Cheapest way to get to-and-from Strandhill ( for a non-car owner ) ?

Brite_Cloud

Cheapest way to get to-and-from Strandhill ( for a non-car owner ) ?

Well, anybody?


The bus is a little expensive - @ € 6.50 return

Mint Sauce

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

Cheapest way to get to-and-from Strandhill ( for a non-car owner ) ?

Well, anybody?


The bus is a little expensive - @ € 6.50 return

your not going to get any cheaper than the bus, unless you thumb, or get a friend to drive you

have you considered a cheap bike if making the journey often.

tbh, thought the bus was slightly less, if making the journey often you may be able to get a season ticket or multi trip ticket at a cheaper rate.

starbelgrade

Walking is free.

Mint Sauce

starbelgrade wrote: »

Walking is free.

how long would that take from town, 45mins - 1hr?

starbelgrade

irish-stew wrote: »

how long would that take from town, 45mins - 1hr?

Damned if I know.

Radharc na Sleibhte

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

Cheapest way to get to-and-from Strandhill ( for a non-car owner ) ?

Well, anybody?


The bus is a little expensive - @ € 6.50 return

Depends where from...

UrbanSea

You won't beat the bus.
Walking might take longer than an hour. Hitching is a good idea,I've often done it.

Brite_Cloud

irish-stew wrote: »

your not going to get any cheaper than the bus, unless you thumb, or get a friend to drive you

have you considered a cheap bike if making the journey often.

tbh, thought the bus was slightly less, if making the journey often you may be able to get a season ticket or multi trip ticket at a cheaper rate.

Have a bike - but it's always uphill and usually against a headwind on the way out. You wouldn't do it every evening.


It might be more like €6.40 (can't remember exact figure) . . . It's been a while (can't afford it).

I enquired about multi-trip tickets some months ago - was told there was only a 5 day one, used by school kids for 20 something Euros. Think it covered Mon to Fri only and had to be used five days straight for you to make any saving.

Profiteering ?

Does our national bus company have some form of ownership of Sligo's finest asset ?

Mint Sauce

only other suggestion would be to car share, find someone who makes the journey every day, and pay the driver a small cost towards petrol

UrbanSea

To be honest you aren't going to get cheaper than a bus,not just to Strandhill,but anywhere. Obviously,getting a lift or hitching are the most obvious ways bar walking or cycling to get out there,which have already been suggested,I'm not sure what kind of suggestions you were hoping for.

theintern

Quite a few people hitch into town from Strandhill, I've done it myself and picked the odd person up, as for out from town, you rarely see it, though that's not to say it can't be done..

Brite_Cloud

irish-stew wrote: »

only other suggestion would be to car share, find someone who makes the journey every day, and pay the driver a small cost towards petrol

Thanks, but don't know too many vehicle owners tbh.

greetings wrote: »

To be honest you aren't going to get cheaper than a bus,not just to Strandhill,but anywhere. Obviously,getting a lift or hitching are the most obvious ways bar walking or cycling to get out there,which have already been suggested,I'm not sure what kind of suggestions you were hoping for.

". . . cheaper than a bus . . . " you say. . . Shouldn't that be "cheaper than THE bus" ? They have no competition at the moment, so they can charge what they like, and that's the problem. But I'm sure you've all figured that out for yourselves by now.

Anybody out there with a couple of mini-buses, looking for some *EASY MONEY* !!? - ( send me a PM if you can't figure out where it is ).

theintern wrote: »

Quite a few people hitch into town from Strandhill, I've done it myself and picked the odd person up, as for out from town, you rarely see it, though that's not to say it can't be done..

You only pick up 'odd' people ? - Sounds risky

But seriously, thanks, I might try that sometime.

-

To everyone,

I've just done some basic calculations and worked out that B.E. are charging 40 cent per person for every 1000 metres (1 km) travelled (16 km round-trip). How does that compare to other routes ?

Honestly, electric-bicycles look more attractive every day.

Mint Sauce

I wouldn't even say theres a market for competition, i got the bus out to the airport one morning, maybe only 3 or 4 people including my self were on the bus the whole way from the various points in sligo town to strandhill. Some school kids got at about the half way point but that was about it.


Not sure what the price comparisions are. If they are slightly higher compared to other routes, it wouldn't surprise me for the numbers using it on my experience of the service. Due to the market for no competition and the small numbers using it, the charge what they like statment would be quite accurate.

