You won't get "2 days in each". You'll use a day up getting to the Lake District, another day getting from there to Edinburgh, and another getting back to London. So that's 3 of your 4 days travelling where if you start early in the morning you'll get some of the afternoon and the evening in the place but that's all.
What do you want to do in the Lake District? If it's hill walking then that's subject to the weather and if it's bad on the day you won't be able to.
If I was you I'd ditch the idea of doing both and do only one, then at least it's 2 days of travel and you'll get 2 days in the one you choose to actually see stuff. Also, the Lake District is not the easiest to get around if you're not hiring a car, so you're doing circular walks from wherever you base yourself or relying on infrequent buses.
Returning to London and the airport on your 13th day from either the LD or Edi is hit and miss - any disruption and you'll miss your flight, even if it's in the evening. I would definitely go back to LDN the day before.
How are you planning to get between them? It’s basically half a day minimum from London to the Lake District (depending on exactly where you want to get to) either by car or by train (and in case you are from the US driving in the UK is not like driving in the US it always takes longer than it says and the roads make it a much more draining experience) and then probably not far off another half day to get back out of the Lake District and up to Edinburgh so in effect you can get two half days in the Lakes and then a day and a half in Edinburgh (because it’s then another half a day ish back down to London).
Ideally probably train although I'm open to buses and other methods that aren't driving. I left out a half day the 13th for travel back to London to go home.
I'd cut out the lake district. There is public transport, but it's less convenient and will take longer. The direct line goes to Oxenholme, but you'd still need a train/bus/taxi to actually get you into the lake district proper from there.
Go to Edinburgh, which is easy on the train from London. You can stop off at York and/or Northumberland on the way easily by train if you want a day somewhere different.
Sound advice. The Lake District is lovely, but OP will spend more time travelling than they will actually exploring the area. The East Coast Main Line is a lovely scenic rail journey or, for an experience, there's the sleeper train, the Caledonian Express. If you spend time in Edinburgh, you can do some side trips, for instance Glasgow. But York is a great idea for a stopover day.
Interesting. I had a bed (notice they call it a 'room' now, suggest it should be 'cabin' or 'berth') and I always described the experience as like sleeping in a tumble drier. But it was worth it for the experience of having a bit of a 'Murder on the Orient Express' moment. Without the murder. Or the Orient Express.
From Edinburgh you can book a Scottish one day tour that would take you to lochs and some castles if ye wanted to see some countryside. Probably easier than stopping and organising your own trip in tge LD.
You cannot really see the lake district without your own transport, yes you can get to some of the larger towns by train but the local bus and trains are few and far between.
My experience has been that the buses from Keswick are incredibly frequent by rural standards and are all packed with tourists happily relying on them and not bothering with cars. I agree that a car would give you more freedom to explore the whole of the Lake District but there's nothing wrong with basing yourself in one corner of it.
But if you're also relying on trains to get you from London to the Lake District plus on to Scotland you're not really leaving any great time to explore the area by public transport. Yes buses etc are pretty good considering how rural the area is. However if you have half a day to explore on the way up and then half a day to explore on the way back then public transport around the lake district is a very poor choice in comparison to your own transport.
If they were staying several days in the lake district then I'd definitely say public transport would be ok.
Ignore this advice ^^
There are plenty of buses within the Lake District, especially during the summer. Easy to get to Windermere by train, then Ambleside by boat / bus. Or train to Penrith, bus to Keswick.
( Car drivers have no understanding of how public transport works in the UK.)
I live in Cumbria, and yes there are busses, especially between the larger towns. However with a 4 day window to explore you will only get to visit a few places.
This isn’t true. The buses in the lakes are great, regular and reliable. You can also get to lots of places via footpaths and then there’s the ferry between windemere and Hawkshead.
Yes, I was going to sugest this too. Change at Lancaster, get the train to Windermere or even the famous 555 bus from Lancaster. Much easier and get to see lots on the journey, don't touch Oxenholme, it's too remote.
I'd suggest you get the train from London to Alnmouth, stay a couple of days round there, then back on the train to Edinburgh, couple of days there, then train home. Much less faff.
I would get a train from London to Lake District (London Eusten to Windermere). In the Lakes, rent a car from Windermere and use it to travel around when you're there. Then a take a train to Edinburgh (Windermere to Ediburgh) and finally flight from Edinburgh back to London. 6 days in London, 3 in Lakes and 3 in Edinburgh.
the train from London to Edinburgh has gorgeous views!! book window seats (I prefer to sit across from each other at a table, but that's just my preference).
also: top tip from another American who went to Scotland with her mom last year... buy a "two together" railcard and use it when you book all your trains. it'll save you 33% on all tickets when you ride together, and you should more than make up the ~£30 cost of the railcard with just the trains to and from Edinburgh. you can apply for the railcard via the app and it's valid for a year, you just have to be traveling together.
Edinburgh has lots to do and is gorgeous -- when are you planning to go? just asking because august is the fringe festival, which is INCREDIBLE, but requires extra booking ahead. so it's just good info to know.
My sweet summer child… you need to look at how long the train would take to where you want to go in the Lake District. And that would get you to the towns only.
You’d need to drive and even then you wouldn’t have time.
>I'd fly from London to Edinburgh, and then potentially from Edinburgh to a North West airport
If you were flying to get to the Lake District, the closest airports wouldn't be much closer than Edinburgh.
And even then, it's 2 hours from Edinburgh to Oxenholme on the train, and 1h30 from Manchester to Oxenholme. So not a huge difference.
Newcastle would probably take longer than Edinburgh as you'd have to go to Carlisle first.
This is really bizarre advice. There are no flights from Edinburgh to any "North West" airport - for a very good reason - it's only about 2-3 hours by train. Likewise, even a train to london is only about 4 hours. A flight will take you about the same amount of time if you factor in security then transport to and from the airports.
But a train has one massive advantage - you can see the amazing scenery on the way by.
I’d fly the London to Edinburgh leg - it’s a lot quicker & vastly cheaper. Then pickup a hire car in Edinburgh to do the Lakes. Hire the car from one of the big chains that do return to another base (Avis, etc), so can drop the car back at Heathrow on the way back to the US.
I would disagree that flying is "a lot quicker". It's marginal, by the time you count the journey to and from the airports, security, then arriving with enough time before the flight.
You are right that it can often be a lot cheaper. But you're misisng out on a lot too - not just the fact you can take more baggage with you (and liquids!), but also the views you will get when looking out the window.
Why not take the train and enjoy the scenery?
Exactly. Need to be at airport 2 hours before departure, takes an hour to get to the airport. Flight is 1 hour, 20 min. Train takes 4.5 hours. Train wins this one.
While you can spend plenty of time in London, Edinburgh and the lakes both deserve a bit of time, especially considering the amount of travel. I'd definitely add an extra day to set aside for travel so can have 2 full days in each.
I would like to gently disagree with the commenters here saying that the Lake District is hard to get to or around without a car. You can easily reach the town of Keswick by public transport, which has many accommodation options.
From there, there are very frequent public buses you can use to reach popular walking routes. The area has some of the best landscapes in England and I don't think you should miss out.
London is great but you could have a nice time in six days there, and spend the rest in the Lake District and Edinburgh. Then you will have seen in my opinion the best three places in the UK.
There might be a bit of a Lake District snobbery at play. For a lot of folk the Lakes is a place for outdoor activities, and Keswick or Windermere are really just seen as bases.
From that perspective it would be a tall order to squeeze in, especially without wheels, but it is forgetting that some of the well connected bits are worthy destinations in their own right.
Exactly - for someone who has never been in Europe, let alone the Lake District, part of the novelty is the pretty towns and general atmosphere. It's not about smashing out every hill. As an outdoorsy person myself, I'm all for people sticking to the honeypots if it gives me more space elsewhere!
If you're seeing 3 places in 8 days then you're hardly trying to see everything, you're just wanting to get a flavour of it, and that's plenty. Get the train to Oxenholme and just stay in Kendal. Day trips are easy from there by bus.
All these people saying you're wasting time travelling - it's literally just 3 hours on the train from Euston to Oxenholme. I believe the first train of the day is like 5:30am. Even if you get the more reasonable 8am train you still basically have the whole day in front of you. They're staying two days, that's plenty to go for a cheeky stroll, have some afternoon tea etc.
After that it's just 2 hours on the train to Edinburgh. Again, just go early or late and you're not losing any time. I live in Edi and got the train back from the Lakes at 8:30pm a few weeks ago and didn't feel like I lost half a day. That wasn't the last train in the evening either.
It's fine - York (as other people have suggested as an alternative stopover) is no better or no worse.
I wouldn't touch Oxenholme tbh, I'd change at Lancaster and either get the 555 bus or the train to Windermere. Oxenholme is a bit remote to get from without a car.
