Green travel options
Nearly 7 out of ten day trips and 8 out of ten holidays start and end in car journeys and many of us wouldn’t know how to plan it any other way. But if you are fed up with sitting in traffic jams or fighting for a parking place there are other options. Many local authorities across England are working to provide good, flexible public transport to help anyone who wants to take a gentle stroll in the countryside or reach a major tourist site without sitting in a jam.
From Falmouth you can use a network of ferries, buses and trains to visit all around the peninsula including the famous gardens at Trellissick and the cathedral at Truro. There is even a ‘Park and Float’ site so that you can leave your car outside the small town and glide straight into the harbour by boat. Details of day trips and timetables are on www.falriverlinks.co.uk
If you are planning to tour around North Yorkshire then look at the extensive Moorsbus Network that links towns and villages with beautiful scenery and major tourist destinations such as Rievaulx Abbey and Castle Howard. The website not only gives the times of buses but also plans whole days out from different starting points that you can print out and follow.
The National Park website tells you everything you need to know about getting around without a car on www.moors.uk.net
The beautiful Bowland Forest in Lancashire has not always been easy to get to without a car. Now you can book a ride on the Bowland Transit to help you tour the area. The scheme is looking to provide flexible bus services that link with train timetables. Full details are at www.forestofbowland.com
And if you are planning to see Hadrian’s Wall stretching from one side of England to the other but are put off by the thought of walking or cycling all the way - help is at hand. There is a bus service along the whole length of the wall that even has places for bicycles and wheelchairs. You can book your bike’s place in advance and find out times and prices on www.hadrians-wall.org
All these initiatives are making it easier to get around the countryside without having to use a car all the time. Find more information about other projects around the UK on the Good Practice section of www.transport2000.org.uk or check with organisations such as the National Trust and YHA who can usually advise on how to get to their properties by bus and rail.