Lake District National Park Travel Forum

I am planning to spend some days in the lake District using Keswick as a base for hill walking. The dates that suit me best are May 1st to May 5th. But I now see that this is a UK Bank Holiday weekend. Does that mean the area will be very very busy with tourists? Difficult to park a car? Traffic jams? Walks very busy? OR, is it still quite early in the season?
Views , comments, advice much appreciated.
Thank you
Pop.

Yes, I'm afraid a UK bank holiday does mean that it will be very busy, even though it is early in the season.

People like to get away for the day, or for a long weekend, and there will be plenty of cars, tourists, visitors and walkers, difficulty in parking and (inevitably) traffic jams (especially on the Monday evening). There will also be coach tours at that time.

If the weather is very poor it won't be so crowded...but it won't be very pleasant for walking either.

Sorry, but that is the way it is on bank holidays. Many of us prefer not to go anywhere very much.

An extra-early start on weekend days (and the Monday) will help you to avoid traffic, park more easily and get well up the hills before everyone else arrives.

More people are said to be taking breaks at home in the UK this year so some will take advantage of the Bank Holiday to make it a long weekend. But it is quite early in the season and if your plan is to spend time hill walking I doubt you will be joined by hordes of tourists. Do you have any possible alternative dates? Mid June and September are often lovely - but the unpredictability of the weather in the Lakes is one of its unchanging features.

It really isn't cheaper for us and that's why Ranger was suggesting that more British peole will be taking holidays in the UK this year.

Thank you.
Excellent advice.
Pop

Thank you.
Very helpful answer.
Pop

Maltalad - leics has explained for me - our visits to the Eurozone countries have become very much more expensive because of the change in th £/euro exchange rate. Over the last two years I reckon around 25% more expensive. Meanwhile the cost of living in the UK is not going down!

Maltalad - as a UK born person I would never even think of taking a "tour" of my own country. All I would need would be a good selection of maps and a local guide book.

Maltalad has, I am afraid, gone the way of so many who ignore VT guidelines.

leics - I did wonder about maltalad -- getting soft in my old age and giving the benefit of the doubt too easily!

I'm usually very tolerant too...but he'd appeared on several of 'my' other threads.