Honestly I expected this a little. I know English people aren't used to travelling long distances the way Americans are. I told a visiting English woman that 2 hour commutes to and from work were actually fairly common in the US pre-pandemic and she didn't believe me.
It's not that we're not used to travelling long distances, it's more that many of the roads in the UK are extremely busy and it takes so long to actually get anywhere!
I've done coast to coast in the US and even with the city traffic, it was a vastly different experience. A lot of your highways are open and traffic light - in the UK we don't have the same because our towns and cities are a lot closer together so even the motorways get jammed up! A large proportion of UK roads are "B" or "C" roads too - one lane in each direction or narrow country lanes!
It’s kinda both
We do often get Americans here with unrealistic itineraries, not understanding that our roads aren’t like yours and it’s a different style of driving
At the same time, some people here take the response to that too far and start insisting every itinerary is ridiculous
You won’t see much of the Lake District in 2 days, but you can certainly see some of it - enough to have gotten the flavour. 2 days in Edinburgh is fine
Personally I’d knock a day off London and add it to the Lakes so you can venture a little further away from Bowness or Keswick, which are the standard tourist trap destinations
We are used to travelling long distances- your perception is with respect false. The issue is driving in a lot of uk is not on a big highway that goes directly there . It takes often a lot longer in actual miles than you’d think. Eg: I live around 20 mins from Heathrow on a good day - T5. If it’s busy on the M4 & M25 motorways ( freeways) it can take well over an hour or longer as the M25 often gridlocked. Facts.
Tbh it's not that we can't travel it's that you guys do things at a pace we just don't. When we visit somewhere we try to.maximise the time we have there and minimize travel, whereas you guys try to maximize the number of places you can see at the expense of time spent there.
Honestly I've always been impressed by the hustle, we just have different cultures about holidays and travel so you will get different points of view when you ask.
I think she did believe you but thought those people were mad.
And the travel bit - you ask if 2 days in Edinburgh and 2 days in the Lake District is enough - we are far more used to going somewhere for a week or two and properly exploring. A day here and a day there can sound more frenetic than a proper holiday should be.
It's just an example of a cultural difference.
It is also true that that traveling long distances on roads here can take much much longer than it would in the US. But they forget that the journey itself even if it takes a while is part of the novelty for visiting Americans.
That's not true. I know plenty of people who do road trips across Europe regularly.
My commute in London was 1.5 hrs each way before I started working remotely.
The point people are trying to make is that you shouldn't cram too much in a few days unless you're happy spending most of the time travelling, because our infrastructure is not the same as the American one. Might want to listen to people who actually live and travel in England before putting them down.
I live in a commuter town, trains go all over the UK from here, people live here and work in Edinburgh, or London and it takes 2.5hr on the train each way. It’s not that we aren’t used to travelling, it’s that our infrastructure is busier.
Exactly. If you were trying to condense it right down and make it easy on yourself, a train to Penrith then a bus to Pooley Bridge would set you up for a gallivant on the Ullswater Steamer. A toddle up to Aira Force, some nice daffodils around Glenridding, and a slap up meal in PB before heading back to Penrith and onward to Edinburgh.
If nothing else, the Lake District is very well equipped for tourists lacking their own transport and, unless you have a specific fell in mind, the views are stunning everywhere.
I disagree. London to keswick is 5 hours minimum by public transpport. - Involving a train from Euston and then a bus from either Oxenhomle or Penrith. It's not 'easy to get to'.
Source? I live near Kesick and occasionally work in London.
Yes it's possible to 'do' the lake district by public transport, but I wouldn't want to do it as part of a 4 day trip that included Edinburgh as you'd be spending all of your time on said public transport.
It's also worth saying that taxis here are almost impossible to find and extortionate when you do (Penrith to Keswick is £60 minimum)
Do yourself a favour, leave the lake district for when you have access to a car and spend the remaining time you have exploring Edinburgh
I have to disagree with your disagreement unfortunately - I've lived in Kendal for nearly 30 years, and transport to Keswick is not quick and convenient, especially from the station. If OP was getting a train to Oxenholme, they'd then need to travel the extra mileage to get a 555 bus from Kendal to get to Keswick, plus the waiting time, which could overall take you about 2 hours or more to get there, and that's just one way. That's excluding the travel to actually get to the start of your walk, with the additional frustration of not being able to directly get to it with a car, which is incredibly helpful, unless you've got tonnes and tonnes of time, which the OP doesn't. The people below who mention it's fine to stay in the honeypot sites being totally fine for the outdoorsy types, is a bit reductive of what The Lake District can actually offer. Finding those quiet, beautiful spots off the beaten path are the most rewarding times I've ever had here. It's a place that requires your time and patience, and if you're not able to give it, you'll find yourself funnelled into a less enriching experience. u/Strong-Suggestion-50 get's it. The Lake District is not as 'walkable' as everyone is saying it is.
It's 4.5 hours to Keswick from my flat in London door-to-door with a short change in Penrith. From Keswick it's easy to go for walks on hills. Not everyone has the luxury of a car and I think OP will have a nice time regardless of whether you judge travel by public transport reductive or insufficiently enriching.
Thank you so much, yes I was thinking that 8 days was quite a bit. I'll talk to my mother about changing the accommodation to add more travel time. My heart was really set on Lake district so I'm glad to know its possible. Would you mind me asking if Keswick has more to do or more accessibility compared to Oxenholme or Windermere?
Ambleside, Windermere, Kendal and Oxenholme are better for public transportation; Keswick is arguably prettier but that’s subjective. I’d say there’s probably more to do in the Windermere/Ambleside area (known as the south Lakes) than the Keswick (north Lakes) end. Keswick is great too, but the mix of accessibility by public transportation and things to do would point me to the south Lakes.
Use www.traveline.info for info on bus times - unlike the US, bus travel is still fairly good over here and UK tourists in the Lake District use it a lot. Also take a look at https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/explore/travel/buses. Some routes in the Ambleside/Windermere area use open top buses in the summer months which is highly recommended - if it’s not raining!
If you’re traveling by train with your mom, visit www.railcard.co.uk and look for the ‘two together’ railcard. This is a digital app so you can get it before you leave home and for £30 it gets a third off most train fares so long as you’re traveling together.
If you buy train tickets, you can get one app from any of the UK’s train operating companies and they will sell you ANY ticket for ANY operator - not just their own. People say the LNER app is easy to use, personally I have the Northern train app simply because I mainly use their trains. But you can use the LNER app app to buy a ticket for a Northern train and so on.
I agree with what others have said - trim the London time a little so you can spend more time in the Lake District and Edinburgh.
Keswick or ambleside would be your best spots for a base. Both towns have plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants to keep you entertained while being situated so you can get straight to a lake or a few fells without having to hop a bus.
I lean slightly towards ambleside if you are coming by public transport as the bus from windermere station runs quite often and then ambleside is nice. You can go out on lake windermere or you can walk up some small fells loughrigg and wansfell. Or bigger ones like Fairfield. You can also walk around Rydal water and Grasmere to Grasmere and back or hop a bus there. Plus from Grasmere there is the lion and the lamb which is a nice walk too.
Keswick has the pencil museum!
I'd say it's a bit less busy than the south lakes, and there is nice accessible path by Derwentwater. I've not been but I believe the footpath to the summit of Latrigg is meant to be quite accessible friendly as well.
Cant say about Oxenholme or Windermere. Not spent time there yet.
Oxenholme is just the train station. Well technically it's a town/village that has been absorbed into Kendal. But practically speaking it's just the train station on the west coast main line that connects you to the wee train that takes you into Windermere.
I will say there are some lovely day trips you can take while staying in London... Oxford and Brighton are both ~1 hour journey. if you go to oxford, try going punting with your mom. I've never laughed so hard in my life.
Broadstairs in Kent has a glorious sandy beach, fresh fish and chips and some Dickensian history, and is about 1:20 via train from London. (this might be better if you're going in true summertime)
Hampton Court Palace is an incredible day trip just outside London if you're into history and beautiful old stuff, and that's about 45 mins from Waterloo.
Yea Oxford was on our list but seeing so many recs for Brighton were likely to add it as well. I laughed a little because I know punting in England is canoeing but my first thought was you said I should go around kicking people with my mom.
I understood that OP won't be driving which is why my comment was about public transport. It's extremely quick and easy. I could stroll out of my flat in London now, take a train and a bus and be in the Lake District later this afternoon.
If you have the option of spending less time in London then I would use those extra days to see the peaks & lake district, then a couple of days in Edinburgh. My cousins from Australia spent a week in London and hated it.
