Single operator cross-county day tickets

[neilmc]

Tentative praise for the much-maligned Stagecoach here.

This week I was faced with a return journey from a village in Derbyshire just outside Chesterfield to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. Costly and complex? Not really - with a Stagecoach Explorer ticket I could do the whole lot for just £5.80 including a ride on the fast X17 between Chesterfield and Sheffield, on a well-appointed bus with smart leather seats.

Now I've always been a supporter of municipal-regulated transport, but I just wonder how much this would have cost if I'd tried it in the days of PTE, municipal town transport and NBC, as it involved venturing between several local authority areas. Countywide tickets are just great except for journeys such as this, and thanks to Stagecoach having a strong local presence I could have travelled from West Yorkshire all the way to Gainsborough on this ticket!

 

[ashworth]

Tentative praise for the much-maligned Stagecoach here.

This week I was faced with a return journey from a village in Derbyshire just outside Chesterfield to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. Costly and complex? Not really - with a Stagecoach Explorer ticket I could do the whole lot for just £5.80 including a ride on the fast X17 between Chesterfield and Sheffield, on a well-appointed bus with smart leather seats.

I also think that some of Stagecoach Explorer tickets are fantastically priced tickets for travelling huge distances often across more than one county boundary. Their 7 Day Megarider Gold versions are even better value. I regularly make use of the North West version of these tickets when staying with friends in Lancashire and that one covers a vast area from Chester right up through Lancashire, the Lake District and over the border to Dumfries in Scotland.

I do think that Stagecoach tickets of this type are often the best value, but most of the large operators like First, Arriva and Go Ahead also do similar tickets. The one you mention from Stagecoach East Midlands and Yorkshire is a particularly good value one which I really ought to make more use of. Unfortunately, as my local bus services in Nottinghamshire are run by Trent Barton I have to pay an additional, quite expensive fare, to and from Mansfield or Chesterfield before I can access a Stagecoach bus which issues and accepts them. The most annoying thing is that the Nottingham-Mansfield-Chesterfield Pronto bus runs within 2 miles of my house but you cannot use day Explorer tickets on this bus even though it is mainly operated by Stagecoach.

As good as the Stagecoach Explorer ticket is, an even better one I have found whilst being on holiday is the Discovery Ticket. This is a day ticket for use throughout East and West Sussex, Surrey, East Hampshire and has recenty been extended to include Kent. At £8.50 a day this ticket is accepted by most bus companies throughout these counties and so is both multi operator and a cross county border ticket. As I have recently said in another thread. If only this type of ticket could exist in other areas of the country like here in the East Midlands.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I do believe that First West Of England FirstDay's can be used as far as Weston and Sailsbury, not much cop if your planning to do it on a Sunday as the 265 only go as far as Trowbridge with around four or five being extended to Warminster via Westbury. Still by far, and as mentioned in the other thread, for Wiltshire the Wiltshire DayRover is a better ticket.

In Yorkshire you've also got the West Yorkshire version of the FirstDay, probably one of the most popular tickets since everyone purchases the damn things and when a new driver is put on front line duties the customers have a tendancy of arguing with the driver as they've asked for a Stagecoach product and not a First one, leading to me getting p***ed off as the lunatics are delaying the journey - surely its not rocket science. One thing for sure, I'd love to see more independants taking on evening and Sunday services just to render the FirstDay useless. I wonder if Metro can persuade Yorkshire Tiger, Connextions, TLC, LOT and M Travel to take over the runing of such services.

Keeping with Yorkshire Arriva have their Savers, using one round Selby makes you want to march across Sailsbury Plain with a platoon in tow since you've got to go via Selby just to interchange.

There is High Peak's Peak Pass which is about £7.50 and covers all of their services. Over in East Yorkshire the Go Anywhere is issued on EYMS services.

 

[MedwayValiant]

As good as the Stagecoach Explorer ticket is, an even better one I have found whilst being on holiday is the Discovery Ticket. This is a day ticket for use throughout East and West Sussex, Surrey, East Hampshire and has recenty been extended to include Kent. At £8.50 a day this ticket is accepted by most bus companies throughout these counties and so is both multi operator and a cross county border ticket. As I have recently said in another thread. If only this type of ticket could exist in other areas of the country like here in the East Midlands.

