London to the Lake District by Chauffeur: Roads and Realities

Which junction, which lake

The Lake District is not a single destination and the M6 offers two very different doors into it. Junction 36 leads onto the A590 and A591 for Kendal, Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside, which covers the southern and central lakes. Junction 40 at Penrith leads onto the A66 for Keswick, Derwentwater and the northern fells, or south on the A592 to Ullswater. Choosing the wrong one can add the best part of an hour on twisting roads.

The distinction matters more here than on almost any other route because the internal roads are slow. Getting from Windermere to Keswick is only about twenty miles, but it is nothing like twenty motorway miles, and in season it can take the better part of an hour. The junction you use therefore determines the shape of the whole day rather than merely the last few minutes of the drive.

• Junction 36 and the A590 for Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside
• Junction 40 and the A66 for Keswick and the north-western fells
• The A592 from Penrith for Ullswater and the Kirkstone side
• Junction 39 as an alternative for Shap and the eastern edge

What the valley roads are like

Once off the trunk network the driving changes completely. Roads are narrow, walled, often unlit and frequently steep. Passing places substitute for lanes in places. Kirkstone Pass, Honister and Hardknott are famous for good reasons and are not routes for a large executive vehicle in poor weather. A chauffeur familiar with Cumbria will route around the worst of these rather than through them, even at the cost of extra miles.

Hotels, drives and the last few hundred yards

Lakeland hotels frequently sit at the end of long private drives, sometimes single track, often with a tight entrance off a fast road. Some have gravel turning circles that suit a saloon better than a long-wheelbase people carrier. Giving the exact property name at the enquiry stage lets vehicle suitability be checked properly, which is a genuinely useful conversation rather than a formality on this particular route.

Season, weather and daylight

The Lakes are busiest in summer and over bank holidays, when the A591 through Ambleside and the roads around Bowness can move at walking pace. Winter brings its own issues: standing water, ice on shaded sections and short daylight that turns an afternoon arrival into a night-time one. Neither prevents travel, but both argue for earlier departures than the mileage alone would suggest.

Structuring a Lakes trip

Given that the drive north runs to six hours or more, very few Lake District bookings are a simple return. The common patterns are a one-way transfer with the car returning, a car held for several days, or a journey split with an overnight stop on the way. Each has different implications for the chauffeur, including accommodation, and those are settled openly at the booking stage rather than assumed.

Plan your chauffeur journey

London Chauffeurs provides itinerary-led private travel for airport transfers, executive travel, private aviation, events and long-distance UK journeys. Availability and pricing are confirmed for the requested itinerary.

Frequently asked questions