Some of those Purbeck Breezer buses are permanent open tops, some, like the one you travelled on, are convertible so they run as open top in the summer and run with the roofs attached in the winter. It's the same story with the New Forest Tour buses, which double up in the winter (with the roofs on) as school buses.
Yea I didn’t know that tbh so glad I asked the question. I gather all the roofs are stacked up at Poole bus station so I guess they just lift them on when the time comes. Makes perfect sense really.
If it's buses on ferries you want: The number 70 from Plymouth to Cremyll, over the Torpoint Ferry (whose chain-clanking is the soundtrack to my childhood). Some spectacular coastal scenery on this one, with the added bonus of watching a double-decker squeeze through some tiny villages. Not to mention a pub with a carvery at the end! Ride the tiny Cremyll Ferry back into Plymouth. The number 59 from Oulu to Hailuoto, Finland. Grab this one quick, though, because they're already building a causeway. Scheduled for completion at the end of 2026.
When I first moved to Bournemouth (over 10 years ago now !) I took the same bus and absoultely loved it. I have a car now but still take the same route and my favourite place to go in Swanage is the excellent Wimpy, its old school service and lovely food ! Nice to see someone saying something positive about Bournemouth, its seen its fair share of hard times and still has problems, but it still has some excellent qualities about it. Thanks for the brillaint video, i enjoyed whilst stuck at my desk and wanting to go out - for a wimpy...
In Finland, the Seutuplus route 903M between Turku and Mossala uses not just one, not just two, but 5 ferries. Well, that route only runs once per week in each direction, and other days you'll have to do a transfer between 901 or 903 and 904. Two of those ferries are chain ferries, and one is a chain-free chain ferry, where satellite navigation and software perform the duties of the chain. One of the crossings is operated by plug-in hybrid ferries, typically running with just electric power. The remaining ferry crossing is 9.5 km long and takes over half an hour and is one of the longest if not the longest free road ferry routes in the country. Depending on the time of the day you may see one of the big ferries to Sweden on that route. In Denmark, they have a ferry which not only carries long-distance route buses but works as a bus transfer hub.
This bus is actually a part time open top, the roof can be lifted on / off by a crane. Most open top buses started out as full time closed top buses, before having there roofs chopped off, although some newer buses are open top from factory
Normally a black ball means ship at anchor. However they use them on chain ferries to indicate movement; in this case they hoist it on the "front" to indicate to other vessels the direction of travel
Very happy memories of both Sandbanks (The Haven Hotel and the Sandbanks Hotel), and Studland Bay - family holidays c. 1970. That bus ride is insanely good value and what a treat! Even in a British summer!
7:40 these buses are actually convertible (like the majority of the open top buses in the Morebus fleet) which means that during the winter they can still be used as regular buses with a standard roof
It is also considered a floating bridge as it is connected to each end. The chains behind will drop onto the riverbed, and the ones in front remain in tension.
btw Mark, regular buses use the Torpoint Ferry in Plymouth (again, a chain ferry) to cross the mouth of the river Tamar. Much further afield, on the Isle of Bute, West Coast Motors use the Colintraive to Rhubodach ferry.
Down there next week. Used to live there but moved to North Yorkshire many years ago because it got very expensive to live there. We go back often to see old friends and in my opinion its the best UK holiday destination in the UK. Swanage is gorgeous
Absolutely love this, many happy memories with my parents taking this bus. Latterly hiking solo across Old Harry across to Swanage and then taking the bus back
I believe the chains are slack enough to sit on the channel bed, even where dredging has taken place (hanging across a deeper, dredged channel would defeat the object of dredging.) They have to be lifted for dredging and replaced afterwards. The black ball on the mast which drops as the ferry arrives is to signal that the ferry is a ‘hampered vessel’, unable to alter its course. I must admit to trying to get a front seat on these buses to avoid too much breeze and the odd low-hanging branch. Great video. Glad you enjoyed the voyage.
Most of the buses in this batch are convertible. So in the winter they can run as closed top and in the summer as open tops. If you look online there are videos of the roofs being taken off
I used to do similar a few years ago during nice sunny summer weather except I used to put the bike on the SW train from Reading to Poole and cycle via Sandbanks, Corfe Castle to Wareham with a swim in the sea and plenty of nice pub stops before taking the train back. Great memories. Or train to Poole, ferry to Sandbanks from Poole harbour, walk to Swanage via Studland and take the steam service back to Wareham. At Sandbanks you can also pop in to the very swish Haven Hotel for a drink with marvelous views out over the water while waiting for the chain ferry. Usually large queues for motor vehicles at the chain ferry, but easy bypass for cyclist and walkers.
Great video. Speaking as a driver myself on the route, Are buses, are convertible. In the winter they have the roof’s on, and summer roof’s come off. 1704/05/06 are half cabs, 1707/08/09/10/11/12 are convertible. Hope that helps. Any other information just drop a message. 😀
Hi Nathan, appreciate the info mate, good to hear from someone doing the route. I bet you get used to it but personally I think you’ve got a fantastic job there! And wrt the roofs, I never even thought about them being convertible. I learn a lot from people doing this job! 😊👍
@LetsMakeaTrip there is a video which morebus have put up on CZcams of how it's done taking th2 roof off. And yes, you get use to rhe route after a while
Wednesday I did two 50, 0820 from Swanage 0950 Bournemouth. 0950 I was full, and had 95 people in total which is the maximum we are allowed to have onboard.
Most open top bus routes use much older buses which have already fully depreciated so it isn't a waste of money for them to sit in the depot 8/9 months a year. This convertible method has been used in Bournemouth for many years however and I'm surprised it isn't more commonplace elsewhere. The Breezer routes are a bit out of the ordinary in being heavily used by both tourists and locals which I'm sure plays a part. A notable exception are the London tourists buses as they are busy enough year round to warrant modern-ish vehicles.
