Reducing your fuel costs during your Lake District Holiday
Read on for our useful tips on less fuel and more fun during your escape to the Lakes…
With fuel costs hitting all time high levels, it can seem that choosing a UK break would mean shelling out more than ever on fuel to ensure you still get the most out of your stay.
There are however tangible, practical ways to reduce your fuel bill during your Lake District holiday. We’ve put together some top tips for keeping fuel costs down, whilst enjoying a fabulous and truly unforgettable break in the Lakes.
1. Location, Location, Location
Phil and Kirsty may have been telling us this for years, but it really is THE most important choice you’ll make when choosing your holiday home. The right choice will enable you to conserve fuel and therefore keep fuel costs down. While the wrong one could see your fuel costs spiral. Therefore it’s vitally important to choose your cottage location VERY carefully. While you may find great deals on accommodation outside of the National Park, this may prove to be a false economy as you could find yourself needing to spend, spend, spend on fuel to get yourself where you want to be.
Think about what you REALLY want from your holiday. Do you want to spend your break in the water; paddle-boarding, sailing, swimming? Then consider our cottages by the water such as Grange Cottage and Beech Tree Cottage with direct access to Lake Windermere.
Want to tick off plenty of Wainwrights? Herdwick Place in the Landgale Valley is quite simply a hill-walker’s paradise while our Mountain Cottages offer direct access to no fewer than 7 Wainwright fells straight from the front door – with absolutely no need to drive anywhere during your stay!
Want a glorious week of Lakeland seclusion? Consider our countryside cottages such as Tarn Foot Cottage in the remote yet incredibly picturesque Duddon Valley, the luxurious, 5 star Mill Pool Barn near the small village of Torver or the beautiful Mole’s Cottage with exquisite views of Coniston Water.
Or are you looking for an outstanding, all-round location with great pubs, places to eat, shops, a beautiful lake close by and spectacular walks ALL accessible direct from your cottage door? Coniston Village is within the Lake District National Park and choosing to stay here means you can park your car at your cottage and abandon your once-beloved vehicle for the entire duration of your stay! There’s so much to do right on your door-step – hire a boat from Coniston Boating Centre, enjoy some of the best walking the Lakes has to offer, dine out at one of the various cafes & restaurants and soak up the atmosphere (not to mention the renowned, locally brewed beer) at one of its friendly pubs. Everything you could possibly want from your Lake District self-catering holiday is right here.
2. Fill up outside of the National Park
Our mountains, lakes and rivers are what makes us so great and are the very reason so many visitors choose to holiday here ever year. Unfortunately, while it makes us so perfect for an invigorating UK break, our stunning landscape can also put fuel costs at a premium.
By refuelling outside of the National Park at interesting towns such as Kendal you can discover some underexplored gems such as Levens Hall, the Lakeland Maize Maze and Kendal Castle. A trip to Barrow-in-Furness meanwhile offers lower fuel prices with the benefit of underexplored attractions such as the fascinating Furness Abbey, the remote Piel Island with its historic castle, seal-watching at South Walney Nature Reserve and some vast, breath-taking beaches such as those found at Sandscale and Roan Head which, quite simply, have to be seen to be believed!
3. Utilise other forms of transport
There are plenty of options for getting out and about around the Lake District National Park without a car. Many of our cottages come with cycle storage so you can bring your bikes on holiday with you and explore the Lakes via pedal power (which is completely free so long as you don’t count the cost of the delicious Cumberland sausage sandwiches or Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding you’ll need to keep you going and both of which, and more, are available for delivery to your Coppermines Cottage door from A Day’s Walk).
You can also hire Mountain bikes locally including from nearby Grizedale Forest which itself is surrounded by mile upon mile of superb forest mountain tracks – perfect for off-road cycling.
For something altogether more leisurely, The Gondola, a Victorian, steam-powered cruising yacht on Coniston Water can transport you down the lake with a scenic lake-side return walk to the village. Or for an even more relaxing day out without the car you can also travel on a round trip, all the sights for minimum effort!
Finally public transport such as the 505 Coniston to Grasmere Bus Service offers the option of a round trip to another charming Lake District village or a ‘ride and walk’ day out – catch the bus then enjoy a delightful walk back to your cottage. For more information visit our local maps and walking routes page.
