Trivia: Furthest day return trip by bus from your home town

[PTR 444]

This is a challenge I have always wanted to undertake at some point in my life. I know of several people who spend weeks travelling on buses with overnight stopovers at hotels, but I would be interested to find out how far one can go from their hometown while still returning the same day, all only using local buses.

For example, it is possible to do Southampton to Swindon and back in the same weekday. An ENCTS pass user could board the 10:10 X7R bus to Salisbury, before changing there onto the 12:25 X5 bus to Swindon, arriving at 14:22. In the opposite direction, one would catch the X5 back to Salisbury at 15:40 before changing onto the X7 towards Southampton at 17:45. Even though that journey only runs as far as Totton, one can use regular Bluestar buses into the city from there on routes 6, 8, 11 or 12.

Obviously, anyone with an ENCTS pass can make all of the above journey for entirely free, but anyone without one or willing to pay could depart Southampton an hour earlier on the 09:10 X7 journey, subsequently arriving in Swindon at 13:22. In fact, it is possible to get there even earlier by taking a more convoluted route from Southampton, since most early Bluestar 1 journeys to Winchester connect with the 08:35 Stagecoach 85 to Andover. This then connects nicely with a 09:20 Activ8 to Tidworth, and despite there being a two hour wait before the next 80 bus to Swindon, it still manages to get you there half an hour before the X5 does (12:52). Even so, this option would likely be more expensive compared to going via Salisbury due to more operators involved.

Is it possible to go even further than that and still return the same day?

 

[NorthOxonian]

From Oxford, you can certainly get to Southampton and back on the same day (and you can do it cheaply too, using a Wiltshire Day Rover which is valid beyond the county boundary). I've also done Bournemouth and Bristol and back in a day. I've planned trips to Hereford and Harlow too, but never got round to either.

From Newcastle, you can get to Edinburgh, Leeds, Lancaster, or Bridlington. I've done the latter two, and have plans to do Edinburgh in the very near future as well. You may be able to get further - I believe the timings just about work for continuing from Brid to Hull.

 

[GusB]

I'm sure we had a similar thread a few months back that discussed how far it was possible to go on one ticket. It'd be useful if everyone could post the actual distances involved to allow comparison.

 

[Nymanic]

I'm cheating here since it's not a 'bus return', but my longest day consisted of the 0430-ish train from Manchester Piccadilly to Newcastle, followed by buses to Carlisle, Keswick, Windermere, Lancaster, Preston, Bolton and arriving back at Piccadilly Gardens around 2230. Newcastle to Bolton was covered on a single ticket, a North West Explorer.

Came in at well over 200 miles by bus. With that as an ambitious distance guide, and Stagecoach's handy Explorer maps, you might find some good candidates that fall fully or partly within the bounds of the very useful Explorer ticket.

Manchester to Whitby (~120 miles each way) might have been doable during CityZap's short-lived foray into Manchester - and all on one ticket. These days you'd need rail or coach to get you over the Pennines. Either way, you wouldn't have much time on your hands at your destination!

 

[darloscott]

I know it’s not all that far but I did Leeds to Nottingham and back not too long ago when the short lived Stagecoach X1 had just launched. Using an Explorer for just £7 I travelled out via Barnsley, Meadowhall, Sheffield & Chesterfield and then returned using the Sherwood Arrow to Worksop then Doncaster and onto Barnsley. Done by train from Thornaby to Leeds & back. Thoroughly enjoyable day out.
I’m sure this can be bettered though!
Now I live in Redcar and I am fairly certain you could get to Hull & back in a day pretty easily! Potentially further, I’ll have to have a look.

 

[739678]

From Glasgow, it's probably Uig on the Isle of Skye. Just under 230 miles each way, and on the direct Citylink service. Limited Stop to the bottom end of Loch Lomond, then all stops for the remaining 200+ miles...

 

[py_megapixel]

These days you'd need rail or coach to get you over the Pennines.

Not entirely correct. The X57 runs to Sheffield, crossing the Pennines via the snake pass. Admittedly it's not as convenient for getting to Whitby as Leeds or York is, but it does mean that the Pennines don't necessarily present a complete barrier.

 

[NorthOxonian]

Manchester to Whitby (~120 miles each way) might have been doable during CityZap's short-lived foray into Manchester - and all on one ticket. These days you'd need rail or coach to get you over the Pennines. Either way, you wouldn't have much time on your hands at your destination!

You can go via Burnley and Keighley to get between Manchester and Leeds. And while that is much slower than CityZap, it does look like Manchester to Scarborough is still possible (though you would only get a couple of hours there).