Thank you! We did this today off your video. We had much better weather than you did. We started in Southampton, took the train to Bournemouth then took the 50. Absolutely brilliant day! Got a lot of sun on my face and man was it windy up top. Thank you again!!
Brilliant Diane. I love to hear comments like this because for me, it's all about suggesting trips (large or small), providing enough info and content about them and then others actually experiencing the same journey(s). Glad you enjoyed it and there's plenty more around there to try that I haven't done myself. Yet!
What a bargain at £2, another trip added to the must do list! From what I can tell the bus looks to be a convertible (unlike most open toppers) it can have its roof put back on. Where as most open toppers loose their roof thanks to low hanging bridges. Looking forward to the next video!
Haha, cheers Myles. Yep tbh I wouldn’t be able to tell one way or another, didn’t even occur to me at the time. Glad I did it though - always learning new things! 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip the best value trip i wanted to ask you with your permission would you like me to add your videos to my group and add you to the credit
What a lovely trip. I'm tempted to try that. I recently took the Eastbourne Open top Hop on Hop off bus which is similar. It visits Beachy Head, Seven sisters, Birling Gap and the South downs with it's beautiful scenery. You buy a day ticket for £10. I also sat in the same seat as you and again it was very draughty 🎐🤣 Thank you for a lovely video. It will be on my bucket list.
Swanage is a great town Mark. Have to say, seeing you on the top deck made me feel cold, you certainly get bashed by the wind up there ! Never heard of that crater on Mars being named after the town. Great value for money.
Another great video Mark I really enjoyed this one. I got a open deck bus at Weymouth to Isle of Portland and that route is really scenic aswell. I have visited the Jurassic Coast many times and it is very nice scenery and the different cliffs you can see specially towards Devon with the Red Sandstone cliffs that you can see at Sidmouth which interestingly is the same type of rock that you can see at Dawlish when you go through Dawlish on the Exeter to Plymouth line.
Cheers mate! I can’t get enough of these kind of buses. Definitely lots more to do as well - think I’m gonna be spending a bit more time down south next summer!
In Cornwall there are 2 or 3 buses like this, unfortunately the bus company discontinued a few years ago the St Ives to Newquay run (via Portreath Porthtowan and St Agnes) which when I traveled on it was very popular and stupendous views.
Thank you Mark for a very interesting video. The future of the the England only £2 single bus fare is a major problem for the new government. It was introduced by the old government as a measure to combat the cost of living crisis! But its most significant practical effect has been to encourage cheap leisure journey, such as the one you made on this video! It has also 'rescued' quite a few rural bus routes which were threatened with withdrawal.. .
@@AndreiTupolev Actually the £2 single idea originated (but for Greater Manchester only) with the labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. The Conservatives shocked the bus industry by borrowing the idea and applying it to the whole of England! But it was supposedly to be only for the first three months of 2023! But the period has been extended more than once., and the deal now runs to the end of 2024. The bus industry's trade association CPT is pressiing the new government for a decision over the £2 fare. But remember the new government is proposing radical reforms to the law relating to Buses. The £2 fare MIGHT continue until those reforms are in place.
It is certainly going to be interesting to see what happens with this. Bearing in mind fuel bills are again set to rise for the winter (what a surprise) who is to say when the cost of living crisis will end. It may even get worse. I would hope it is extended once more because there is a lot more I want to see and do on the bus network and it would certainly help in my JOGLE efforts next year!
There used to be a double decker Western national bus that ran from Plymouth to Looe using the strategically important Torpoint Ferry. I think Plymouth City Bus still use the ferry.
Great video. Will be doing this trip. Enjoyed the open top bus between Ambleside and Grasmere in the lake district too. The chains themselves are fixed. The ferry itself pulls along these and although they normally rest on the sea bed it will rise them up the ferry as it pulls along them. So if you're in another ship you should never pass too closely Infront of or behind a chain ferry.
Cheer for the info. Yep the Ambleside bus is also worth it. I think the Purbeck one has the edge because of the ferry but I’ll definitely be doing a few more of these in the future. 👍
I use this bus regularly to connect from train at Bournemouth Station to Swanage. You do have to watch the weather as its windy across the Studland peninsula as you noticed. In winter the three half cabin buses are used for most journeys as the service is hourly and a bit quicker due to less cars queueing for the ferry so you can replicate Victorian winter commuting on the top deck of an open top tram or bus. You can get hypothermia that way! What the ferry owner/National Trust need to do is put in a bus lane from Jerrys Point to the toll booth roundabout to get the buses there instead of queueing. At the height of summer the existing 'spare' space is used for free all day parking - not very environmental. As a result my trip the other afternoon was 1 hour 45 mins. Costs extra buses to maintain the service when they could run more frequently. On a sunny day they get packed and then people can't get on. The drivers are brilliant by the way, some of the car drivers getting on and off the ferry less so!.
Greetings from Australia. Of course the open top buses have an interesting history. Back in the day all double deck buses were open top. Not really suitable for general commuting duties in the British climate. Much later a lot of buses had their tops removed for sightseeing purposes, it used to be common for old buses to be converted, most likely they were getting a bit long in the tooth for everyday heavy use, and this way they weren't pushed to their limits mechanically and could be kept in service with reasonable reliability in less demanding circumstances. Some could have been converted after they had unfortunate encounters with low bridges, and it wasn't worth rebuilding the roofs and upper deck windows. They're certainly much more popular now world-wide, although they operated in London from the 1960s or so. Devon General used a number of them which were actually convertible so the top decks would be enclosed during the winter, with window and roof sections being removed and stored during summer. I recall being upstairs on one when the conductor (now virtually an extinct species) came upstairs and warned us to remain seated as we passed under a low bridge. Australia imported a number of old Hong Kong double deck buses, at least 25 years ago, and the upper deck windows and roofs were removed here so that they could be used on city sightseeing. Those buses were real rust buckets. More recently I think the trend has been to use new buses for this purpose, though when in San Francisco a few years back they were using second hand British double deckers, right hand drive, with an extra door cut in the side in some cases.