In relation to your calculations, not sure the exact distance, its not a direct service, the bus does a circle of the town (sligo) before heading to strandhill, plus it also does a circuit of strandhill as well, plus going to the airport on demand, another reason for the possible charge, trying to make it accessable to everyone.

My biggest surprise about the service, that the bus does not connect with the dublin flight (full anytime i have used it), any time I used it, had to request the driver go to the airport and arrived 30 minutes before my flight, not to bad but if any delay or a large number using the service for that reason 30 minutes would be too short a time. Coming back had to request again, invloving a call to the station before leaving dublin, time table for bus was an hour after flight landed.

I'd still say look at the car share again, are you going to be making the journey often, maybe put a notice up in tescos or the champion, or one or two of the notice boards in strandhill village. Maybe check with one or two of the employers in Strandhill such as the airport of the development beside the airport. Bound to be somewhere there who wouldn't mind a few quid of the cost of their weekly fuel bill.

Brite_Cloud

irish-stew wrote: »

I wouldn't even say theres a market for competition, i got the bus out to the airport one morning, maybe only 3 or 4 people including my self were on the bus the whole way ...

If they had multi-trip tickets, I'm sure they'd improve those numbers, maybe even their profits.

Not sure what the price comparisions are. If they are slightly higher compared to other routes, it wouldn't surprise me for the numbers using it on my experience of the service. Due to the market for no competition and the small numbers using it ...

ditto

I'd still say look at the car share again, are you going to be making the journey often, maybe put a notice up in tescos or the champion, or one or two of the notice boards in strandhill village. Maybe check with one or two of the employers in Strandhill such as the airport of the development beside the airport. Bound to be somewhere there who wouldn't mind a few quid of the cost of their weekly fuel bill.

Thanks, but I'm looking for more freedom (and sometimes solitude) than these options allow.

~

P.S. - Another idea I've had would be for "someone" to consider providing an electric minibus service for Strandhill (and perhaps also Rosses Point). Short routes, such as these, would make an ideal test-bed for alternative energies, and would tie-in nicely with the ecological mindset of your typical beach-walker.

UrbanSea

I like the idea about the electric mini bus,but I can imagine that it wouldn't be the cheapest of technology to use for a service that clearly isn't profitable. I'd imagine such technology would only be introduced on routes that are in high demand.

pappyodaniel

@OP
I'm grinding my teeth reading this thread. Electric mini buses? :rolleyes: please....

€6.40return isn't at all expensive, it's €15-€20 one way by taxi!

My advice is get on your bike and cycle the 3.5 miles because any other suggestion alternative is either not viable or has been dismissed.

Xiney

Seriously - it's not that bad a cycle. If I could do it you can, I assure you.

Brite_Cloud

pappyodaniel wrote: »

@OP
I'm grinding my teeth reading this thread. Electric mini buses? :rolleyes: please....

€6.40return isn't at all expensive, it's €15-€20 one way by taxi!

My advice is get on your bike and cycle the 3.5 miles because any other suggestion alternative is either not viable or has been dismissed.

Are you seriously suggesting that it's acceptable for B.E. to charge way-over-the-odds just because it's taking you 'somewhere nice'?

Do we get anything in return? Do they secretly have employees walking the strand, picking up rubbish?

We need to do the calculations here - Does anyone here know how much the day-return fares are to Ballisodare, Collooney etc. ?

Someone, prove me wrong.

P.S. - It's at least 8 km (5 old-fashioned miles) to Strandhill.

A proper wild, west-coast beach. Unlike the bland, flat-pancake of Galway Bay

Xiney wrote: »

Seriously - it's not that bad a cycle. If I could do it you can, I assure you.

Did you make that journey several times per week? (Probably not)

Incidentally, three times a week on the bus would - currently - cost you almost ONE THOUSAND EURO per year. At the very least, this must be damaging to our local tourism sector.

I'm just trying to help.

bennyc

OP these are from the web in fairness 4.50 return is not bad .

Adult Single details... €3.06
Child Single details... €1.80
Adult Day Return details... €4.50
Child Day Return details... €3.60
Adult Return details... €4.50
Child Return details... €3.60
Adult 10 Journey details... €25.20
Student 10 Journey details... €21.60
Child 10 Journey details... €14.85

Mint Sauce

OP, may i ask, are you genuinely looking for a way to get to strandhill on a regular or occasional basis, or are you just looking to debate the the lack of travel opitons between sligo town and strandhill.