You can technically get to Whitby too, but only if you're happy to arrive at 2.40 and leave at 3.

 

[Glenn1969]

I'm doing Halifax- Leeds- Scarborough- Whitby- York- Leeds- Halifax shortly

I'm also doing Halifax- Leeds- Ripon- Masham- Bedale- Northallerton- Ripon- Harrogate- Bradford- Halifax on Wednesday (using ENCTS pass for all except the 0725 Halifax- Leeds which I will have to pay on)

I like doing this kind of thing. Twice a week, to a different local authority area every week

 

[PeterC]

Living in a village with no buses after tea time there aren't. many options that give me a useful time anywhere "exotic'.

I had a trip across the Cotswolds on my bucket list for 2020 which would have involved driving to an Oxford park & ride car park.

 

[bobslack1982]

I know it’s not all that far but I did Leeds to Nottingham and back not too long ago when the short lived Stagecoach X1 had just launched. Using an Explorer for just £7 I travelled out via Barnsley, Meadowhall, Sheffield & Chesterfield and then returned using the Sherwood Arrow to Worksop then Doncaster and onto Barnsley. Done by train from Thornaby to Leeds & back. Thoroughly enjoyable day out.
I’m sure this can be bettered though!
Now I live in Redcar and I am fairly certain you could get to Hull & back in a day pretty easily! Potentially further, I’ll have to have a look.

I once managed Leeds - Sheffield - Nottingham - Manchester - Leeds. That was almost 20 years ago though when the X32 ran to Sheffield and Stagecoach operated the 747 to Nottingham and the TransPeak ran the full route too.

 

[JonathanH]

I did Reigate to Margate a few years ago on a Discovery Ticket leaving around 4am on the first bus to Gatwick and returning at about 11pm

I think Reigate - Gatwick - Crawley - Tunbridge Wells - Maidstone - Sittingbourne - Faversham - Canterbury - Birchington - Margate - Westwood Cross - Canterbury - Ashford - Tenterden - Tunbridge Wells - Crawley - Reigate but don't have the records to hand.

Key link in this is the 291 between Crawley and East Grinstead and that the connections further east all fit reasonably well together.

Roughly 100 miles each way given the indirect route.

 

[NorthOxonian]

I did Reigate to Margate a few years ago on a Discovery Ticket leaving around 4am on the first bus to Gatwick and returning at about 11pm

I think Reigate - Gatwick - Crawley - Tunbridge Wells - Maidstone - Sittingbourne - Faversham - Canterbury - Birchington - Margate - Westwood Cross - Canterbury - Ashford - Tenterden - Tunbridge Wells - Crawley - Reigate but don't have the records to hand.

Key link in this is the 291 between Crawley and East Grinstead and that the connections further east all fit reasonably well together.

Roughly 100 miles each way given the indirect route.

A couple of years back I also used a Discovery ticket for a very long loop. It wouldn't qualify for this thread because of the use of the coach service between Oxford and London - helpfully this runs overnight so I could leave at 3am to ensure I got the first 715 out of Kingston.

I think my journey was Oxford - Shepherd's Bush - Putney Bridge - Kingston - Guildford - Horsham - Brighton - Eastbourne - Hastings - Ashford - Tenterden - Maidstone - Chatham - Bluewater - Woolwich - New Cross - Victoria - Oxford.

Sadly, I ended up cheating on the leg between Hastings and Ashford - I got the train for that leg because I narrowly missed a connection. I probably could have got a bus direct to Tenterden and skipped Ashford entirely, but I didn't think of that at the time.

It is an excellent ticket though, and the network isn't bad for counties which are mostly rural and affluent.

 

[TheSel]

Let's try this. Current summer Monday - Friday schedules. All by Stagecoach 'North West Explorer' - buy on the bus for £11.50

0647 X2 Southport – Preston 0740
0755 40 Preston – Lancaster 0918
0925 555 Lancaster – Keswick 1144 **** see note below ****
1220 X5 Keswick – Penrith 1307 **** see note below ****
1315 104 Penrith – Carlisle 1405
1410 300 Carlisle – Workington 1532
1545 X5 Workington – Keswick 1643
1700 555 Keswick – Lancaster 1927
1930 40 Lancaster – Preston 2029
2045 2 Preston – Southport 2146

Works on a Saturday, too, except that the last leg runs 45 minutes later, so it's 2130 Preston - Southport (arrive 2230).

Note. By alighting from the 0925 ex Lancaster 555 at Windermere (1034), you can connect onto the highly scenic 508 over Kirkstone Pass, catching the 1125 508 Windermere - Penrith (arrives 1304). Makes the whole journey slightly shorter (which rather defeats the object of this thread!), but is well worth doing for the added scenic value.