Excellent trip report, used the route many times when living in Poole. Nice to see the Breezer routes have expanded to include Rockley Park and across to Christchurch/Mudeford. The network is extensive since Wilts & Dorset (Morebus) took on many extra routes when Bournemouth Transport went under a few years ago.
About 5-6 years ago McGills buses did a regular service from Glasgow Buchanan Bus station to Dunoon. They used a coach for this service & it went on the ferry at macinroys point for the 10 minute crossing to dunoon.
In 1986 we took the 'topless bus' as we called in from Bournemouth to Swanage. Despite being July the weather was awful. Being kids we insisted on sitting on the top deck. However we made the mistake of thinking Swanage was directly the other side of the chain ferry crossing. So we got off despite having paid a full fare. We wondered why there was nothing other than a cafe there and caught the next bus back. Only later did we learn our mistake.
For the chain ferry, the chains must sink at least enough distance to allow the ferries to enter and leave the port. Whether they touch the sea bed or not I'm not sure. Also yes, they have dredged a channel for the larger ships to access the port as it is very shallow in sandbanks. I'm not sure how often maintenance is done on the trench though.
I keep meaning to do this route in Bournemouth. I’ve done loads of others like the X3 to Salisbury but not that one. I might have to do it later this year before it gets cold.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I will celebrate by walking the 22 miles from my home to Swanage and take the Breezer bus back home. Old enough to hold a bus pass, one trick I have taken advantage of a few times on that walk is to jump on the bus at Sandbanks while it is waiting for the ferry, flash my bus pass, cross over for free and get off immediately when the bus gets to the other side rather than pay the £1 ferry fare.
Mark what a lovely video brings back so many lovely childhood memories of holidays in Bournemouth, I'm sure the ice skating rink was opposite where you court the bus from,thanks👍
I have been on the previous ferry back in the 80’s and early 90’s when on holiday in the area. Sandbanks beach was great for spotting the big ferries and other boats. It’s certainly worth the trip. A bit far on this trip but I can recommend a trip to Portland Bill Lighthouse. I remember going as a very young child and they tied it into the kids tv animation of the same name which made it more exciting.
Cheers mate, I’ll definitely be back and if the weather’s better I think the all day river and some time on the beach watching the ferries is a great way to go. 😊👍
£2, amazing, I was guessing £5.50p. Now I have to do that trip. Bournemouth is OK, I never lived there, but attended many electronics courses at Plessey before the kra_uts bought it and renamed it Siemens.
Absolutely fantastic 🎥 Mark what a steel on this trip 😲🍑 so cheap IV always wanted to go to Bournemouth and visit Weymouth on a daily tripper now you have thrown another spanner in the works lol all the best pal keep the engine going John 😊😊😊
Brilliant route, fab vlog, great comments with additional info. Credit to all. 2 pounds flat fare is incredible but as you said Mark, the actual cost is still a bargain. On a wider note wouldn't it be brilliant if there was a fair value round robin ticket, bus Bournemouth to Swanage, heritage rail to Wareham and national rail to Bournemouth.
Interesting bus journey Mark, quite the novelty driving onto a ferry on an open top double decker, but maybe on a sunny day lol 😂, £2 what a bargain, thanks bud 😉
Another great video mate 👍 there aren't many chain ferries around but there is another (smaller!) one near us in Norfolk. It can fit 2 cars, or one van! On that one, the chains rest on the river bed, and the ferry engine operates a pair of winches that pull it along. The chains are too high for boats to pass if the ferry is moving, there's only enough slack when it's at one bank or the other. Cheers for now !
Open top buses are normally converted from service buses but usually from old withdrawn from normal service ones. Only a few years old is rare but operators no longer operate them for 30 or 40 years any more before Withdrawing them.
As a local tend to not use the sandbanks in high season as the traffic is crazy. And regards to the open top of the bus. You can see the roofs stacked behind Poole Bus Station or Swanage near the train station.
Yes I bet the queues are a lot bigger. I did wonder whether the bus gets priority but I was just speculating it has a kind of ‘fasttrack’ in high season?
Great trip Mark and great scenery on this bus service. The Breezer indeed is an interesting brand It is a rarity nowadays to see route buses on ferries, the closest one I know from my area is route 11 in the Lido of Venice, which runs its last stretch of route via a ferry towards the island town of Pellestrina.
I think it must be quite rare yes. But what a quirky way to travel - especially being an open top double decker! I believe there is one in Plymouth too so I’ll add that to the list to do at some point 👍
Yes so I understand. Didn’t realise this until people started talking about it in the comments. Interesting really, thought they just came built like that!
