Enjoy a great day out in the Lake District

Families hungry for a great day out that won’t bite into the credit crunch budget too much should head to Lakeside, near Newby Bridge in the Lake District.

By combining tails with rails, families can access a great value offer created by leading attractions Lakes Aquarium and Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway.

Both attractions have bases at Lakeside on Windermere’s southern shore and share facilities including gift shop and café.

Entrance to Lakes Aquarium, where six exciting global zones showcase some of the world’s most intriguing and adorable creatures and fish, can be married up with a return steam train trip through the Leven Valley, through a specially priced, great value combined ticket.

This costs just £11.95 for an adult and £6.60 for a child. A family of two adults and three children can buy a ticket for £35.50.

This saves adults £2.50 and £1.90 on the normal children’s price. The family saving is £9.70. Additionally, children under 3 can enjoy the Aquarium’s many features for free and under 5s can travel free on the railway.

A combination ticket is the route to a wonderful day out in a beautiful location offering wonderful views of Windermere and the Cumbrian fells. Visiting both attractions provides several hours of fun, adding even more value to the experience.

Trains run throughout the day, enabling families to plan their visit how they wish. They can enjoy morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea at Oscar’s lakeside restaurant, which boasts a glorious view of Windermere, or perhaps time a visit around Lakes Aquarium’s otter feeding – at 10.30 am and 3pm.

There is parking on site at Lakeside, or families can arrive by boat, on a Windermere Lake Cruises sailing from Bowness-on-Windermere or Ambleside.

Families wishing to stay locally and walk to Lakeside have a range of options, from local campsites and caravan parks, to luxury hotels such as The Lakeside Hotel, The Swan at Newby Bridge and The Whitewater Hotel.

To find out more about these attractions visit lakesaquarium.co.uk or lakesiderailway.co.uk. Both stage special events throughout the year, which can add even more to what already constitutes a great deal out, as well as day out!