link these ports with Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales.

For more information see Ferry Crossings.

Plane

The nearest airports are Manchester to the south and Glasgow to the north. There is a railway station at Manchester airport with First TransPennine services that run to Oxenholme Lake District station.

Taking your bike by air

Some airlines charge a flat fee for a bicycle; others regard it as part of your luggage allowance. If your allowance is limited to two items, tape all your panniers together. Most airlines insist you bag or box your bike – deflating tyres, removing the pedals and turning the handlebars round – ask your local bike shop to show you how. Probably the best option for flying is a large polythene bag.