Steam Trains, Boats and Ferries in Cumbria: What They Cost

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway (La'al Ratty)

A seven mile narrow gauge railway from Ravenglass, on the coast, up to Dalegarth for Boot in the Eskdale valley. The railway says a single journey takes about 40 minutes. It runs five steam engines, and Visit Lake District says River Irt, built in 1894, is the world's oldest narrow gauge steam engine. Ravenglass station has a licensed café, a gift shop, a railway museum, a children's play area and a viewing turntable, and there's a Changing Places toilet.

Fares from the railway's site at the time of writing: adult return £26, single £17; child (5 to 17) return £16, single £11; under 5s free. There's a 150th Anniversary Family Pass at £150 for two adults and two children with unlimited travel on scheduled services throughout 2026, which is worth a look if you're doing it more than once. Dogs are £5 for a day ticket. Carriages come open, semi-open and closed, and most of the smaller stops are request stops. Dalegarth is your leg-stretch and walking-off-the-train point.

My verdict: it's the best of the lot for children, and the least likely to be swamped, because Ravenglass is out on the west coast away from the Windermere crowds. It's also a long way from most places, so make a day of it.

Good for

Ages 3 to 12, a whole day out

Parking

Check the railway's site for the station car park

Toilets/buggies

Toilets, café and Changing Places at Ravenglass, several carriage types

Check first

Timetable and season (01229 717171)

Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway

Steam trains through the Leven Valley from Haverthwaite (LA12 8AL) to Lakeside at the foot of Windermere, where you can connect with Windermere Lake Cruises. The 2026 steam season is listed as 28 March to 1 November, with trains running daily in that window.

The railway's fares page gives adult return £12.50 and child (3 to 15) return £7.30, with a family return for two adults and up to three children at £37.50. The journey is 18 minutes each way. Dogs travel free. You can also buy combined train and boat tickets, for example train plus boat to Bowness at £29 for an adult return. They only sell tickets on the day, from Haverthwaite or Lakeside, so no advance booking.

Haverthwaite station has a tea room, gift shop, engine shed and a woodland playground, so if the queue at Lakeside is long, the little ones have something to do. It's a smaller, gentler outing than Ravenglass, and a smart way to get onto Windermere while avoiding Bowness.

Good for

Ages 2 to 10, combined with a boat trip

Parking

Windermere Lake Cruises point to parking at Haverthwaite as a park and ride option

Toilets/buggies

Tea room and station facilities at Haverthwaite, check for buggy access

Check first

Running days, on-the-day tickets only (015395 31594)

Settle-Carlisle Railway (from Carlisle station)

This one isn't steam, it's a normal diesel train, but it's one of the best rides in England and it starts from our front door. Northern runs services between Leeds and Carlisle via Settle and Appleby, daily except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The Yorkshire Dales National Park says the line is 72 miles, with 20 viaducts and 14 tunnels, and the Ribblehead Viaduct is the famous bit.

Northern's journey planner gives Settle to Carlisle as roughly 1 hour 49 minutes, and advance singles from £9.30, though prices vary. Carlisle station has lifts, step-free access, a Changing Places toilet and two car parks (235 spaces in total, £12.50 daily). The timetable for 17 May to 12 December 2026 is on the Settle-Carlisle site.

For children, a slightly older age suits it best, about seven and up, and you'd need to plan the return leg carefully. It's a long time on a train for a five year old unless you've got snacks. Appleby is the obvious town to hop off in if you want a day out with less time on board.

Good for

Ages 6 and up, train fans, a grown-ups day too

Parking

Carlisle station car parks (235 spaces, £12.50 a day per Northern)

Toilets/buggies

Step-free at Carlisle, accessible toilets and Changing Places

Check first

Timetable, return times, engineering works

Windermere Lake Cruises

The biggest operator on England's largest natural lake. Their site lists the Islands Blue Cruise (45 minutes, from £14.80), the Green Cruise (50 minutes, from £14.80), and the Red Cruise between Bowness and Ambleside (75 minutes, from £19.20), plus combined tickets with the steam train. Piers are at Bowness, Ambleside (Waterhead), Lakeside, Ash Landing, Wray and Brockhole.

