HOW FAR South can I get just on using £2 buses? Part 3 of my last £2 bus challenge of 2024.

[@James-Power82]

Brilliant conclusion to your journey South, cheers for the mention too 😎. Indeed there are still some incredible journeys to be had even though the cap is going up to £3 and even I would be swayed to go to Brighton too. A Superloop challenge would be ideal once the clocks go forward so you get more daylight as well and to be honest that is one bucket list challenge I would like to do in 2025. All the best and our paths might even cross in 2025 as we live in the same county 👍

[@backpack-travels-uk]

Absolutely mate, each time I do one I end up with more ideas and future challenges, the only constraint is that I have more than available days! 🤣 You should deffo do a new challenge too, enjoyed watching yours!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Fantastic series, quite the adventure! You got really unlucky with the weather, connections and time of day. Going through central London by bus just before Christmas, during rush hour, in a storm, is about as bad as it could get. The last bus operator you got (not giving too much away!) has quite a strong reputation for punctuality and service quality so it's a shame they let you down.

[@backpack-travels-uk]

It was an adventure and in fairness I could have known all this before hand! Metrobus were decent, just hit by unfortunate circumstances in a market on route and cracked window, they definitely do appear to be decent otherwise, would love to give them another go.

[@sueweston502]

Brilliant, you made it to the South Coast! that 271 looks interesting, it goes through many of my old haunts in Sussex.I'm adding it to my list - hopefully in daylight though 😀 Well done and thank you for a brilliant 3 videos. Looking forward to following you in 2025

[@backpack-travels-uk]

Thank you for all your comments! Yes, the 271 would be a lot better in the daylight, bet the views would be awesome.

[@GeorgeChoy]

well done, good try, better luck next time, happy New year. Thanks for a great video

[@backpack-travels-uk]

Thanks George, +appy New year to you too!

[@ianlove1215]

How about starting at Land's End & seeing how long it takes to get to John O'Groats

[@YorksLancsTransportHub]

I've thought of doing that.

[@LewisTopic]

Easy a week i reckon

[@backpack-travels-uk]

I would love to do this, not sure how my other half would feel about looking after the kids while I go play on the bus for a week. Maybe one for when they've flown the nest 🤣

[@brianbell4937]

That's been done by so many others on you tube that maybe a different option would be more intetesting ??

[@lovefive5733]

All the best for 2025,keep well, keep safe 😊

[@backpack-travels-uk]

@@lovefive5733 All the best for yourself and thank you for all the support 😊

[@CameraManSajeev]

Nice one, I used to drive the 420 from Sutton to Crawley in the late 90's.

[@backpack-travels-uk]

Thanks for watching, would have rather took that than the train!

[@psyentist2000]

Really enjoy your Bus travels. Would you be able to get into Wales on one of your challenges? Also, how about the North Norfolk Coast or maybe Great Yarmouth? Wherever you go, I look forward to trips in 2025.

[@backpack-travels-uk]

@@psyentist2000 Funny you say this, I was thinking of ideas and thought of doing west point of Wales to east of England, just need to plan how long it'd take - but at least I'd be able to take a break at home in the middle as I'm about half way between!

[@brianbell4937]

Wonder if the 271 was swapped for a single decker because of the high winds ??

[@backpack-travels-uk]

@@brianbell4937 it's possible, but might just be what they had available at that time of night?

[@AbsoluteTVYT]

​@@backpack-travels-uk It does generally get run by a single decker because they're short on double deckers in and around Crawley and other more densely populated parts of Sussex.

[@tsungiraichiramba]

Definitely do a Birmingham to London route

[@backpack-travels-uk]

@@tsungiraichiramba Will deffo look in to this! Thanks for watching!

[@aaronsmith9209]

I guessed Brighton as the end point, which was a lucky guess! Enjoyed this mini-series a lot. Definitely take note of the Greenline 724 Arriva route that runs Harlow-Heathrow, stopping at many key towns just outside of London, it runs hourly but much better to go to Heathrow than through London and it is part of the fare cap. Also alongside SL7, Heathrow offers many bus options into Surrey and Hampshire. Routes 730/731 (Flightline) goes all the way to Basingstoke and apparently charges 2 singles to do it in full! On route SL7, Kingston also offers good regional connections to places like Guildford and Dorking. Cutting around London, I reckon Leicester to Southampton or even Bournemouth or Poole is possible in 1 day. But the number of routes you could've gone is endless! Google 'Bus Atlas UK', it's not complete but I've found it very useful, especially to see where regional buses fill in the gaps in our rail network.

