Alternatively you can get off the train at New Street, go out via the main entrance, and jump on the 61 or 63 bus which will drop you at the top of Pebble Mill Road, a 2 minute walk to the entrance. It's about a 10 minute ride (traffic dependant).
UK Collections By Public Transport: A Guide
- Thread starter TeaLovingDave
- Start date
Moorhunhe
Well-Known Member
Chester zoo
From Chester station, the 1 and x1 busses go straight to the zoo.
But in the morning, the ones stopping at the zoo, are the ones that pass the station about half an hour before zoo opening.
That's what we've experienced.
Zoo opens at 10, we already wanted to get the bus at 9, but doesn't stop yet at the zoo.
Also a last bus back to the station is at 18.19 on a weekday and around 6-6.20 on a weekend depending Saturday or Sunday.
From Chester station, the 1 and x1 busses go straight to the zoo.
But in the morning, the ones stopping at the zoo, are the ones that pass the station about half an hour before zoo opening.
That's what we've experienced.
Zoo opens at 10, we already wanted to get the bus at 9, but doesn't stop yet at the zoo.
Also a last bus back to the station is at 18.19 on a weekday and around 6-6.20 on a weekend depending Saturday or Sunday.
Moorhunhe
Well-Known Member
The 45 and 47 stop basically right in front of the entrance too.
True that, but the other two buses are about 10 minutes quicker so that's why I suggested them instead.
Moorhunhe
Well-Known Member
Fair enough. I can't be bothered to walk that bit extra, haha, so take the 45/47.True that, but the other two buses are about 10 minutes quicker so that's why I suggested them instead.
If I'm honest then I usually forget that the 45/47 stop outside New Street...
I normally travel from home and I don't need to travel into the city centre, I get one of the sixties from Northfield so the 45 & 47 ain't even on my radar until I'm on my way home, then they're an acceptable bus route for me personally! 
Twycross Zoo
The Zoo website doesn't give any indication of how to reach them by public transport, but there is a bus each way, the 7, from nearby Atherstone (which itself is one stop from Nuneaton on the train). It only seems to stop at the Zoo itself once in the morning and once in the afternoon to return to Atherstone. The morning bus leaves at 10.03 from Atherstone bus station, or 10.07 from outside the train station (it's not that easy to find, and isn't numbered on the sign, but it's at the end of the road that turns right towards the Co-op Food store, on the side of the road going away from the Co-op). The return bus leaves the Zoo at 15.29 from the same space they drop you at in the morning.
The bustimes website linked below has the option to view each stop on a map, which is handy to both find the actual bus stop and because some buses show live-locations on the map. The bus doesn't run on Sundays (or bank holidays it seems)
7 - Measham - Twycross - Atherstone - Fenny Drayton
The Zoo website doesn't give any indication of how to reach them by public transport, but there is a bus each way, the 7, from nearby Atherstone (which itself is one stop from Nuneaton on the train). It only seems to stop at the Zoo itself once in the morning and once in the afternoon to return to Atherstone. The morning bus leaves at 10.03 from Atherstone bus station, or 10.07 from outside the train station (it's not that easy to find, and isn't numbered on the sign, but it's at the end of the road that turns right towards the Co-op Food store, on the side of the road going away from the Co-op). The return bus leaves the Zoo at 15.29 from the same space they drop you at in the morning.
The bustimes website linked below has the option to view each stop on a map, which is handy to both find the actual bus stop and because some buses show live-locations on the map. The bus doesn't run on Sundays (or bank holidays it seems)
7 - Measham - Twycross - Atherstone - Fenny Drayton
Also important to note that it appears to run only DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. Personally I'd give Roberts Travel, who run the service, a phone call prior to planning to use it just to make sure it's running!
The ones I got yesterday were Stagecoach rather than Roberts
The 401 is a relatively new service but of somewhat limited use - it only calls at the stop once a day in each direction, arriving at the zoo just before 10am and leaving the zoo just after 1pm, so it doesn't permit a full day visit.
The service to and from Sawtry discussed elsewhere in this thread permits a longer visit but does require a reasonable walk to the zoo and the service times were heavily slashed about 12 months ago, so it's less convenient than it once was.
Better than nothing though in both cases!
Moorhunhe
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I was just having a look, as we're without our own transport at the most wrong time ever for visiting Hamerton, lol. And we'll be without for a few weeks (hopefully not).
During the school holidays in 2024 between Easter and the end of summer, a new bus will be running direct between Luton rail station/bus interchange, and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Mondays to Sundays. The service runs every hour and a half, and unlike the most recent bus service, the final bus leaves the zoo at a decent time (1800), enough to spend the whole day at the zoo.
ZOO | Centrebus
ZOO | Centrebus
It is somewhat deplorable that without a car it is now almost impossible to visit Twycross Zoo. A more regular service by public transport and convenient times for a zoo visit would be a definite plus. It seems to be a more general trend with public transport going down over time here. I wonder how you all feel about this?
This is very much true and to some extent it's simply the problem with having public transport run as a business for private profit rather than as a public service for the good of the population.
If a route isn't sufficiently popular and there isn't some specific rule somewhere forcing a bus or train company to run it, they simply won't. And they can easily arrange for routes to become unpopular if they want to by fiddling the schedule so as to make it effectively unusable (like the familiar problem of a once-a-day bus if you're prepared to leave the zoo at lunchtime) - then the usage drops and they can claim no-one wants it.
Maybe one day a government will realise this and re-nationalise - it's happening by the back door with the trains anyway as operators go bust or decline to renew their contracts and the government steps in as the 'operator of last resort' - there are currently only 10 commercially operated franchises and 7 government-owned ones now (including major ones like ScotRail and South Eastern).
Thanks both @bongorob and @Maguari for your comments.
My personal perspective agrees very much what @Maguari wrote relating to privatisation and public transport where profits come before service. I a world where we would have increasingly to look for sustainability it is quite unnerving that neither the zoos concerned nor the public transport companies seem to care much about accessibility with public transport and reducing CO2 and other emissions by road and car.
ZSL have been making a lot of noise about the new CentreBus ZOO service which runs at pretty decent times between Luton rail/bus interchange and Whipsnade; however the service is only during weekends, bank holidays and school holidays, Easter-end of summer 2024. ZSL are also offering half-price entry on showing your bus ticket too. Really hoping the service is a success and will be continued next year.
On the whole though, so many places are basically impossible to reach by public transport, unless they are close to or within an urban centre, or conveniently close to a train station.
On the whole though, so many places are basically impossible to reach by public transport, unless they are close to or within an urban centre, or conveniently close to a train station.
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
How do you know the zoos themselves do not 'care much about accessibility with public transport'? Accusing them of this is unfair and ill-informed. They may care deeply and be doing more than their share in other areas where they CAN have an effect. What the zoo does or does not think, has no impact on the commercial provision of public transport, or Government decisions to withdraw same.
I am not accusing them, I merely asking a valid question over access by public transport and the failure by local Govt. and the national administration to deal with this very public issue.
Other: I do invariably think a zoo has a role to play as a major driving force for the much needed policy transition to sustainability and reducing the in-roads made by ever expanding mobility and numbers of cars and CO-2 and other exhaust entering our atmosphere.
Govt./Administration: The administrative issue here is the lack of perception or political will to reverse the large scale reductions in access to public transport or their operation by not providing sufficient funding or complete indifference by the Powers that be (invariably chosen by a sometimes hapless lot that make decisions not always in their own interests).
Next time try to relax before you write something, as you might come over as a little too aggressive and I do not know your body language here, but ... I am sure you would not dare say that in this way to my face ...! Show a little more respect on social media, thank you for your understanding.