A few of the MCV EvoSeti buses along with other Breezers are convertible buses, so in the summer the buses can be converted from a double decker to an open top.
the roof is taken off at poole bus garage for the summer - in the off season they put them back on. Istr only the police are exempt from the toll so the bus driver will have to get his pass swiped at the toll booth. the channel is quite shallow and the chains sit on the bottom of the sea. on the outward leg the bus can jump the queue yet on the return they can't
Amazing video, if want to go on another bus on a chain ferry come to Plymouth as there is one over to torpoint omthe river Tamar. The bus you was on about is very unique as its an open top in summer and in winter there put a roof on it
Nice one, cheers mate. I am now thinking about the Plymouth one thanks to yours (and others) comments. Probably next year now tbh but watch this space 😊👍
Hi Mark , I love your videos and going vicariously on trips with you . Sadly, I’ve recently been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, so your videos help take my mind off the pain etc . Please everyone who reads this, send good wishes and prayers my way . They will really help me . Sincerely, Doctor Kästien, Tel Aviv, Israel 🇮🇱
I think that's the only service bus that goes on to a ferry within England.Another one which did about 25 years ago was a Cleveland Transit service which was a mini bus which drove onto the Transporter Bridge between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence and I think that it was a Middlesbrough to Billingham service .
Haha I went on this and heard something about a ferry but just shrugged it off as someone's onward travel. Was an interesting surprise. I got on at the bus station to get the full journey + some provisions from asda
You can't go wrong with a £2 fare. Looked a good little journey. Did you get any photos/video of the Heritage Railway? Just saw a locomotive at the end and it ended before it fully came into view 😂 Hope you're well and over your sunburn. Andy.
The buses are convertible open top vehicles and in the winter they operate with their roofs on and I hope that while you walked through the gardens in Bournemouth you gave the squirrels their breakfast as they tame and gave my children hours of fun having them takings nuts from their hands
I wish I’d have known this, I’d have made an effort to go and see the roofs at Poole bus station. Didn’t see any squirrels this time around but I’ll definitely be back at some point 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip At the back of the Dolphin Shopping in Poole which at the front of it has the bus station is the bus depot and from the road the buses exit you can see the roofs stacked up or alternatively catch the train to Poole from Bournemouth and you can see them that way!
I didn’t film it tbh, my heritage railway vids in the past have done really badly in terms of views. I’ll definitely have a go on it next time I’m there though.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Although the 50 route is open-top all year round.They use buses with a larger covered area at the front in winter (you passed one of those in Sandbanks)
Some of those Purbeck Breezer buses are permanent open tops, some, like the one you travelled on, are convertible so they run as open top in the summer and run with the roofs attached in the winter. It's the same story with the New Forest Tour buses, which double up in the winter (with the roofs on) as school buses.
Yea I didn’t know that tbh so glad I asked the question. I gather all the roofs are stacked up at Poole bus station so I guess they just lift them on when the time comes. Makes perfect sense really.
I can remember doting this same trip many times in the eighties as a kid. Good memories
Me too - a very regular summer trip when my Dad was not working
If it's buses on ferries you want:
The number 70 from Plymouth to Cremyll, over the Torpoint Ferry (whose chain-clanking is the soundtrack to my childhood). Some spectacular coastal scenery on this one, with the added bonus of watching a double-decker squeeze through some tiny villages. Not to mention a pub with a carvery at the end! Ride the tiny Cremyll Ferry back into Plymouth.
The number 59 from Oulu to Hailuoto, Finland. Grab this one quick, though, because they're already building a causeway. Scheduled for completion at the end of 2026.
The Plymouth one is definitely doable. Next time I’m down there, I’ll certainly give it a go 👍
When I first moved to Bournemouth (over 10 years ago now !) I took the same bus and absoultely loved it. I have a car now but still take the same route and my favourite place to go in Swanage is the excellent Wimpy, its old school service and lovely food ! Nice to see someone saying something positive about Bournemouth, its seen its fair share of hard times and still has problems, but it still has some excellent qualities about it. Thanks for the brillaint video, i enjoyed whilst stuck at my desk and wanting to go out - for a wimpy...
Cheers mate. We’ve got a Wimpy in Shrewsbury - it re-opened after many years. Reminds me of the 1970’s really. Knickerbocker glory?
In Finland, the Seutuplus route 903M between Turku and Mossala uses not just one, not just two, but 5 ferries. Well, that route only runs once per week in each direction, and other days you'll have to do a transfer between 901 or 903 and 904. Two of those ferries are chain ferries, and one is a chain-free chain ferry, where satellite navigation and software perform the duties of the chain. One of the crossings is operated by plug-in hybrid ferries, typically running with just electric power. The remaining ferry crossing is 9.5 km long and takes over half an hour and is one of the longest if not the longest free road ferry routes in the country. Depending on the time of the day you may see one of the big ferries to Sweden on that route.
In Denmark, they have a ferry which not only carries long-distance route buses but works as a bus transfer hub.
This bus is actually a part time open top, the roof can be lifted on / off by a crane.
Most open top buses started out as full time closed top buses, before having there roofs chopped off, although some newer buses are open top from factory
Normally a black ball means ship at anchor. However they use them on chain ferries to indicate movement; in this case they hoist it on the "front" to indicate to other vessels the direction of travel
Very happy memories of both Sandbanks (The Haven Hotel and the Sandbanks Hotel), and Studland Bay - family holidays c. 1970. That bus ride is insanely good value and what a treat! Even in a British summer!
i love Swanage, and I love this bus trip!
My first time Grace but yes I’d definitely go there again. Quite keen to try one or two of the other Breezers tbh.
7:40 these buses are actually convertible (like the majority of the open top buses in the Morebus fleet) which means that during the winter they can still be used as regular buses with a standard roof
If you catch the train out of Swanage station you can see some of the "hard tops" stored in the bus yard
It is also considered a floating bridge as it is connected to each end. The chains behind will drop onto the riverbed, and the ones in front remain in tension.
I love Bournemouth and Poole I try and get down there once a year. I've been on that bus route quite a few times.👍
My first time. Definitely won’t be the last! 😊
I've always fancied a holiday in Swanage , I must get one organised soon. The surrounding area looks lovely.
btw Mark, regular buses use the Torpoint Ferry in Plymouth (again, a chain ferry) to cross the mouth of the river Tamar. Much further afield, on the Isle of Bute, West Coast Motors use the Colintraive to Rhubodach ferry.
