Holiday maker travels over 300 miles by bus in three days for less than £40 using £2 bus fare cap routes

Travelling around the country has been a cheap excursion for one holidaymaker travelling 300 miles for £40 using £2 bus ticket cap routes
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A canny holiday maker embarked on a 320 mile bus tour over three days spending less than £40 - after taking advantage of a bus fare cap. Andrew Cowell, 47, set off from his home in Allestree, Derby on April 13 and will arrive in Penzance today (April 15) after travelling on 20 buses.

The railway worker started his journey by travelling from Derby to Swindon, using nine different buses. He will then get on seven buses from Swindon to Exeter and on the final day of the route, Andrew will travel to Penzance on four more buses.

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Due to the government’s £2 fare cap on bus fares in England, the 36-hour journey has only cost him £39.50, excluding food and accommodation. After doing a similar journey in February, when he travelled from Derby to Whitby on five buses, Andrew says he thought he needed ‘more of a challenge.’

He said: "I needed a bit more of a challenge this time and this is about as far as you can go in England from Derby using the £2 bus fare as it only applies in England. I also like Cornwall so it just seemed like a good place to go."

Andrew is planning on spending two days in the Cornish seaside town and will then be getting the sleeper train to London before getting a train back home. He said: "Getting another 20 buses back would be a bit much, even by my standards."

Andrew has also said if we want to keep the ‘bus network, then we need to keep using it’ and thinks the scheme has already had an impact on bus passengers.

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The rail operation planner said: "I know that the £2 scheme has helped increase bus usage.

Andrew Cowell after arriving in WhitbyAndrew Cowell after arriving in Whitby
Andrew Cowell after arriving in Whitby

"But if we want to keep a reliable bus network, then we need to keep using it. If everyone could do one journey a week by bus instead of driving, then it would make a huge difference to the environment and to the buses. I’ve been speaking to different people today who have told me that if it wasn’t for the scheme, then they wouldn’t use the bus service."

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