Leave your wheels at the park

 

Do you have a big motorhome? Do you prefer not to drive in a busy, unfamiliar city? Would you like to enjoy a few drinks while you’re out?

These are all good reasons to leave your wheels at the touring park. If you’re looking for your next Tranquil Parks break, you might want to find out about local public transport choices.

Here’s some information from our parks about buses, park-and-rides, trains, taxis, and car hire.

 

North Norfolk, Norwich and Cromer – Two Mills

The bus will stop on demand by the entrance of Two Mills Touring Park. It takes you into North Walsham a mile away. From there, you can catch a bus to most of North Norfolk. There’s also a train station on the Norwich-Cromer line, plus several dog friendly taxi companies.

To explore Norwich city centre, there are park-and-ride car parks at Sprowston and Norwich Airport.

Fee use of micro VW camper – New Lodge Farm

You can borrow a Micro VW Camper 600 cc automatic for free at  New Lodge Farm in Northamptonshire. It’s great fun to drive – and you’ll be advertising the site as you go! So expect lots of waves and smiles along the way. It’s perfect for visiting nearby attractions and is easy to park.

 

Llanelli, Swansea and Heart of Wales Railway – South Wales Touring Park

There are bus stops near the South Wales Touring Park and in the local village of  Llangennech (10-15 minute walk). Buses go to Llanelli or Swansea every 20 minutes. The Heart of Wales Railway also goes through Llangennech.

You can get a taxi back from the local village pub for about £3. There’s a 10% discount on car hire for guests and you can leave the hire car at the site.

 

Scarborough, Whitby, York and Helmsley – Overbrook

Overbrook Caravan Park in North Yorkshire has excellent bus services from the nearby village of Thornton-le-Dale, a 10-minute walk away. You can get to Scarborough, Whitby, York and Helmsley. Dogs are allowed on the buses.

Scarborough, Whitby and York also offer park-and-ride facilities. A local car rental company will deliver your hire car to the park.

 

Call the bus at Grooby’s Pit, Lincolnshire

The purple ‘Call Connect’ minibus will pick you up from the gates at Grooby’s Pit in Lincolnshire. This will take you to Skegness or Spilsby, where you can catch other buses or trains. Even better, it’s free if you have a bus pass! Dogs can use it too. You can order the minibus from one hour before required and up to seven days in advance to ensure you get the times you require.

Thorpe Culvert station, just 250 metres down the road, is on the Skegness-Nottingham line. Trains are infrequent at this station, but stop hourly at Wainfleet, 2 miles away. You can also get a bus to Boston from there.

Chester and Manchester – Lamb Cottage

Taxi services can take you and your dog (by prior arrangement) from Lamb Cottage Caravan Park in Cheshire to Cuddington train station. Journey times are about 20 minutes to Chester and 1 hour to Manchester. The taxi fare is about £7 one way.

 

Discover York the easy way – York Caravan Park and York Naburn Lock Caravan Park

There’s a twice-hourly bus service to York from York Caravan Park that takes just 10 minutes. From there, you can get the train to local towns such as Harrogate and Knaresborough in less than 40 minutes.

Buses from the site also go to Whitby (voted most scenic bus route in the UK), Scarborough, Bridlington, Pickering, Malton, Goathland (where the TV series Heartbeat was filmed) and the Yorkshire Moors. The bus will also take you to Castle Howard and to Leeds (every 30 minutes).

The park has a deal with local taxi firms to charge just £7 to the city centre. Pre-booked taxis and buses will accept dogs. Read more about attractions in York.

From York Naburn Lock Caravan Park

There’s a good bus service into York from the village and the park provides taxi numbers on its website. For a memorable trip into the city, the Naburn Lock River Bus runs at weekefrom April to September and on additional days during school holidays. You can also cycle to the city along the Solar System Pathway or walk along the Ouse River Path (4.6 miles).

 

Buses and car hire to explore Mid Wales – Red Kite

From Red Kite Touring Park it’s a 15-minute walk to the local town Llanidloes. This has great bus links to historic market towns and coastal towns such as Aberystwyth.

The park can also organise car hire. Hire cars are dropped off and picked up from Reception, starting from £35 per day with reductions for longer hire.

 

Cheltenham, Gloucester and beyond – Briarfields

There’s a brilliant bus service from Briarfields Motel and Touring Park. You can catch a bus to Cheltenham and Gloucester directly outside the park. Buses run every 15 minutes during the daytime and every 20-30 minutes in the evening and all night long.

From Cheltenham there are buses to some pretty Cotswold villages plus Cirencester and Tewkesbury. From Gloucester, you can head out to the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean.

There’s also a daily service to Oxford from Cheltenham town centre which gives you approximately 5 hours to explore before dropping you back into town.

The park-and-ride into Cheltenham is a 5-10 minute stroll from the site. E-scooters are everywhere and are a very economical way to travel.

Cycling into Cheltenham is fantastic; just 2-3 miles from site along a dedicated flat cycle path all the way into town. The cycle path to Gloucester via Sustrans Cycle Route 41 is flat and easy to navigate the 6/7 miles. The council are in the midst of providing another dedicated cycle path to Gloucester via Churchdown.

 

Coventry, Solihull, Birmingham and the NEC – Somers Wood

There’s plenty to see and do in the immediate area via public transport from Somers Wood Caravan Park. The Coventry-Solihull bus service stops right outside. Solihull has a great shopping centre and there’s also the Touchwood Shopping Centre with shops, several restaurants and a multi-screen cinema all under cover.  

A short walk into the local village of Meriden gets you to the Birmingham-Coventry stop. It goes via the railway station (Birmingham International) and the NEC which hosts many exhibitions and shows, as well as concerts in the Resorts World Arena. You’ll also find shops, bars, restaurants, cinemas and a casino at Resorts World.

