Where to park in Ambleside for shopping?
The picturesque town of Ambleside is the perfect place to start your adventures exploring the Lake District.
There are lots of amazing hiking routes that start from the middle of town to Loughrigg Fell, Wansfell Pike, Rydal and Grasmere.
There are also plenty of cafes, pubs and local artisan shops to browse.
Ambleside is very popular, especially in peak times so here are some tips to make sure you can find the perfect parking spots close to all the shops and attractions.
On-street parking
Most of the streets in the centre of town offer one hour of free parking for everyone.
Don't forget to display a parking disc on your dashboard when you park up.
This applies between 10am and 6pm. Which means that if you park before 10am you can stay until 11am for free.
After 6pm the on-street parking is unrestricted, so you can park all night if you're able to bag a space.
Blue Badge holders can park in any disc zone / time limited areas without time restriction, as long as a Blue Badge is legible and placed on clear display.
How to use the Ambleside parking discs
Pick up a parking disc for free from any of the shops or cafes on the high street.
Set the dial to the current time and pop the disc on your dashboard.
You have one hour from the time you've set.
You must move on after that hour, you aren't allowed to move the dial to get another free hour - you have to move your car.
Once you've finished with the parking disc, return it to any of the shops in town to be re-used.
Carparks
There are three main car parks in Ambleside.
Lake Road car park at Waterhead is right next to the lake, it's a perfect spot to park if you're planning on joining one of the lake cruises that depart from Ambleside marina. There is a private shuttle bus that runs from Waterhead to the town centre that costs about £2.50 - alternatively it's a 15-20 minute walk to the shops.
'Early Bird' tariff: arrive before 9am and pay £1.10 for all day parking.
If you're a Blue Badge holder you can park one hour for free on top of time purchased when displaying a valid Blue Badge and clock disc.
Miller Bridge car park is the newest and largest car park in Ambleside. It's a little hidden away, behind Rothay park but it's got hundreds of parking spaces and is in perfect walking distance of the shops, the parks and the pubs in the village.
Blue Badge holders - Normal charges apply.
Rydal Road car park at the North end of Ambleside is accessed right beside the historic Ambleside Bridge House. It's also large and very convenient for the shops.
If you're a Blue Badge holder you can park one hour for free on top of time purchased when displaying a valid Blue Badge and clock disc.
Parking charges in Ambleside carparks
- Up to 1 hour: £2.20
- Up to 2 hours: £3.90
- Up to 3 hours: £5.10
- Up to 4 hours: £6.50
- Up to 6 hours: £7.80
- All day: £9.40
Motorcycles: Free parking.
Paying for parking in Ambleside
The parking machines in Ambleside can take cash, credit cards, contactless payments or payment via the paybyphone app.
Hayes garden centre
There is a large car park at Hayes Gardening World which is a short walk to town or the piers, but this is only supposed to be used by customers of the store.
Ambleside school
There are a few parking spaces at Ambleside School in Vicarage Road which are available to the public on weekends and outside of term time for a small donation.
Other ways to get to Ambleside
There are also great public transport links to Ambleside with regular busses connecting Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and going all the way to the Langdale valley.
You can also cruise in to town in style from Bowness or Lakeside on the Windermere Cruises.
Or why not come by bike - with various bike rental options like Country Lanes in Windermere.
*All parking information and charges correct at the time of writing, always check posted signs before parking.