Motorhome Stopover Club Route Guide
If you are planning a short Lake District motorhome trip, this three-day route gives you a practical way to see Windermere, Great Langdale, Grasmere and Keswick without trying to squeeze the whole national park into one rushed weekend.
The journey runs from south to north. It begins around Kendal and Windermere, continues into the dramatic Langdale Valley, then follows the main route through Grasmere to Keswick and Threlkeld. Each day finishes with a suggested pub stopover currently listed on Motorhome Stopover Club.
This is a flexible route rather than a strict timetable. Spend longer beside the lake, swap a fell walk for a village wander or add another night if the weather turns. In the Lake District, a low-mileage day can still feel full once parking, narrow roads and photo stops are taken into account.
3-day Lake District motorhome route summary
- Suggested length: 3 touring days, with a pub stopover suggested at the end of each day
- Route direction: South Lakes to North Lakes
- Best for: Scenic drives, lakeside walks, traditional pubs, villages and a first taste of the central Lake District
- Main areas covered: Kendal, Crook, Windermere, Ambleside, Great Langdale, Grasmere, Keswick and Threlkeld
- Good for larger motorhomes? The main route can work, but Great Langdale’s approach and pub parking need checking for your vehicle size
- Important: Call every pub before travelling to confirm current overnight permission, availability, cost or spending expectation and where to park
- Member benefit: Members can open the full stopover listings, check directions and build longer routes using thousands of UK locations
Want to build your own motorhome route?
Use our route planner to search for Motorhome Stopover Club locations close to your journey, then join to unlock full host details and directions.
Try the Motorhome Route Planner Join & Check Today’s OfferDay 1: Kendal, Windermere and Crook
Start on the southern side of the Lake District, where the A590 and A591 give a more straightforward approach than the minor roads further west. Kendal is a useful first pause for fuel, food and any touring essentials you forgot to pack. It also gives you a proper town to explore before the route moves into busier visitor country.
From Kendal, continue towards Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere. Windermere is England’s largest lake, while Bowness is the busy lakeside town where cruises leave from the main piers. If you want to go on the water, have lunch by the lake or simply take an easy shoreline walk, allow a good part of the day here rather than treating it as a quick photo stop.
The Lake District National Park’s Windermere and Ambleside guide is a useful official starting point for current visitor information. Bowness and Windermere become very busy during weekends and school holidays, so arriving earlier usually makes the first day much less stressful.
For the evening, turn away from the busiest lakeside corridor towards Crook. This gives you a quieter finish while keeping you close enough to rejoin the route towards Ambleside the following morning.
Driving note: Do not let a sat-nav drag you onto an unsuitable shortcut simply to save a few minutes. Stay on the more obvious A-road approach until the final local section, and ask the pub for its recommended arrival route if your motorhome is long or wide.
Suggested stopover: The Sun Inn, Crook
Area: Crook, near Kendal and Windermere
The Sun Inn is a traditional village pub in a useful South Lakes position. It works well for the first night because you can spend the day around Kendal or Windermere, then move away from the busiest lakeside area before settling in for the evening.
The pub’s arrangements can change with events, capacity and the time of year. Contact the team before arrival, support the pub with food or drinks and follow its instructions about the correct part of the car park.
View The Sun Inn motorhome stopover detailsDay 2: Ambleside and Great Langdale
Leave Crook and head towards Windermere, then continue north to Ambleside. The driving distance is modest, but there is plenty to fill the day. Ambleside has outdoor shops, cafés, independent shops and easy access to Waterhead at the northern end of Windermere. If you prefer a gentler start, spend the morning around the town or lake before turning west.
The landscape changes as you leave Ambleside for Great Langdale. Follow the main approach towards Skelwith Bridge and the B5343 into the valley. Elterwater and Chapel Stile are natural places to slow down, but the real reward is the view opening towards the Langdale Pikes.
The official Lake District National Park guide to Langdale describes both low- and high-level walking options. You do not need to climb a fell to enjoy this day: the valley, riverside paths and shorter walks around Elterwater can be just as memorable when the cloud is down.
Finish the day near the head of Great Langdale. This is one of those places where arriving with time to spare matters. You will be more relaxed on the narrow approach, more likely to park exactly where the host asks and still have time for a walk before dinner.
