Derby to Westminster on local bus routes only

Comstock · 5 Jul 2019

Sadly I don't qualify for free bus travel for a good while yet, but just supposing I did, and had a full day to complete the trip.

My first obvious move would be the Skylink to Leicester and then look for a bus to Bedford....or would I be better taking a bus to Swadlincote and trying to get a connection to Nuneaton and follow the A5 towards Rugby?

Assuming I can't leave before 9:30....could I get to Westminster in Central London in a day? Obviously any overnight stops would immediately wipe out the saving from free travel.

(Please don't take this too seriously, but if free bus travel is still going in twenty years......Who knows, I might just try it....)

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Samuel88 · 5 Jul 2019

Comstock said:
Sadly I don't qualify for free bus travel for a good while yet, but just supposing I did, and had a full day to complete the trip.

My first obvious move would be the Skylink to Leicester and then look for a bus to Bedford....or would I be better taking a bus to Swadlincote and trying to get a connection to Nuneaton and follow the A5 towards Rugby?

Assuming I can't leave before 9:30....could I get to Westminster in Central London in a day? Obviously any overnight stops would immediately wipe out the saving from free travel.

(Please don't take this too seriously, but if free bus travel is still going in twenty years......Who knows, I might just try it....)

Derby to Leicester: Skylink
Leicester to Milton Keynes: Stagecoach X7
Milton Keynes to Luton: Stagecoach 99
Luton to Victoria: Green Line 757
Victoria to Westminster: London bus 11/211

It can be done any day of the week, even during weekdays with the 9:30am restriction. In fact I've gone from London to Barnsley by local bus on quite a few occasions!

Comstock · 5 Jul 2019

Thanks, almost too easy, LOL.

Who knows, if we ever reach a point where every UK bus accepts contactless, I might even try it one day just for fun

rj246 · 5 Jul 2019

Would you mind sharing your route to Barnsley

JonathanH · 5 Jul 2019

Samuel88 said:
Luton to Victoria: Green Line 757

757 isn't exactly a local bus (even if part of it presumably operates under stage carriage rules)

Milton Keynes to Aylesbury 150
Aylesbury to High Wycombe 300
High Wycombe to Uxbridge 101
Uxbridge to Shepherds Bush 607
Shepherds Bush to Westminster 148

might be a way to access London that is more pure from a local bus perspective.

Comstock · 5 Jul 2019

In fairness it isn't that easy to define a local bus, so I simply went with the bus pass definition.

I'm presuming from Samuel 88s reply that you can use a bus pass on it

Samuel88 · 5 Jul 2019

JonathanH said:
757 isn't exactly a local bus (even if part of it presumably operates under stage carriage rules)

Milton Keynes to Aylesbury 150
Aylesbury to High Wycombe 300
High Wycombe to Uxbridge 101
Uxbridge to Shepherds Bush 607
Shepherds Bush to Westminster 148

might be a way to access London that is more pure from a local bus perspective.

Comstock said:
In fairness it isn't that easy to define a local bus, so I simply went with the bus pass definition.

I'm presuming from Samuel 88s reply that you can use a bus pass on it

Yes you can use a concessionary pass on the 757, in fact I travel quite often to the airport using the bus and I've only had to pay once to catch an early morning flight.

woodhouse122 · 5 Jul 2019

Comstock said:
Thanks, almost too easy, LOL.

Who knows, if we ever reach a point where every UK bus accepts contactless, I might even try it one day just for fun

think you could do barnsley to london with a ride on the X17 barnsley to chesterfield then a trent barton Comet from chesterfield to derby then as Samuell88 's route from Derby to London (dont think i'd like to try it rspecially when i can get a megabus for not much more than a fiver

) )

Samuel88 · 5 Jul 2019

woodhouse122 said:
think you could do barnsley to london with a ride on the X17 barnsley to chesterfield then a trent barton Comet from chesterfield to derby then as Samuell88 's route from Derby to London (dont think i'd like to try it rspecially when i can get a megabus for not much more than a fiver ) )

I've done this journey on a few occasions (well most of the way, I get off the X17 at the first stop after it leaves the M1, at Hoyland) and the time goes quicker than you think, especially when you listen to podcasts, Spotify etc!

Mwanesh · 5 Jul 2019

I will do another variation from Milton Keynes
Stagecoach 99 or Arriva 70 to Luton
Arriva 321 Luton to Watford
Tfl route142 Watford to Brent Cross
Tfl route189 Brent Cross to Marble Arch
Tfl route 159 Marble Arch to Parliament Square.

A0wen · 5 Jul 2019

Mwanesh said:
I will do another variation from Milton Keynes
Stagecoach 99 or Arriva 70 to Luton
Arriva 321 Luton to Watford
Tfl route142 Watford to Brent Cross
Tfl route189 Brent Cross to Marble Arch
Tfl route 159 Marble Arch to Parliament Square.

Or you could bail from the 321 at St Albans, 357 to Borehamwood, 292 to Edgware, 113 to Oxford Circus, 88 to Westminster.

Alternatively, again from St Albans, 84 to New Barnet, 263 to Archway, 134 to Camden Gardens, 24 to Westminster.

davehsug · 5 Jul 2019

I love these threads! I hope when (if), I get my pass in 5 years time, I'm still well enough to attempt a few.

jay38a · 5 Jul 2019

I’ve made it from London to Manchester in a day just on buses. I could have made Blackpool but there was no way of getting back to London. Think it cost me about £30 in bus tickets.