They say peak time is 12 noon to 4pm, so book early or late. Lakeside Pier has 500 parking spaces, which they suggest as an alternative to driving to Bowness. My advice is to do the short Blue Cruise with children under six and save the 75 minute Red for older ones. The website doesn't say anything about dogs on the boats, so ring before you bring the labrador.

Good for

Ages 3 and up, easy day out

Parking

Lakeside Pier 500 spaces, Bowness has 800+ council spaces

Toilets/buggies

Facilities at piers, check boarding access

Check first

Fares, timetable, dog policy (015394 43360)

Ullswater Steamers

The company says it has run on Ullswater for over 160 years, and the fleet includes the M.Y. Lady of the Lake (1877) and M.Y. Raven (1889), plus newer boats. There are piers at Glenridding, Howtown and Pooley Bridge. Onboard there are seats, a licensed bar and toilets.

The 2026 fares on their site: Glenridding to Pooley Bridge single is £17.50 for adults and £11.75 for children (5 to 17), the full lake round trip is £26 and £16, and under 5s are free. Family packages for two adults and two children run from £48.50 to £76 depending on the route. Dogs are £1.50 each. The company also promotes the Ullswater Way, a 20 mile circular route linking the piers by boat and boot, so you can take the boat one way and walk a short stretch back if your children are up for it.

It's a more expensive day than the ferry or the Keswick Launch, but Ullswater is a lovely lake and quieter than Windermere.

Good for

Ages 4 and up, a big-lake outing with a walk

Parking

Glenridding has car parking

Toilets/buggies

Toilets onboard, check the site for accessibility

Check first

Timetable and fares

Keswick Launch on Derwentwater

A hop-on hop-off launch round Derwentwater with seven landing stages. The website gives round-trip fares of £16 for adults, £9 for children aged 5 to 15 and £41.50 for a family of two adults and three children, with under 5s free. Dogs are welcome and free. The summer timetable runs from 21 March to 8 November 2026. It's the best value of the lake boats for a family, and Catbells is a short walk from one of the landing stages.

Good for

Ages 3 and up

Parking

Keswick town and rugby club car parks

Toilets/buggies

Ramp to Pier One, boarding needs assistance

Check first

Timetable, limited service notices

Steam Yacht Gondola and Coniston Launch

The National Trust runs the Steam Yacht Gondola on Coniston Water from Coniston Pier (LA21 8AN). There are three cruises: the Mountain Cruise (45 minutes, from £13 for adults), the Heart of the Lake cruise (about an hour) and the Full Lake Cruise (up to around 100 minutes, £26.50 for adults). Children under 5 travel free but still need a ticket, and you can book online up to four weeks ahead, or on the day if there's space. Dogs are welcome in non-carpeted areas. The Trust says wheelchair access isn't fully possible because of steps to board.

Alongside it, the Coniston Launch is a separate hop-on hop-off service stopping at Brantwood, running from 7 March to 1 November 2026 according to the Brantwood site. Both are good, quieter alternatives to Windermere, but wrap up, because the Gondola's own page warns it can be cold on the lake.

Good for

Ages 5 and up, quieter than Windermere

Parking

Pay and display about 50 yards from the pier (not National Trust)

Toilets/buggies

Small toilet onboard, adapted toilets at the Coniston Boating Centre

Check first

Booking, sailing days, prices

Windermere Ferry

A car and passenger ferry across the middle of Windermere. The council says the crossing takes around 10 minutes, and it runs daily except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. There's no timetable and no booking, and if you miss one you'll wait about 20 minutes. Fares (single): pedestrian £1.50, bike with rider £2.70, vehicle up to 6m £8. It's card payments only, and the first crossing from Ferry Nab is 6.50am Monday to Saturday and 8.50am on Sundays.

As a boat trip for a small child it's ridiculous value. As a way of getting to the other side, it's a lot slower than it looks on the map when there's a queue, so don't build your schedule around it on a bank holiday.

Good for

All ages, cheapest boat trip in Cumbria

Parking

Queue on the road or walk on as a foot passenger

Toilets/buggies

Check first, foot passengers board easily

Check first

Daily service updates (01539 713 066)