Lake District

If you can, avoid visiting the Lakes in July and August, when it gets unpleasantly crowded and prices are highest. Easter and bank holidays can also be very busy. Better to visit in the quieter shoulder seasons – try April or May, when the lake shores are dusted with Wordsworthian daffodils, or September or October, when the hills are alight with autumnal colour.

The M6 skirts the eastern edge, with the main entry points being Kendal and Penrith. Trains from London Euston to Windermere take just under four hours, with a change at Preston or Oxenholme.

Cars are the most practical way to get around, but in the summer months roads get horribly congested – and parking can be very expensive. Most of the major tourist hubs such as Keswick, Ambleside and Grasmere, have taxi services.

It is feasible to get around by bus, with regular services between the main towns. See the Lake District website for details.

Cycling is another option, although you won’t get away without tackling some hills; the 599 bus between Bowness and Grasmere has space to carry two bikes, and it’s also possible to take your bike on the Windermere Ferry. See the Lake District website for further details on cycling.

Many visitors choose to stay in one of the towns or villages around Lake Windermere, where hotels and B&Bs abound, especially around Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere Town and Ambleside.

Villages like Hawkshead, Coniston, Elterwater and the surrounding areas are much quieter, and have plenty of excellent pubs, country hotels and cottages to choose from.

In the northern part of the park, Keswick is the most practical base, with easy access to the beautiful valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere nearby, and great mountain biking in nearby Whinlatter Forest.

In the western part of the park, there is a handful of places to stay around the remote valleys of Wasdale and Eskdale, including some classic inns and great campsites, but do be aware you’re a long way from anywhere.

Don’t overlook the outer edges of the park: accommodation is often easier to come by in Cockermouth, Kendal, Ulverston and Penrith, and nearly always a good deal cheaper too.