Explore Windermere
Choose your boat:
Choose your boat:
This Easter, we’d love to welcome you and your family to enjoy the Lake District the gentle, car‑free way. With scenic bus routes, peaceful lake cruises and easy travel options from Lancashire, Cumbria and beyond, spending a day together in the Lakes has never been simpler. Here are three of our favourite ways to explore — each followed by bullet points explaining why it’s such a great day out.
If you're visiting us from Chorley, Preston or Lancaster, the Stagecoach X8 is a wonderfully smooth and relaxed way to begin your day out. Running every Saturday from 28 March to 31 October 2026, it travels directly to Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick, making it ideal for families who want a stress‑free start to their trip.
Although the X8 fare doesn’t include a lake cruise, families with LA and CA postcodes can enjoy 50% off Windermere cruises, making the day affordable and flexible. As a planning example, a family bus fare might be around £33, and with the half‑price offer, a family Red Cruise could cost around £26.50 — meaning a full car‑free day out for about £60. Once in the Lakes, many families enjoy exploring Bowness before continuing on to Ambleside for a relaxed lakeside wander.
Why it’s a great day out:
The Bus & Boat Explorer Ticket is one of the most flexible and family‑friendly ways to explore the Lake District. It includes unlimited Stagecoach bus travel across Cumbria and North Lancashire and a single half‑lake Windermere cruise on our Red or Yellow routes.
You can start your day from Lancaster, Carlisle, Penrith, Kendal, Barrow, Workington and large parts of West Cumbria, making it perfect for a wide range of visitors. The Red Cruise between Bowness and Ambleside is ideal for onward travel, while Lakeside (on the Yellow Cruise) has no direct bus connections.
The official ticket prices are:
Adult £20.00 — Child £14.00 — Family £49.00
A lovely family day might begin in Bowness, followed by a peaceful cruise to Ambleside (Waterhead). After stepping ashore, families can board the open‑top 599 for spectacular lakeshore views. With unlimited bus travel for the day, it’s easy to stop at Brockhole for woodland trails or enjoy a wander around Windermere village.
Why it’s a great day out:
The Lakes Day Ranger brings your whole day together in one simple ticket that covers rail, bus and boat travel. It includes unlimited rail travel on Northern, Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express between Lancaster and Workington, Lancaster and Penrith/Windermere, and Lancaster and Morecambe/Heysham Port. It also includes unlimited Stagecoach bus travel across Cumbria and a Windermere cruise from Bowness, Ambleside or Lakeside.
A family ticket costs around £61.50 and covers everything you need for a full day out. Many families enjoy arriving by train at Windermere Station, strolling to Bowness Pier for a cruise and then using the 555 to visit Grasmere, Rydal or Ambleside — all without having to drive or park.
Why it’s a great day out:
Whether you're joining us via the X8, exploring with the Bus & Boat Explorer Ticket or enjoying a full rail‑to‑sail day with the Lakes Day Ranger, we’re here to help you and your family enjoy the Lake District in the most relaxing way possible.
