Bristol-Oxford and return by bus

[Class 33]

I'm thinking about doing a return trip from Bristol-Oxford by bus one day during the Summer. Get a 37 or an X39 to Bath, a 231 to Chippenham, a 55 to Swindon, and the 66 to Oxford. Particularly appealing is the journeys between Chippenham and Oxford which will be on the lovely Enviro 400's. Don't know if the journeys between Bath and Chippenham will be on nice buses though! What is the scenery/journey like between Bath and Chippenham anyway, fairly scenic or fairly bland?

Also what are the fares on Stagecoach between Chippenham, Swindon, and Oxford? Would you have to get a set of two return fares? Or is there a ticket available which would cover the whole journey? I know they have a website but it doesn't appear to give the fare info I am looking for!

Would probably take about 5 to 5 and a half hours in each direction though!(including connection times). So might skip the Bristol-Chippenham leg, and get the train instead.

 

[TheWalrus]

A wiltshire day rover is £8.50 and should get you the whole way. If not should at least get you from Bath. Also a Stagecoach explorer is £6.50 and will get you between Chippenham and Oxford.

And you may not get an E400 on the 55, there is often a trident on it.

 

[quarella]

I enjoyed the scenery on my journey between Bath and Chippenham both urnab and rural. Seeing an alternative view of the Box Tunnel was interesting. Be aware that you get an extended tour of Chippenham's council estates before reaching the town centre.

 

[Class 33]

Thanks TheWalrus for that info, and also quarella. £8.50 for a Wiltshire Day Rover to cover the whole journey seems incredible, especially as Bristol, Bath, and Oxford are not in Wiltshire! Can't be true surely? The Stagecoach Explorer for £6.50 to cover Chippenham to Oxford would be great value though. And I can get as far as Chippenham with a First Day South West ticket for £7. £13.50 in total to get all the way there and back is pretty good.

A Trident on the 55 between Chippenham and Swindon? Not a problem, I'd be happy with with that! Only been on these a handful of times when they were on First Bristol services for only about 18 months between 2011 and 2013(when they sadly departed to elsewhere in the country!), and thought they were great buses! So would be good to get a ride on one of those again.

 

[Techniquest]

Certainly used to be E400s on the 49 Trowbridge-Swindon, think it's something more modern now and the E400s most commonly in use on it are now in the Gloucester area.

I forget myself if Bristol is definitely included on the Wiltshire Day Rover, but it's only via a few certain routes from Bath. Said ticket also covers Frome and even a particular route to Salisbury and even Southampton! This is based on what the case in early 2011 I should add, and I would strongly recommend researching it first to check details.

Tridents are often on the 55 from experience, and they do work the 49 to Trowbridge occasionally too. The journey from Chipp to Swindon isn't too bad I believe, onwards to Oxford is alright too but feels like quite the trek still. I think they use buses with free WiFi and power sockets now on the 66 to Oxford!

It will be a long day for sure, however it's a cheap day out and well worth doing. You could look at a possible bit of variety on the return and do the 49 to Trowbridge (this route takes you through Avebury which is a nice bit of scenery, and Devizes is a nice little market town), then the 264/265 to Bath and 339 back to Bristol (X39 is only until sometime in the evening then 339 takes over). Obviously this includes First buses so not the best itinery on a Stagecoach Explorer lol.

Let us know how you get on, it's been a few years since I last did Wiltshire

 

[TheWalrus]

Check the Wiltshire Council website I'm sure the Wiltshire Day Rover covers Bristol and Bath, definitely goes to Oxford as I bought one on there!

Sometimes MAN E300s appear on 55 and occasionally on 49.

The Gold buses on 66 have wifi but not power sockets.

 

[Class 33]

I would be travelling on a Saturday. I just worked out via the timetable that in the outbound direction it would actually take me 6 and a half hours from my house to Oxford! It would take longer in the homebound direction as the buses are less frequent meaning longer waits at the connecting points and having to get a 39 or 37 instead of an X39 between Bath and Bristol. That and having a few hours stop-over in Oxford, I think I'd be absolutely knackered after all that! Would be an interesting journey and day out, but I think a bit TOO long and tiring really to do all that in one day..

