As people take advantage of the £2 bus fare cap that has just been extended until the autumn, The Times has unveiled its list of seven of England’s most scenic bus routes. From Cornwall to Derbyshire, these are some of the spots you wouldn’t want to miss visiting that won’t break the bank. The cap, which applies to more than 130 bus operators outside of London, will increase to £2.50 in November and remain at that level for a year before being reviewed. Since the introduction of the bus fare cap, some people have gone viral on social media for travelling across the UK using the £2 bus fare. The Times said: “More than 130 bus operators have joined a government-funded scheme to cap single fares at £2, and you’ve now got until the end of October to buy a cheap seat. That could mean great-value top deck views of wild winter seas, heather-covered hills, patchwork fields and cosy gold-stoned villages.” If you plan to visit some of these scenic routes with your family or even by yourself but are on a tight budget, this list is for you, as you can sit back and enjoy the journey without having to concentrate on driving or forking out for fuel. The Times said: “This almost four-hour circular route on an open-topped bus from Penzance climbs past Newlyn Art Gallery and the Merry Maidens stone circle. Beyond Land’s End the views get really dramatic - rugged down dotted with ruined tin mines and prehistoric field systems.” It said: “Get the 10.08am from Newcastle, arriving in Berwick at 2pm having passed through Amble, craggy, mediaeval Wakworth, Alnmouth, Seahouses and Bamburgh Castle, towering over the waves. There are views across the sea and islands, including castle-topped Lindisfarne.” It said: “Voted Britain’s most scenic route in a 2018 survey, this is another epic journey, about three hours and 40 minutes from Leeds. From York’s centuries-old city walls it runs to seaside Whitby, where the ruined gothic abbey rises atmospherically over the harbour.” It said: “Take a classic journey past some of England’s most famous lakes on the open-topped 599. The 45-minute trip runs by Windermere, where the bare trees of winter make for better views; boats at Ambleside and island-dotted Rydal Water.” It said: “This exhilarating two-hour journey takes a mostly coastal route via Lyme Regis and Burton Bradstock, cruising over rollercoaster downs with sea views and squeezing through honey-stoned streets. On the top deck, you are level with straw animals on thatched cottage roofs and can peer into gardens full of Spanish daisies.” The Times said: “Two well-placed towns for ambling among lovely dales frame an 80-minute rural route through the limestone landscapes of the Peak District. There are villages with cosy pubs, old stone bridges over little rivers and a patchwork of meadows, woods and gentle hills, peppered with Bronze Age tumuli and neolithic henges.” The Times said: “This guided busway kicks off with a sightseeing trawl through Cambridge, heading past the 12th century Round Church and over the River Cam. Beyond the city look out on the remains of a mediaeval priory at Swavesey, the lakes and golden reedbeds teeming with birdlife at RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes and the ancient riverside town of St Ives - on a journey that takes just under 40 minutes.”
