Travel & Parking

We encourage everyone travelling to and from the event to make use of the public transport options available, and plan your journey in advance as many travel options are pre-bookable and will sell out. You will find information on the available travel options below.

There will be a drop-off and pick-up turning circle at the venue. To ensure there are no delays on the road network there will be strictly no waiting on site. Parking on roadsides and verges is strictly forbidden, and the police would like to remind participants that any cars that are parked in these areas may incur penalty charge notices or be towed away.

The roads around Windermere and Ambleside will be very busy across the weekend. Please be considerate to other participants, residents and tourists and park responsibly.

Please aim to arrive at the event site 2 hours before your wave start time to allow time to pick up swim packs and allow plenty of time after your swim, to change and enjoy some food and drink on site, before you head home.

Event Site Parking

Event-site parking at Brockhole (LA23 1LJ) will be available to book closer to the event, and we will contact all participants by email as soon as parking is on sale. When you book a space, you will receive a parking pass through the post approx. 2 weeks before the event to display in your car on the day.

Limited pay and display parking is also available at Waterhead Car Parks (35 mins walking time from the site), and Ambleside Car Parks (45 mins walking time and 15-20 mins cycle from the site). Local charges apply.

If you are planning on travelling to the event by car, in our efforts to be a little kinder to our environment, we highly recommend car sharing where possible.

Stagecoach Bus Service

A public Stagecoach bus service is available and stops at the entrance to the event venue. The 599/555/505 bus services operate from Bowness and Windermere in the South and from Ambleside in the North.

The service operates every 20 minutes*. The first bus from Windermere starts at 06:04 am and 06:45 am each day (*please check timetable here for any service updates). It is strongly recommended that you book your ticket in advance on the stagecoach app, to allow Stagecoach to forecast the demand and increase services where required.

Windermere Lake Cruises

Windermere Lake Cruises have carried a huge number of our swimmers and their friends and families over recent years. Pre-bookable tickets for the direct shuttle service from Bowness or Ambleside to Brockhole will be available to book via the Windermere Lake Cruises website, closer to the event.

Cycling to the Event

This will undoubtedly be one of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel, with the added benefit of avoiding queues and allowing you to travel exactly when you want to. If you live or are staying locally this would be a great option for you.

Cycle hire is available in Bowness and Ambleside, as well as from National Trust campsites in the area. For anyone planning to cycle to the event, there will be limited bike parking stands on-site at Brockhole (please ensure you bring your own lock).