RHS Garden Buses

[Starmill]

The RHS Bridgewater bus is returning shortly:

From Saturday 1 April 2023, we are pleased to offer our double decker shuttle bus service operating between Manchester Piccadilly train station and RHS Garden Bridgewater, stopping at Salford Crescent and Walkden train stations. The service will run daily until Sunday 1 October 2023.

Tickets will be available to purchase on-board or in advance online. Tickets are priced as follows:

Adult: Single £2, Return £4
Child: Single £1, Return £2

This time it will run on weekdays as well as weekends and from the city centre. Diamond Bus North West appear to be the operator. The Garden are currently offering a 30% discount to car-free arrivals which I think is particularly impressive.

The RHS Wisley bus is also still running from Woking Station too apparently

 

[Flange Squeal]

The RHS Bridgewater bus is returning shortly:

This time it will run on weekdays as well as weekends and from the city centre. Diamond Bus North West appear to be the operator. The Garden are currently offering a 30% discount to car-free arrivals which I think is particularly impressive.

The RHS Wisley bus is also still running from Woking Station too apparently

The Wisley bus is indeed still running - I'm pretty sure it stayed running all winter, except for a few days around Christmas and New Year. It is still operated by Woking Community Transport (t/a Bustler) using specially liveried Bluebird-bodied accessible Fiat Ducato minibus YX13 BVW. Wisley also offer a similar discount to car free arrivals, so I guess that is an RHS scheme, which works out to £5.50 off admission for an adult. The shuttle bus is £4 return though, so overall a £1.50 saving.

 

[duncanp]

This is the currrent timetable for the bus between Woking Station and RHS Wisley

Bus timetable

www.surreycc.gov.uk

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Think the standard adult admission price for RHS Bridgewater (the site of which is located near Worsley, to the West of Manchester) is £12.35 in 2023, but just £8.65 if you've travelled there "car free" (i.e. by bus, by train, by cycle or on foot).

Easy enough to present a valid bus or train ticket upon arrival, but not sure how you can prove you've walked there!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wouldn't it be that if arriving by car you'd be charged at the gate but if you walk in you go to a different counter?

 

[Flange Squeal]

Wouldn't it be that if arriving by car you'd be charged at the gate but if you walk in you go to a different counter?

Can’t speak for RHS Bridgewater, but it certainly isn’t the case at RHS Wisley where the same offer is available. You drive in and park (and depending which car park you end up in based on how busy it is, completely out of sight of the main entrance). You then walk over to the main entrance building where all entry tickets are sold regardless of how you got there. There’s no separate charge/ticketing arrangements for parking your car so I guess it would be possible for someone to try it on if they were that way inclined.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wouldn't it be that if arriving by car you'd be charged at the gate but if you walk in you go to a different counter?

Not at RHS Bridgewater. Public entrance to the gardens all seems to be via the same entrance desks / lobby area.

 

[PeterC]

All 3 RHS gardens that I have visited include retail and catering outside of the garden proper so car park users wouldn't necessarily be entering the ticketed part of the site.