In Kent and East Sussex, we have an Explorer ticket as well as the Discovery ticket.

Both Arriva and Stagecoach sell this, although bizarrely they sell it at different prices (£7.20 if bought on an Arriva bus, £6.50 on a Stagecoach bus). It can be used on Arriva and Stagecoach services only throughout Kent and East Sussex (but not Brighton and Hove), and also on Arriva services from Kent to Bromley and Orpington.

Warning: Some Arriva drivers pretend that they don't know how to issue one, and claim that an Arriva Day Saver is the same thing. Same price, but not valid on Stagecoach services. If this had only happened to me once I'd let it go, but it's happened twice.

 

[transmanche]

The excellent value Explorer North East has been mentioned elsewhere; allowing travel from as far north as Berwick to as far south as Scarborough. across the border to Jedburgh and as far west as Carlisle on the 85/685. Plus T&W Metro, Shields Ferry and rail travel between Newcastle and Sunderland are all included. £9.70 per day, or £19.50 for a family ticket and no time restrictions.

But if you're strictly looking for a single-operator ticket then the Arriva North East All Zones Saver is hard to beat. It covers the same area and costs £7.80 per day, £13.50 for a family ticket, or you can buy a weekly ticket for just £27.50.

 

[ooo]

One thing for sure, I'd love to see more independants taking on evening and Sunday services just to render the FirstDay useless. I wonder if Metro can persuade Yorkshire Tiger, Connextions, TLC, LOT and M Travel to take over the running of such services.

Why do you want the FirstDay to be rendered useless?

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[TheGrandWazoo]

Surely the Stagecoach East Dayrider Gold is up there. Yes, it costs £13.50 but it covers 9 counties and you can get from Swindon to Norwich

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Why do you want the FirstDay to be rendered useless?

I'd only want to see it rendered useless in West Yorkshire to encourage more people to get themselves an MCard (smartcard) instead and to help speed up boarding - no cash to mess around with (unless their tourists).

Just scan and go, its not rocket science.

 

[Mojo]

One of the best value day tickets, which I bought last week, must surely be the ARRIVA North West & Wales ticket. An absolutely bargain £5.50 valid all the way from Manchester to Holyhead and Porthmadoc, including Crewe, Wrexham, Liverpool and Macclesfield.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

One of the best value day tickets, which I bought last week, must surely be the ARRIVA North West & Wales ticket. An absolutely bargain £5.50 valid all the way from Manchester to Holyhead and Porthmadoc, including Crewe, Wrexham, Liverpool and Macclesfield.

Good call - exceptional value.

Also, but for £10.80, the Stagecoach NW Explorer that is "Valid on all Stagecoach services across the North West with the following boundaries: Bolton (125), Blackburn (59), Blackpool (42/61/68), Chester (1/2), Dumfries (79), Ingleton (80), Newcastle (685), Wigan (113)."

So, from the edge of Wales to the edge of and into Scotland!

 

[randyrippley]

I still mourn the passing of the late 1970's unified fare structure in Lancashire. For two or three years it was possible to purchase universal passes and return tickets which were valid on ALL bus services and trains in the whole of Lancashire. We had a County Council which believed in integrated public transport. The bus privatisation forced by the tories put and end to it, though there was still a county-sponsored Lancashire Day Rider ticket available valid on all Lancs buses until around three years ago. However most Stagecoach drivers professed ignorance and usually tried to sell one of their passes instead.

 

[nottinghamcity]

One of the best value day tickets, which I bought last week, must surely be the ARRIVA North West & Wales ticket. An absolutely bargain £5.50 valid all the way from Manchester to Holyhead and Porthmadoc, including Crewe, Wrexham, Liverpool and Macclesfield.

The Arriva zonal tickets seem pretty good value throughout. The Midlands one, which stretches from Herefordshire to Leicester/Derby is a pretty impressive area for £6.50

 

[Statto]

Transdev have one DayTripper ticket valid on Blackburn Bus Company, Harrogate Bus Company, Keighley Bus Company, Transdev in Burnley & Pendle, Transdev York, only valid as far as York on Yorkshire Coastliner for £9, there is a DayTripper Plus £15 valid on throughgout Yorkshire Coastliner.