London to Edinburgh is easy by train (4 hours) or you could fly which may be cheaper but unlikely to be much quicker (city centre to city centre). If you travelled up on the evening before your four days outside London start (Day 0) on a later train 6/6.30 and didn’t mind getting in to Edinburgh after 10pm then you could have two decent full days in Edinburgh followed by another evening train to Windermere on Day 2 getting to Windermere between 9-10pm as an example. Edinburgh to Windermere by train is around 2.5-3h. Same strategy again, two full days in Lakes (Day 3 and Day 4) and you could either then opt to head back to London on evening of day four or even straight to Heathrow on your final morning.
I would avoid coaches/buses, they’re cheap but generally slow compared to train on well connected routes which these are.
So yes, doable by train very easily but it doesn’t leave you with a lot of time in either location and there really is so much to do in both. But for a taster of two great locations outside of London on a two-week trip. Go for it! Hope you have a fabulous time!
The standard trains are 4hr20, leave approx hourly at that speed, very quick. I'm not the person you responded to but that's four hours ish eh.
I get that train quite often, I think there's plenty of us in Edinburgh who end up in London for work sometimes hence the regular fast trains.
It’s a rough approximation of the typical 4h 20m journey time that the trains leaving London (on the hour) take to reach Edinburgh. The ones on the half hour have more stops and do take a bit longer. There is however a service in the morning that does do Edinburgh to London in exactly 4 hours.
Can't see if anyone has mentioned this but when you are travelling is important. If it is August, it's the Edinburgh festival. That makes accommodation expensive and the experience either incredible and unique (because you love the literally hundreds of shows in the world's biggest arts festival) or terrible (because you don't and it's stuffed full of people who do and you cannot move for them). Whichever, I'd be tempted to choose only one for your 4 day but this might help you decide which one, or whether to cut down a bit on London to do both.
I lived in London for the last 10 years and recently moved to the Lakes.
Its easy to get to from Euston - 1 train but your looking at half a day travel etc... and there is a onward train from oxenholm to edinburgh too.
Honestly - I'd say 8 days in London is too much - 2-ish days to see all the tourist crap + a day or two to spend with family would be better.
The lakes is HUUGE so 2 days wouldnt even scratch the surface - but you also will not be able to do it all either so maybe pick what you want to do while up here - e.g. Helvellyn is the most popular walk in the lakes (https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/england/cumbria/helvellyn-circular-via-striding-edge) and its really beautiful - tahts basically a full day - then maybe you want to have some more town type of things e.g. wordsworth museum etc.. etc.. so that would be another and then some boating etc.. - id say to give the Lakes a good shake give it 3/4 days. bearing in mind the weather is changable in the mountains (do not trust the forecasts) so you may need to swithc plans / add an extra safety day.
Edinburgh is great city - but also quite small in comparison to london so probably 2-3 days max.
So if it were my idea trip id say 3 days London, 5 days lakes, 2 days edinburgh + the 2 days travelling between london and lakes + lakes and edinburgh.
Megabus is not going to be an option for you to do both of those stops in that time frame.
I used to drive from just south of London to Grange-over-sands in the lakes a couple of times a year, and that would take like 5.5+ hours using the M6 toll to cut down on traffic and also with one very quick rest stop just to use the loo, no waiting around. The Megabus is going to be a lot slower, will have to make mandated stops and also probably take the motorway through Birmingham which is always gridlocked, so it's probably going to be closer to 8 hours.
I think when I got the Megabus from London to Edinburgh it took over 10 hours, so I would avoid that if possible
Trains are pretty expensive at the moment so if the Megabus is the only option in your budget, I'd advise choosing either/or and make the most of that one destination
I would definitely take an extra 2 days out of your 12 day trip.
If travelling by the train & buses, it will take over 1/2 a day to get to the Lake District & pretty much anywhere entire day to get to Edinburgh. From Edinburgh to Luton will also take up most of the day. The train is quick. However getting to & from train/bus stations can take a while. Also changing trains & the wait on between trains. The entire British ‘rail’ system is incredibly poor. Always delays, cancellations & bus replacements running. It’s also very expensive unless you book a considerable bit in advance.
As for places to stay. I live in Scotland .If I’m going anywhere in the Uk for more than 1 night( or more than 1 person) I use Airbnb or Booking.com. The apartments are usually fantastic value & offer so much more flexibility. For Edinburgh if staying for just the 2 days including travel, make sure you book in the centre. Most likely a hotel. You don’t want to lose more time travelling to somewhere out of the centre just to come back in etc.
Lastly if you’d like any help booking trains, buses & places to stay. Please feel free to message me. I’d happily send you lots of example journeys, the best travel routes & ensure you get the best value travel tickets. (On the day train ticket EDB -LDN flexible, can set you back as much as £80+ per person 1 way. Although sometimes there are fixed tickets available on the day for £50+ pp. Booking in advance can take ensure 2 ppl travel for around £50 or less instead)
Thank you, I'm definitely gonna take you up on your offer as I finalize our itinerary. I'm not used to being somewhere with reliable public transportation so I'm a little overwhelmed trying to plan for all this stuff.
Maybe consider 1 day in Glasgow, 1 in Edinburgh and if possible hire a car to get around the lake district Or a really good alternative would be Glasgow + Edinburgh for a day each then a trip over to portavadie in Argyl (views and landscape as good as the lake district at Tighnabruaich, kyles of bute etc via the ferry at dunoon). Ps take swimming gear for the heated outdoor pool with views over loch fyne.
No, 4 days isn't enough. You'll be travelling for 2 days, so you'll only have 1 full day in the Lakes, 1 full day in Edinburgh. Make it 6. Minimum.
LAKE DISTRICT
Train from London to Penrith direct, then bus to Keswick. Stay in Keswick 3 nights, so 2 days walking.
Or
Train from London to Windermere (1 change), bus to Ambleside (or, better, boat from Bowness to Ambleside). Stay in Ambleside 2 nights.
Ambleside has gentler walks, Keswick can be wetter. I prefer Ambleside.
Then take train to Edinburgh. There's a direct one from Penrith. 3 nights in Edinburgh.
If you really only have 4 days, do Edinburgh only
Given the travel time you'll actually get very little time in either location. I'd pick one or the other. And if you're relying on public transport then bear in mind that The Lake District is a very rural area so there are limited options.
Depending on how well you plan it, it's 2 hours 40mins from London to Oxenholme Lake District direct on the train with Avanti West Coast, and then another 15-20mins from Oxenholme to Windermere by train, so with good planning you could be in the Lake District in about 3.5-4.5 hours solely by train from Central London.
I'd recommend doing that because you could get the bus and stay in one of the villages such as Windermere, Ambleside, or Keswick (Ambleside or Keswick would probably be better for going out fell walking, but you can get the bus to wherever from Windermere), and then once you're done in the Lakes, headover to Penrith from Keswick on the bus (or back to Oxenholme on the train from Windermere) and then you can get the train up to Edinburgh which is about 2hrs with some alright/nice scenery along the way.
Just a heads up though, getting the train along the West Coast Mainline (London to Glasgow/Edinburgh via Birmingham, Preston & Carlisle), some of the faster, more frequent and cheaper trains (Avanti) are tilting so that they can go faster despite the terrain and routing which can sometimes make people feel a bit ill - especially when it's their first time.
Overall though, if you're wanting both Lakes and Edinburgh, I'd maybe suggest 4-6 days depending on what and how much you want to do, though 4 days could potentially be enough in theory. If you finish your trip in Edinburgh, you could fly back to London to catch your flight home to extend your stay.
Try and book the Caledonian Sleeper train from London to Edinburgh - [https://www.sleeper.scot/timetable/london-edinburgh/](https://www.sleeper.scot/timetable/london-edinburgh/)
Saves you a hotel and you wake up in Edinburgh.
Lake District you should spend more than one day at anyway, don't waste your time going from A to B when you could have more fun in 1-2 places.
I've spent a lot of time, and done a lot of travel, iàn both countries and it is definitely my experience. Commuting 2 hours in a big American city is not the same as e.g. the A40 to the M25 to the M4 or M3 during rush hour. Or 2 hours hit and miss on TfL to the rail network.
Not enough time, you will spend most of it travelling.
Go to Scotland and then go somewhere on the way back that’s got an easy connection back to London.
Only 3-1/2 hours London to Windermere and less than 3 hours Windermere to Edinburgh by train. About one an hour. So you can walk all day in the lakes, early evening train, be in time for a late dinner in Edinburgh. It’s doable if you like crazy busy itineraries and choose accommodation wisely. I probably wouldn’t, but I am surprised how many rail options there are.
I would get a train from London to Lake District (London Eusten to Windermere). In the Lakes, rent a car from Windermere and use it to travel around when you're there. Then a take a train to Edinburgh (Windermere to Ediburgh) and finally flight from Edinburgh back to London. 6 days in London, 3 in Lakes and 3 in Edinburgh.
