Summer timetable, Monday to Saturday (last Sunday of March to last Saturday of October 2026) — checked 15 September 2026 · Sailings shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~10 min
Frequency
every 20 min
Operator
Westmorland and Furness Council
Map – Windermere Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian, single crossing | £1.50 |
| Pedal cycle and rider, single crossing | £2.70 |
| Moped, motorcycle or horse, single crossing | £3.50 |
| Vehicle up to 6m, single crossing | £8.00 |
| Vehicle over 6m, single crossing | £14.50 |
| Vehicle and trailer over 6m, single crossing | £14.50 |
Pay on board the ferry — card payments only, no cash and no pre-booking. Tickets from other ferry or transport operators are not valid. The council also sells books of tickets and three-month or annual pre-paid contracts, but only by phoning the ferry office; no online price list is published for these. Since 1 April 2026, Blue Badge holders pay the same standard fares as everyone else — there is no disabled concession. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
The Windermere Ferry is a chain (cable) ferry run directly by Westmorland and Furness Council, crossing Windermere between Ferry Nab in Bowness-on-Windermere and the Far Sawrey landing, often called Ferry House, on the lake's western shore. It is the short cut across England's largest lake for anyone travelling between Bowness or Windermere town and Hawkshead, Coniston or the rest of the western Lake District, sparing drivers a long loop around either end of the lake. The crossing takes around ten minutes, and the vessel can carry up to fifteen vehicles, depending on their size, plus more than a hundred foot passengers.
Unlike a scheduled bus or train, this ferry has no printed timetable, and the council is explicit that it does not guarantee a return crossing: weather, mechanical faults and passenger numbers can all change when it sails, and journeys cannot be pre-booked. In practice the ferry shuttles back and forth continuously through its opening hours, with the council estimating around a 20-minute wait if you miss one — longer during British Summer Time and at busy weekends. First sailings on Monday to Saturday are 06:50 from Ferry Nab and 07:00 from Far Sawrey; a weekly Sunday-morning maintenance break pushes this back to 08:50 and 09:00. Last sailings run to 21:50 from Ferry Nab and 22:00 from Far Sawrey from late March to late October, an hour earlier once the winter timetable starts, and the ferry does not run at all on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
Fares are paid on board by card only, with cash not accepted: £1.50 for a foot passenger, £2.70 for a bicycle and rider, £3.50 for a moped, motorcycle or horse, £8 for a vehicle up to six metres, and £14.50 for a longer vehicle or one towing a trailer. Blue Badge holders now pay the standard rate. On fine summer days, vehicle queues at both slipways can be long, so allow spare time, especially in the afternoon. If the ferry is out of action, there is no way round it on the water — the only option is the long way around the lake by road, via Ambleside to the north or Newby Bridge to the south.
Plan for the ferry being out of service now and then. The council takes it off for maintenance most winters — in 2026 it was out for about two weeks from 23 February for driveline work — and occasional single days go the same way. None of that is seasonal or predictable from a calendar, so check the council's page before relying on the crossing.
- Arrive at the slipway a few minutes before departure; vehicle queues build quickly in summer.
- Check the operator's notices before travelling — tides, weather and maintenance affect sailings.
- Confirm accepted payment methods: several crossings are contactless-only.
Frequently asked questions
No. Westmorland and Furness Council does not publish fixed departure times or guarantee a return crossing, because weather, breakdowns and passenger numbers can all change sailings and journeys cannot be pre-booked. In practice the ferry runs continuously, at roughly a 20-minute cycle, between its published first and last crossings each day.
Monday to Saturday, the first sailing is 06:50 from Ferry Nab and 07:00 from Far Sawrey; on Sunday a weekly maintenance break delays this to 08:50 and 09:00. From late March to late October the last sailings are 21:50 from Ferry Nab and 22:00 from Far Sawrey; once the winter timetable starts in late October these move an hour earlier, to 20:50 and 21:00.
Single-crossing fares are £1.50 for a foot passenger, £2.70 for a pedal cycle and rider, £3.50 for a moped, motorcycle or horse, £8 for a vehicle up to 6 metres, and £14.50 for a vehicle over 6 metres or a vehicle with a trailer. You pay on board by card only — cash is not accepted, and tickets cannot be bought online in advance.
No. Since 1 April 2026, Blue Badge holders pay the same standard fares as every other passenger or vehicle.
Yes, it runs all year. The only change is that the last sailing is an hour earlier than in summer (20:50 from Ferry Nab, 21:00 from Far Sawrey), and the service does not run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
About 10 minutes each way. The vessel can carry up to 15 vehicles, depending on their size, and over 100 foot passengers.
The council's own guidance is that during British Summer Time demand can be high, so vehicles may queue for longer than the usual ~20-minute wait between sailings, particularly on fine weekends and in the school holidays.
There is no other way across the lake at this point. Drivers have to take the long way around Windermere by road, either north via Ambleside on the A591 or south via Newby Bridge on the A592/A590, both of which add a significant detour compared with the ten-minute crossing.