Merseytravel Saveaway - Which Buses Is It Valid On?

[DynamicSpirit]

Does anyone know which buses the Merseytravel Saveaway ticket is valid on? Or more specifically which companies' buses? The Merseytravel info page indicates the general geographical areas it's valid in, but as far as I can see doesn't say anything about which bus companies it applies to.

Specifically I'd like to know if it's valid on the Stagecoach X2 between Southport and Liverpool.

 

[lfc84]

As far as I know, it's valid on all services within the geographic area

 

[gray1404]

It is 100% valid on the X2. It valid on any public bus in Merseyside.

This includes services which start in Merseyside, come out of Merseyside, but then finish up back in Merseyside provided you are getting on and off in Merseyside.

 

[Djgr]

The website says "Saveaway tickets are valid on buses, trains and Mersey Ferries* in in either one area or all areas across Merseyside". In other words if it's a bus it's valid. That said, I'm not convinced that it is valid on the very limited night buses.

The only other restriction of relevance (apart from time of use) is that it is not valid for the tourist Mersey Ferries. You can only use these to make a one way journey and not a full circuit.

 

[M60lad]

Out of interest I've often wondered about the restriction on the ferries about making a full trip, what's stopping someone getting on in Liverpool and staying on until the ferry gets back to Liverpool? Any any checks done to stop people doing this?

 

[Djgr]

Out of interest I've often wondered about the restriction on the ferries about making a full trip, what's stopping someone getting on in Liverpool and staying on until the ferry gets back to Liverpool? Any any checks done to stop people doing this?

I think the ferry terminals have ticket staff at the top of the ramp, particularly as the cruise is now £12.75!

 

[JBuchananGB]

No problem with the X2. A few possible traps. You can use the train to Ormskirk, which is outside Merseyside, but not on a bus from there to Southport. If you want to buy a Saveaway at a MerseyRail station you will need to have it loaded onto a MetroCard. If you buy it at a railway station or from a Northern TVM it can be issued on paper tickets. (either CCST or PRT I believe)

 

[Djgr]

No problem with the X2. A few possible traps. You can use the train to Ormskirk, which is outside Merseyside, but not on a bus from there to Southport. If you want to buy a Saveaway at a MerseyRail station you will need to have it loaded onto a MetroCard. If you buy it at a railway station or from a Northern TVM it can be issued on paper tickets. (either CCST or PRT I believe)

although the Merseyrail station will provide the MetroCard on the spot as part of the transaction (£1 fee for new card)

 

[DynamicSpirit]

If you want to buy a Saveaway at a MerseyRail station you will need to have it loaded onto a MetroCard. If you buy it at a railway station or from a Northern TVM it can be issued on paper tickets. (either CCST or PRT I believe)

Thanks! That info is not obvious and must be confusing to a fair few people! Shame Merseytravel can't arrange that a bit better.

 

[APT618S]

I have used a Savaway (All zones, paper ticket bought at Lime St) on the X2 in Liverpool several times. No problems encountered.

 

[Polarbear]

It is 100% valid on the X2. It valid on any public bus in Merseyside.

This includes services which start in Merseyside, come out of Merseyside, but then finish up back in Merseyside provided you are getting on and off in Merseyside.

Just to add to this, you can use bus routes such as the 152 St Helens to Southport (which starts/ends in Merseyside but spends most of the journey in Lancashire. Also available on Arriva service 300 Liverpool-Southport which dips out of Merseyside for a while between Lydiate and the east of Southport.

 

[Djgr]

I have used a Savaway (All zones, paper ticket bought at Lime St) on the X2 in Liverpool several times. No problems encountered.

At Lime Street you would need to buy it at the main station ticket office to get a paper ticket. The Lower Level Merseyrail ticket office won't

Thanks! That info is not obvious and must be confusing to a fair few people! Shame Merseytravel can't arrange that a bit better.