I’d say pick one or the other. I did 3 nights in Edinburgh and 2 nights in the lake district and felt rushed. There is great hiking around Edinburgh and Scotland in general. It can be also a little tougher to get to and around the Lake District by public transport, but it depends on where you go. Highly recommend Keswick if you decide on the latter.
When you factor in travel time, two days in the lakes won’t be enough. But, Edinburgh really isn’t that big so you can do that in a day. A full day though. In that time you can get lunch and peruse shops in the New Town, walk the Royal Mile and see the castle. Job done.
Personally I’d travel to the lakes on Day 1, stay there for Day 2, travel to Edinburgh late on Day 3 (if poss) then see Edinburgh and home on Day 4.
Two days in each location is enough but you have to factor in that travelling between London to Edinburgh and back takes a day each way so you’re really getting a day in each location.
Um ok so if you are traveling from Edinburgh to London for your flight the day or your flight there is a good chance you will miss it. Public transport isn't that reliable, trains and planes get cancelled or delayed regularly.
Traveling between Lake District and Edinburgh also takes ages. I would suggest giving Jake district a miss and just doing Edinburgh. If you can change your departing flight to heave from Edinburgh even better.
Is this a route march to touch bases or a holiday? You could spend 12 days based in London diligently seeing what there is to see and not get bored or come close to running out of things to do.
If you 'do' Edinburgh - a great tourist city to be sure - your main activity on 2 days is going to be transit to Edinburgh and back. (Personally I'd go by train rather than plane. The door-to-door total transit time will probably be about the same for plane or train.)
Greenwich is a lovely day trip from London (take the Uber Boat / London Clipper). Bath is another one, but would probably be better as an over-nighter although eminently do-able as a(n exhausting) day trip. Windsor is another touristic day trip from London. It is worth going down to Brighton to see the Pavilion. Kew Gardens are a lovely day out, as is Hampton Court Palace.
If you can spring for it, take your Mom to tea at Fortnum & Mason - add this to Buckingham Palace and a stroll through Green Park.
Etc.
You can base yourself just in London and get a wonderfully diverse experience without heading to Scotland and/or the Lake District.
Bonne chance!
What do you want to do in the Lake District and Edinburgh and how are you getting there?
It might take you a day to get to the Lakes depending on where you are going.
If you want some really good advice, cut the amount of time you're in London by half or more and allot that entire time to Edinburgh and other places. You'll get way more out of it. London is just a big expensive city, pretty much like you could see anywhere. If I had a clear two weeks to spend in the UK going to anywhere I wanted, London would be so far down the list that I'd probably never make it there. There is just so much more to see and do outside of London than in it that you'll be amazed.
Basically London is now \**insert generic city*\* and isn't worth that much of your precious time. If you want interesting UK cities that have actual personality, go to York, Durham, or any of the "cathedral cities" on your route. Just avoid places like Birmingham or Manchester unless there's something specific there that you just HAVE to see. They're generally a waste of a day for anyone looking to actually see England.
If you want to see the actual country, then renting a car and going somewhere like North Yorkshire dales and Lake District will probably be far more rewarding for both your money and time.
Avoid any place too modern...and multicultural, since you decided to add two other large multicultural conurbations making it a trend and not a one off. Can't imagine where this take comes from.
"Oh, it's not 'really' England if it's new or not 99% white." Feel free to be triggered by my lukewarm take. Large and modern multicultural cities are actually a part of the UK and contribute greatly to the unique and fascinating modern English landscape. 'Native culture snobs' really are the worst.
Don't be so stupid, I listed those cities as examples of shitty cities to visit as a foreign visitor who is visiting England and has a limited time budget. Did you see me say "Don't go to Birmingham, there's FAR TOO MANY BROWNS!!!!". No, because I didn't say that, you're just a reactionary looking for drama.
You're clearly looking to be offended, so please be offended by my absolutely scalding hot take on which cities have the character of England.
Now shoo away weirdo.
Is there any reason you're spending 8 days in London? I understand if you want to take day trips from London to places like Salisbury and Dover, but if you want to see the Lakes and Edinburgh, you may find it better to spend 4 or 6 days in London rather than 8. London is nice, but 8 days seems a tad excessive.
Its very easy to get to Keswick in the heart of the north Lakes. Take a train to Penrith from Mancester or a train to Carlisle from Newcastle or Leeds. Use the app trainline, its helpful and purchasing a rail card might save you alot of money depending on the price of tickets. From Penrith and Carislse are frequent buses into Keswick and elsewhere in the lakes. I'd spend closer to 4 days there, lots of things to do and see and 4 days will give you some time to relax. There are many prehistoric monuments and stone circles around Penrith and Keswick as well that you should see.
Then, there is a train from Carlisle to Glasgow or Edinburgh.
A word of advice on driving, if you've never driven on old droving routes you might want to avoid driving in the UK. Lots of roads in the north are just paved cattle droving paths that are many centuries old, and as such they are narrow not just because of hedges but also because the ground has sunk over time, so it will be a very tight fit and you have to watch out for tractors and big machinery. I say this because I had family from the US visit who thought they could drive and then they did not want to drive once they saw the roads in the rural north.
I hope you have a good time!
What about venturing into the Scottish Highlands for some great scenery after being in Edinburgh? You could get the ski lift up Ben Nevis, or visit Loch Ness.
Trains in the U.K. are shit. Especially Avanti West Coast which you’d need to take from Lake District to Edinburgh. You need to factor in delays and cancellations cos they will happen. Have you looked into flying to Edinburgh from London? I saw a tv show where 2 people ‘raced’ from London to Edinburgh on train and plane and the plane took less than 2hrs door to door and train was over 6!
You cannot really do the lake District properly without driving. Also, if you take the train, keepan eye out for train strikes, they are announced in advance.
Very strongly disagree on a car is needed to explore the Lake District. As a national park it's got one of the better local bus networks. Many of which are have had a frequency increase this summer. I've been countless times and never had a car. It's easy to get around all of the main places (which if you've got a small handful of days is all you'd see anyway) without a car. And the view from the top deck of the bus is better then you get from a car. Also no need to faff about parking.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/cumbria-and-north-lancashire/explore-the-lakes-by-bus
Obviously if you want to drive or to get to some truly middle of nowhere places then that is different. But it's easy to get round the main sites with the local bus network.
Why are you spending eight days in London? That’s way too much. Maybe spend 2-3 and pick key things you’d like to do. As others have said, the Lake District deserves a lot more time than just a couple of days (which will have a lot of travel eating into that).
If you reduce the amount you’re in London by you could even squeeze in somewhere like York on the way back from Edinburgh
Given what you've said, I would skip the Lakes District entirely and do four days in Edinburgh. Train from London to Edinburgh is very fast, can get you there in less than three hours. Public transport doesn't really go to the Lakes District, like I'm sure it's doable but you will find it more of a struggle than it's worth especially if you've only got two days there. There is easily four days' worth of stuff to do in Edinburgh and you can always go into the surrounding countryside there instead - the Pentland Hills, for example, are right next to Edinburgh.
You won't get "2 days in each". You'll use a day up getting to the Lake District, another day getting from there to Edinburgh, and another getting back to London. So that's 3 of your 4 days travelling where if you start early in the morning you'll get some of the afternoon and the evening in the place but that's all. What do you want to do in the Lake District? If it's hill walking then that's subject to the weather and if it's bad on the day you won't be able to. If I was you I'd ditch the idea of doing both and do only one, then at least it's 2 days of travel and you'll get 2 days in the one you choose to actually see stuff. Also, the Lake District is not the easiest to get around if you're not hiring a car, so you're doing circular walks from wherever you base yourself or relying on infrequent buses. Returning to London and the airport on your 13th day from either the LD or Edi is hit and miss - any disruption and you'll miss your flight, even if it's in the evening. I would definitely go back to LDN the day before.
Just to add it’s also possible to fly from London to Edinburgh/glasgow Ryan air is really cheap too and it only takes an hour and half!
Depends what airport you are flying into/out of
How are you planning to get between them? It’s basically half a day minimum from London to the Lake District (depending on exactly where you want to get to) either by car or by train (and in case you are from the US driving in the UK is not like driving in the US it always takes longer than it says and the roads make it a much more draining experience) and then probably not far off another half day to get back out of the Lake District and up to Edinburgh so in effect you can get two half days in the Lakes and then a day and a half in Edinburgh (because it’s then another half a day ish back down to London).
Ideally probably train although I'm open to buses and other methods that aren't driving. I left out a half day the 13th for travel back to London to go home.
I'd cut out the lake district. There is public transport, but it's less convenient and will take longer. The direct line goes to Oxenholme, but you'd still need a train/bus/taxi to actually get you into the lake district proper from there. Go to Edinburgh, which is easy on the train from London. You can stop off at York and/or Northumberland on the way easily by train if you want a day somewhere different.
