Rail British rail Intercity mainline services from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh and the rest of the country provide fast access to Windermere, the gateway to the Lake District. London to Windermere takes a little over 3.5 hours with a change required at the mainline station of Oxenholme near Kendal. From here there is a short (20 minute) rail trip to Windermere. For further rail travel information call the British Rail national enquiry centre open 24 hours a day on 0171 387 7070 and reservations on either 0171 388 6061 or 0171 387 8541.