Isn't the First West Yorkshire day ticket valid on First Manchester as well?

 

[bradford758]

Transdev have one DayTripper ticket valid on Blackburn Bus Company, Harrogate Bus Company, Keighley Bus Company, Transdev in Burnley & Pendle, Transdev York, only valid as far as York on Yorkshire Coastliner for £9, there is a DayTripper Plus £15 valid on throughgout Yorkshire Coastliner.

Isn't the First West Yorkshire day ticket valid on First Manchester as well?

My post disappears...
K Day is valid on most routes operating out of transdev's Keighley depot, up to Harrogate via Ilkley and to Skipton in North Yorkshire plus Keighley-Colne and Skipton-Barnoldswick...

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The first West Yorkshire ticket used to be valid on all first Manchester (but not vice versa!!) BUT now limited to cross boundary routes into Lancashire and into (Greater Manchester)

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[route101]

The NE stagecoach day ticket can be used be from Glasgow via Fife to Aberdeen !

 

[carlberry]

Good call - exceptional value.

Also, but for £10.80, the Stagecoach NW Explorer that is "Valid on all Stagecoach services across the North West with the following boundaries: Bolton (125), Blackburn (59), Blackpool (42/61/68), Chester (1/2), Dumfries (79), Ingleton (80), Newcastle (685), Wigan (113)."

So, from the edge of Wales to the edge of and into Scotland!

How about the NBC Wonderbus ticket. £2.97 and valid on everything south of Hadrians Wall including a few independants. It's been a few years since I've managed to buy one however!! The £2.97 wanst some trendy marketing price break to keep it below three pounds, it meant a driver could issue them as three 99p tickets on a short range settright ticket machine.

""And you tell that to youngsters today and the don't believe you""

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

How about the NBC Wonderbus ticket. £2.97 and valid on everything south of Hadrians Wall including a few independants. It's been a few years since I've managed to buy one however!! The £2.97 wanst some trendy marketing price break to keep it below three pounds, it meant a driver could issue them as three 99p tickets on a short range settright ticket machine.

""And you tell that to youngsters today and the don't believe you""

At least you could buy it on the bus. I had to get the NBC Explorer from the Post Office; scratch off the date etc. They had the local company name on there but they could be used on any NBC subsidiary. I used mine to travel on United, Northern, Ribble, Cumberland, West Yorkshire and East Yorkshire.

There were some restrictions.... Not before 0900 Mon to Fri, and not for journeys wholly within Tyne and Wear

 

[Dai Corner]

At least you could buy it on the bus. I had to get the NBC Explorer from the Post Office; scratch off the date etc. They had the local company name on there but they could be used on any NBC subsidiary. I used mine to travel on United, Northern, Ribble, Cumberland, West Yorkshire and East Yorkshire.

There were some restrictions.... Not before 0900 Mon to Fri, and not for journeys wholly within Tyne and Wear

I can imagine the conversation near the border. "I'm sorry sir, you can't get off here but you can ride to the next stop, cross the road and get the next bus back if you wish". Presumably something to do with not competing with the PTE?

 

[Tetchytyke]

The single operator tickets are generally pretty good. The Arriva North East one gets you from Carlisle and Berwick to Scarborough (it took them a long time to see sense and allow them on the X93...), Arriva The Shires' ticket gets you from Oxford to Chelmsford. The Stagecoach NW Explorer is (theoretically) fantastic value, from Newcastle to Chester (good luck getting all that way), and the SW Explorer is not bad either.

I used to find the Arriva Nationwide day ticket at £9 excellent value, shame they don't do it anymore.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I can imagine the conversation near the border. "I'm sorry sir, you can't get off here but you can ride to the next stop, cross the road and get the next bus back if you wish". Presumably something to do with not competing with the PTE?

