Northern England

Julie, I think a car would be of very little use before you leave Durham for the Hadrian's Wall area. Even there, depending on what kind of thing you want to do, it may be possible to manage without one: http://www.visithadrianswall.co.uk/hadrians-wall-country/getting-around/hadrians-wall-country-bus If you intend to do any hiking in the Lake District, take a look at the classic guides written by the late Alfred Wainright. In early July most of the schools have not yet started their summer holidays (except in Scotland) and so it will be quieter than it will be in August, but that doesn't mean it won't be busy, and traffic and parking can be a problem in some of the towns. A car is still more or less essential though, if you want to see anything much of the area. Penrith to Manchester is 110 or 120 miles, almost all on the M6 motorway (mostly 6 lanes, 70 mile an hour speed limit) and should take about an hour and three quarters. I'd drop the car at the airport. I haven't checked, but I would have thought that you would have limited options to do that in Penrith. It's a minimum of 2 hours on the train, but there are direct services from Penrith to Manchester Airport (First Transpennine Express services from Scotland).

I am only familiar with a couple of the areas you propose to visit: York and the Lake District. Agree that in the towns, including York, a car is unnecessary. However, if you intend to explore areas around York, like the moors, I would think that a car might be very helpful. Ditto the Hadrian's Wall area and the Lake District. As to your question of where to stay in the Lake District, I would definitely recommend the southern area: Windermere, Ambleside, Hawkshead, Grasmere.

Hi Julie! Our family has spent several summers in the Lake District and are returning again this summer...you can get a feel for the area if you stay in just one town there for a day or two as you are thinking of doing. The town you choose, though, depends on what kind of traveler you are. If you like lots of tourists and souvenir shops then the southern lake towns are where you want to be. You can slso take walks out of these towns that are plenty beautiful! If you want to avoid hoards of tourists though, stay in Keswick on Derwentwater in the northern part of the lakes. This town is a little less touristy and you can be out in the countryside in minutes. You can take the boat across Derwentwater and hike the Catbells or you can go north of town and walk up Blencathra or hike out of town to the east and go up to the Castlerigg Stone Circle and have lunch or a drink at the Cragg Bar nearby. If you have a car here, which I highly recommend, drive out to Coniston or Buttermere and take walks from there. You won't find a prettier place in the world...my opinion of course!

For me this would be an ambitious itinerary but quite doable. We did something similar two years ago over three weeks, including some days in North Wales and up to Edinburgh, all by car. I think the car would be most useful for Hadrian's Wall and the Lake District (where I agree that Keswick would be a good base, especially with wheels). Keith has a great suggestion, imho. But instead of dropping the car back in Carlisle, you could keep the car and head from Keswick northeast toward Hadrian's Wall, make a few stops there and then drive to Durham from maybe Hexham. You could drop the car in Durham, then train to York, then Leeds, then back to Manchester. That would give you the car for the places where it's most useful and leave you with trains where they're easier. Downside is a dropoff charge for moving the car between Carlisle and Durham. Sounds like a great trip. We really enjoyed the north of England, the countryside, and the friendly though sometimes unintelliglbly-accented people.

Thanks to all for your responses. You have provided some very good information and other resources to investigate. Julie