@@falafel4618 nice circular route by bus via the Torpoint ferry, The Rame Peninsula and back to Plymouth on the Cremyl passenger ferry
Cheers for the info. Both ferries added to my list 😊👍
Down there next week. Used to live there but moved to North Yorkshire many years ago because it got very expensive to live there. We go back often to see old friends and in my opinion its the best UK holiday destination in the UK. Swanage is gorgeous
Absolutely love this, many happy memories with my parents taking this bus. Latterly hiking solo across Old Harry across to Swanage and then taking the bus back
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment 😊👍
What a tremendous day out all for £2! Great stuff as always Mark.
Cheers Tim, glad you enjoyed it mate. Can’t go wrong for £2 can you (I caught the same bus back for another £2 later on!!).
I believe the chains are slack enough to sit on the channel bed, even where dredging has taken place (hanging across a deeper, dredged channel would defeat the object of dredging.) They have to be lifted for dredging and replaced afterwards. The black ball on the mast which drops as the ferry arrives is to signal that the ferry is a ‘hampered vessel’, unable to alter its course. I must admit to trying to get a front seat on these buses to avoid too much breeze and the odd low-hanging branch. Great video. Glad you enjoyed the voyage.
Most of the buses in this batch are convertible. So in the winter they can run as closed top and in the summer as open tops. If you look online there are videos of the roofs being taken off
I used to do similar a few years ago during nice sunny summer weather except I used to put the bike on the SW train from Reading to Poole and cycle via Sandbanks, Corfe Castle to Wareham with a swim in the sea and plenty of nice pub stops before taking the train back. Great memories. Or train to Poole, ferry to Sandbanks from Poole harbour, walk to Swanage via Studland and take the steam service back to Wareham. At Sandbanks you can also pop in to the very swish Haven Hotel for a drink with marvelous views out over the water while waiting for the chain ferry.
Usually large queues for motor vehicles at the chain ferry, but easy bypass for cyclist and walkers.
Great video.
Speaking as a driver myself on the route, Are buses, are convertible. In the winter they have the roof’s on, and summer roof’s come off. 1704/05/06 are half cabs, 1707/08/09/10/11/12 are convertible. Hope that helps.
Any other information just drop a message. 😀
Hi Nathan, appreciate the info mate, good to hear from someone doing the route. I bet you get used to it but personally I think you’ve got a fantastic job there! And wrt the roofs, I never even thought about them being convertible. I learn a lot from people doing this job! 😊👍
@LetsMakeaTrip there is a video which morebus have put up on CZcams of how it's done taking th2 roof off.
And yes, you get use to rhe route after a while
Wednesday I did two 50, 0820 from Swanage 0950 Bournemouth.
0950 I was full, and had 95 people in total which is the maximum we are allowed to have onboard.
Most open top bus routes use much older buses which have already fully depreciated so it isn't a waste of money for them to sit in the depot 8/9 months a year. This convertible method has been used in Bournemouth for many years however and I'm surprised it isn't more commonplace elsewhere. The Breezer routes are a bit out of the ordinary in being heavily used by both tourists and locals which I'm sure plays a part.
A notable exception are the London tourists buses as they are busy enough year round to warrant modern-ish vehicles.
Lots of Open Top Buses end up that way after previous arguments with low bridges!
I’m going to Bournemouth in September I may take this trip
I think the Torpoint Ferry in Plymouth might also carry double decker buses.
Thank you! We did this today off your video. We had much better weather than you did. We started in Southampton, took the train to Bournemouth then took the 50. Absolutely brilliant day! Got a lot of sun on my face and man was it windy up top. Thank you again!!
Brilliant Diane. I love to hear comments like this because for me, it's all about suggesting trips (large or small), providing enough info and content about them and then others actually experiencing the same journey(s). Glad you enjoyed it and there's plenty more around there to try that I haven't done myself. Yet!
What a bargain at £2, another trip added to the must do list!
From what I can tell the bus looks to be a convertible (unlike most open toppers) it can have its roof put back on. Where as most open toppers loose their roof thanks to low hanging bridges.
Looking forward to the next video!
Haha, cheers Myles. Yep tbh I wouldn’t be able to tell one way or another, didn’t even occur to me at the time. Glad I did it though - always learning new things! 👍
What a Brilliant video Done the same journey back in may well done.
I have done this journey many times and I never tire of it.
I’d be the same if I lived down there 👍
Hi mark Paul from Kent what a wonderful video £2 fare amazing value and lovely scenery.
Cheers Paul! You can’t go wrong for £2 can you 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip the best value trip
i wanted to ask you with your permission would you like me to
add your videos to my group and add you to the credit
Great trip, certainly somewhere to consider.
You looked so cold, a fantastic trip for little money, thanks Mark for shwoing this.
What a lovely trip. I'm tempted to try that. I recently took the Eastbourne Open top Hop on Hop off bus which is similar. It visits Beachy Head, Seven sisters, Birling Gap and the South downs with it's beautiful scenery. You buy a day ticket for £10. I also sat in the same seat as you and again it was very draughty 🎐🤣 Thank you for a lovely video. It will be on my bucket list.
Swanage is a great town Mark. Have to say, seeing you on the top deck made me feel cold, you certainly get bashed by the wind up there ! Never heard of that crater on Mars being named after the town. Great value for money.
I do love watching bus journeys at seaside areas
Another great video Mark I really enjoyed this one. I got a open deck bus at Weymouth to Isle of Portland and that route is really scenic aswell. I have visited the Jurassic Coast many times and it is very nice scenery and the different cliffs you can see specially towards Devon with the Red Sandstone cliffs that you can see at Sidmouth which interestingly is the same type of rock that you can see at Dawlish when you go through Dawlish on the Exeter to Plymouth line.