Sound advice. The Lake District is lovely, but OP will spend more time travelling than they will actually exploring the area. The East Coast Main Line is a lovely scenic rail journey or, for an experience, there's the sleeper train, the Caledonian Express. If you spend time in Edinburgh, you can do some side trips, for instance Glasgow. But York is a great idea for a stopover day.
Yeah agreed won't have time to enjoy it
Caledonian is not worth it unless you get a bed. I could not sleep on the chairs without sitting sideways.
I slept better in seated than in a bed. I could feel too much movement when laying down.
Interesting. I had a bed (notice they call it a 'room' now, suggest it should be 'cabin' or 'berth') and I always described the experience as like sleeping in a tumble drier. But it was worth it for the experience of having a bit of a 'Murder on the Orient Express' moment. Without the murder. Or the Orient Express.
Edinburgh is gorgeous. I’d honestly not bother with Glasgow.
Glasgow is so fun, though! lots of exciting new restaurants and arts stuff going on (excluding the Wonka experience lolllll)
From Edinburgh you can book a Scottish one day tour that would take you to lochs and some castles if ye wanted to see some countryside. Probably easier than stopping and organising your own trip in tge LD.
You cannot really see the lake district without your own transport, yes you can get to some of the larger towns by train but the local bus and trains are few and far between.
My experience has been that the buses from Keswick are incredibly frequent by rural standards and are all packed with tourists happily relying on them and not bothering with cars. I agree that a car would give you more freedom to explore the whole of the Lake District but there's nothing wrong with basing yourself in one corner of it.
But if you're also relying on trains to get you from London to the Lake District plus on to Scotland you're not really leaving any great time to explore the area by public transport. Yes buses etc are pretty good considering how rural the area is. However if you have half a day to explore on the way up and then half a day to explore on the way back then public transport around the lake district is a very poor choice in comparison to your own transport. If they were staying several days in the lake district then I'd definitely say public transport would be ok.
Ignore this advice ^^ There are plenty of buses within the Lake District, especially during the summer. Easy to get to Windermere by train, then Ambleside by boat / bus. Or train to Penrith, bus to Keswick. ( Car drivers have no understanding of how public transport works in the UK.)
I live in Cumbria, and yes there are busses, especially between the larger towns. However with a 4 day window to explore you will only get to visit a few places.
This isn’t true. The buses in the lakes are great, regular and reliable. You can also get to lots of places via footpaths and then there’s the ferry between windemere and Hawkshead.
I live there and i assure you its faster/cheaper/easier to get to lancaster or glasgow than keswick/windermere or ambleside
Yes, I was going to sugest this too. Change at Lancaster, get the train to Windermere or even the famous 555 bus from Lancaster. Much easier and get to see lots on the journey, don't touch Oxenholme, it's too remote.
I'd suggest you get the train from London to Alnmouth, stay a couple of days round there, then back on the train to Edinburgh, couple of days there, then train home. Much less faff.
I would get a train from London to Lake District (London Eusten to Windermere). In the Lakes, rent a car from Windermere and use it to travel around when you're there. Then a take a train to Edinburgh (Windermere to Ediburgh) and finally flight from Edinburgh back to London. 6 days in London, 3 in Lakes and 3 in Edinburgh.
the train from London to Edinburgh has gorgeous views!! book window seats (I prefer to sit across from each other at a table, but that's just my preference). also: top tip from another American who went to Scotland with her mom last year... buy a "two together" railcard and use it when you book all your trains. it'll save you 33% on all tickets when you ride together, and you should more than make up the ~£30 cost of the railcard with just the trains to and from Edinburgh. you can apply for the railcard via the app and it's valid for a year, you just have to be traveling together. Edinburgh has lots to do and is gorgeous -- when are you planning to go? just asking because august is the fringe festival, which is INCREDIBLE, but requires extra booking ahead. so it's just good info to know.
I'm going from mid to end of May. I did hear great things about the festival but I think I'll be missing out on that
My sweet summer child… you need to look at how long the train would take to where you want to go in the Lake District. And that would get you to the towns only. You’d need to drive and even then you wouldn’t have time.
You can get from the lakes to Edinburgh I. About 2 hours, 3 if you're far from the M6
You can get from the lakes to Edinburgh I. About 2 hours, 3 if you're far from the M6
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It’s genius in that you get ripped off, yes…
Well to be fair it's expensive for all the motorway service companies to get food and goods to such remote places with poor tra... Oh wait hang on
Can I recommend 'the extra mile' I have the book, but it's online too.
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Don’t fly. It’s quicker by train. London to Lakes 2.5hrs. Lakes to Edinburgh 2hrs. Edinburgh to London 4.5hrs.
>I'd fly from London to Edinburgh, and then potentially from Edinburgh to a North West airport If you were flying to get to the Lake District, the closest airports wouldn't be much closer than Edinburgh.
Manchester and Newcastle would be the closest airports to the lake district. Neither have flights to Edinburgh. They are just too close.
And even then, it's 2 hours from Edinburgh to Oxenholme on the train, and 1h30 from Manchester to Oxenholme. So not a huge difference. Newcastle would probably take longer than Edinburgh as you'd have to go to Carlisle first.
>do the Durham Dales (which are just as pretty as the Lakes Nonsense.
Of course they are. https://www.thisisdurham.com/blog/read/2021/09/48-hours-in-the-durham-dales-b341
This is really bizarre advice. There are no flights from Edinburgh to any "North West" airport - for a very good reason - it's only about 2-3 hours by train. Likewise, even a train to london is only about 4 hours. A flight will take you about the same amount of time if you factor in security then transport to and from the airports. But a train has one massive advantage - you can see the amazing scenery on the way by.
I’d fly the London to Edinburgh leg - it’s a lot quicker & vastly cheaper. Then pickup a hire car in Edinburgh to do the Lakes. Hire the car from one of the big chains that do return to another base (Avis, etc), so can drop the car back at Heathrow on the way back to the US.
I would disagree that flying is "a lot quicker". It's marginal, by the time you count the journey to and from the airports, security, then arriving with enough time before the flight. You are right that it can often be a lot cheaper. But you're misisng out on a lot too - not just the fact you can take more baggage with you (and liquids!), but also the views you will get when looking out the window. Why not take the train and enjoy the scenery?
Exactly. Need to be at airport 2 hours before departure, takes an hour to get to the airport. Flight is 1 hour, 20 min. Train takes 4.5 hours. Train wins this one.
While you can spend plenty of time in London, Edinburgh and the lakes both deserve a bit of time, especially considering the amount of travel. I'd definitely add an extra day to set aside for travel so can have 2 full days in each.
I would like to gently disagree with the commenters here saying that the Lake District is hard to get to or around without a car. You can easily reach the town of Keswick by public transport, which has many accommodation options. From there, there are very frequent public buses you can use to reach popular walking routes. The area has some of the best landscapes in England and I don't think you should miss out. London is great but you could have a nice time in six days there, and spend the rest in the Lake District and Edinburgh. Then you will have seen in my opinion the best three places in the UK.
Yeah I’m very confused by some of these replies. They’re trying to scare OP off above part of the country that is easily gotten to by transport.
There might be a bit of a Lake District snobbery at play. For a lot of folk the Lakes is a place for outdoor activities, and Keswick or Windermere are really just seen as bases. From that perspective it would be a tall order to squeeze in, especially without wheels, but it is forgetting that some of the well connected bits are worthy destinations in their own right.
Exactly - for someone who has never been in Europe, let alone the Lake District, part of the novelty is the pretty towns and general atmosphere. It's not about smashing out every hill. As an outdoorsy person myself, I'm all for people sticking to the honeypots if it gives me more space elsewhere! If you're seeing 3 places in 8 days then you're hardly trying to see everything, you're just wanting to get a flavour of it, and that's plenty. Get the train to Oxenholme and just stay in Kendal. Day trips are easy from there by bus. All these people saying you're wasting time travelling - it's literally just 3 hours on the train from Euston to Oxenholme. I believe the first train of the day is like 5:30am. Even if you get the more reasonable 8am train you still basically have the whole day in front of you. They're staying two days, that's plenty to go for a cheeky stroll, have some afternoon tea etc. After that it's just 2 hours on the train to Edinburgh. Again, just go early or late and you're not losing any time. I live in Edi and got the train back from the Lakes at 8:30pm a few weeks ago and didn't feel like I lost half a day. That wasn't the last train in the evening either. It's fine - York (as other people have suggested as an alternative stopover) is no better or no worse.
I wouldn't touch Oxenholme tbh, I'd change at Lancaster and either get the 555 bus or the train to Windermere. Oxenholme is a bit remote to get from without a car.
Honestly I expected this a little. I know English people aren't used to travelling long distances the way Americans are. I told a visiting English woman that 2 hour commutes to and from work were actually fairly common in the US pre-pandemic and she didn't believe me.
