Home› Departure Points

Where we pick you up —
and how to get there

We collect from four locations in the southern Lake District. No car needed — all four are accessible by train and bus from anywhere in the country.

Arriving by train? You are in exactly the right place.

Windermere station is on the branch line from Oxenholme — which is on the West Coast Main Line with direct services from London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly and Edinburgh. Step off the train and we collect you directly from the station. No car hire, no parking, no navigation. Just the Lakes. Oxenholme is also a first pickup point in its own right on some tours — see our Oxenholme arrival guide.

Our four pickup points

Most scheduled tours collect in order: Windermere first, then Bowness, then Ambleside. Oxenholme is used as an additional or alternative pickup on select tours — see below for which. Please be ready at your pickup point 10 minutes before the stated departure time for your tour.

01

Windermere Station

First pickup · Train arrivals

Exact location Outside the ticket office at Windermere railway station, Station Road, Windermere LA23 1LF
Direct trains from Oxenholme (London, Manchester, Edinburgh)
Morning tours: be ready at 8:50am (10 minutes before the 9:00am departure)
Afternoon tours: be ready at 1:50pm (10 minutes before the 2:00pm departure)
Pay-and-display parking nearby
Open in Google Maps → Full Windermere arrival guide →

02

Bowness Pier 1

Second pickup · Bowness visitors

Exact location Outside Pier 1 at Bowness-on-Windermere, Glebe Road, Bowness-on-Windermere LA23 3HE
599 bus from Windermere station (10 min)
Morning tours: be ready at 9:00am (10 minutes before the ~9:10am departure)
Afternoon tours: be ready at 2:00pm (10 minutes before the ~2:10pm departure)
Multiple car parks in Bowness
Open in Google Maps → Full Bowness arrival guide →

03

Ambleside Library

Third pickup · Ambleside visitors

Exact location Outside the library on Kelsick Road, Ambleside LA22 0AB
555 bus from Windermere or Bowness
Morning tours: be ready at 9:15am (10 minutes before the ~9:25am departure)
Afternoon tours: be ready at 2:15pm (10 minutes before the ~2:25pm departure)
Kelsick Road car park nearby
Open in Google Maps → Full Ambleside arrival guide →

04

Oxenholme Lake District Station

Select tours only

Exact location Outside the ticket office, Oxenholme Lake District Station, Oxenholme Road, Oxenholme, Kendal LA9 7HF
The station has two exits — we meet at the ticket office, on the south-bound side
West Coast Main Line — direct from London, Manchester & Edinburgh
Used on the 10 Lakes Full-day Tour, Brontë Country and All Creatures Great and Small tours
Station car park on site
Open in Google Maps → Full Oxenholme arrival guide →

Pickup order: We always collect in the order Windermere → Bowness → Ambleside. Drop-off at the end of the tour follows the reverse order — Ambleside first, then Bowness, then Windermere. The exception is the Beatrix Potter Hill Top & Windermere Cruise afternoon tour, which ends with the Windermere Lake Cruises boat from Ambleside to Bowness Pier 1 — guests on this tour end at Bowness.

Getting here by train

The Lake District is well connected by rail. Here is how to reach us from the main departure points.

From London Euston

Avanti West Coast direct to Oxenholme — approximately 2 hours 45 minutes. Change at Oxenholme onto the branch line to Windermere — 15 minutes. Total journey approximately 3 hours. Book in advance for significant savings. First trains arrive at Windermere in time for the 9am morning tours.

From Manchester

Transpennine Express to Oxenholme — approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Change onto the branch line to Windermere. Total journey approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. Regular services throughout the day.

From Edinburgh

Avanti West Coast or LNER south to Oxenholme — approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. Change onto the branch line to Windermere. Total journey approximately 2 hours. An excellent day trip destination from Edinburgh.

From Leeds & Yorkshire

Train to Oxenholme via Lancaster — approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from Leeds. Change onto the branch line to Windermere. Guests joining the Brontë Day Trip can also board at Oxenholme directly — we stop there on the way east.

Pickup times by tour

Approximate pickup times at each location — the times below are when we collect. Please be ready at your pickup point 10 minutes before this time.

Tour Windermere Bowness Ambleside Oxenholme Returns
Beatrix Potter — Hidden Country 9:00am ~9:10am ~9:25am — ~1:00pm
Beatrix Potter — Hill Top & Windermere Cruise 2:00pm ~2:10pm ~2:25pm — Bowness ~5:25–5:50pm ✦
Wordsworth Morning Tour 9:00am ~9:10am ~9:25am — ~1:00pm
Wordsworth Afternoon Tour 2:00pm ~2:10pm ~2:25pm — ~5:30pm
Brontë Country Day Trip 9:00am — — 8:45am ~6:30pm
8 Lakes Tour 9:00am ~9:10am ~9:25am — ~5:30pm

✦ Hill Top & Windermere Cruise afternoon tour ends at Bowness Pier 1 via a Windermere Lake Cruises boat from Ambleside — usually the 5:15pm sailing, sometimes the 4:50pm sailing, arriving Bowness around 5:25–5:50pm (Windermere drop-off roughly 10 minutes after that). Brontë Country picks up at Oxenholme first, then Windermere. All times approximate.

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