Bus Services from Newcastle Upon Tyne to Alnwick & Berwick

[STEVIEBOY1]

Good Morning, All being well, I hope to be staying in the North East (Newcastle) in August and on a Wednesday, was considering taking the coastal route bus service from Newcastle to Alnwick (I Think there used to be a fast bus taking around an hour which is what I'd prefer), then take the coast route from Alnwick upto Berwick upon Tweed, I know that takes about 2 hours. Return all the way from Berwick to Newcastle on a faster service.

I did this about two years ago and it all worked out fine. (There was an arriva day pass too.)

I just looked at Arriva and could only find services X18 & X20, which seem to be slower services. Have there been alterations, or am I missing something.

Any help or advise would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

[oldman]

You seem to have overlooked the X15, which is the direct inland route.

 

[route101]

Remember taking an x18 from Berwick to Newcastle , was around 4 hours !

 

[IanD]

try the X15

 

[overthewater]

Isn't the X18 also only every 4 hours? Does the council still pay for 2 extra journey with someone else to fill the gap?

 

[RELL6L]

X15 runs Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnwick, Berwick roughly tracking the Great North Road. Hourly to Alnwick, two hourly on to Berwick.

X18 runs to Morpeth then out to the coast and through Amble to Alnwick. Then up via the really scenic coast through Craster and Bamburgh to Berwick. Hourly to Alnwick, two hourly on to Berwick (less in winter). Misses out Alnmouth though now due to traffic congestion.

X20 goes from Newcastle through Ashington and hits the coast sooner. On to Alnwick through Amble and Alnmouth. Hourly.

X15 and X18 use deckers, not sure about the X20. Opportunities to mix and match but the coastal bits are the most scenic. Alnwick and Berwick are attractive towns too.

 

[RELL6L]

Isn't the X18 also only every 4 hours? Does the council still pay for 2 extra journey with someone else to fill the gap?

The X18 is every two hours now but I think was only every four hours in the winter. There is a 418 every two hours as well roughly paralleling the X18 from Alnwick to Alnmouth (not on X18), Craster and Bamburgh as far as Belford, run by Travelsure.

 

[43055]

Google images brings up both single and double decks for the X20 which is what I remember seeing around 2 years ago when I was in Northumberland last.

The top parts of the X15 and X18 into Berwick (not sure where from) also link together to form a hourly service Monday to Saturday.

 

[RELL6L]

Actually ignore what I said about Alnmouth. Arriva have abandoned the village centre, only the 418 goes round there between Alnwick and Craster. The X18 goes close to the village, but not the centre, between Alnwick and Amble.

The X15 and X18 link up again at Belford and run hourly from there to Berwick.

 

[Ken H]

Can you still get through tickets onto the bus towards Edinburgh. You could in the United/Eastern Scottish days.

 

[NewcastleOne]

Google images brings up both single and double decks for the X20 which is what I remember seeing around 2 years ago when I was in Northumberland last.

The top parts of the X15 and X18 into Berwick (not sure where from) also link together to form a hourly service Monday to Saturday.

X20 is mainly allocated Deckers although the 57/09 Reg E400s which aren’t the best.
X15 uses the 15 Regs and X18 the 64 Regs.

 

[NewcastleOne]

Actually ignore what I said about Alnmouth. Arriva have abandoned the village centre, only the 418 goes round there between Alnwick and Craster. The X18 goes close to the village, but not the centre, between Alnwick and Amble.

The X15 and X18 link up again at Belford and run hourly from there to Berwick.

418 is no longer operating

 

[peterblue]

Last time I was in the area I did X20 newcastle-ashington-amble-alnwick, X18 alnwick-coast-berwick, X15 berwick-alnwick-morpeth-newcastle. Decent variety of routes, see both coast and inland.

X20 was single deck operated when I was on it.

 

[Busaholic]

My sister-in-law lives in Alnwick, has never driven, is in possession of a bus pass, regularly uses the X15 to Newcastle and lugs back shopping too. She is lucky to live in the shadow of Alnwick Castle, so close to the centre and a bus stop.

 

[RELL6L]

Everything online shows the 418 does run. Appears to run 2 hourly between the X18s and connects at Belford with the X15 to Berwick. But the X18 will be better for the views. Look out for the wonderful basic turning point in Craster!

A long journey on the X18 especially though, about 4 hours end to end. Some planning required- the through X15s and X18s all pass Alnwick roughly on the even hours. I would suggest using the X20 to get a half hour break in Alnwick.

 

[NewcastleOne]

Everything online shows the 418 does run. Appears to run 2 hourly between the X18s and connects at Belford with the X15 to Berwick. But the X18 will be better for the views. Look out for the wonderful basic turning point in Craster!

A long journey on the X18 especially though, about 4 hours end to end. Some planning required- the through X15s and X18s all pass Alnwick roughly on the even hours. I would suggest using the X20 to get a half hour break in Alnwick.

Whoops it does. I was going by Arriva which does no longer run it but by Travelsure who I forgot about.

