Time in Lake District

Before seeing this I put a response on your other thread. The Haven is one I might not have suggested, solely because it is in the busy end of town.
Having said that its at the top end of Birch Street, so maybe not too bad, especially at night.
I can really appreciate the convenience of it for you, and it's a quality place.

The question of one tour or two has me in an impossible quandary. I know why you want to do the dales, and encourage it.
It's just you are cutting a day when you could easily be exploring the Lake District, which I think is spread thin, but I would say that wouldn't I. The excellent local bus services make independent exploration easy.
It's your trip and you rightly want to maximise the investment of money you've put into the vacation.
If it feels right for you to do the Dales tour it really isn't my place to say don't.

Hi mcgregds -

I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but I think in your case I’d be inclined to skip the Yorkshire Dales tour. Reason for this is I’m not sure the itinerary from the Lakes is the best it could possibly be, although, yes, it’s a good ‘starter’ if you’ve never been there and I think once you are in the Lakes you’ll want to spend some more time there. You can catch buses from Windermere (the bus stops are outside the railway station) and return to Keswick for the day, or head north to Ullswater/Patterdale/Glenridding (assuming they repair the roads!) or take a bus to the lesser visited Coniston. Or you could take to the lake and sail north to Ambleside (return by lake or bus) or sail south down to the tip of Windermere (the lake) returning the same way. I’m pretty certain you’d also be able to find a trip that will take you to the far side of Windermere and Far Sawrey and Hill Top Farm, the former home of Beatrix Potter.

The Yorkshire Dales cover a huge area and reward deeper exploration than can be covered by a single day trip, so maybe next time? I get though, that this might be your sole opportunity and as Stuart says, if your heart is set on it, then go for it, but I think you might regret having to leave the Lakes for another largely bus bound day, no matter what the surroundings.

Finally, I can’t properly advise on accommodation in Windermere as I haven't stayed in the town for quite some time, but do make sure your lodgings are in Windermere and not Bowness on Windermere. The two towns are different places and while it’s largely not possible to spot where one ends and the other begins, it’s quite a trek on foot from the Lakeside in Bowness to the station in Windermere.

Hope you have a great trip!

Ian