Brings back lovely memories
Glad you enjoyed it 😊👍
The black ball on the ferry indicates that it is underway and the direction of travel. Different chain ferries have Different meaning.
Nice one, thanks Ken 😊👍
Ah, that is confusing. Totally opposite to the meaning in the COLREGS day shapes, then? (Single ball = at anchor)
Lovely crisp and clear video 👍
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it.
Gotta love an open top bus, and this is one of the best!
Excellent video and commentary as always. 👍
Cheers mate! I can’t get enough of these kind of buses. Definitely lots more to do as well - think I’m gonna be spending a bit more time down south next summer!
In Cornwall there are 2 or 3 buses like this, unfortunately the bus company discontinued a few years ago the St Ives to Newquay run (via Portreath Porthtowan and St Agnes) which when I traveled on it was very popular and stupendous views.
Did this trip back in the late 70s on a family holiday. It was bristol LHS's back in those days.
Thank you Mark for a very interesting video. The future of the the England only £2 single bus fare is a major problem for the new government. It was introduced by the old government as a measure to combat the cost of living crisis! But its most significant practical effect has been to encourage cheap leisure journey, such as the one you made on this video! It has also 'rescued' quite a few rural bus routes which were threatened with withdrawal.. .
So Sir Keir Starmer will very soon be scrapping it as a Tory idea then? That's exactly what you'd expect of politicians
@@AndreiTupolev Actually the £2 single idea originated (but for Greater Manchester only) with the labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. The Conservatives shocked the bus industry by borrowing the idea and applying it to the whole of England! But it was supposedly to be only for the first three months of 2023! But the period has been extended more than once., and the deal now runs to the end of 2024. The bus industry's trade association CPT is pressiing the new government for a decision over the £2 fare. But remember the new government is proposing radical reforms to the law relating to Buses. The £2 fare MIGHT continue until those reforms are in place.
It is certainly going to be interesting to see what happens with this. Bearing in mind fuel bills are again set to rise for the winter (what a surprise) who is to say when the cost of living crisis will end. It may even get worse. I would hope it is extended once more because there is a lot more I want to see and do on the bus network and it would certainly help in my JOGLE efforts next year!
There used to be a double decker Western national bus that ran from Plymouth to Looe using the strategically important Torpoint Ferry. I think Plymouth City Bus still use the ferry.
Great video. Will be doing this trip. Enjoyed the open top bus between Ambleside and Grasmere in the lake district too.
The chains themselves are fixed. The ferry itself pulls along these and although they normally rest on the sea bed it will rise them up the ferry as it pulls along them.
So if you're in another ship you should never pass too closely Infront of or behind a chain ferry.
Cheer for the info. Yep the Ambleside bus is also worth it. I think the Purbeck one has the edge because of the ferry but I’ll definitely be doing a few more of these in the future. 👍
I use this bus regularly to connect from train at Bournemouth Station to Swanage. You do have to watch the weather as its windy across the Studland peninsula as you noticed. In winter the three half cabin buses are used for most journeys as the service is hourly and a bit quicker due to less cars queueing for the ferry so you can replicate Victorian winter commuting on the top deck of an open top tram or bus. You can get hypothermia that way! What the ferry owner/National Trust need to do is put in a bus lane from Jerrys Point to the toll booth roundabout to get the buses there instead of queueing. At the height of summer the existing 'spare' space is used for free all day parking - not very environmental. As a result my trip the other afternoon was 1 hour 45 mins. Costs extra buses to maintain the service when they could run more frequently. On a sunny day they get packed and then people can't get on. The drivers are brilliant by the way, some of the car drivers getting on and off the ferry less so!.
Greetings from Australia. Of course the open top buses have an interesting history. Back in the day all double deck buses were open top. Not really suitable for general commuting duties in the British climate. Much later a lot of buses had their tops removed for sightseeing purposes, it used to be common for old buses to be converted, most likely they were getting a bit long in the tooth for everyday heavy use, and this way they weren't pushed to their limits mechanically and could be kept in service with reasonable reliability in less demanding circumstances. Some could have been converted after they had unfortunate encounters with low bridges, and it wasn't worth rebuilding the roofs and upper deck windows. They're certainly much more popular now world-wide, although they operated in London from the 1960s or so. Devon General used a number of them which were actually convertible so the top decks would be enclosed during the winter, with window and roof sections being removed and stored during summer. I recall being upstairs on one when the conductor (now virtually an extinct species) came upstairs and warned us to remain seated as we passed under a low bridge. Australia imported a number of old Hong Kong double deck buses, at least 25 years ago, and the upper deck windows and roofs were removed here so that they could be used on city sightseeing. Those buses were real rust buckets. More recently I think the trend has been to use new buses for this purpose, though when in San Francisco a few years back they were using second hand British double deckers, right hand drive, with an extra door cut in the side in some cases.
Excellent trip report, used the route many times when living in Poole. Nice to see the Breezer routes have expanded to include Rockley Park and across to Christchurch/Mudeford. The network is extensive since Wilts & Dorset (Morebus) took on many extra routes when Bournemouth Transport went under a few years ago.
Done that a few times well worth it and sat on that bench ,I used to visit and stay in Swanage
Hi did this last year. Swanage railway is great and the town. nice places to eat going back in October. Nice video
Great video. The Breezer buses have a roof put on during the winter. More Bus use a crane to lift the roof off in the Spring.