Specific road warning: The B5343 into Great Langdale is narrow in places, with bends, stone walls, cyclists and limited room when larger vehicles meet. Take it slowly and use passing places considerately. For day three, retrace the route east towards Ambleside; do not continue west because a sat-nav suggests Wrynose or Hardknott Pass as a shortcut.
Suggested stopover: Old Dungeon Ghyll, Great Langdale
Area: Great Langdale, near Ambleside
The Old Dungeon Ghyll is a historic Lake District pub and hotel in classic walking country. Its position makes the valley itself the evening experience, rather than somewhere you visit and then leave before dark.
Parking in Great Langdale is managed carefully, and paying to park during the day must not be treated as automatic permission to sleep overnight. Contact the hotel directly before relying on this stop. Confirm that motorhomes are currently accepted, where you must park, any charge or spending condition, your arrival time and whether your vehicle length is suitable.
View Old Dungeon Ghyll motorhome stopover detailsDay 3: Grasmere, Keswick and Threlkeld
Begin by driving back down Great Langdale the way you came. Rejoin the main route near Ambleside, then follow the A591 north through Rydal and Grasmere. This is a far more sensible motorhome route than trying to cross the high passes to the west.
Grasmere makes a good morning stop. The village is compact, attractive and surrounded by fells, with lakeside and woodland walking close by. It is also one of the places where parking can fill early, so have a backup plan and do not circle narrow village roads hoping an unsuitable space will appear.
Continue north on the A591 towards Keswick. The road provides some of the best views of the trip, but it still demands attention: expect bends, changing weather, cyclists and slow-moving traffic. Keswick gives you a lively finish with shops, cafés and Derwentwater only a short walk from the town centre.
If you want a manageable final-day activity, choose a section of the lakeshore rather than committing to a full mountain day. The official Derwentwater and Keswick visitor guide includes ideas for walking, cycling and getting onto the lake. From Keswick, head east towards Threlkeld for the final pub stopover beneath Blencathra.
Driving note: Use the A591 and A66 for the through journey to Threlkeld rather than selecting a shorter-looking minor road across the fells. Keep extra braking distance on long descents, and check the forecast before leaving Langdale because conditions can change quickly between valleys.
Suggested stopover: Horse & Farrier, Threlkeld
Area: Threlkeld, near Keswick
The Horse & Farrier is a traditional Lakeland pub at the foot of Blencathra, a few miles east of Keswick. It is a practical final stop because it combines a village setting with access to the A66 for an onward journey the next morning.
Call ahead even if the pub has welcomed motorhomes before. Give the team your vehicle dimensions, ask for the designated parking area and confirm whether a table booking, minimum spend or separate overnight charge applies on your chosen date.
View the Horse & Farrier motorhome stopover detailsPractical advice for driving this Lake District motorhome route
The Lake District rewards slow travel. Roads that look close together on a map may be separated by steep gradients, narrow village sections and heavy seasonal traffic. Build margin into every day and treat arrival before dark as part of the plan.
- Avoid the high-pass shortcut: This itinerary does not require Kirkstone, Wrynose, Hardknott or Honister Pass. Hardknott, Wrynose and Honister are among the steepest roads in the country, while sections of Kirkstone Pass do not give large vehicles enough room to pass comfortably.
- Use vehicle-aware planning: Enter your motorhome’s height, width, length and weight into a suitable sat-nav, but still compare the route with a map. Technology cannot judge every stone wall, overhanging branch or busy passing place.
- Check every stopover: Pub ownership, opening days, events and parking policies can change. Call on the day or shortly before travelling and keep a legal backup stop.
- Arrive early: Reaching the pub before the busiest food-service period makes it easier to speak to staff and park where requested.
- Keep access clear: Do not block delivery areas, fire access, bins, staff spaces or the turning room needed by other large vehicles.
- Watch the weather: Conditions on the fells and exposed roads can be very different from those beside the lakes. Reduce the plan rather than forcing it in poor visibility, high winds, ice or heavy rain.
- Travel discreetly: A pub stopover is an overnight parking arrangement, not a campsite pitch. Unless the host explicitly allows it, keep awnings, outdoor furniture and generators packed away.
Useful official road resource: Before travelling, check the Visit Lake District motorcaravanners’ county map. It marks roads needing extra consideration and explains why the major passes can be unsuitable for larger vehicles.