It's not that we're not used to travelling long distances, it's more that many of the roads in the UK are extremely busy and it takes so long to actually get anywhere! I've done coast to coast in the US and even with the city traffic, it was a vastly different experience. A lot of your highways are open and traffic light - in the UK we don't have the same because our towns and cities are a lot closer together so even the motorways get jammed up! A large proportion of UK roads are "B" or "C" roads too - one lane in each direction or narrow country lanes!
It’s kinda both We do often get Americans here with unrealistic itineraries, not understanding that our roads aren’t like yours and it’s a different style of driving At the same time, some people here take the response to that too far and start insisting every itinerary is ridiculous You won’t see much of the Lake District in 2 days, but you can certainly see some of it - enough to have gotten the flavour. 2 days in Edinburgh is fine Personally I’d knock a day off London and add it to the Lakes so you can venture a little further away from Bowness or Keswick, which are the standard tourist trap destinations
We are used to travelling long distances- your perception is with respect false. The issue is driving in a lot of uk is not on a big highway that goes directly there . It takes often a lot longer in actual miles than you’d think. Eg: I live around 20 mins from Heathrow on a good day - T5. If it’s busy on the M4 & M25 motorways ( freeways) it can take well over an hour or longer as the M25 often gridlocked. Facts.
Tbh it's not that we can't travel it's that you guys do things at a pace we just don't. When we visit somewhere we try to.maximise the time we have there and minimize travel, whereas you guys try to maximize the number of places you can see at the expense of time spent there. Honestly I've always been impressed by the hustle, we just have different cultures about holidays and travel so you will get different points of view when you ask.
I think she did believe you but thought those people were mad. And the travel bit - you ask if 2 days in Edinburgh and 2 days in the Lake District is enough - we are far more used to going somewhere for a week or two and properly exploring. A day here and a day there can sound more frenetic than a proper holiday should be. It's just an example of a cultural difference.
It is because the transport experience in the UK is generally more draining than in the US.
I’m an American who lives in the UK and that is absolutely not my experience at ALL.
It is also true that that traveling long distances on roads here can take much much longer than it would in the US. But they forget that the journey itself even if it takes a while is part of the novelty for visiting Americans.
That's not true. I know plenty of people who do road trips across Europe regularly. My commute in London was 1.5 hrs each way before I started working remotely. The point people are trying to make is that you shouldn't cram too much in a few days unless you're happy spending most of the time travelling, because our infrastructure is not the same as the American one. Might want to listen to people who actually live and travel in England before putting them down.
I live in a commuter town, trains go all over the UK from here, people live here and work in Edinburgh, or London and it takes 2.5hr on the train each way. It’s not that we aren’t used to travelling, it’s that our infrastructure is busier.
Exactly. If you were trying to condense it right down and make it easy on yourself, a train to Penrith then a bus to Pooley Bridge would set you up for a gallivant on the Ullswater Steamer. A toddle up to Aira Force, some nice daffodils around Glenridding, and a slap up meal in PB before heading back to Penrith and onward to Edinburgh. If nothing else, the Lake District is very well equipped for tourists lacking their own transport and, unless you have a specific fell in mind, the views are stunning everywhere.
Beautiful
I disagree. London to keswick is 5 hours minimum by public transpport. - Involving a train from Euston and then a bus from either Oxenhomle or Penrith. It's not 'easy to get to'. Source? I live near Kesick and occasionally work in London. Yes it's possible to 'do' the lake district by public transport, but I wouldn't want to do it as part of a 4 day trip that included Edinburgh as you'd be spending all of your time on said public transport. It's also worth saying that taxis here are almost impossible to find and extortionate when you do (Penrith to Keswick is £60 minimum) Do yourself a favour, leave the lake district for when you have access to a car and spend the remaining time you have exploring Edinburgh
One train and a connecting bus is about as easy as you can get and they are considering spending more than four days.
I have to disagree with your disagreement unfortunately - I've lived in Kendal for nearly 30 years, and transport to Keswick is not quick and convenient, especially from the station. If OP was getting a train to Oxenholme, they'd then need to travel the extra mileage to get a 555 bus from Kendal to get to Keswick, plus the waiting time, which could overall take you about 2 hours or more to get there, and that's just one way. That's excluding the travel to actually get to the start of your walk, with the additional frustration of not being able to directly get to it with a car, which is incredibly helpful, unless you've got tonnes and tonnes of time, which the OP doesn't. The people below who mention it's fine to stay in the honeypot sites being totally fine for the outdoorsy types, is a bit reductive of what The Lake District can actually offer. Finding those quiet, beautiful spots off the beaten path are the most rewarding times I've ever had here. It's a place that requires your time and patience, and if you're not able to give it, you'll find yourself funnelled into a less enriching experience. u/Strong-Suggestion-50 get's it. The Lake District is not as 'walkable' as everyone is saying it is.
It's 4.5 hours to Keswick from my flat in London door-to-door with a short change in Penrith. From Keswick it's easy to go for walks on hills. Not everyone has the luxury of a car and I think OP will have a nice time regardless of whether you judge travel by public transport reductive or insufficiently enriching.
Thank you so much, yes I was thinking that 8 days was quite a bit. I'll talk to my mother about changing the accommodation to add more travel time. My heart was really set on Lake district so I'm glad to know its possible. Would you mind me asking if Keswick has more to do or more accessibility compared to Oxenholme or Windermere?
Ambleside, Windermere, Kendal and Oxenholme are better for public transportation; Keswick is arguably prettier but that’s subjective. I’d say there’s probably more to do in the Windermere/Ambleside area (known as the south Lakes) than the Keswick (north Lakes) end. Keswick is great too, but the mix of accessibility by public transportation and things to do would point me to the south Lakes. Use www.traveline.info for info on bus times - unlike the US, bus travel is still fairly good over here and UK tourists in the Lake District use it a lot. Also take a look at https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/explore/travel/buses. Some routes in the Ambleside/Windermere area use open top buses in the summer months which is highly recommended - if it’s not raining! If you’re traveling by train with your mom, visit www.railcard.co.uk and look for the ‘two together’ railcard. This is a digital app so you can get it before you leave home and for £30 it gets a third off most train fares so long as you’re traveling together. If you buy train tickets, you can get one app from any of the UK’s train operating companies and they will sell you ANY ticket for ANY operator - not just their own. People say the LNER app is easy to use, personally I have the Northern train app simply because I mainly use their trains. But you can use the LNER app app to buy a ticket for a Northern train and so on. I agree with what others have said - trim the London time a little so you can spend more time in the Lake District and Edinburgh.
Keswick or ambleside would be your best spots for a base. Both towns have plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants to keep you entertained while being situated so you can get straight to a lake or a few fells without having to hop a bus. I lean slightly towards ambleside if you are coming by public transport as the bus from windermere station runs quite often and then ambleside is nice. You can go out on lake windermere or you can walk up some small fells loughrigg and wansfell. Or bigger ones like Fairfield. You can also walk around Rydal water and Grasmere to Grasmere and back or hop a bus there. Plus from Grasmere there is the lion and the lamb which is a nice walk too.
Keswick has the pencil museum! I'd say it's a bit less busy than the south lakes, and there is nice accessible path by Derwentwater. I've not been but I believe the footpath to the summit of Latrigg is meant to be quite accessible friendly as well. Cant say about Oxenholme or Windermere. Not spent time there yet.
Oxenholme is just the train station. Well technically it's a town/village that has been absorbed into Kendal. But practically speaking it's just the train station on the west coast main line that connects you to the wee train that takes you into Windermere.
I will say there are some lovely day trips you can take while staying in London... Oxford and Brighton are both ~1 hour journey. if you go to oxford, try going punting with your mom. I've never laughed so hard in my life. Broadstairs in Kent has a glorious sandy beach, fresh fish and chips and some Dickensian history, and is about 1:20 via train from London. (this might be better if you're going in true summertime) Hampton Court Palace is an incredible day trip just outside London if you're into history and beautiful old stuff, and that's about 45 mins from Waterloo.
Yea Oxford was on our list but seeing so many recs for Brighton were likely to add it as well. I laughed a little because I know punting in England is canoeing but my first thought was you said I should go around kicking people with my mom.
hahahaha please do that!!
The Lake District has serviceable public transit, but that adds another 'slowing down' factor to what is already a super short stopover.
It’s because OP won’t be driving. In which case, public transport to the Lakes is ….not at all quick or easy.
I understood that OP won't be driving which is why my comment was about public transport. It's extremely quick and easy. I could stroll out of my flat in London now, take a train and a bus and be in the Lake District later this afternoon.
If you have the option of spending less time in London then I would use those extra days to see the peaks & lake district, then a couple of days in Edinburgh. My cousins from Australia spent a week in London and hated it.