Cheers Paul, I was just speculating how they attach the roofs. Makes sense really, though it didn’t even cross my mind at the time! 😂
About 5-6 years ago McGills buses did a regular service from Glasgow Buchanan Bus station to Dunoon. They used a coach for this service & it went on the ferry at macinroys point for the 10 minute crossing to dunoon.
Went on it last saturday , had better weather bus packed both ways, and yes i connected and went straight on the railway
In 1986 we took the 'topless bus' as we called in from Bournemouth to Swanage. Despite being July the weather was awful. Being kids we insisted on sitting on the top deck. However we made the mistake of thinking Swanage was directly the other side of the chain ferry crossing. So we got off despite having paid a full fare. We wondered why there was nothing other than a cafe there and caught the next bus back. Only later did we learn our mistake.
Great video. The well known Football manager Harry Rednapp lives at Sandbanks. I think he bought his home whilst he managed Bournemouth Football club
For the chain ferry, the chains must sink at least enough distance to allow the ferries to enter and leave the port. Whether they touch the sea bed or not I'm not sure. Also yes, they have dredged a channel for the larger ships to access the port as it is very shallow in sandbanks. I'm not sure how often maintenance is done on the trench though.
Brings back happy memories . greetingd from Holland
Hello! Glad it brought back good times 😂👍
I keep meaning to do this route in Bournemouth. I’ve done loads of others like the X3 to Salisbury but not that one. I might have to do it later this year before it gets cold.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I will celebrate by walking the 22 miles from my home to Swanage and take the Breezer bus back home.
Old enough to hold a bus pass, one trick I have taken advantage of a few times on that walk is to jump on the bus at Sandbanks while it is waiting for the ferry, flash my bus pass, cross over for free and get off immediately when the bus gets to the other side rather than pay the £1 ferry fare.
Mark what a lovely video brings back so many lovely childhood memories of holidays in Bournemouth, I'm sure the ice skating rink was opposite where you court the bus from,thanks👍
Thanks Kim, glad you enjoyed it. Not sure about the ice rink, mind you I was rubbish at skating when I was younger so never really got into it much!
Yes you're right- next to the ABC and Odeon cinemas, both now closed...
Class video as always mark .
Another great vid ❤
Cheers mate 😊👍
I have been on the previous ferry back in the 80’s and early 90’s when on holiday in the area. Sandbanks beach was great for spotting the big ferries and other boats. It’s certainly worth the trip. A bit far on this trip but I can recommend a trip to Portland Bill Lighthouse. I remember going as a very young child and they tied it into the kids tv animation of the same name which made it more exciting.
Cheers mate, I’ll definitely be back and if the weather’s better I think the all day river and some time on the beach watching the ferries is a great way to go. 😊👍
Looks like an awesome route mate!!
It was. Views, ferry, price - can’t go wrong really for £2 👍
£2, amazing, I was guessing £5.50p. Now I have to do that trip. Bournemouth is OK, I never lived there, but attended many electronics courses at Plessey before the kra_uts bought it and renamed it Siemens.
Absolutely fantastic 🎥 Mark what a steel on this trip 😲🍑 so cheap IV always wanted to go to Bournemouth and visit Weymouth on a daily tripper now you have thrown another spanner in the works lol all the best pal keep the engine going John 😊😊😊
Haha, thanks John. More stuff for you to try! 👍
Brilliant route, fab vlog, great comments with additional info. Credit to all. 2 pounds flat fare is incredible but as you said Mark, the actual cost is still a bargain. On a wider note wouldn't it be brilliant if there was a fair value round robin ticket, bus Bournemouth to Swanage, heritage rail to Wareham and national rail to Bournemouth.
Interesting bus journey Mark, quite the novelty driving onto a ferry on an open top double decker, but maybe on a sunny day lol 😂, £2 what a bargain, thanks bud 😉
Cheers mate, it was an experience. There are one or two more I’d like to try now. Probably next summer so watch this space 😊👍
The bus probably became an open topper by accident by way of a bridge strike. Great video.
I think that's the best video so far mark really nice mate
Cheers Caleb, appreciate your comment mate 😊👍
Another great video mate 👍 there aren't many chain ferries around but there is another (smaller!) one near us in Norfolk. It can fit 2 cars, or one van! On that one, the chains rest on the river bed, and the ferry engine operates a pair of winches that pull it along. The chains are too high for boats to pass if the ferry is moving, there's only enough slack when it's at one bank or the other. Cheers for now !
Think the King Harry Ferry, I think that's it's name, that operates across one of the south Cornwall estuaries is also a chain ferry. No buses mind!
Wow that must be one of the smallest chain ferries around? No buses I’m presuming (or minibuses 🤔)? Next time I’m over that way mate……
@@LetsMakeaTrip Definitely no buses! The station is only 1/2m away though.
Open top buses are normally converted from service buses but usually from old withdrawn from normal service ones. Only a few years old is rare but operators no longer operate them for 30 or 40 years any more before Withdrawing them.
As a local tend to not use the sandbanks in high season as the traffic is crazy.
And regards to the open top of the bus. You can see the roofs stacked behind Poole Bus Station or Swanage near the train station.
Yes I bet the queues are a lot bigger. I did wonder whether the bus gets priority but I was just speculating it has a kind of ‘fasttrack’ in high season?
Great trip Mark and great scenery on this bus service. The Breezer indeed is an interesting brand
It is a rarity nowadays to see route buses on ferries, the closest one I know from my area is route 11 in the Lido of Venice, which runs its last stretch of route via a ferry towards the island town of Pellestrina.
I think it must be quite rare yes. But what a quirky way to travel - especially being an open top double decker! I believe there is one in Plymouth too so I’ll add that to the list to do at some point 👍
Great video mark
great video mark some of them buses are convertible have the roofs taken off in the summer and put back on in the winter months
Yes so I understand. Didn’t realise this until people started talking about it in the comments. Interesting really, thought they just came built like that!
