A subsidised, direct bus from Luton train station to Whipsnade will be running during the summer holidays. https://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/visitor-information/directions
Just been checking up on attempting a visit via rail to Chester Zoo,from London,via the cheapest alternative . £50.50 super off peak. 4-5hrs journey. staggered changes. 5am Marylebone - Paddington Reading Birmingham New Street - Crewe - Chester ---return--- 6pm Chester Birmingham New Street - Birmingham Moor Street - Marylebone 11pm - Giving that i'd need a good half day at the zoo itself! What a Headache!!. Maybe just best to save up the £100 plus for a rail ticket from Euston to Chester,w/one possible inter-change. 2 1/2 hrs.! 5am-ish departure Not good for folks that have a tight budget! Just irritates me that single tickets are cheaper returning from Chester than outgoing
I know how you feel. I recently tried to plan a trip to Chester zoo for me +1 via train but scrapped it because of the cost and journey time. Two return train tickets from my local station to Chester station via Birmingham New Street, plus a bus/taxi to get from Chester station to the zoo, plus zoo entry fee for 2 adults added up to close to £150! That, plus a 6+ hour round trip, put me right off. There's also the fact that if, like me, you haven't been to Chester zoo for nearly a decade and want to take it all in, you really need 2 days to see everything as Chester zoo is just so big and only getting bigger. This bumps up the cost even more; having to buy more entry tickets and pay for overnight accommodation. So I then thought, what about Bristol zoo instead? A place I've never been to and desperate to visit, but the overall cost and journey times are pretty much the same as Chester. What attracts me to Bristol is their excellent species and quality exhibits, but I can't justify spending well over £100, travelling 3 hours there and 3 hours back for a place I'd probably only spend 2 hours at because the zoo is so small. I then turned to Yorkshire. But yet again ridiculous journey and cost. It's much, much larger than Bristol but it's only really the bears that appeal to me, so again I can't justify it. Looks like I'll have to stick with what the Midlands has to offer for now. Whoopi-doo! Either that or become much more zoo fanatical
Yes,its a shame about these long distance zoos. Haven't been to Chester in a decade and its recent reputation,diversity and size attracts me,but I agree,its just too much time and cost. Even the Leeds Tropical World maybe out of reach for a short while. If Hanwell Zoo was not so tiny and a potential animal death trap in the little tropical house,ie shed, I could simply take a 5 minute stroll down to it
For Chester - have either of you looked at travelling on a National Express coach rather than the train? I just had a quick look - for example, to travel on Monday 10th September from London Victoria to Chester Bus Station (direct with no changes) and return on Wednesday 12th would be just under £30. Yes it takes around 5 hours each way and you'd have to look for accommodation for at least one night but it's another option. I'm biased (being a local) but I really want you to see our wonderful zoo Edit: I'm pretty certain the coach even stops and picks up at the zoo entrance. Obviously you'd have to check times though. Otherwise you can get off at the city bus station and catch a connecting bus (takes approx 20 mins) to the zoo
National Express is always worth a look and quite often a lot cheaper than the trains. I'm lucky enough to be able to get one direct from Chesterfield to Marble Arch/Victoria that often comes out under £20 return and has a day-trip friendly schedule - makes trips to Regent's Park a lot more affordable..!
There are usually wangles to help with cost of train fares. Feel free to send me a direct message (if that's possible on here) and I can check out options.
I'm planning a trip to Chester for the 22nd of next month. Off-peak return by train is 25.50 at the minute and even leaving it until the last minute I've never paid more than 34 quid with booking fee. But granted, I only go on a Saturday so it's all off-peak, I dread to think what weekday fares cost.
Popped down to Sevenoaks on the train from London on Monday 27th August,with an aim to go to Hemsley,..without realising no 308 bus service on that day,..ie Bank Holiday service same as sunday = No service
Does anyone know if the hop-on hop-off bus tour goes within a reasonable walking distance of Belfast zoo please? We are going for the day and want to squeeze both in.