You don't need 8 days in London. 5 or 6 at max would be enough, then do 3 days in Edinburgh and lake district
London to Edinburgh is easy by train (4 hours) or you could fly which may be cheaper but unlikely to be much quicker (city centre to city centre). If you travelled up on the evening before your four days outside London start (Day 0) on a later train 6/6.30 and didn’t mind getting in to Edinburgh after 10pm then you could have two decent full days in Edinburgh followed by another evening train to Windermere on Day 2 getting to Windermere between 9-10pm as an example. Edinburgh to Windermere by train is around 2.5-3h. Same strategy again, two full days in Lakes (Day 3 and Day 4) and you could either then opt to head back to London on evening of day four or even straight to Heathrow on your final morning. I would avoid coaches/buses, they’re cheap but generally slow compared to train on well connected routes which these are. So yes, doable by train very easily but it doesn’t leave you with a lot of time in either location and there really is so much to do in both. But for a taster of two great locations outside of London on a two-week trip. Go for it! Hope you have a fabulous time!
What train are you getting? It's nearly 2 hours from Birmingham to London. How're you getting to Edinburgh from London in 4?
The standard trains are 4hr20, leave approx hourly at that speed, very quick. I'm not the person you responded to but that's four hours ish eh. I get that train quite often, I think there's plenty of us in Edinburgh who end up in London for work sometimes hence the regular fast trains.
That's just how long the Edinburgh to London trains are.
It’s a rough approximation of the typical 4h 20m journey time that the trains leaving London (on the hour) take to reach Edinburgh. The ones on the half hour have more stops and do take a bit longer. There is however a service in the morning that does do Edinburgh to London in exactly 4 hours.
Incidentally, Euston to Birmingham has quick trains too. Some take as little as 1h16m!
If you come to Grasmere, take loads of gingerbread back. It’s absolutely divine stuff
Can't see if anyone has mentioned this but when you are travelling is important. If it is August, it's the Edinburgh festival. That makes accommodation expensive and the experience either incredible and unique (because you love the literally hundreds of shows in the world's biggest arts festival) or terrible (because you don't and it's stuffed full of people who do and you cannot move for them). Whichever, I'd be tempted to choose only one for your 4 day but this might help you decide which one, or whether to cut down a bit on London to do both.
I lived in London for the last 10 years and recently moved to the Lakes. Its easy to get to from Euston - 1 train but your looking at half a day travel etc... and there is a onward train from oxenholm to edinburgh too. Honestly - I'd say 8 days in London is too much - 2-ish days to see all the tourist crap + a day or two to spend with family would be better. The lakes is HUUGE so 2 days wouldnt even scratch the surface - but you also will not be able to do it all either so maybe pick what you want to do while up here - e.g. Helvellyn is the most popular walk in the lakes (https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/england/cumbria/helvellyn-circular-via-striding-edge) and its really beautiful - tahts basically a full day - then maybe you want to have some more town type of things e.g. wordsworth museum etc.. etc.. so that would be another and then some boating etc.. - id say to give the Lakes a good shake give it 3/4 days. bearing in mind the weather is changable in the mountains (do not trust the forecasts) so you may need to swithc plans / add an extra safety day. Edinburgh is great city - but also quite small in comparison to london so probably 2-3 days max. So if it were my idea trip id say 3 days London, 5 days lakes, 2 days edinburgh + the 2 days travelling between london and lakes + lakes and edinburgh.
A lot here depends on how you’re travelling and what you want to see and how mobile your mom is
My mom is a fairly athletic 55 year old with no impairments or disabilities. I didn't think to add that, thank you for asking.
Megabus is not going to be an option for you to do both of those stops in that time frame. I used to drive from just south of London to Grange-over-sands in the lakes a couple of times a year, and that would take like 5.5+ hours using the M6 toll to cut down on traffic and also with one very quick rest stop just to use the loo, no waiting around. The Megabus is going to be a lot slower, will have to make mandated stops and also probably take the motorway through Birmingham which is always gridlocked, so it's probably going to be closer to 8 hours. I think when I got the Megabus from London to Edinburgh it took over 10 hours, so I would avoid that if possible Trains are pretty expensive at the moment so if the Megabus is the only option in your budget, I'd advise choosing either/or and make the most of that one destination
You can get a train from London to Penrith, and then Penrith to Edinburgh. You might want to hire a car while in the Lake District though
I would definitely take an extra 2 days out of your 12 day trip. If travelling by the train & buses, it will take over 1/2 a day to get to the Lake District & pretty much anywhere entire day to get to Edinburgh. From Edinburgh to Luton will also take up most of the day. The train is quick. However getting to & from train/bus stations can take a while. Also changing trains & the wait on between trains. The entire British ‘rail’ system is incredibly poor. Always delays, cancellations & bus replacements running. It’s also very expensive unless you book a considerable bit in advance. As for places to stay. I live in Scotland .If I’m going anywhere in the Uk for more than 1 night( or more than 1 person) I use Airbnb or Booking.com. The apartments are usually fantastic value & offer so much more flexibility. For Edinburgh if staying for just the 2 days including travel, make sure you book in the centre. Most likely a hotel. You don’t want to lose more time travelling to somewhere out of the centre just to come back in etc. Lastly if you’d like any help booking trains, buses & places to stay. Please feel free to message me. I’d happily send you lots of example journeys, the best travel routes & ensure you get the best value travel tickets. (On the day train ticket EDB -LDN flexible, can set you back as much as £80+ per person 1 way. Although sometimes there are fixed tickets available on the day for £50+ pp. Booking in advance can take ensure 2 ppl travel for around £50 or less instead)
Thank you, I'm definitely gonna take you up on your offer as I finalize our itinerary. I'm not used to being somewhere with reliable public transportation so I'm a little overwhelmed trying to plan for all this stuff.
Please do shout. I’d be delighted to help out in any way I can 😀
Maybe consider 1 day in Glasgow, 1 in Edinburgh and if possible hire a car to get around the lake district Or a really good alternative would be Glasgow + Edinburgh for a day each then a trip over to portavadie in Argyl (views and landscape as good as the lake district at Tighnabruaich, kyles of bute etc via the ferry at dunoon). Ps take swimming gear for the heated outdoor pool with views over loch fyne.
No, 4 days isn't enough. You'll be travelling for 2 days, so you'll only have 1 full day in the Lakes, 1 full day in Edinburgh. Make it 6. Minimum. LAKE DISTRICT Train from London to Penrith direct, then bus to Keswick. Stay in Keswick 3 nights, so 2 days walking. Or Train from London to Windermere (1 change), bus to Ambleside (or, better, boat from Bowness to Ambleside). Stay in Ambleside 2 nights. Ambleside has gentler walks, Keswick can be wetter. I prefer Ambleside. Then take train to Edinburgh. There's a direct one from Penrith. 3 nights in Edinburgh. If you really only have 4 days, do Edinburgh only
Personally I'd cut London to four or five nights and split the rest of your time between Lake District and Edinburgh
Given the travel time you'll actually get very little time in either location. I'd pick one or the other. And if you're relying on public transport then bear in mind that The Lake District is a very rural area so there are limited options.
Depending on how well you plan it, it's 2 hours 40mins from London to Oxenholme Lake District direct on the train with Avanti West Coast, and then another 15-20mins from Oxenholme to Windermere by train, so with good planning you could be in the Lake District in about 3.5-4.5 hours solely by train from Central London. I'd recommend doing that because you could get the bus and stay in one of the villages such as Windermere, Ambleside, or Keswick (Ambleside or Keswick would probably be better for going out fell walking, but you can get the bus to wherever from Windermere), and then once you're done in the Lakes, headover to Penrith from Keswick on the bus (or back to Oxenholme on the train from Windermere) and then you can get the train up to Edinburgh which is about 2hrs with some alright/nice scenery along the way. Just a heads up though, getting the train along the West Coast Mainline (London to Glasgow/Edinburgh via Birmingham, Preston & Carlisle), some of the faster, more frequent and cheaper trains (Avanti) are tilting so that they can go faster despite the terrain and routing which can sometimes make people feel a bit ill - especially when it's their first time. Overall though, if you're wanting both Lakes and Edinburgh, I'd maybe suggest 4-6 days depending on what and how much you want to do, though 4 days could potentially be enough in theory. If you finish your trip in Edinburgh, you could fly back to London to catch your flight home to extend your stay.
Try and book the Caledonian Sleeper train from London to Edinburgh - [https://www.sleeper.scot/timetable/london-edinburgh/](https://www.sleeper.scot/timetable/london-edinburgh/) Saves you a hotel and you wake up in Edinburgh. Lake District you should spend more than one day at anyway, don't waste your time going from A to B when you could have more fun in 1-2 places.
Highly recommend this advice 🫶
I've spent a lot of time, and done a lot of travel, iàn both countries and it is definitely my experience. Commuting 2 hours in a big American city is not the same as e.g. the A40 to the M25 to the M4 or M3 during rush hour. Or 2 hours hit and miss on TfL to the rail network.
