Windermere Lake Cruises, Windermere & Bowness

A mini guide to

Windermere & Bowness: getting there

Stops, stations and how to reach Windermere & Bowness

Stops and stations

Getting to Windermere & Bowness

Choose the stop closest to where you are going.

Stop or station	Services	Good for
Windermere	Northern	Terminus of the Windermere branch line from Oxenholme, in Windermere village; Bowness is about a mile and a half away
Bowness piers	Windermere Lake Cruises	Boats call at Bowness, Ambleside, Brockhole, Wray Castle, Ferry House and Lakeside (check the operator for the season)
Bus 599	Stagecoach	Links Bowness, Windermere, Rydal and Grasmere, according to the National Park Authority; open-top in summer
Windermere Ferry	Westmorland and Furness Council	Cable ferry between Ferry Nab and Far Sawrey, a shortcut to Hawkshead; passengers can board

Walking from nearby areas

Coniston & Hawkshead: 8.1 km from Windermere & Bowness, better by public transport
Ambleside & Grasmere: 9.7 km from Windermere & Bowness, better by public transport
Ullswater & Pooley Bridge: 22.7 km from Windermere & Bowness, better by public transport
Wasdale & Eskdale: 25.7 km from Windermere & Bowness, better by public transport

Reaching the Lake District

Official travel information

The Lake District is in the north-west of England, with Manchester to the south and Carlisle to the north. The M6 runs along its eastern edge, and the main-line stations at Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle connect with the Windermere branch line, buses and boats. Journey times below come from the National Park Authority; always check operators for current times.

Lake District National Park → — the National Park Authority
Getting to and around the Lake District → — trains, buses, boats and driving
Visit Lake District → — the regional tourism site
National Rail Enquiries → — train times and fares
Northern: Cumbria Travel Pass → — trains, buses and Windermere cruises
Stagecoach: explore the Lakes by bus → — bus routes and timetables
Traveline → — journey planner
Windermere Lake Cruises → — boats on Windermere
Ullswater Steamers → — boats on Ullswater
Keswick Launch → — boats on Derwentwater
Coniston Launch → — boats on Coniston Water
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway → — heritage railway to Eskdale

Times, fares and disruption change: use the operator pages above for live information.

All ways to reach the Lake District

Plan your journey here

Enter your starting point and Google Maps will show routes to Windermere & Bowness. Public transport is selected; change it on the map. Check operator sites for live disruption.