The Lake District National Park Authority also publishes official advice for campervans and motorhomes, including the importance of avoiding obstructions on narrow roads and checking where overnight parking is permitted.
Extend this 3-day Lake District motorhome itinerary
Three days gives you a strong introduction to the central Lake District, but it deliberately leaves out Coniston, Ullswater, the western valleys and the coast. That is a feature, not a mistake. Trying to include every famous lake usually creates more time behind the wheel and less time enjoying the places you came to see.
If you have a fourth day, consider staying around Keswick and taking a slower trip beside Derwentwater. For a longer tour, use the Motorhome Stopover Club route planner to find alternatives close to your own journey, or browse more motorhome stopovers in Cumbria and the Lake District.
You can also compare these three overnight suggestions with the club’s guide to 10 motorhome pub stopovers in the Lake District. Keep the route flexible and choose stops that suit your motorhome size, interests and direction of travel.
Ready to plan your next stopover?
Join Motorhome Stopover Club to unlock full stopover details, exact locations, directions and access to 6,500+ UK stopovers. Check the join page for our latest offer discount code.
Join Motorhome Stopover Club Try the Route Planner3-day Lake District motorhome route FAQs
Is three days enough for a Lake District motorhome trip?
Three days is enough for a rewarding short tour if you concentrate on one connected route. This itinerary covers Windermere, Ambleside, Great Langdale, Grasmere and Keswick without trying to reach every part of the national park. Add extra days if you also want to visit Coniston, Ullswater or the western valleys.
What is the best three-day Lake District motorhome route for a first visit?
A south-to-north route using the A591 is a practical first introduction. Starting near Kendal, moving through Windermere and Ambleside, adding Great Langdale, then continuing through Grasmere to Keswick keeps the main areas connected and avoids unnecessary backtracking.
Can motorhomes stay overnight in Lake District pub car parks?
Some pubs welcome motorhomes by prior arrangement, but you cannot assume that overnight sleeping is allowed simply because a car park is open. Contact the pub, obtain permission and confirm any cost, purchase requirement, arrival time and parking instructions before travelling.
Are the Lake District roads suitable for large motorhomes?
Main roads such as the A590, A591 and A66 are generally more practical for through travel, but access to villages, valleys and pub car parks may still be narrow. This route avoids the most demanding passes, yet drivers of longer or wider vehicles should check the B5343 approach to Great Langdale and speak to every host about access.
Does this route use Hardknott Pass or Wrynose Pass?
No. The itinerary reaches Great Langdale and then retraces the approach towards Ambleside before heading north on the A591. It does not require Hardknott, Wrynose, Honister or Kirkstone Pass.
Do I need to book the pub stopovers in advance?
Yes. Always call ahead or use the host’s stated booking method. Weekends, school holidays, private functions, bad weather and changes to pub operations can affect availability. Keep a suitable backup rather than relying on one unconfirmed car park.
When is the best time to tour the Lake District by motorhome?
Late spring, early summer and early autumn can offer a useful balance of daylight and touring conditions, but there is no guaranteed quiet or dry period. If possible, travel outside school-holiday weekends, arrive at popular places early and check the local forecast each morning.
Can I change the direction of this Lake District route?
Yes. The trip can be driven north to south if that suits your onward journey. Keep the Great Langdale section as an out-and-back drive from the Ambleside side rather than allowing a sat-nav to route you over the high passes.
- 3 Day Motorhome Route with Pub StopoversLast Updated: Motorhome Stopover Club Route Guide If you are planning a short Lake District motorhome trip, this three-day route gives you a practical way to see Windermere, Great Langdale, Grasmere and Keswick without trying to squeeze the whole national park into one rushed weekend. The journey runs from south to north. It begins around… Read more: 3 Day Motorhome Route with Pub Stopovers
- 7-Day Yorkshire Dales Motorhome Route with Pub StopoversLast Updated: Motorhome Stopover Club Route Guide If you are planning a motorhome trip through the Yorkshire Dales, this 7-day route gives you a simple way to see some of the best villages, views, pubs and stopover areas without feeling like you are constantly rushing from one place to the next. The route starts around… Read more: 7-Day Yorkshire Dales Motorhome Route with Pub Stopovers