Day trips from Carlisle? Not Hadrian's Wall this time

yes to your ideas, our resident cumbria specialist will go into details later...

but also bear in mind that Carlisle is only 80 minutes from Edinburgh or slightly longer to Glasgow. They need booking in advance to get discounts...

Thanks for your reply. spent time in both Edinburgh and Glasgow 3 years ago, but I'm sure there is more to see. I recently read a recommendation to visit the newer area of Edinburgh, so that's possible. I've also been to Stirling Castle, which I loved.

Settle is very easy by train from Carlisle. You can buy Advance (train specific) tickets until moments before departure, but I suggest buying full price returns- they will allow you to break your journey as often as you like- I suggest Appleby and Ribblehead.

Something else you can do is get a taste of the Yorkshire Dales. Take the Settle bound train as far as Garsdale, then the little White Bus down to Hawes. You can then change bus and go down Wensleydale as far as Leyburn. Single tickets are £3 a ride or £9 for a Wensleydale Day Rover- https://littlewhitebus.co.uk/

For the Lake District I suggest buying a Cumbria Travel Pass for £40 a day or £99 for 3 days- £26.70/£66 with a railcard. This is a brand new product- it allows you to use all trains in Cumbria, all buses and all Windermere Lake Cruises.
You also get discounts on the Ravenglass and Eskdale narrow gauge steam railway, and the boats on Coniston Water (launch, not the Gondola), Derwentwater and Ullswater.

It is quite a bargain- it can be bought as an m ticket from the northern website or in person at Carlisle Station- https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/cumbria-travel-pass
Go to Keswick on the direct 553/554 bus, or the train to Penrith then the X4/X5 bus. Bus timetables for the Lakes are in the entrance hall at Carlisle Railway Station.
The first 554 of the day is as early as 0620 from Carlisle, so you can get a very early start if planning to walk.
One day on the buses only is £12 (all buses in Cumbria and to Dumfries) or £28 for 3 days- buy from the 1st driver or on the Stagecoach app.

The Travel Pass is so new I would rather have a paper pass personally, just in case not everyone has been fully trained yet (especially on the boats) on the m-ticket but that is conservative me.

Dumfries (for Rabbie Burns) is also easy by regular train from Carlisle.

For the Romans you should also look into Tullie [Tullie House Museum as was before rebranding) and visit the Senhouse Roman Museum at Maryport (train or half hourly bus #300, not in the book above, but the bus station has printed timetables).

For William Wordsworth's birthplace go to Cockermouth on the hourly #600 bus (then half hourly X4/X5 to Keswick). Wordsworth House is a National Trust place- the bus stops almost straight outside.

By the way the Cumbria Coast railway (Carlisle to Barrow to Lancaster) is one of the great unknown scenic railway lines of the UK- sit on the right hand side all the way for often stunning views. Most of the trains as far as Barrow have opening windows so in this heat a good breeze can be obtained. A few from Corkickle southwards to Ravenglass and Barrow are newer A/C ones. Don't be put off by the 5 minute bus ride across Whitehaven due to long term (18 months and counting) engineering work. It is very slickly organised and it is an actual coach for the short ride (except the 7am which is a heritage bus).

I agree with Stuart's suggestions. That whole area is really lovely and you should definitely take one of the rail trips, which are very iconic. I didn't get a chance to when I was there, but at some point I want to get back there and do so.

Oh wow, thank you Stuart. It feels like my holiday here has made a complete turnaround from earlier today knowing what to see and, most importantly, how to get there using trains and buses. I will start tomorrow! So many of your posts have helped me with other travel, and this information for my specific situation is invaluable.

Mardee, I agree, it is so beautiful and want to do as many as possible while I'm here. I'm now especially interested in Stuart' s recommendation for the train traveling south along the west coast.