[@backpack-travels-uk]

You guessed right! Love that link, going to keep that for future and I think a Super loop or Heathrow visit it on the cards for next year now.

[@TransportGeekery]

I wonder if going around on the superloop instead of through London might have been a better bet? Stay on the 614 to Queensbury, 114 to Harrow then two super loops to Croydon?

[@backpack-travels-uk]

That was my thought after the fact, definitely an option next time.

[@TransportGeekery]

@ and I saw you put screenshots of similar suggestions about 30 seconds after I posted this! The 724 is also a compelling option but unsure if part of the cap scheme

[@backpack-travels-uk]

@@TransportGeekery someone commented on here that the 724 so definitely one to check out.

[@Londonbusenthusiast353]

The bus that had the cracked screen was the bus I got earlier in the day

[@Londonbusenthusiast353]

Monday afternoon*

[@backpack-travels-uk]

@@Londonbusenthusiast353 thanks for watching, that's a weird coincidence!

[@Londonbusenthusiast353]

@ Yh I know

[@MercenaryPen]

My assumption, without knowing too many bus routes, was that you would eventually have to head south west (after all, places like Bournemouth and Plymouth are objectively further south than Brighton)... considering your attempt to get through London in rush hour and the disruption due to storm Darragh there's definitely scope for a re-run of this challenge even with the change to the bus fare cap

[@backpack-travels-uk]

You're right, had time permitted would have loved to have skirted the coast a bit further. Definitely a re run on the cards. Just need to check the weather first!!

[@eggymari]

Hi, I was wondering how to get from Birmingham to London entirely by local bus in the summer. Do you know an optimal route that might work? Also subbing bc I love your content c:

[@TransportGeekery]

X1 to Coventry, X6 to Leicester, then follow the route from part 1

[@eggymari]

that could work but id rather opt for a more streamlined route as leicester is more north than brum ​@@TransportGeekery

[@TransportGeekery]

@ 86 from Coventry to rugby then head to Northampton from there via daventry. More direct but more changes so more waiting and more opportunities to miss connections.

[@backpack-travels-uk]

Well, thank you for answering that :) I would have to agree with what is written above, it's odd there's not better routes south from Brum.

[@tsungiraichiramba]

@@TransportGeekery I live in rugby and I’d say get 86 to Rugby then 96 to Northampton, X6 to MK, MK1 OR X1 to Luton, 321 to Watford, 142 to Brent Cross and then 189 to Marble Arch

[@topmandog1]

times like this show how bad privatised buses are

[@TransportGeekery]

How? The companies have no control over events and traffic. He suffered delays in London which doesn’t have privatised buses.

[@backpack-travels-uk]

Agree, the only ones I had issues with weren't privatised and they weren't the operators faults but merely traffic and Christmas markets. Cleaning windows, however, I will give you stagecoach and Arriva were awful for that in Part 1

[@topmandog1]

@TransportGeekery because private companies refuse to send extra buses out to pick up passengers when buses are late, at a hour+ another bus should be sent out

[@TransportGeekery]

@ where do you think all the vehicles are? If the drivers who drive them are also stuck in traffic? Moronic. There is plenty wrong with private buses but let’s play the ball and not the man.

[@backpack-travels-uk]

@@TransportGeekery Agree, they got a bus there asap and considering the weather and time of day and fact that driver would have to come all the way back I thought they did well.

[@stevecampbell7589]

Brighton aint the bottom of the UK, there is loads of places further south than Brighton. Maybe try the south west on your next ''challenge''

[@backpack-travels-uk]

No, but it was somewhere I could easily get back from without having to spend the night which I wasn't able to do due to family commitments. Would love to do SW but would need to maybe be a 2/3 day-er.