...although to be fair the vast majority of users will be local and already have this card, which takes all of 20 seconds to process.

The real confusion is that of the Merseyrail Day Saver which is pence cheaper and has a fraction of the validity.

 

[M28361M]

I'm not convinced that it is valid on the very limited night buses.

It is not valid on the N1 night bus. https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/bus/n1-night-bus/

Tickets for the service cost £2.

Weekly and monthly passes, as well as Saveaway and day rider tickets, are not accepted on this service, however concessionary travel passes are valid.

 

[Djgr]

It is not valid on the N1 night bus. https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/bus/n1-night-bus/

I thought not. Hopefully after bus franchising has kicked in we can have a less tokenistic night bus service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I thought not. Hopefully after bus franchising has kicked in we can have a less tokenistic night bus service.

We could have one now if there was a will to subsidise it, and there has been one in the past. Unfortunately Council budgets are super-tight, so not really at the moment!

 

[Djgr]

We could have one now if there was a will to subsidise it, and there has been one in the past. Unfortunately Council budgets are super-tight, so not really at the moment!

Cross river night buses are a special case as there is no way to walk home at night without a 30 mile detour (assuming you fancy walking the Runcorn bridge at 3am in the morning!).

Somehow London seems to find the funding to do this?

 

[Statto]

Using saveaway on the Ferry you can't do the cruise on one trip but can say for example catch 10am Ferry Liverpool - Seacombe, disembark when the Ferry arrives at Seacombe around 10.20am, their is a cafe at Seacombe (& at Liverpool too), then board the 11.20am from Seacombe back to Liverpool.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Using saveaway on the Ferry you can't do the cruise on one trip but can say for example catch 10am Ferry Liverpool - Seacombe, disembark when the Ferry arrives at Seacombe around 10.20am, their is a cafe at Seacombe (& at Liverpool too), then board the 11.20am from Seacombe back to Liverpool.

That sounds a rather nice way to do a tourist-cruise. I wonder how many people doing the cruises know about that

 

[Statto]

Another nice transport round trip is ferry to Seacombe, bus or walk the promenade to New Brighton and then train back to Liverpool.

I particularly recommend the Egremont Ferry pub halfway along the prom with the classic view across to Liverpool.

Or catch the 432, 433 bus instead from New Brighton to Liverpool, frequency is every 20 minutes on each route but they combine to every 10 minutes over sections of the route, & are mostly operated by hybrid deckers.

Or alternatively get the 410, 411 bus from New Brighton to Hamilton Square then train.

I do recommend stopping for a pint at Egremont Ferry pub along the way as well.

Wirral to Liverpool is always two zones even if you are only travelling the 2 minutes from Hamilton Square to James Street

Indeed, Merseytravel used to have a Wirral, Liverpool City Centre saveaway, but scrapped the ticket when they changed the zones in the early 00s, so only the all area saveaway is valid from Liverpool to Wirral & vice versa, even if it's going from like you say Hamilton Square to James Street.

 

[urbophile]

I think the ferry terminals have ticket staff at the top of the ramp, particularly as the cruise is now £12.75!

Yes but how would they know if you have done a whole circuit o just a one-way trip?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes but how would they know if you have done a whole circuit o just a one-way trip?

I have done a round trip on it on a Saveaway years ago and nobody cared. To be honest I don't think they do actually check, though I suppose there might be random alighting checks, you have to get a boarding card at the booking office to board so they can control numbers as is legally required for ships so they could in theory check those.

Moderator Note - discussion about whether there is a Wirral Tax for travel has beeb split into a new thread:

Is Travel from the Wirral to Liverpool SUbject to a 'Wirral Tax'

Moderator Note - split from: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/merseytravel-saveaway-which-buses-is-it-valid-on.275438/#post-6987126 Cross river night buses are a special case as there is no way to walk home at night without a 30 mile detour (assuming you fancy walking the Runcorn bridge at...

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