Getting to the great outdoors by public transport is easier and more enjoyable than you think

Britain is very fortunate to have countless delightful landscapes offering opportunities to explore the great outdoors. Yet many people are apprehensive about seizing those opportunities. One of the reasons for this is not having access to a car, even though lots of those areas renowned for their beauty are well served by public transport links.

My own experience of a car-less exploration of the Lake District is captured in my two recently published books, Lakeland Larks, Laughter and Lunacies and its sequel, More Lakeland Larks.

The Lake District is a breathtakingly beautiful confection of rugged mountains, fells adorned with rocky outcrops, rounded hills, lush valleys and emerald lakes. Little wonder, then, that this area of a mere 912 square miles attracts some 20 million visitors a year.

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But its geography, which acts as a magnet for so many, also makes the roads intersecting it very narrow and winding – and driving along them challenging. Thankfully, those wishing to explore it don’t need to rely on their car.

But first, one needs to get to the area. Here, public transport comes in handy: Oxenholme (near Kendal), Penrith and Carlisle are all accessible by train. The rail network can also provide a very scenic coastal journey all the way from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness via Workington and Whitehaven. If you are driving to the Lakes, though, the area is accessed via several trunk routes and major A roads.

Once there, tourists would be advised to leave their car behind altogether, using buses and other forms of public transport instead. Bus fares are currently capped at £2 per journey, making bus travel eminently affordable. But even more importantly, Lakeland roads get hopelessly clogged in high season, resulting in annoying, sometimes even dangerous, delays and frustrating difficulties with finding parking. Some inconsiderate visitors have been known to block roads with crazily positioned cars, completely paralysing the traffic.

By using buses, trains and ferries, and by cycling or walking, tourists can spare themselves a lot of grief, exploring this enchanting area in a stress-free way. Not only that: most, if not all, of the routes serviced by public transport are so picturesque that being able to sit back and just enjoy the spectacular scenery whizzing past is vastly preferable to having to keep your eyes on the narrow and bendy road.

Take the 555 route, which runs from Keswick in the north to Kendal (and Lancaster beyond) in the south through some of Lakeland’s most spectacular landscapes, including several iconic lakes, and unlocking access to many fantastic walks of varying levels of difficulty.

Or the circular 78, otherwise known as the Buttermere bus, which does the round starting and finishing in Keswick and taking in the popular Whinlatter Forest Visitor Centre, the lovely village of Buttermere, which is the gateway to many fabulous walks, the well-known Honister Pass with its famous slate quarry and Seatoller further down in Borrowdale, a valley abounding in lovely walking routes.

Services 508 and 509 will take you from Penrith to Pooley Bridge, Glenridding and Patterdale, all situated on the enchanting Ullswater and all being the starting point of many beautiful strolls, walks and hikes.

Service 505 goes to Coniston from Kendal, where you will be able to climb the iconic Coniston Fells or take a trip on Coniston Water, while service 516 runs between Ambleside and Dungeon Ghyll at the head of Great Langdale, surrounded by magnificent fells offering an abundance of iconic climbs.

Aside from unlocking access to many beautiful areas, public transport enables visitors to undertake countless linear walks, whereas, with a car, you are limited to doing circular walks only. Last, but not least, all Lakeland bus drivers are very pleasant and helpful.

Anna Nolan is the author of Lakeland Larks, Laughter and Lunacies of an Unmotorised Lake District Walker and its sequel, More Lakeland Larks, Laughter and Lunacies, both out now. You can buy them from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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