I think a better plan would be to get the train between Bristol and Chippenham. And then the buses between Chippenham and Oxford. And then on another day do another bus day out. Getting the bus to Chippenham and then taking up Techniquest's suggestion of getting the 49 down to Trowbridge, and 264 or 265 back to Bath.

 

[freetoview33]

Not sure of the times but maybe a 635 Bristol - Chippenham

 

[swifty]

Not sure of the times but maybe a 635 Bristol - Chippenham

If you got the 8:35 635 from Bristol you'd be in Oxford for 13:00 via the 55/66 services.

 

[Class 33]

Good suggestion about getting the 635 from Bristol-Chippenham. Only thing is though the last service of the day from Chippenham back to Bristol is very early, at 1505! I wouldn't mind doing a trip to Chippenham and back on the 635 one day though.

Another suggestion would maybe to do get the buses to Oxford on the outbound trip. But get the train back on the homeward trip for a much faster less exhausting trip back home!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The Wiltshire Day Rover is NOT valid on the X39. It is valid on First's Wiltshire services but also to/from Bath and Frome. Don't know if it's valid on 635 - it wasn't in First's operational days though map suggests that it is valid on the 635.

As has been said, the 231 is a nice run up from Box to Corsham but does grind around Hungerdown and the Chippenham burbs. 55 is not bad whilst the 66 is a good service. Another option is the 41 from Yate to Malmesbury then 31 to Swindon (now operated by Coachstyle).

However, a longer but nicer route is 265 to Trowbridge and the 49 to Swindon; the latter especially is a great route. Back up Techniquest on that one.

A few years ago, I bought a Stagecoach gold rider, then Wiltshire day rover and did Stratford - Chipping Norton - Oxford - Swindon - Wootton Bassett - Malmesbury - Yate before then paying for 581 from Yate to Hanham

 

[Class 33]

It would take longer in the homebound direction as the buses are less frequent meaning longer waits at the connecting points and having to get a 39 or 37 instead of an X39 between Bath and Bristol.

It could actually be somewhat quicker going back surprisingly. Leaving Oxford at 1545 you could be back in Bristol Bus Station by 2016. Mind you, that does depend on the buses running to time as there are short connection times at Swindon(10 minutes), Chippenham(just 2 minutes), and Bath(just 4 minutes). Being able to get that connecting 231 at Chippenham bus station in just 2 minutes would be somewhat iffy. Miss that and you've got another 1 hour wait for the next one!(which would be boring!)

 

[TheWalrus]

That 1545 is always late into Swindon you will likely miss the 1710 Chippenham but you could catch the 1730. The 55s are also likely to run late at this time on a weekday. Are you going on Saturday? You may be ok.

 

[vicbury]

Don't count on the 66 arriving on time into Swindon bus station - it is usually at least 10 minutes late, particularly in the afternoon / early evening. Stagecoach don't seem to be as proactive at amending timetables as First as it's been this way for at least the past year and a half.

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like you've got a lot of trips planned! Not done a bus bash in absolutely ages, commuting on them 5 days a week, average round trip being 47 miles a day (6 days a week when going on a rail bash) kinda puts me off lol!

EDIT: Good point on punctuality into Swindon, any country route has issues on weekday peak times. Saturdays shouldn't be as bad, as by the time the OP is due into Swindon they should be there before the brats start slowing the buses down. Still, worth factoring in allowance for delays.

Also, don't know what it's like now but Swindon bus station really needed tidying up in 2010 and wasn't much good at all!

 

[vicbury]

Sounds like you've got a lot of trips planned! Not done a bus bash in absolutely ages, commuting on them 5 days a week, average round trip being 47 miles a day (6 days a week when going on a rail bash) kinda puts me off lol!

EDIT: Good point on punctuality into Swindon, any country route has issues on weekday peak times. Saturdays shouldn't be as bad, as by the time the OP is due into Swindon they should be there before the brats start slowing the buses down. Still, worth factoring in allowance for delays.

Also, don't know what it's like now but Swindon bus station really needed tidying up in 2010 and wasn't much good at all!

I believe Swindon bus station is scheduled for demolition sooner rather than later. The mock-ups I've seen for the replacement suggest the replacement won't be enclosed and so will offer similar levels of shelter rather than being like the new stations in Bristol or Bath.