 

[Ken H]

My sister-in-law lives in Alnwick, has never driven, is in possession of a bus pass, regularly uses the X15 to Newcastle and lugs back shopping too. She is lucky to live in the shadow of Alnwick Castle, so close to the centre and a bus stop.

Did she go to Hogwarts?

 

[Busaholic]

Did she go to Hogwarts?

Not sure the locals (of which she is now one) are entirely happy with all the 'events' at the castle, which can impinge on their comings and goings. I expect she's seen the films, which is more than I've done, if only to see how the castle got transformed. She did used to be a school teacher, though!

 

[Ken H]

Not sure the locals (of which she is now one) are entirely happy with all the 'events' at the castle, which can impinge on their comings and goings. I expect she's seen the films, which is more than I've done, if only to see how the castle got transformed. She did used to be a school teacher, though!

I lived in Alnwick in for a short while, I think in 1975. The castle was a teacher training college then. Used to be buses to Rothbury, and a service to Shilbottle. And a local barresdale Estate to St James Estate. All United except for the Shilbottle who was a local bus operator. HE Craigs I think.

Also of interest is the 477 Berwick -Lindisfarne that runs at different times because it has to use the tidal causeway
https://passenger-line-assets.s3.eu...sbuses/BB/477-timetable-20190307-6027d07d.pdf

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Thank you for your tips etc. I had overlooked the X15. I think I have worked out a do-able plan, take the X15 Newcastle to Alnwick, journey time seems about 1hr 20 mins, have a break there, then take the X 18 coastal route to Berwick, journey time about 1hr 50 mins, and then after another break there, return through to Newcastle on X 15 about 2hrs 35mins. I have done something similar in the past and also just Newcastle to Alnwick and back, & they have all been on double deckers. (I think Northumbrian in the 1990s)

It is a nice part of the country there.

 

[RELL6L]

That seems a good plan. If you are going to take the X18 from Alnwick to Berwick then you will leave Alnwick on an even hour (10.00 or 12.00). So to arrive on an X15 and have a break (a good idea) you’ll be there an hour earlier. That means leaving Newcastle at 7.23 or 9.38.

As it happens the X20 to Alnwick via Ashington and Amble leaves Newcastle at exactly the same times. It takes longer so you’ll only have half an hour in Alnwick. The route is different and probably more scenic. You can take your pick on the day - perhaps depending on whether the X20 is a double or single decker.

 

[Darklord8899]

Can you still get through tickets onto the bus towards Edinburgh. You could in the United/Eastern Scottish days.

.....after Eastern Scottish/smt/first pulled out of the borders it left Perrymans in Berwick (which is now Borders Bus, owned by West Coast Motors) let's just say that they and Arriva have a love/hate relationship (i.e. they love to hate each other!)

 

[Statto]

Doesn't the X15 & X18 have a common route from Berwick, so frequency work out hourly to where the X18 diverts to serve the coast?

 

[RELL6L]

Doesn't the X15 & X18 have a common route from Berwick, so frequency work out hourly to where the X18 diverts to serve the coast?

Yes it does. Hourly from Berwick to Belford. From Belford to Alnwick the X18s via the coast takes an hour longer than the X15.

 

[Kuyoyo]

Doesn't the X15 & X18 have a common route from Berwick, so frequency work out hourly to where the X18 diverts to serve the coast?

They have a common route between Newcastle and Morpeth (where, alongside the X14 and X16, create a 15 minute frequency) and between Belford and Berwick. From Alnwick, journeys on both routes to Berwick leave at the same time (on the even hours), with the X15 reaching Berwick an hour earlier than the X18.

 

[yorkie]

A group of us did the X18 on a double decker in 2015. It was an interesting trip. The bus doubled back a few times so it would have been possible to alight, stretch your legs, then re-board the same bus! One of the double backs was to a prison, but it didn't appear to be during visiting hours.

 

[Statto]

Didn't the X15/X18 used to be in the 5xx series when under United then Northumbria, they were split in the run up to d-reg, ironic they're one group again?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Didn't the X15/X18 used to be in the 5xx series when under United then Northumbria, they were split in the run up to d-reg, ironic they're one group again?

The coast route was traditionally the 418, becoming the X18 in the 1980s and staying so until Arriva days when it became the 518.

The main road service was more complex. 501 Newcastle - Alnwick - Seahouses was augmented by the 502 variant via Shilbottle. 505 Newcastle - Alnwick - Berwick had variants with 500 (very limited stop) with other variations 515/525

Had many a good trip on a Leopard up the A1 but now, it’s deckers mostly

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A group of us did the X18 on a double decker in 2015. It was an interesting trip. The bus doubled back a few times so it would have been possible to alight, stretch your legs, then re-board the same bus! One of the double backs was to a prison, but it didn't appear to be during visiting hours.

That would be Acklington Prison. Think Alnmouth Station would be the other one.

 

[bspahh]

The "Coast and castles Northumberland" section of this article from the Guardian a couple of weeks ago https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/may/18/10-classic-uk-trips-public-transport-train-bus-ferry
has some recommendations for bus trips from Almouth or Berwick stations to visit castles.