Train Windermere to Manchester Piccadilly

Northern are the obvious choice, with the 0955 through train being the winner in time terms.

If you change trains on the other hours you have to go under the subway at Oxenholme- it is not a cross platform connection.

Between Windermere and Oxenholme only Northern run trains anyway. On the next train at 1052 you would end up changing twice- at Oxenholme (onto Avanti) and Lancaster (Lancaster is a same platform change into a Northern train from Barrow to Manchester).

The Class 195's on the Northern trains are quite nice trains, very good leg room.

If you are willing to change trains then use the 0852 or 1147 which are one change trains into a Trans Pennine fast service to Manchester Airport at Oxenholme.

Just be aware that until the end of July Northern have a driver's overtime ban in force. The Windermere branch is one of the routes suffering from a lot of cancellations currently, with Northern unable to provide a replacement bus to cover. The cancellations come in 3 hour blocks so can be a bit disruptive. Now it is the school holidays there is a chance that KT's/Chris Stainton may be able to turn a spare bus out to shuttle to Oxenholme but don't bank on it.

So be prepared to hop on a service bus to Kendal Bus Station from Windermere then the half hourly 42/42A up to Oxenholme Station (from the stop behind the 555 stop at Kendal) if there are cancellations. It's only £2 + £2 and if there are blocks of cancellations you will get a 100% refund of your train fare- which will more than pay for the buses. Or a taxi off the rank- 10 miles - about £25.

Thank you once again. So, I am confused. Would you reserve the Northern train and take a chance on the OT ban? Or are we better with a connection? This will be September 3, so a ways away.

There are no assigned seats on Northern trains. There are advance fares, but no assigned seats with them.

Just take a chance on the overtime ban.

It's a weird thing, but the best value advance fares are rather surprisingly on the TPE connections. As of tonight £9.80 in Standard class on the 0852 or £17 in 1st on 3 September.

Given that you get free food and beverages in 1st class that is a no brainer to upgrade at tonight's fares. If you end up making your own way to Oxenholme you just take the next train out whenever that happens to be. The TPE to Manchester is every hour from Oxenholme.

On the 0955 Northern the Advance Fare is £17.30 standard that day!

I see the two train choices which are what I had narrowed it down to. Concerned about hsving enough time to change trains for the Transpennine trip - only gives us 5 minutes between trains. Not sure we can change tracks that quickly.

Oxenholme only has 3 tracks. The vast majority of people use Oxenholme as an interchange station, so anyone changing there will not be alone. Many others will also be changing into the TPE, and station staff are aware of that. Just follow the crowd down the subway, turn left in the subway and up the other side. 5 minutes is at least 3 more than you need.

Some people will be changing for TPE or Avanti northbound- across the other face of the same platform- but you go down the subway for southbound.

(some people will turn right in the subway for the bus or a pick up by private car, but not too many)

EDIT- In some ways this is a really hard question. Philosophically a through train is better than a one change train, to me. Also most bed and breakfast establishments in the area start breakfast at 8am or even 8.30am. Thus catching the 8.52 am is going to be tight.

But there is a huge emphasis on this forum on pushing the costs of travel to as low a level as possible and rushing around. And that sometimes seems to trump every other consideration- such as enjoying the area you have come to see or the establishment you have come to stay in.

What really is the difference 'worth' in a holistic manner between a £9 fare on the 0852 train, or a £17 fare on the 0955 train? Only an individual can answer that conundrum. You can even take advantage of a 'late' breakfast by going out for an early walk around town or even to the Lake if staying close to it. In the summer even a quick dawn walk up Orrest Head.

Or another favourite of mine- the back lane behind St Mary's Church down through the woods, to Lake Road near the Windermere Jetty Museum, wander down to St Martin's Church/Bowness Pier then walk or bus back up the hill.

Trust me everything is so different especially early in the morning. That is when you feel the real magic of the area, when you are not racing around coping with the day trip hordes.

The contrast between Bowness Pier or Waterhead Pier in the middle of a summer day, and early or late can be electrifying.

Time can trump cost sometimes.