BIRDWORLD - FARNHAM - From rail station at Farnham just take the number 18 bus this will take you straight to the collection please note bus service is every hour from 44 minutes past the hour on return the time for the bus is 07 minutes past each hour
Has anyone taken public transport,ie the 308 bus,from Sevenoaks to Hemsley Conservation Centre.Its just that trying to find out if the nearest single bus stops in Vigo/Trosley Park,are for BOTH WAYS,as it seems the bus takes a loop and I cannot spot opposing side bus stops (ie the stop I get off,is also the stop I get back on) ???
Just returned from a very short (as in,30 minutes to go around the zoo) trip way out to Hemsley Conservation Centre. To answer my own question and if any visitor chose to go via Sevenoaks or Wrotham & Borough Green,the 308 bus is hourly 6 days a week,with NO SERVICE ON SUNDAYS. Journey time roughly 30-40 minutes. The nearest stop to the collection down Crabtree Close,is the Oak Farm Lane bus stop,with the next being quite a bit further away in the first Trosley Country Park/Vigo bus stop,but you might have to remind your bus driver about the existence of Hemsley and to inform you of the aforementioned bus stop.! Be aware though,that there is NO BUS STOP sign opposite the Oak Farm Lane bus stop for the return journey,but the bus driver stated to wait in the layby opposite and raise your arm when you see a Sevenoaks bound bus coming and it will stop. Also be aware that the 308 bus is not quite punctual. Supposed to be 40 minutes past (outward),30 minutes past the hour (return) but may be up to 15 minutes late waiting on the busy country road. And its perhaps best not to leave it too late to return home,with the last bus being around 5.30,sometimes 4.30. And don't rely on the 306 Route!. Take care to cross this road.! Overall though,this little zoo is best visited by car !
ALL THINGS WILD - HONEYBOURNE Get the train to Honeybourne station (Worcester - Paddington or Paddington to Worcester Foregate street) get off at Honeybourne Station when leaving the platform turn to the left and follow the path round and just keep walking along the main path for about 600 yards and you'll find the entrance on the right (5 min walk you will pass The Ranch Caravan Park Entrance Road but just keep going)
INTERNATIONAL BIRDS OF PREY CENTRE – NEWENT Gloucester Railway Station walk about 3 minutes to Transport Hub (Bay G) Catch Bus 32 To Ross-on-Wye approximately 30 mins (27 stops) get off at The Black Dog by the Library (could ask driver to let you know when to get off) Walk to the police station about 1 minute away and get bus 676 towards Gloucester 4 minutes on bus approximately (4 stops) off at Great Boulsdon Farm Then walk for 1 minute and your at Birds of Prey Centre. Hope this helps everyone.
Viositors using public transport to visit Chesater please nothe that Stagecoacn bus X8 finishes on September 1st, leaving only X1 serving the zoo and railway station. https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s...and Wirral/Sept 19 Wirral/ServiceX1Sept19.pdf
Alternatively, it is possible to walk the journey in around 45mins which is quite pleasant on a sunny day as walk along the footpath that divides the zoo.
Sorry my information was incorrect. X8 is not withdrawn, but it is revised from September 1st and renumbered as service 1. Route 1 and Route x1 will provide a service to and from the zoo every 10 minutes. I really should have checked for myself, I got the information from a train forum. Wirral and Cheshire West area bus network changes Benobo88 I have often walked from Chester city to the zoo along various routes, even one day via the canal.
Has anyone taken the bus to Whipsnade recently? Last time I lived this way, there was a direct bus from Luton railway station, but that was over 2 years ago. The impression I'm getting from the ZSL website and google maps is that it's now two buses with a change in Dunstable (the A or C from Luton to Dunstable, then the 40A from Dunstable towards Markyate). As much as I love a brisk day at Whipsnade, especially at this time of year, it's not always the easiest to get to
Sadly it is now awkward to visit Whipsnade by bus. There used to be an excellent bus service from outside Hemel Hemstead railway station to Whipsnade; this bus route no longer operates. There was also a good bus service from outside St. Albans railway station to Whipsnade; this bus service has stopped too. The direct bus from Luton railway station has ceased as well. It is now necessary to catch a bus from Luton to Dunstable and change there for a bus to Whipsnade. Presumably most visitors go to Whipsnade at weekends but, to make the situation worse, the bus between Whipsnade and Dunstable doesn't run on Sunday and on Saturdays the last bus to Dunstable leaves very early in the afternoon so it is impossible to spend a full day at the zoo.