As a bonus, most of these are double deck workings. Only the 508 over the Kirkstone Pass is certain to be a saloon.

The only really 'tight' connection is the one in Lancaster on the return journey - only three minutes, and if you miss it, the next bus (to Preston) misses the last Southport connection. Even if that happens, you're not "stuck". The next Preston bus leaves Lancaster at 2100, arriving in Preston at 2207. Plenty time to walk to the station, catch the 2238 Northern service to Ormskirk (arr 2307), with an easy connection onto the last Arriva 375 from the adjacent bus station at 2326, which gets into Southport at 2355.

In theory, it all works. Difficult to give the exact mileage without having access to the running boards, but it's at least 276 according to Google Maps, which doesn't take into account every little deviation off the main roads.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Ones that I have done in the past.... in ye olden days

Catterick - Darlington - Morpeth - Alnwick - Berwick - Wooler - Alnwick - Morpeth - Blyth - Newcastle - Durham - Darlington - Catterick

Catterick - Richmond - Leyburn - Ripon - York - Pockington - Hull (for 11 mins) - York - Darlington - Catterick

Richmond - Darlington - Newcastle - Carlisle - Penrith - Carlisle - Brampton - Newcastle - Chester le Street - Durham - Darlington - Richmond - Catterick


and more recently

North Shields - Newcastle - Berwick - Galashiels - Carlisle - Hexham - Newcastle - North Shields

 

[Statto]

Not entirely correct. The X57 runs to Sheffield, crossing the Pennines via the snake pass. Admittedly it's not as convenient for getting to Whitby as Leeds or York is, but it does mean that the Pennines don't necessarily present a complete barrier.

You have 184 Oldham-Huddersfield which would be a lot easier & quicker, just get 83/84 Manchester-Oldham then 184 Oldham-Huddersfield, 203/203 Huddersfield-Leeds, also a few other options Huddersfield-Leeds

 

[James101]

Setting out from Manchester Chorton Street on a Saturday I've theoretically got as far as Spalding which is a round trip of about 350 miles:

X57 Manchester Chorton St (06:35) - Sheffield Interchange (08:00)
X98 Sheffield Interchange (08:30) - Skegness Bus Station (11:25)
57 Skegness Bus Station (11:50) - Boston Bus Station (12:45)
B13 Boston Bus Station (13:00) - Spalding Bus Station (13:49)
B13 Spalding Bus Station (14:50) - Boston Bus Station (15:38)
57 Boston Bus Station (16:10) - Skegness Bus Station (17:22)
X98 Skegness Bus Station (17:45) - Sheffield Interchange (20:40)
X57 Sheffield Interchange (22:30) - Manchester Chorlton Street (23:45)

 

[nw1]

This is a challenge I have always wanted to undertake at some point in my life. I know of several people who spend weeks travelling on buses with overnight stopovers at hotels, but I would be interested to find out how far one can go from their hometown while still returning the same day, all only using local buses.

For example, it is possible to do Southampton to Swindon and back in the same weekday. An ENCTS pass user could board the 10:10 X7R bus to Salisbury, before changing there onto the 12:25 X5 bus to Swindon, arriving at 14:22. In the opposite direction, one would catch the X5 back to Salisbury at 15:40 before changing onto the X7 towards Southampton at 17:45. Even though that journey only runs as far as Totton, one can use regular Bluestar buses into the city from there on routes 6, 8, 11 or 12.

Obviously, anyone with an ENCTS pass can make all of the above journey for entirely free, but anyone without one or willing to pay could depart Southampton an hour earlier on the 09:10 X7 journey, subsequently arriving in Swindon at 13:22. In fact, it is possible to get there even earlier by taking a more convoluted route from Southampton, since most early Bluestar 1 journeys to Winchester connect with the 08:35 Stagecoach 85 to Andover. This then connects nicely with a 09:20 Activ8 to Tidworth, and despite there being a two hour wait before the next 80 bus to Swindon, it still manages to get you there half an hour before the X5 does (12:52). Even so, this option would likely be more expensive compared to going via Salisbury due to more operators involved.

Is it possible to go even further than that and still return the same day?

Not sure about now but: in the 1990s and early years of this century, I am sure the X7 started considerably earlier than the current 09:10, at a guess there as an 07:xx. Without the timetables to hand I'd imagine you could have easily got to Bristol and back at that time, via the X7, X4 and X39; the last X7 back was later too, 18:xx or perhaps even 19:xx if I remember right.

