Lake District and York in April

Possible to do the Lake District without a car. Transit is pretty good and we visit the Lake District for walking, not driving. We did two Lake District holidays. The first was a through walk as part of the Coast to Coast walk. The second was a three village loop walking tour Windermere to Grasmere to Coniston then back to Windermere (partly via ferry).

http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/visiting/car-free-guides/lake-district

A. Getting to The Lake District without a car: he West Coast Virgin
Trains mainline stops at Carlisle, Penrith and Oxenholme, which have
good transport connections to different parts of the Lake District
National Park. Trains along this line run from Glasgow, and up through
the Midlands from London. There are also services to Carlisle from
Newcastle, whilst from Yorkshire and the North West there are trains
both to Carlisle and Penrith, and on the Windermere branch line via
Kendal right to Windermere in the heart of the Lakes.

B. Getting around without a car: By Bus: The Lake District is served
by a great network of bus services, with many interconnecting to allow
for seamless travel across the length and breadth of the National
Park. Key routes for visitors

http://www.golakes.co.uk/travel/

Here are plenty of ways to explore the Cumbria and the Lake District
without a car, and you'll experience a whole new side to our
spectacular region.

Travel at your leisure. Admire unforgettable views from a train or an
open-top bus, get close to the landscapes by boat, by bike on foot, or
even by electric car. Savour every moment. Make every journey count.

http://www.golakes.co.uk/travel/by-bus.aspx

Using a bus when you visit the Lake District gives you the opportunity
to see so much more. Take the top deck of an open top bus or brave
one of our passes on a small rambler service. Our interactive map
plots the bus routes in the county showing their service number, the
route they will take and what you can see along the way, so why not
give it a go.

http://www.golakes.co.uk/travel/by-train.aspx

There are two rail links in the area. The Oxenholme to Windermere line
connects the main West Coast London – Glasgow Line to the Central
Lakes. Running from Oxenholme to Windermere, with stops at Kendal,
Burneside and Staveley, the Lakes Line is the perfect way to reach the
very centre of the lakes without your car.

http://www.golakes.co.uk/travel/on-foot.aspx

The Lake District offers walks for all abilities from the challenging
Coast to Coast walk to some beautiful short walking routes which are
perfect for relaxing walking holidays.

Although a relatively small area, the Lake District contains a huge
variety of opportunities for walkers.

Following the recent flooding and storm damage in Cumbria and the Lake
Distirct during December 2015, Lake District National Park rangers are
proactively responding to and assessing damage to countryside access,
this includes public paths, bridges and gates along those routes.They
have made orders to close some paths, these are listed on their
website
http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/rowupdates/rowclosures

Have good quality rain gear, dress in layers, dry bag for stuff that needs to stay dry and/or pack rain cover, water proof map case and definitely water proof (breathable waterproof membrane) boots and good wool socks.

North York Moors NP is a short distance from York. We took a train between Whitby to York then London after finishing the Coast to Coast at Robin Hood Bay.

http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting
http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting/enjoy-outdoors/walking

On foot, under your own steam, out on the trail... is there any better
way to experience the North York Moors than heading out for a walk?

We don't think so, which is why we've put together a fantastic series
of downloadable walks covering every corner of the National Park.

Spring daffs in Farndale, the legendary Hole of Horcum, romantic
Rievaulx or beach-combing at Hayburn Wyke – where do you want to
explore today?

We will be in Keswick in mid-May and will be 100% car-free. We will train to Penrith and bus from Penrith to Keswick. (knock around for a few days) and then bus from Keswick to Carlisle before we head to Once Brewed and the Wall.

I'll add that the local bus trip planner is: http://jplanner.travelinenortheast.info/

It's best to check there because last winter's flooding has impacted some of the bus routes.

The Lakes is one area of England where I wouldn't visit without a car, but many Americans seem loathe to hire a car to get round, even though they wouldn't go anywhere without a car at home!

