News updates from BayTrans – May 2013

New car rental facility for Swansea Train Station

In partnership with Europcar, First Great Western has launched a ‘meet and greet’ car rental service, providing reduced cost car rental at Swansea. Enhancing the customer’s end-to-end journey, the meet and greet service will see a Europcar representative meet the visitor at Swansea station with the hire vehicle which when booked through the FGW website will qualify for a minimum 10% discount.

Find out more: FGW Europcar

Shiny new buses for Mumbles

Great news for Mumbles as First Cymru has allocated ten new 13- plated vehicles to the Mumbles routes. Why suffer the heavy traffic and parking difficulties when the alternative is comfortable leather seats and great views: and great prices too; just £4.20 for all-day ticket from any part of Swansea (just £10 for a family up to 5 people!). Get your bus times from www.travelinecymru.info.

Direct toll-free Greyhound coach link from Bristol Airport

The new Greyhound service was launched with fanfare on 11 March. Overseas visitors arriving at Bristol Airport from Europe and elsewhere now have a direct coach to Swansea taking under 3 hours and no Severn Bridge tolls to pay! Initial frequency to Swansea is every two hours seven days a week; it is hoped that demand will build sufficiently to justify an hourly frequency ere long. In the meantime, use this information in your efforts to attract European visitors.

Find out more: Greyhound timetables

More Trains and Travel Opportunities for Gowerton

Gowerton has a fine new station with an extra platform and now many more trains as well. Days out to exotic destinations on the Heart of Wales Line, Carmarthen and the National Botanic Gardens bus link; and Tenby - are now possible.

Find out more: Arriva Trains Wales

Gower on the hour every hour Sundays & Public Holidays

The popular Gower Sunday Explorer is now in its third year of operation running every Sunday and public holiday throughout the Spring & Summer. Hourly services between 10.00 and 17.00; alternating via north and south Gower routes and all buses run through to and from Rhossili.

Gower Sunday Explorer is a BayTrans initiative and is funded through the Swansea Rural Development Partnership.

Over 80% of Gower Sunday travellers from overseas!

Probably due to there being no city buses on Easter Sunday, few locals turned up to travel to Gower. A survey at Swansea bus station that day found 80% of travellers either from abroad or studying/working in the UK; predominant were Indians and Chinese but also from Poland, Iraq, Libya and Spain.

The early May Holiday weekend also saw large numbers of Asian travellers. An intrepid group of Indian families (22 people in all) got off at Pennard at 1032 on Sunday and walked via Three Cliffs to join the next bus from Penmaen at 1247 (made it just in time) so they could also see Rhossili!

Three Cliffs Bay and Rhossili/Worm’s Head are by far the favourite ‘must see’s’ by our overseas visitors.

Gower and Mumbles discounts galore!

BayTrans has negotiated with lots of tourism businesses to offer discounts to visitors. Stop off for a meal or an attraction and just show your bus ticket to get a discount:

Food & Drink

• Bay Bistro, Rhossili 10% off main meals
• Britannia Inn, Llangennith 10% off bar meals
• Café Valance, Mumbles free toasted tea cake with a hot drink
• Three Cliffs Coffee Shop, Pennard Cliffs, 10% off food & drink
• King Arthur, Reynoldston 10% off bar meals

Attractions

• Gower Heritage Centre, Parkmill - Half price entry
• Perriswood Archery & Falconry – three archery sessions for the price of two
• National Trust Visitor Centre, Rhossili – 10% off books & gifts

Walkers’ information at Gower bus stops

Helpful maps showing local walks, facilities and attractions are now displayed at 11 bus stops in Gower, along with the timetable. This marks the final phase of a BayTrans project supported by the Countryside Council to encourage more people doing outdoor activities to use the bus.

Five further accommodation sites in Gower have now got their own attractive bus information cases on their premises, ‘bringing public transport right to the visitor!’

Brecon Beacons by Bus: more attractions connected

The revised service on the Beacons route now serves more attractions directly from Swansea and Neath. Running Mondays to Saturdays only, X63 links Swansea direct to Craig-y-Nos Country Park, Dan-yr-Ogof Showcaves and Brecon. A new X64 service links Swansea and Neath direct to Brynamman to access the western part of the National Park. The elusive link to Coelbren for Henrhyd Falls is now still available by service 62 connecting with the X64 at Ystradgynlais and a new direct bus has recently been introduced at 1000 from Swansea (1023 from Neath).

The main Brecon route retains five through services a day (not Sundays) and there is an additional return service from Brecon to Neath and Swansea at 17.55. The Powys Day Ranger ticket (£7.50 adult) is sold on the bus and with the new late return service from Brecon, a good day trip to Hay on Wye is now feasible with this ticket.

Find out more: Traveline Cymru

Richard Burton Trail

BayTrans is now promoting a series of walks in the Swansea Bay area which are designed around optimum use of public transport. A most interesting route is the Richard Burton Trail between Pontrhydyfen and Cwmafan which can be done as a round trip or in either direction as there are convenient bus stops close to ample parking at both ends….so you can get to it by bus both ways or by car then bus out, walk back

Find out more: BayTrans Country Walk 7

BayTrans 2012/13 Publications now available

For Swansea, Mumbles & Gower there is our very popular Gower Coast and Countryside with its excellent map to download and also available in print.

Gower Coast & Countryside pdf

For the Neath, Port Talbot and Valleys area, there is our Walks, Waterfalls & Hidden Wonders leaflet to download and also available in print.

Walks, Waterfalls & Hidden Wonders leaflet pdf

Walks, Waterfalls & Hidden Wonders leaflet (Welsh version)

A new Swansea Bay Visitor timetable is now available to download there is also a print version available locally for services up to 29 September

Swansea Bay Visitor timetable pdf

Gower Sunday Explorer leaflet gives bus times, fares and special offers for this BayTrans supported bus service

Gower Sunday Explorer pdf