I remember doing Southampton to Devizes and back, almost as far as Swindon, in 1997 (via the X7 and the 2), having enough time for a three-hour (?) walk on the nearby downs and then returning, and not being on the last bus back.

On a couple of occasions in the nineties I did some long convoluted routes, though one occasion ran out of time and had to resort to the train, and on the other occasion the last part was a walk. In 1993, via a mix of Stagecoach, Wilts and Dorset and Provincial, I did Petersfield-Alton-Winchester-Andover-Beacon Hill, Amesbury (break) - Salisbury (break) - Southampton - Fareham but then had to bail out and resume by train as I ran out of time. I could I think have just got the 52 back to Petersfield but for whatever reason I wanted to do Provincial.

In 1996 I did something similar, which I've half forgotten but it was something along the lines of Petersfield-Aldershot-Hartley Wintney (???, struggling to remember this bit now)-Basingstoke-Andover-Salisbury-Pepperbox Hill. It was summer and still early enough to have about three hours of daylight so I bailed there and walked along Dean Hill into Romsey, before resuming on a late Blue Line bus into Southampton. (I did not need to return to Petersfield on that occasion, and yes, it was dark towards the end of the 'walking bit' but I wasn't so far from Romsey by then).

I do wonder retrospectively how far I could have got in late NBC days from the village I lived in. It was on an Alder Valley Hindhead depot route and at one time the first bus out was 06:45, and the last returned at something like 20:15. Going via Aldershot to Reading would probably have had rich pickings, Oxford should have been doable, maybe Swindon if I was lucky with the timings (see the thread about a month ago about Alder Valley buses from Newbury to Swindon...)
Of course at that time I would have been too young to be allowed to do this, I'm sure, but just thinking theoretically.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Not sure about now but: in the 1990s and early years of this century, I am sure the X7 started considerably earlier than the current 09:10. Without the timetables to hand I'd imagine you could have easily got to Bristol and back at that time, via the X7, X4 and X39; the last X7 back was later too, 18:xx or perhaps even 19:xx if I remember right.

There was a 0700 departure from Salisbury

There was a 1900 or so facility where you had to get the 56 Lymington bus to Totton and connect onto the X7 IIRC

 

[PTR 444]

Interesting read

I’ve also often wondered whether it’s possible to do Southampton to London in a day by bus, or at least to the outermost TfL zone boundary. I think Southampton to Guildford is doable with just two changes, as one can use Bluestar 1 to Winchester then Stagecoach 64 to Alton and the 65 to Guildford, the first two routes of which I have done on a couple of occasions. I am not familiar with buses onwards from Guildford into Greater London though, and I don’t think there is a local bus that goes direct via the A3, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[nw1]

There was a 0700 departure from Salisbury

There was a 1900 or so facility where you had to get the 56 Lymington bus to Totton and connect onto the X7 IIRC

Was thinking more in the other direction, though, i.e. to Salisbury in the morning and back in the evening. Guess 0700 from Salisbury would mean something like 0815 from Southampton for the return journey. Perhaps earlier would have been possible with a change at Romsey; I do remember one X7 starting from Romsey even though most didn't call there at all, and in those days you had the 34 and 36 local services too.

 

[NorthOxonian]

Interesting read

I’ve also often wondered whether it’s possible to do Southampton to London in a day by bus, or at least to the outermost TfL zone boundary. I think Southampton to Guildford is doable with just two changes, as one can use Bluestar 1 to Winchester then Stagecoach 64 to Alton and the 65 to Guildford, the first two routes of which I have done on a couple of occasions. I am not familiar with buses onwards from Guildford into Greater London though, and I don’t think there is a local bus that goes direct via the A3, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

There is the 715 which goes from Guildford to Kingston. It is relatively fast and runs every hour. You could also travel from Guildford to Epsom, from where many buses travel to various parts of outer South London.

 

[nw1]

Interesting read

I’ve also often wondered whether it’s possible to do Southampton to London in a day by bus, or at least to the outermost TfL zone boundary. I think Southampton to Guildford is doable with just two changes, as one can use Bluestar 1 to Winchester then Stagecoach 64 to Alton and the 65 to Guildford, the first two routes of which I have done on a couple of occasions. I am not familiar with buses onwards from Guildford into Greater London though, and I don’t think there is a local bus that goes direct via the A3, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

Southampton to Guildford was doable with zero changes for a time in the nineties I seem to recall (the X64 did the whole journey around 1997, I am sure) and for a much longer period with a single change in Winchester. I used to go out that way a lot on an Explorer ticket when this through service ran, and when Explorers were mutually accepted by Blue Line and Stagecoach, which was more recent than this.

