Ambleside is easily
reached by road, being 20 miles from the M6 motorway, and
is served by several bus services. Rail travel is to
Windermere, four miles away with easy bus and taxi access.
There is a direct Manchester Airport/Windermere rail link.
The bus services from Ambleside (including open-topped
buses) provide easy access to nearby Lakeland towns, such
as Windermere, Keswick and Grasmere. Ideally located at the
hub of the area's road system, Ambleside is the ideal base
to experience all that the Lake District National Park has
to offer.
The starting point
for a wide range of walks, Ambleside has been a
long-standing favourite with families and experienced fell
walkers and climbers alike. However, Ambleside also has a
lot to offer those seeking relaxation, as well as exercise!
Within a 3-mile
radius of Ambleside lie three Michelin-starred restaurants,
and within the town itself there is a restaurants offering
a variety of cuisines, including Thai, Indian and Chinese,
as well as modern British and European. The town also
boasts two Independent cinemas, presenting the latest
releases, and jazz evenings are a regular feature at
Zeferellis, the local pizzeria and bar. If even this effort
is too much for you, Ambleside now boasts a newly opened
spa, at which you can receive a full pampering experience.
Ambleside is home to very few "High Street" chain stores,
but benefits from an amazing variety of individual shops,
some of them specialising in uniquely local products.
Additionally, there are numerous galleries in the town
offering an extensive range of original or reproduction
watercolours of the famously beautiful Lakeland landscape,
as well as original works by contemporary painters,
sculptors, potters and jewellery makers. An early evening
stroll around the shops of Ambleside represents a very
pleasant interlude before dinner at one of the local
restaurants