(27 Feb 2015, 10:29 pm)Tom wrote If you get the express 555 to Lancaster, you could get the 42 from there to Blackpool. Might be a rush getting back to Carlisle though.Yeah, it's impossible to do it in one day.
I bought a North West 7-day Explorer last year during the summer, and even on the days where I used Northern Rail to/from Carlisle to speed things up, I couldn't cram everything in that I wanted to.
Going to the lakes and back in one day needs vigorous planning, and I'd suggest that it would perhaps be easier and more efficient to book a hotel if it's as cheap as £35 for a night. I left some very risky connections when I went, and luckily nothing went wrong, but some running was required.