I ask because every possible suggestion has been offered and dismissed. If you are genuinely looking for a way in and out, double check again with BE to see if they offer a season ticket or a multi trip ticket. Or place a notice in the shops or with a local strandhill business to see if making the journey often, and offer them a few quid to save them on petrol. Or if you are looking for solitude as you said already, get on your bike, once you go up that hill a few times you wont even notice it.

dearg lady

bennyc wrote: »

OP these are from the web in fairness 4.50 return is not bad .

Adult Single details... €3.06
Child Single details... €1.80
Adult Day Return details... €4.50
Child Day Return details... €3.60
Adult Return details... €4.50
Child Return details... €3.60
Adult 10 Journey details... €25.20
Student 10 Journey details... €21.60
Child 10 Journey details... €14.85

4.50 return is quite good! I wouldn't get it much cheaper in Dublin, where services are much more widely used.

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

P.S. - It's at least 8 km (5 old-fashioned miles) to Strandhill.


Did you make that journey several times per week? (Probably not)

5 miles each way is not a particularly strenuous cycle by any stretch f the imagination, even taking into account hills. I'm not a particularly fit person but I cycle a 10 mile round trip most days.

Brite_Cloud

bennyc wrote: »

OP these are from the web in fairness 4.50 return is not bad .

Adult Single details... €3.06
Child Single details... €1.80
Adult Day Return details... €4.50
Child Day Return details... €3.60
Adult Return details... €4.50
Child Return details... €3.60
Adult 10 Journey details... €25.20
Student 10 Journey details... €21.60
Child 10 Journey details... €14.85

You, Sir . . . might be a liar. I've spent 20 mins trying to find your mystery - no link - internet prices.

Are these prices for the Strandhill Route?

Where can one find these online prices? - If you don't post a link, they don't exist.

irish-stew wrote: »

OP, may i ask, are you genuinely looking for a way to get to strandhill on a regular or occasional basis, or are you just looking to debate the the lack of travel opitons between sligo town and strandhill.

I suppose it's turned into more of a debate, although that wasn't my initial intention.

Are we allowed to debate things here? Have I broken any rules?

dearg lady wrote: »

5 miles each way is not a particularly strenuous cycle by any stretch f the imagination, even taking into account hills. I'm not a particularly fit person but I cycle a 10 mile round trip most days.

Dublin is very flat. Have you ever cycled from Sligo to Strandhill?

dearg lady

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

Dublin is very flat. Have you ever cycled from Sligo to Strandhill?

Where I work is on top a hill, quite a nasty one, it's a bit killer at the start but ya get used to it.

pappyodaniel

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

You, Sir . . . might be a liar. I've spent 20 mins trying to find your mystery - no link - internet prices.

Are these prices for the Strandhill Route?

Where can one find these online prices? - If you don't post a link, they don't exist.

that wasn't difficult :rolleyes:

Mint Sauce

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

I suppose it's turned into more of a debate, although that wasn't my initial intention.

Are we allowed to debate things here? Have I broken any rules?

no rules have been broken and debate is fine, carry on, was just looking to clarify your opening post considering how the thread progressed.

Xiney

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

Did you make that journey several times per week? (Probably not)

Yes and no, I made a different but same distance cycle 5x a week (there and back) for work. I had a couple of substantial hills as well.

This after not having cycled for years - so it was slow going for the first week or so but after that it was a breeze


I wasn't in any sort of good shape at all at the time either. You can do it, you just have to try it.

Brite_Cloud

All right, that's it for me I'm afraid. This will be my last post on this topic . . . Doctor's orders.

Those €4.50 prices do appear to be valid - but only if paid for online.

The 10 journey (5 round-trips) tickets are valid only for 7 days - and actually *COST YOU MORE* - €25.20 divided by 5 = €5.04 per return journey ???? . . . They must think we're stupid.

Maybe we are.

I would appreciate, if some of the clever people here, would post their final thoughts on how to bring in competition on the Strandhill / Rosses Point routes.

magnumlady

I think it will always end with the same thing. Not enough people to avail of services.
I really don't think it's too bad a price for a return journey though.

UrbanSea

Brite_Cloud wrote: »

Are these prices for the Strandhill Route?

Where can one find these online prices? - If you don't post a link, they don't exist.

That's strange thinking.

RenatavonB

Anyone travelling to Sligo from Strandhill on a daily basis or know anyone who is doing so?

I will be workin in Sligo from July and need a lift as the bus doesn't leave early enough and I need to be in work for 8am.

Any help greatly appreciated.