A few of the MCV EvoSeti buses along with other Breezers are convertible buses, so in the summer the buses can be converted from a double decker to an open top.
I had no idea they put the roof back on for the winter. Fascinating and cheers for the info 😊👍
the roof is taken off at poole bus garage for the summer - in the off season they put them back on. Istr only the police are exempt from the toll so the bus driver will have to get his pass swiped at the toll booth. the channel is quite shallow and the chains sit on the bottom of the sea. on the outward leg the bus can jump the queue yet on the return they can't
Amazing video, if want to go on another bus on a chain ferry come to Plymouth as there is one over to torpoint omthe river Tamar. The bus you was on about is very unique as its an open top in summer and in winter there put a roof on it
Nice one, cheers mate. I am now thinking about the Plymouth one thanks to yours (and others) comments. Probably next year now tbh but watch this space 😊👍
Those open top buses come with demountable roofs which means they can be closed roof in the winter and open top in the summer.
Enjoyed❤❤❤❤❤🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂
Thanks mate 😊🚌🚌🚌🚌🏴
We have something similar in Plymouth. The Torpoint ferry.
Hi Mark , I love your videos and going vicariously on trips with you . Sadly, I’ve recently been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, so your videos help take my mind off the pain etc . Please everyone who reads this, send good wishes and prayers my way . They will really help me .
Sincerely, Doctor Kästien, Tel Aviv, Israel 🇮🇱
Hi mate, wishing you all the best from the UK. Keep your spirits up! 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Thank you so much Mark 🤝🫡🙏🏻
I think that's the only service bus that goes on to a ferry within England.Another one which did about 25 years ago was a Cleveland Transit service which was a mini bus which drove onto the Transporter Bridge between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence and I think that it was a Middlesbrough to Billingham service .
I think one crosses the Torpoint ferry near Plymouth.
Haha I went on this and heard something about a ferry but just shrugged it off as someone's onward travel. Was an interesting surprise. I got on at the bus station to get the full journey + some provisions from asda
Wow that would’ve been a surprise if you weren’t expecting it. Can’t go wrong for £2 atm either.
@@LetsMakeaTrip absolutely. Thats gotta be coming to an end soon unfortunately
that bus looks like one's ive seen near were i live. Up the lakes. I say this cause itz alwayz 9issing it down. lol
I have been on one in the Lakes. I think it just about managed not to rain!!
You can't go wrong with a £2 fare. Looked a good little journey. Did you get any photos/video of the Heritage Railway? Just saw a locomotive at the end and it ended before it fully came into view 😂 Hope you're well and over your sunburn. Andy.
Removable roof hard top in winter and on diverts, open top in summer
Yes, I never realised it was a thing until this trip (and the comments to the vid).👍
Morebus' open toppers are unique as the roofs are put on and off for summer and winter each year
Yes I learnt that through these comments - fascinating really, now I didn’t realise this is unique to Morebus either. Cheers mate 😊👍
Seems a bit chilly for Studland naturist beach.
This route from Bournemouth to Swanage bus station uses open top double decker buses and on harbour and beach breezers
The buses are convertible open top vehicles and in the winter they operate with their roofs on and I hope that while you walked through the gardens in Bournemouth you gave the squirrels their breakfast as they tame and gave my children hours of fun having them takings nuts from their hands
Thanks for confirming this. I thought it was the case when the train passed the bus depot in Poole and bus tops were stored on the ground.
I wish I’d have known this, I’d have made an effort to go and see the roofs at Poole bus station. Didn’t see any squirrels this time around but I’ll definitely be back at some point 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip At the back of the Dolphin Shopping in Poole which at the front of it has the bus station is the bus depot and from the road the buses exit you can see the roofs stacked up or alternatively catch the train to Poole from Bournemouth and you can see them that way!
Although route 50 is open-top all year round.
Can't believe you didn't take us for a tour of the naturist beach 🤭🤭🤣🤣
Too cold Shane! Otherwise, yep maybe when I open my Only Fans account I’ll give it a go 😂😂
Too cold Shane! Otherwise, yep maybe when I open my Only Fans account I’ll give it a go 😂😂
@@LetsMakeaTrip 🤣🤣🤣
hope the seewead didnt smell to much at sandbanks
Great video! Why didn't you visit the naturist beach?😂
The weather was a bit grim for that!
A bit cold for me on this occasion Steven 😂
Steam Railway trip from Swanage video 📷 , coming soon ?
I didn’t film it tbh, my heritage railway vids in the past have done really badly in terms of views. I’ll definitely have a go on it next time I’m there though.
@@LetsMakeaTrip shame but business is business I guess
You are better off on the tourist bus. Last century i went round a Bournemouth traffic circle 4 times much to the annoyance and laughter of locals.
How weird.,I visited Swanage last Sunday. I had much better weather than you, it was "scorchio"! 😄😄 Nice vlog Mark, keep it up 👍
Cheers mate. It would only have made my sunburn worse 😂
Sorry to see you were black balled on the ferry!
Haha, not the first or last time that’ll happen 😂
This bus isa convertable open topper, operating as open top in summer and with rooffitted during the winter.
Yes I believe so. Didn’t realise this until people started pointing it out. Fascinating really.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Although the 50 route is open-top all year round.They use buses with a larger covered area at the front in winter (you passed one of those in Sandbanks)
I think a few years ago, it wasn't unusual for open top buses to be converted from buses which had had an argument with low bridges
Structural integrity permitting!
Used to enjoy open top buses in Cumbria except when over hanging branches hit me🙂 You certainly get plenty of fresh air travelling on these.
They do get a bit of foliage in the top. Need to keep an eye out!