Families can enjoy more affordable days out this summer thanks to a new travel scheme on local buses and a special offer at Fountains Abbey during August.
Children under 16 can travel for free on most local buses in England throughout August as part of the Government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme to support families during the holidays.
The offer covers thousands of bus routes, including most bus services in York and North Yorkshire. The free offer is available on the weekend DalesBus services which link Knaresborough and Harrogate with the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape, including Saturday DalesBus 74 to Ilkley, Bolton Abbey and Grassington, and Sunday DalesBus 825 to Brimham Rocks, Fountains Abbey, Masham, Leyburn and Richmond.
Older teenagers (aged under 19) can still benefit from £1 single fares on buses within the York and North Yorkshire area, as part of an ongoing initiative by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
The free travel offer has been welcomed by Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company, which manages the weekend DalesBus network.
Commercial Director, Paul Chattwood said:
It’s great to be able to offer free travel to under 16s throughout August on our bus services into and around the Yorkshire Dales.
We hope that children will enjoy more family trips out to places like Brimham Rocks, Fountains Abbey and Pateley Bridge during the holidays.
These fare offers for young people coincide with a £1 special offer by the National Trust for entry to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal for under 18s travelling by bus, and an improved bus service for the school holidays between York, Ripon and Fountains Abbey.
Until 5th September, North Riding bus services 82, 83 and 84 are extended from Ripon to Fountains Abbey, providing a bus up to every hour during the daytime, Monday to Saturday, with buses running on DalesBus 820/822 to Fountains Abbey from Ripon Bus Station at 1030, 1145, 1310, 1440 and 1635 on Sundays and Bank Holidays. DalesBus 825 also continues to provide a direct link from Harrogate to Fountains Abbey, leaving from Harrogate Bus Station at 1015 every Sunday and Bank Holiday.
Details of all buses to Fountains Abbey are available online at www.dalesbus.org/fountainsabbey. Fountains Abbey is a World Heritage site, and this summer Pokémon is joining Fountains Abbey’s Summer of Play with a Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution play zone.
Details of DalesBus services from Harrogate are available online at www.dalesbus.org and in leaflets from Harrogate Bus Station and Harrogate Visitor Information Centre at the Royal Pump Room Museum.
