Milton Keynes - Leicester - Hartlepool or vice versa

[WolvertonWorks]

Please can I ask for some advice from all you experts on here.

In late November we have two 18 year old Australians coming over for a month and staying in MK (Milton Keynes). They want to go to both Leicester and Hartlepool for a few days to visit wider family.

The £2.50 single-bus-trip scheme runs to 30th November but assuming they can use that am I correct that they can get the X6 from MK to Northampton and then the X7 from Northampton to Leicester and hence get to Leicester for £5? Anyone know what the fare is likely to be if their journey is after 30th November?

I can see tickets on National Express for MK-Hartlepool and return.

But ideally they would like to go MK-Leicester-Hartlepool-MK or MK-Hartlepool-Leicester-MK rather than returning to MK each trip and I am trying to work out any buses or coaches that would get them between Leicester and Hartlepool.

It looks like megabus run between Leicester and Darlington, Durham and Middlesborough so any suggestions for getting to/from Hartlepool and one of these places?

Thanks for input on this - they obviously are looking to make the journeys as cheaply as they can being students.

 

[sharpley]

Please can I ask for some advice from all you experts on here.

In late November we have two 18 year old Australians coming over for a month and staying in MK (Milton Keynes). They want to go to both Leicester and Hartlepool for a few days to visit wider family.

The £2.50 single-bus-trip scheme runs to 30th November but assuming they can use that am I correct that they can get the X6 from MK to Northampton and then the X7 from Northampton to Leicester and hence get to Leicester for £5? Anyone know what the fare is likely to be if their journey is after 30th November?

I can see tickets on National Express for MK-Hartlepool and return.

But ideally they would like to go MK-Leicester-Hartlepool-MK or MK-Hartlepool-Leicester-MK rather than returning to MK each trip and I am trying to work out any buses or coaches that would get them between Leicester and Hartlepool.

It looks like megabus run between Leicester and Darlington, Durham and Middlesborough so any suggestions for getting to/from Hartlepool and one of these places?

Thanks for input on this - they obviously are looking to make the journeys as cheaply as they can being students.

Singles are currently £2 so it'll cost £4 from MK to Leicester. I use the X7 a bit, it's about a 90 minute journey from Northampton bus station to Leicester Haymarket bus station. Can't help with the Hartlepool bit but I don't think Megabus serves Leicester city centre, they only call at Fosse Park which is next to M1 junction 21 on the outskirts. National Express serves Leicester city centre though ( St Margaret's bus station)

 

[dodecahedron67]

Having done Leicester to Milton Keynes by bus on those exact buses, I’d say don’t bother doing it as part of a longer itinerary. Via Northants is a horrible journey on rattly buses, with v poor connections in Northampton (and not from the same place in Northampton Town Centre) if I remember right.

Better off paying the small premium, getting a train/coach into London or Birmingham, then a coach from there to Middlesbrough, Sunderland, or Hartlepool.

Middlesbrough and Sunderland both have frequent (every 30 or better, some needing to go via Billingham from Sunderland) connections by local bus to Hartlepool

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Ah thanks, hadn't thought of going by coach from Birmingham - will investigate that.

Also thanks for the megabus pick up point info.

 

[Parebunks]

There's plenty of direct MK-Leicester coaches with National Express, which shouldn't be much more than £5 if booking in advance. AFAIK Megabus are the only ones who go Leicester-Teeside, you'd want Middlesborough then the Stagecoach 1 or 36 to Hartlepool, both pretty frequent. Seems more sensible than Sunderland, else you'd be doubling back on yourself. There are in fact two *direct* coaches a day MK-Hartlepool with National Express - one during the day on route 426, one overnight on route 436. National Express picks up at Milton Keynes Coachway not the city centre, but that's not too hard to get to. If doing more than one leg with NX, look at getting a Young Person's Coachcard - this gives 33% off all fares for a year for £12.50.

 

[darloscott]

There are lots of coaches to Middlesbrough, where you can transfer to service 1 (Mon-Sun daytime) every 30 minutes and outside of those times there is the 36 which is a slightly longer route but does run until late evening to Hartlepool. You can also use Sunderland and head back on service 23 but this only runs Mon-Sat daytimes.

 

[A0wen]

For the MK to Leicester, slightly more expensive but still relatively cheap is the train from MK to Nuneaton (£11.60 return) which only takes 35 mins. From Nuneaton it looks like both Stagecoach (148) ot Arriva (158) run to Leicester which would currently be £2 each way.

Alternatively an off peak train return from Nuneaton to Leicester is £15.50 - so a total by train of £ 26.10, somewhat cheaper than the MK - Leicester return price.....

 

[Stan Drews]

FlixBus currently provide a daily direct link between Leicester (Fosse Park) and Sunderland. It takes around 4 hours.