There is the 715 which goes from Guildford to Kingston. It is relatively fast and runs every hour. You could also travel from Guildford to Epsom, from where many buses travel to various parts of outer South London.

I noticed that last week. Means that as it is Stagecoach all the way beyond Winchester, presumably you could do Winchester to Kingston, at least, with whatever the equivalent of the Explorer is these days. Once at Kingston you're into Travelcard territory meaning it's a cheap, if slow, option from Winchester to London!

 

[NorthOxonian]

I noticed that last week. Means that as it is Stagecoach all the way beyond Winchester, presumably you could do Winchester to Kingston, at least, with whatever the equivalent of the Explorer is these days. Once at Kingston you're into Travelcard territory meaning it's a cheap, if slow, option from Winchester to London!

There are many similar cheap but slow journeys from elsewhere in the South East. For example, the cheapest way to get from Oxford to London is by using an Arriva day ticket to Watford (£6.60) and then London buses to get further in - but unless you're heading to the North West of the city you'll not have very long there.

The Discovery day ticket means that it's possible to do it quite cheaply from just about anywhere in Surrey, Sussex, Kent, or East Hampshire.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Was thinking more in the other direction, though, i.e. to Salisbury in the morning and back in the evening. Guess 0700 from Salisbury would mean something like 0815 from Southampton for the return journey. Perhaps earlier would have been possible with a change at Romsey; I do remember one X7 starting from Romsey even though most didn't call there at all, and in those days you had the 34 and 36 local services too.

Sure it would’ve be later - more like 0840-0900 from Soton

 

[nw1]

Sure it would’ve be later - more like 0840-0900 from Soton

Maybe, though I am fairly sure I did pick up a direct X7 pretty early in the morning once - before 0830.
Might be wrong though; I do remember the last X7 back from Salisbury was sometime after 1800 though.

I'd have guessed they must have had one for Salisbury commuters from Landford, Whiteparish etc, to get to Salisbury around 0830 or so, though maybe as I said that one started from Romsey.

 

[PTR 444]

Maybe, though I am fairly sure I did pick up a direct X7 pretty early in the morning once - before 0830.
Might be wrong though; I do remember the last X7 back from Salisbury was sometime after 1800 though.

I'd have guessed they must have had one for Salisbury commuters from Landford, Whiteparish etc, to get to Salisbury around 0830 or so, though maybe as I said that one started from Romsey.

Has there ever been a Romsey - Salisbury bus route via Landford? I always assumed the 34 route went via Shootash and Sherfield English while the 39 catered for Romsey - Landford/Nomansland. IIRC X7R has only been in existence for the past five years or so, since that journey was previously just another X7 giving West Wellow an hourly rather than 2-hourly service.

 

[nw1]

Just found a 1997 timetable on timetableworld.com.

Re the X7, the first out of Southampton was 0828 so a bit later than I thought, though it looks like there was an earlier bus from Romsey which could have been doable with a connection. Last bus back from Salisbury was 1820.

Unfortunately due to some very poor, almost worst-possible, connections at Salisbury in both directions, it looks like Bristol was in fact not possible with that timetable, though if there had been a connection at Romsey into the earlier Romsey-starter it could have been done. (X7 arrived Salisbury 0930, next X4 to Bath 1100; in the reverse direction, the last X4 arriving Salisbury 1835 would just have missed the 1820 X7 departure).

Has there ever been a Romsey - Salisbury bus route via Landford? I always assumed the 34 route went via Shootash and Sherfield English while the 39 catered for Romsey - Landford/Nomansland. IIRC X7R has only been in existence for the past five years or so, since that journey was previously just another X7 giving West Wellow an hourly rather than 2-hourly service.

Not recently I don't think; the only ones I remember were the 34 (which went along the A27) and 36 (via Lockerley, roughly along the rail route but able to serve many villages without a station). Both had a reasonably decent service of about every two hours, by the looks of things, and both could be used to commute into Salisbury for office hours.

 

[Dai Corner]

You could leave Newport at 0715 on the Newport Transport 30 to Cardiff, changing there to the First Cymru X10, at Swansea to the First Cymru x11 and at Carmarthen to the Taf Valley 222 to Pendine arriving at 1356.

You'd need to return 11 minutes later to get back to Newport at 1939.

Google Maps gives the distance as 90m each way with a driving time of about 100 minutes

 

[route101]

I've done Glasgow to Dundee and back on Stagecoach buses. You could in theory do Glasgow to Aberdeen on the X7.