It was all to do with not competing with PTE buses; the rule died on 25th October 1986. I never tried to break the rules so don't know. Were I to get on the 308 at Eldon Square and tried to exit early, would I have been thrown back on the bus at Whitley Bay and forced to travel to Seaton Sluice?
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Back in the day, there was a ridiculously cheap ticket that covered most First services in the South West from Weymouth and Bristol throughout the old Southern National, Red Bus, Western National, Badgerline and Cityline firms. This was before First pulled out of North Devon and Plymouth, or indeed North Cornwall, and lost many routes in Dorset (with the council tender package being awarded largely to GSC), with firms now being more standalone.

Now here's a question... First West of England (the old Badgerline/Cityline) have a day ticket for £7.50 but with a West of England Plus version for £10.00 valid on there AND Buses of Somerset (the old SN Taunton and Bridgwater ops). There's a map here on page 16 https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/node_images/Fares guide 2016.pdf

Some far flung places are shown only as projected arrows, such as Axminster (valid on BoS 30) but no mention of First Wessex X51/3 - it suggests it's not valid on those. However, the map doesn't make that distinction with Yeovil (served by BoS 77 formerly 377, and 54). All of Yeovil is shown so that suggests it includes all services which are mainly First Wessex (the former SN Yeovil depot to Wincanton, Sherborne and the local routes).

More oddly, First Wessex also sell a West of England Plus ticket for £10.00 but only as an m-ticket. So, do I have the opportunity to leave Bristol and head to Yeovil with the captivating opportunity of grinding round the town on some knackered First Solo??

 

[lejog]

The Stagecoach NW Explorer is (theoretically) fantastic value, from Newcastle to Chester (good luck getting all that way),

Easy. There's even a couple of later buses from Carlisle to Newcastle.

Chester-Liverpool X8 6.03a.m. – 7.19
Liverpool – Preston X2 7.47 -10.02
Preston-Lancaster 40 10.30 – 11.47
Lancaster-Keswick 555 12.25p.m. -15.14
Keswick-Penrith X4 15.20-16.10
Penrith-Carlisle 104 16.30-5.09
Carlisle-Newcastle 685/85 6.07-8.30

 

[neilmc]

Ah, I remember the £2.97 NBC Wanderbus! I wanted one for a tour of Lincolnshire when I lived in Leeds. I couldn't buy one locally, nor did Lincolnshire sell them on the bus from Doncaster to Scunthorpe, and Doncaster was out of their issuing area. However, there was an East Midland bus in the Doncaster bus station which did, so I boarded this bus, bought one from them, got off and nipped across to show it to the driver on the Lincolnshire service. Problem solved!

 

[ivanhoe]

One of the best value day tickets, which I bought last week, must surely be the ARRIVA North West & Wales ticket. An absolutely bargain £5.50 valid all the way from Manchester to Holyhead and Porthmadoc, including Crewe, Wrexham, Liverpool and Macclesfield.

The problem is though if you want to go from Conway to Llandudno, this ticket is sold to you which works out at 2.75 each way for a 5 mile journey. They sell them on the basis that hardly anybody would travel from Liverpool to Caernarfon. It's a way of ripping people off for short journeys on the premise of offering great value for money. Arriva Midland have a similar ticket which would allow me to go from Loughborough to Shrewsbury but how many takers are there for that journey?

 

[Deerfold]

The first West Yorkshire ticket used to be valid on all first Manchester (but not vice versa!!) BUT now limited to cross boundary routes into Lancashire and into (Greater Manchester)

This may have changed at some point but both were certainly valid in both areas at one point. I used to regularly go out in Manchester on a Friday night, travelling from Calderdale. The club would close at 7am and we'd return on the bus. I never had any problems using a day ticket in either direction. After a sleep I'd often continue to use the Manchester day ticket in Calderdale.

 

[gray1404]

Easy. There's even a couple of later buses from Carlisle to Newcastle.

Chester-Liverpool X8 6.03a.m. – 7.19
Liverpool – Preston X2 7.47 -10.02
Preston-Lancaster 40 10.30 – 11.47
Lancaster-Keswick 555 12.25p.m. -15.14
Keswick-Penrith X4 15.20-16.10
Penrith-Carlisle 104 16.30-5.09
Carlisle-Newcastle 685/85 6.07-8.30

Would there be other options for starting in Formby on the route of the X2? Although, I am using a disabled concession travel pass (valid in Merseyside at all times) but only after 9.30am for journeys into Lancs.