You will be pushed to find the quainter B & Bs without a car and at such short notice. The best places will have been booked months ago, but there should be some availability. There is a bank holiday at the start of May when the Lakes will get very busy.

I like the quieter Eskdale. The best scenery and fewer tourists, but more remote and therefore harder to get to.

Touche, Jennifer! You've got us Yanks pegged. May have something to do with the bizarre left-side driving we encounter in UK, which some handle better than others (such as myself). ;-)

Mary, as the previous posters said you can see these areas without a car, but with careful planning, less spontaneity, and slower. But if you can handle the driving I'd strongly recommend a car for flexibility, comfort, and speed when you want it.

We liked Badger's Wood Guest House in Keswick, a few blocks uphill from the main square, with views out over the fells. I'm not sure I'd call it "quaint" (a term the Brits don't really appreciate) but it was pleasant and comfortable, and the breakfasts excellent.

From Keswick there are many bus routes, including a loop that runs through various villages around Derwentwater. You could use it to get to walking paths. There's also a little tour boat that circles Derwentwater on a schedule, you could take it to one of the stops, walk along the shore to another, and hop back on when it comes around again. Not sure how many times a day it will be running in April though.

RE: I wouldn't visit without a car, but many Americans seem loathe to hire a car...

Rather than "loathe " hiring a car, I love the ability to not hire a car and yet enjoy the Lake District countryside. The English walking paths and transit system are a joy hard to replicate in most areas of the States.

For us Downton Abbey viewers, isn't amazing how the elderly Dowager Violet would WALK to Downton Abbey, and how the upstairs people would walk about their large estate even to check on the pig farm?

Here in the States, we do transportation planning on the belief that Americans will walk only up to a 1/4 mile. It's small wonder that so many travelers can not use backpacks and need wheelies to transport their carry-on baggage.

The joy of the Lake District for me is walking, not driving or riding.

Likewise, I am equally loathe to die in a firey head-on collision on a small wind-y road. Once I realized that England has the approximate area of the state of Louisiana with a public transportation system unmatched in the States, I gave up on the idea of renting a car.

Mary, I missed the first half of your inquiry. I apologize. Double check with the Golden Lion in Keswick.

I've been traveling in the Lakes for many years both with and without a car. Honestly, it's better with a car if you're comfortable driving on the left.
The bus system is quite excellent in the Lake District but everything will take you twice as long. Some of the smaller villages and hamlets are serviced very infrequently and it sounds like you want to explore a bit. We have also found that many of the routes shut down around 4:30 or 5 in the afternoon forcing you to return to the place you're staying much earlier than you might want to otherwise. This will be a problem especially since you say you want to hike. Most of the better hikes in the area are serviced by bus routes that shut down early.
I would highly recommend a farm stay B&B. Many farmers in the area supplement their income by offering B&B and you will get an enormously better sense of what the area is really about than if you stay in a town. Maybe start by staying in Keswick (Herdwick House B&B is great!) and then move out of town to a farm for part of your time there.
FarmStayUK
Yew Tree Farm - this one belonged to Beatrix Potter and is fantastic!

I second and third recommend Badger's Wood Guest House in Keswick that Dick recommended earlier!!! Excellent friendly hosts, and the breakfasts are to die for. We had a truly wonderful stay there last May (2015).

We used a rental car, and were very happy that we did. My husband did an amazing job driving on the other side...didn't find it too difficult. IN fact we drove from Salisbury to Bletchley to Lake District to Hadrian's Wall to York. In our humble opinion, we feel that driving allowed us to check out very small towns and villages that might be difficult with public transportation. Back to Keswick, there is a marvelous drive around Derwentwater Lake in Rick Steves book about England. It is a short-ish drive (30) total miles, but there are AMAZING places to stop every 7 miles or so. We spent the whole day on this drive, stopping to take about 5 hikes to BEAUTIFUL waterfalls and fantastic scenery. We liked the ability to travel at our our pace, and see exactly what we wanted to see.

Just our experience, mind you.

Regards,
Virginia