Statto · 6 Jul 2019

jay38a said:
I’ve made it from London to Manchester in a day just on buses. I could have made Blackpool but there was no way of getting back to London. Think it cost me about £30 in bus tickets.

I've done London to Liverpool in a day, only paid for the Greenline & Stagecoach East Dayrider Gold & train[i did cheat though, as a caught the train Milton Keynes-Northampton rather than wait for the X7 from Milton Keynes], i had to leave London 03.30, unfortunately overnight Luton-London Greenline coaches have since been withdrawn, the way i did it was

Greenline 757 London-Luton Airport
Stagecoach 99 Luton Airport-Milton Keynes
Train Milton Keynes-Northampton
Stagecoach X7 Northampton-Leicester
Kinchbus Skylink Leicester-Derby
TrentBarton Swift Derby-Uttoxoter
First Potteries 32 Uttoxeter-Hanley
First Potteries 3 Hanley-Crewe
Arriva 84 Crewe-Chester
Stagecoach 1 Chester-Liverpool

I did the train leg mostly as i had around an hour to wait for the X7 at Milton Keynes & i couldn't be bothered waiting, which meant i wouldn't have got to Liverpool as early as i did

Samuel88 · 6 Jul 2019

Statto said:
I've done London to Liverpool in a day, only paid for the Greenline & Stagecoach East Dayrider Gold & train[i did cheat though, as a caught the train Milton Keynes-Northampton rather than wait for the X7 from Milton Keynes], i had to leave London 03.30, unfortunately overnight Luton-London Greenline coaches have since been withdrawn, the way i did it was

Greenline 757 London-Luton Airport
Stagecoach 99 Luton Airport-Milton Keynes
Train Milton Keynes-Northampton
Stagecoach X7 Northampton-Leicester
Kinchbus Skylink Leicester-Derby
TrentBarton Swift Derby-Uttoxoter
First Potteries 32 Uttoxeter-Hanley
First Potteries 3 Hanley-Crewe
Arriva 84 Crewe-Chester
Stagecoach 1 Chester-Liverpool

I did the train leg mostly as i had around an hour to wait for the X7 at Milton Keynes & i couldn't be bothered waiting, which meant i wouldn't have got to Liverpool as early as i did

The overnight 757 was only withdrawn while Arriva were refused permission to use the airport, the timetable is back to 24hr operation:
https://bustimes.org/services/757-crawley-green-stopsley-or-leagrave-marsh-farm-

jay38a · 6 Jul 2019

Statto said:
I've done London to Liverpool in a day, only paid for the Greenline & Stagecoach East Dayrider Gold & train[i did cheat though, as a caught the train Milton Keynes-Northampton rather than wait for the X7 from Milton Keynes], i had to leave London 03.30, unfortunately overnight Luton-London Greenline coaches have since been withdrawn, the way i did it was

Greenline 757 London-Luton Airport
Stagecoach 99 Luton Airport-Milton Keynes
Train Milton Keynes-Northampton
Stagecoach X7 Northampton-Leicester
Kinchbus Skylink Leicester-Derby
TrentBarton Swift Derby-Uttoxoter
First Potteries 32 Uttoxeter-Hanley
First Potteries 3 Hanley-Crewe
Arriva 84 Crewe-Chester
Stagecoach 1 Chester-Liverpool

I did the train leg mostly as i had around an hour to wait for the X7 at Milton Keynes & i couldn't be bothered waiting, which meant i wouldn't have got to Liverpool as early as i did

I didn’t even use the 757, started on a 139 to Brent Cross then on the 1st 142 to Watford, 1st 321 to Luton, 99 to MK, X7 to Leicester, Skylink to Derby, Transpeak to Matlock, X99 to Stockport then anything into the Centre of Manchester.

Statto · 6 Jul 2019

jay38a said:
I didn’t even use the 757, started on a 139 to Brent Cross then on the 1st 142 to Watford, 1st 321 to Luton, 99 to MK, X7 to Leicester, Skylink to Derby, Transpeak to Matlock, X99 to Stockport then anything into the Centre of Manchester.

X7 has been retimed & frequency reduced, if you miss the 07.35 from Milton Keynes the next one isn't until 08.58, & you can't get another route like you used to be able to [X4] & connect at Northampton as the through X7 is now hourly.

Annoyingly, the first 321 Monday to Friday from Watford arrives at Luton Interchange at 06.35, the 99 to Milton Keynes that connects with the 07.33, X7 departs Luton Interchange 06.35.

westcoaster · 6 Jul 2019

Statto said:
X7 has been retimed & frequency reduced, if you miss the 07.35 from Milton Keynes the next one isn't until 08.58, & you can't get another route like you used to be able to [X4] & connect at Northampton as the through X7 is now hourly.

Annoyingly, the first 321 Monday to Friday from Watford arrives at Luton Interchange at 06.35, the 99 to Milton Keynes that connects with the 07.33, X7 departs Luton Interchange 06.35.

I think the 321 is now operated by Luton depot after garston closed. Might explain the later start.

Derby to Westminster on local bus routes only

Comstock

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Samuel88

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