Birmingham has a lot to offer. In addition to the shops, restaurants and cinemas, there’s the National Sea Life Centre, Brindley Place with the canal basin, Symphony Hall, Arena Birmingham and the Christmas Market (7 November to 23 December 2019). Find out more.

Coventry has a historic cathedral, great shops, cinemas, theatres and the Transport Museum. See what’s on. By catching the bus to Birmingham International Railway station you can also get to Leamington Spa, Warwick and Kenilworth. 

 

Somerset attractions – Wells Touring Park

While Wells and Wookey Hole Caves are within a 20-minute walk of Wells Touring Park, there are plenty more places you can reach by bus. The bus stops right at the park entrance, taking you to Wells, Cheddar, Glastonbury, Clarks Village (outlet shopping), Bath, Bristol and Weston-super-Mare.

 

Beverley and the East Coast – Blue Rose

There are 2 bus services which stop outside Blue Rose Country Park. Each offers a convenient way to reach the historic town of Beverley, which is perfect for looking around the Saturday market or reaching the bus terminal to access the East Coast.

Alternatively, you can go direct to Hull, the nearest city, and the lovely seaside town of Hornsea. Taxi services are available from the nearby villages of Brandesburton and Leven.

 

Wellington and Taunton – Greenacres, Somerset

There’s a bus stop within walking distance of Greenacres Touring Park on the Wellington-Taunton route. Buses come approximately every 20 minutes. You can see the timetable in the park’s  information room, along with a list of taxi services and car hire firms. Another alternative for visiting Taunton is the park-and-ride.

 

Discover the Fens, Spalding and King’s Lynn – Delph Bank

Delph Bank Touring Park is situated in the small village of Fleet Hargate in the heart of the Fens. There’s a regular (dog friendly) service to Spalding and King’s Lynn and the surrounding market towns and villages. Buses go every half hour, picking up and dropping off just a few yards from the park entrance.

From Spalding you can hop on board the water taxi to nearby Springfields Outlet Village and Festival Gardens.

 

Dial-a-ride – Run Cottage, Suffolk

Run Cottage Touring Park benefits from a fantastic dial-a-ride bus service. The bus will collect you (and four-legged friends) directly from the campsite and take you to Woodbridge town centre, riverside walks and the surrounding villages in the area. You can also go to the National Trust’s Sutton Hoo Exhibition Centre (Anglo Saxon burial site), the Suffolk Punch Trust (heavy horse centre) and historic Orford Quay.

 

Easy access to the Llŷn Peninsula – The Willows

There’s a bus stop down the lane from The Willows Caravan and Camping Park in North Wales. This gives you easy access to local areas such as Abersoch, and Llanbedrog to Aberdaron. Another bus from Pwllheli can take you to Morfa Nefyn and its famous pub on the beach called Tŷ Coch.

How about a visit to the local brewery, Cwrw Llŷn? Or, upon reaching any of these destinations, you could take a boat trip to the islands, the most famous being Bardsley, Island of the Saints.

A short trip on the bus takes you to the train to explore the beautiful coastline further. You could visit Criccieth and its castle, or Porthmadog and the enchanting Italian-style village of Portmeirion, or get as far as Harlech and Barmouth.

At Porthmadog you can hop on the nostalgic Welsh Highland Railway steam train, heading to the dramatic mountains of Snowdonia, stopping off at Beddgelert en route.

Many local taxis are happy to give a lift to your canine family members.

 

Tor Bus and carnival transport – Old Oaks, Somerset

The Glastonbury Tor Community Bus stops about 3/4 mile uphill from Old Oaks Touring Camping & Glamping Park. This bus runs every hour between April and the end of September, stopping at the Rural Life Museum, The Chalice Well and Gardens, and the the Tor (where parking is difficult).

Old Oaks will be organising coach transport from the park to Bridgwater Carnival on 2 November.

 

Explore North Somerset from Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park

Motorhomers can enjoy exploring Bath, Bristol, Cheddar Gorge, Wells and the glorious scenery of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty while leaving their ‘pride and joy’ on its pitch. As motor-caravanners themselves, the park team have driven most of the routes so you can enjoy them too. And for city centre stops, or exploring the lovely lanes and by-ways, you can hire the park’s own economical hire car from just £4/hour. 

  • Find parking and motorhome-friendly P+R recommendations to visit Bath and Bristol on accessible buses in the park’s ‘Welcome Brochure’. 
  • Bus services from the local village, Bishop Sutton, can be viewed online 
  • Visit the FREE Tourist Internet Kiosk to explore routes and parking for Cheddar Gorge, Wells and Weston-super-Mare.
  • Find out about booking a hire car at Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park 
  • Cyclists can visit Bath, Bristol, Burrington Gorge, Cheddar Gorge and Wells by bike– more on that in a future blog.

Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park

 

Local buses and taxis – Back of Beyond, Dorset

It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the bottom of the lane (10 if you’re a fast walker) at Back of Beyond Touring Park. There you’ll find a bus stop for the Ringwood bus, which goes about every hour between 9am and 5.30pm.

In Ringwood you can pick up an express bus to Bournemouth, Poole or Salisbury. There’s also a good coach service to London and several coaches a day to Southampton. Between July and September you can hop on The New Forest Tour an open-top safari of three interlinking circular routes around the area for just one ticket.

The team also have information on local taxis (including dog friendly ones). Guests often get the bus into Ringwood and get a taxi back.

 

Service to Scunthorpe – Brookside Country Park

A bus service runs from outside the front of Brookside Country Park in Lincolnshire in the mornings. It goes to Scunthorpe through Thealby and Normanby.

 

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