Tropical Birdland - Desford Train to Leicester on leaving the station turn right head towards the pelican crossing after crossing take the Road just to the left on to Belgrave St,on to Charles St, Then when you reach Clock Tower square turn right and just about 25 yards there's the bus stop for the 153 this will take you to Desford, (alternatively you can walk out the rail station go acroos the road and get the X3 to Margret's St. Bus station go to stop SM and get the 153 from here) Ask the driver to let you know when the stop for the Library in Desford is coming up when leaving the bus cross over the road, Then when you get to the Library turn left down the side of the Library and walk until you come to the Co-Op turn right opposite the Co-Op and walk down the hill Tropical Birdland is 150 yards on the left. Bus leaves station at 28 minutes past the hour and 05 to the hour on returning you will have to get off the bus at the station but can get the X3 from stop SS. The 153 will leave Desford at 13 minutes past the hour and 15 minutes to the hour on the same side as the Library. Bus fare £5.60 for all day saver.
from Leicester bus station to Desford around 30/40 minutes The collection is well worth a visit just for the free flying parrots all over the collections.
To go to Chester is it quicker to come from Liverpool or Manchester Airport on public transport and how does one do either of the above?
Manchester Airport - you can get a train direct to Chester from the airport's own station. From the station you'd either (A) get a taxi direct to the zoo (about 20/25 mins) (B) Catch the shuttle bus into the city centre (departs from outside the station) and then walk to the bus station. The shuttle bus drops off at the top of Frodsham St. The bus station is at the bottom of the same street. You need to catch the Number 1 going to Liverpool (drops you in the zoos carpark) (C) Walk to the bus station. Depending on which way you go, it's roughly 15/20 mins (the short route) or 30 if you go the long way round. Again you want the Number 1 (Liverpool)
(D) The bus X8 (Chester - Liverpool) departs from directly opposite the railway station (stand S5) every 15 minutes and drops off/picks up at the bus stop in the zoo carpark. (I used this service a couple of weeks back.) If the zoo is busy at closing time they will also put on an extra non-stop bus in each direction
The best way is a direct train from Manchester Airport railway station to Chester railway station, I'm not sure how often they run. The second best way is the same but with a change of trains in Manchester.
the current timetable. Valid until 19th May https://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk.../Content/Documents/Timetable 4 - Dec 2017.pdf The summer timetable,valid from 20th May. https://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk...rains_Wales/Content/Documents/PTT 4 (web).pdf
I've read somewhere that the 54 service may be withdrawn shortly - there is an alternative, but worth checking for details.
Anyone reccomend whether to either catch a bus from liverpool airport to catch the X8 to Chester Zoo or to get the Easy bus direct to Chester and get the X8 out to the zoo from there?
Pretty sure the Easybus runs to Chester railway station where you could connect with the X8 OR get the 500 from the Airport to Liverpool City Centre and the X8 from there (but I think you'd have to walk across central Liverpool). On balance, Easybus + X8 probably better. Incidentally the X8 is half-hourly most of the time; only every 15 minutes between Chester Railway Station and the Zoo peak mornings; and back peak afternoon/evening.
Just returned from a day trip to Shepreth Wildlife Park. Oh what fun that was! (sarcasm). It's wonderful that the zoo is adjacent to Shepreth Rail station,and can be accessed by hourly stopping trains from either King's X London to Shepreth (direct,on Cambridge train),King's X (fast,not stopping Shepreth) via Cambridge then two stops back to Shepreth,or Liverpool Street,via Cambridge I took the former,and the outgoing trip was fine.but alas the return journey saw cancellations both ways and a wait of two hours at the unmanned little station with no 'human interactive' intercom help. A 20 minute walk down to the High Street stop AND the A10 road to find the vague bus stop for 128 (could not be found) resulted in a local resident saying it was a two hour gap wait for a single service throughout the Monday-Saturday. So I trotted back to the station and eventually got the train via Cambridge to Liverpool Street,London,after an hour+ hour wait excluding the bus stop search walk!. SO,BE WARNED ABOUT THE TRAIN SERVICE to Shepreth. It may have been just a bad fluke that day,but...
I hope you put in a claim for the delay to your train. In the period 0600-2000 at Shepreth, 27 trains were booked to top. Out of these 12 were cancelled, mostly as a result of a planning error. Not sure what that means, but I tend to think, an example of bad management. such as not allocating enough drivers or guards, or even trains.
As soon as I got to Cambridge,..which was overstaffed (why they did not think of sending a few down to Shepreth while it was busy due to the zoo and the fine weather,i do not know?) Apparently it was thru 3 things. Ongoing maintenance work. A train somehow being 'abandoned' at Stevenage. And the new timetable introductions. Regardless,when the trains do sort themselves out,..eventually, Shepreth is easily accessible from London via train.
I did the trip by train a few years ago and it was very convenient (although I accidentally got on the wrong train there from Hatfield and had to change with a bit of a wait at Hitchin). Have heard nothing but tales of pain and woe with the new timetables introduced by GTR on that line, hopefully in time it'll bed in and be reliable again (or they revert to the old timetable )
Butterfly Farm - Stratford-Upon-Avon Stratford-Upon-Avon after getting off the train turn right just outside the station and follow the road round until you come to an Island go straight over and do the same at the second Island after a short distance you will come to a main junction by the river go right over again and follow the path over the bridge on your right you will see a Big Wheel walk past this and the entrance is just on the left.
BEALE PARK . This is how I paid a visit. Train to Pangbourne,via Ealing (where I live),from Paddington (or from Reading for others),then a pleasant 20 minute walk along the road running alongside the River Thames to the park. Only for those that can walk it though!
A point that might be worthwhile to know. Hamerton Zoo Park, there is a 9.00am Bus from Huntingdon Bus Station, also at 12.00 , which is the number 401, it has one back around 5pm. However due to service cuts this now only runs Monday to Friday, so there is no public transport from Huntingdon to the Zoo at weekends, so any non drivers who may be looking to visit, it's worth knowing this in advance. A taxi from Huntingdon to the Zoo at the weekend will cost £22.