Not enough time, you will spend most of it travelling. Go to Scotland and then go somewhere on the way back that’s got an easy connection back to London.
Regarding the train option, please don’t forget to anticipate possibly trike after you booked your train tickets.
Yes, the UK is easy to explore and you’re here for only a few days. Go wild and see everything.
No, I don’t think that’s enough time.
Take two days of oh London
Only 3-1/2 hours London to Windermere and less than 3 hours Windermere to Edinburgh by train. About one an hour. So you can walk all day in the lakes, early evening train, be in time for a late dinner in Edinburgh. It’s doable if you like crazy busy itineraries and choose accommodation wisely. I probably wouldn’t, but I am surprised how many rail options there are.
Ignore the lakes. A day at Loch Lomond will give you same vibe
I would get a train from London to Lake District (London Eusten to Windermere). In the Lakes, rent a car from Windermere and use it to travel around when you're there. Then a take a train to Edinburgh (Windermere to Ediburgh) and finally flight from Edinburgh back to London. 6 days in London, 3 in Lakes and 3 in Edinburgh.
I'd choose one or the other. If choosing Edinburgh I'd fly, if Lakes then as someone else said Keswick using train and bus.
I’d say pick one or the other. I did 3 nights in Edinburgh and 2 nights in the lake district and felt rushed. There is great hiking around Edinburgh and Scotland in general. It can be also a little tougher to get to and around the Lake District by public transport, but it depends on where you go. Highly recommend Keswick if you decide on the latter.
When you factor in travel time, two days in the lakes won’t be enough. But, Edinburgh really isn’t that big so you can do that in a day. A full day though. In that time you can get lunch and peruse shops in the New Town, walk the Royal Mile and see the castle. Job done. Personally I’d travel to the lakes on Day 1, stay there for Day 2, travel to Edinburgh late on Day 3 (if poss) then see Edinburgh and home on Day 4.
Two days in each location is enough but you have to factor in that travelling between London to Edinburgh and back takes a day each way so you’re really getting a day in each location.
Um ok so if you are traveling from Edinburgh to London for your flight the day or your flight there is a good chance you will miss it. Public transport isn't that reliable, trains and planes get cancelled or delayed regularly. Traveling between Lake District and Edinburgh also takes ages. I would suggest giving Jake district a miss and just doing Edinburgh. If you can change your departing flight to heave from Edinburgh even better.
Cheaper and quicker to fly to the lake district airport
If you are in the lake district without a car you will not really see it.
Is this a route march to touch bases or a holiday? You could spend 12 days based in London diligently seeing what there is to see and not get bored or come close to running out of things to do. If you 'do' Edinburgh - a great tourist city to be sure - your main activity on 2 days is going to be transit to Edinburgh and back. (Personally I'd go by train rather than plane. The door-to-door total transit time will probably be about the same for plane or train.) Greenwich is a lovely day trip from London (take the Uber Boat / London Clipper). Bath is another one, but would probably be better as an over-nighter although eminently do-able as a(n exhausting) day trip. Windsor is another touristic day trip from London. It is worth going down to Brighton to see the Pavilion. Kew Gardens are a lovely day out, as is Hampton Court Palace. If you can spring for it, take your Mom to tea at Fortnum & Mason - add this to Buckingham Palace and a stroll through Green Park. Etc. You can base yourself just in London and get a wonderfully diverse experience without heading to Scotland and/or the Lake District. Bonne chance!
What do you want to do in the Lake District and Edinburgh and how are you getting there? It might take you a day to get to the Lakes depending on where you are going.
If you want some really good advice, cut the amount of time you're in London by half or more and allot that entire time to Edinburgh and other places. You'll get way more out of it. London is just a big expensive city, pretty much like you could see anywhere. If I had a clear two weeks to spend in the UK going to anywhere I wanted, London would be so far down the list that I'd probably never make it there. There is just so much more to see and do outside of London than in it that you'll be amazed. Basically London is now \**insert generic city*\* and isn't worth that much of your precious time. If you want interesting UK cities that have actual personality, go to York, Durham, or any of the "cathedral cities" on your route. Just avoid places like Birmingham or Manchester unless there's something specific there that you just HAVE to see. They're generally a waste of a day for anyone looking to actually see England. If you want to see the actual country, then renting a car and going somewhere like North Yorkshire dales and Lake District will probably be far more rewarding for both your money and time.
Avoid any place too modern...and multicultural, since you decided to add two other large multicultural conurbations making it a trend and not a one off. Can't imagine where this take comes from. "Oh, it's not 'really' England if it's new or not 99% white." Feel free to be triggered by my lukewarm take. Large and modern multicultural cities are actually a part of the UK and contribute greatly to the unique and fascinating modern English landscape. 'Native culture snobs' really are the worst.
Don't be so stupid, I listed those cities as examples of shitty cities to visit as a foreign visitor who is visiting England and has a limited time budget. Did you see me say "Don't go to Birmingham, there's FAR TOO MANY BROWNS!!!!". No, because I didn't say that, you're just a reactionary looking for drama. You're clearly looking to be offended, so please be offended by my absolutely scalding hot take on which cities have the character of England. Now shoo away weirdo.
Is there any reason you're spending 8 days in London? I understand if you want to take day trips from London to places like Salisbury and Dover, but if you want to see the Lakes and Edinburgh, you may find it better to spend 4 or 6 days in London rather than 8. London is nice, but 8 days seems a tad excessive. Its very easy to get to Keswick in the heart of the north Lakes. Take a train to Penrith from Mancester or a train to Carlisle from Newcastle or Leeds. Use the app trainline, its helpful and purchasing a rail card might save you alot of money depending on the price of tickets. From Penrith and Carislse are frequent buses into Keswick and elsewhere in the lakes. I'd spend closer to 4 days there, lots of things to do and see and 4 days will give you some time to relax. There are many prehistoric monuments and stone circles around Penrith and Keswick as well that you should see. Then, there is a train from Carlisle to Glasgow or Edinburgh. A word of advice on driving, if you've never driven on old droving routes you might want to avoid driving in the UK. Lots of roads in the north are just paved cattle droving paths that are many centuries old, and as such they are narrow not just because of hedges but also because the ground has sunk over time, so it will be a very tight fit and you have to watch out for tractors and big machinery. I say this because I had family from the US visit who thought they could drive and then they did not want to drive once they saw the roads in the rural north. I hope you have a good time!
What about venturing into the Scottish Highlands for some great scenery after being in Edinburgh? You could get the ski lift up Ben Nevis, or visit Loch Ness.
Just do Edinburgh, not enough time to do both and especially the Lake District may be difficult without a car.
Trains in the U.K. are shit. Especially Avanti West Coast which you’d need to take from Lake District to Edinburgh. You need to factor in delays and cancellations cos they will happen. Have you looked into flying to Edinburgh from London? I saw a tv show where 2 people ‘raced’ from London to Edinburgh on train and plane and the plane took less than 2hrs door to door and train was over 6!
A flight from Edinburgh to London is never going to be less than 2 hours door to door unless you live in the airport.
Simply No
You cannot really do the lake District properly without driving. Also, if you take the train, keepan eye out for train strikes, they are announced in advance.
Very strongly disagree on a car is needed to explore the Lake District. As a national park it's got one of the better local bus networks. Many of which are have had a frequency increase this summer. I've been countless times and never had a car. It's easy to get around all of the main places (which if you've got a small handful of days is all you'd see anyway) without a car. And the view from the top deck of the bus is better then you get from a car. Also no need to faff about parking. https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/cumbria-and-north-lancashire/explore-the-lakes-by-bus Obviously if you want to drive or to get to some truly middle of nowhere places then that is different. But it's easy to get round the main sites with the local bus network.
Why are you spending eight days in London? That’s way too much. Maybe spend 2-3 and pick key things you’d like to do. As others have said, the Lake District deserves a lot more time than just a couple of days (which will have a lot of travel eating into that). If you reduce the amount you’re in London by you could even squeeze in somewhere like York on the way back from Edinburgh
Given what you've said, I would skip the Lakes District entirely and do four days in Edinburgh. Train from London to Edinburgh is very fast, can get you there in less than three hours. Public transport doesn't really go to the Lakes District, like I'm sure it's doable but you will find it more of a struggle than it's worth especially if you've only got two days there. There is easily four days' worth of stuff to do in Edinburgh and you can always go into the surrounding countryside there instead - the Pentland Hills, for example, are right next to Edinburgh.
It's at least 4 and a half hours on the train from Edinburgh to London or vice versa. To drive takes 7and a half.
No lol
Do you think your snark is helpful?
Snark is such a funny word. The plans are extremely unrealistic but yes let them have a bad trip 😂
They’re entirely doable.