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Bus & Boat Ticket (Central Lakes Zone)

Unlimited bus travel in the central Lakes zone and a boat journey across Windermere

For a great day out why not explore The Lake District by bus and boat?

This convenient ticket gets you a single boat journey on our red cruise from Bowness Pier to Waterhead Pier (Ambleside) or vice versa, plus unlimited bus travel in the surrounding area. Why not enjoy the beautiful Lakeland scenery from the open deck of a steamer on Lake Windermere and then hop on the famous open-top 599 bus from Waterhead Pier (Ambleside) back to Bowness?

This ticket gets you unlimited Stagecoach bus travel in the Central Lakes Zone (see basic map below). For a ticket that includes bus travel across Cumbria and North Lancashire, please purchase a Bus & Boat (Explorer Zone).

Illustration of where this ticket can be used across Cumbria

The Central Lakes Zone where this ticket covers.

For a more detailed map and bus route information, please see the full route map.


Timetables

Additional Information

We're sorry, but this ticket cannot currently be booked online. Please purchase your ticket on any Stagecoach bus service or at our piers.

  • Valid for unlimited travel on all Stagecoach services within the central lakes zone
  • Valid at all times.
See route options

See route options

Additional Information

Service Status

green

Warning Image

Tuesday 5 December
(Page updated 9am, Tuesday)

Our services are all back to normal, after the weekend snow. Please note that there is still a lot of snow on the minor roads. Please take extra care when travelling to us today.

Service Status

🔴 RED CRUISE Bowness → Brockhole → Ambleside Waterhead → Bowness
✔️ Services OK
⚠️ Not calling into Brockhole
🟡 YELLOW CRUISEBowness ↔ Lakeside

✔️ Services OK

🔵 ISLANDS CRUISE

Bowness → Windermere Jetty Museum → Bowness

✔️ Services OK
⚠️ Not calling into Windermere Jetty Museum
🚤 MOTOR BOAT HIRE from Bowness
Bowness Beach ↻

✔️ Services OK


🕑: We are now running to our winter timetable | We sail every day except Christmas Day.

Our route

Load Map

Access and Facilities

♿ Disabled Access

Four different types of vessels operate our services with varying accessibility.

  • ♿ MV Swift - (marked with a green wheelchair icon on our timetables): our most accessible vessel - step-free access from pier to indoor/outdoor seating & accessible toilet
  • ♿ 'Steamers' MV Swan/Teal - (marked with black wheelchair icon on our timetables) - step-free access from pier to indoor/outdoor seating. Toilets down steep steps.
  • ❌ 'Steamer' Tern & modern launches like Miss Cumbria/Miss Lakeland - are not recommended for customers with limited mobility
  • ❌ Traditional wooden launches like Queen of the Lake - are not recommended for customers with limited mobility

Please visit our Accessibility section for more information.

Wheelchair users are strongly advised to call us to confirm which vessel is operating on which service, particularly in poor weather conditions. As on rare occasions, the vessels operating each route can change.


Upgrade this cruise

Get unlimited boat travel by upgrading your ticket to a 'Freedom of the Lake' ticket entitling you to 24 hours worth of travel.

Freedom Of The Lake ®

Freedom Of The Lake ®

Unlimited boat travel for 24 hours on all routes | ⚓ See the full lake on this ticket: Lakeside ↔ Bowness ↔ Ambleside in 🕘 over 3 hours

Upgrade Book Now
Bus & Boat Ticket (Explorer Zone)

Bus & Boat Ticket (Explorer Zone)

Unlimited bus travel in South Lakes/North Lancashire plus a single half-lake cruise | 🕑 1 day

Upgrade