Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

Swindon Shuttle bus

Post information relating to the Royal International Air Tattoo here.
Post Reply
Darrenxh558
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2017 9:25 am

Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by Darrenxh558 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:37 am

Hi I’m thinking of using the shuttle bus from Swindon Bus Station this just wondering how good/reliable it is from people who have used it in the past?

User avatar
Adam Palmer
Posts: 164
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 5:26 pm
Location: Colchester

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by Adam Palmer » Mon Jul 09, 2018 12:08 pm

I have used the bus every time and again this year. Very good bus every 15mins I think not too sure. Pay at the station £4 per person and drops you at one of the gates and you get on where dropped off.

pg1610
Posts: 2376
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:32 pm

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by pg1610 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 12:20 pm

Adam Palmer wrote:
Mon Jul 09, 2018 12:08 pm
I have used the bus every time and again this year. Very good bus every 15mins I think not too sure. Pay at the station £4 per person and drops you at one of the gates and you get on where dropped off.
Drops at yellow so the far eastern end of the airfield and price is £6
unless bought with entry ticket in advance, Yo do need an entry ticket though to buy a bus ticket
Phil

Darrenxh558
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2017 9:25 am

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by Darrenxh558 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:26 pm

Ok thanks whereabouts does the bus pick you up front in Swindon Bus Station?

User avatar
sneezy24
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:49 pm
Contact:

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by sneezy24 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:00 pm

Worked well for me with one exception - last year (Saturday) the driver seemed to get lost and ended up doing a multi-point turn in a country lane!

Normally picks up at the far bay at the bus station. If you are arriving on the train, about a 5min walk from the Swindon railway station.
Canon EOS 80D
Canon 70-300 USM II
Canon 18-135 USM
Uniden 125XLT
Canon 50mm 1.8
Panasonic Lumix TZ70

Darrenxh558
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2017 9:25 am

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by Darrenxh558 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:06 pm

Cheers if I need to buy a ticket for the shuttle bus on the day do I need to buy a ticket from the stagecoach shop at the station or do I just get on the bus and a ticket like normal?

User avatar
Adam Palmer
Posts: 164
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 5:26 pm
Location: Colchester

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by Adam Palmer » Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:55 pm

Darrenxh558 wrote:
Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:06 pm
Cheers if I need to buy a ticket for the shuttle bus on the day do I need to buy a ticket from the stagecoach shop at the station or do I just get on the bus and a ticket like normal?
I seem to remember they were selling them next to the bus. Not 100% sure.

User avatar
sneezy24
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:49 pm
Contact:

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by sneezy24 » Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:02 am

I buy mine in advance so don't know.

If you don't have an admission ticket to the air show, they won't let you on the bus!

The busses are a bit 'tired', a couple of years ago I though we were going to have to get out and push as we came up the hill into Swindon! I think they use the same fleet for rail-airfield shuttle at F'Boro...
Canon EOS 80D
Canon 70-300 USM II
Canon 18-135 USM
Uniden 125XLT
Canon 50mm 1.8
Panasonic Lumix TZ70

Darrenxh558
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2017 9:25 am

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by Darrenxh558 » Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:23 am

Cheers if I buy the shuttle bus ticket with my admission ticket would I need to print the bus ticket out?

User avatar
sneezy24
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:49 pm
Contact:

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by sneezy24 » Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:26 am

My ticket says "With Swindon Shuttle Bus" - don't think I got a separate bus ticket.
Canon EOS 80D
Canon 70-300 USM II
Canon 18-135 USM
Uniden 125XLT
Canon 50mm 1.8
Panasonic Lumix TZ70

pg1610
Posts: 2376
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:32 pm

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by pg1610 » Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:42 am

:Oops: bus route purple is solid traffic from 3 miles out as of 09.30
Phil

User avatar
sneezy24
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:49 pm
Contact:

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by sneezy24 » Sat Jul 14, 2018 7:33 am

I've used the shuttle 4 times, sometimes a little slow, but this time (Friday) it was solid!

Ended up getting off before Kempsford and walking, (1.5-2 miles) arrived at 10:30 (left Swindon at 8:55).

Return was very bad - left Fairford at 17:05, got to Swindon at 18:40...

Not good enough, they seem to have 'improved' the traffic management. I don't think it was broken so why fix it!

Great day though, pity the RAF100 flypast was cancelled but I did see it in London.
Canon EOS 80D
Canon 70-300 USM II
Canon 18-135 USM
Uniden 125XLT
Canon 50mm 1.8
Panasonic Lumix TZ70

DAVEBRAD
Posts: 288
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:12 am

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by DAVEBRAD » Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:28 pm

hi,
I was on that bus, 0855 from Swindon about 3.5 mis from Fairford started hitting the traffic, the driver said this surposed to be for buses coaches and vip passes only . We were going down some very narrow lanes the bus hitting the trees branches then traffic comes head on, our driver got out and got them to reverse to a wider spot, got to the airfield about 1040. Why can't they make it one way, as long as the buses are inbound, the return journey was 35mins...

Apart for the weather forcing the flypast off, i enjoyed the show, the flying crews were letting you into cockpits allover, i did the CAF C.130, the USAF one, even into the Osprey! But the qeues were to long for the E.3 and the Extender..

User avatar
sneezy24
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:49 pm
Contact:

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by sneezy24 » Sun Jul 15, 2018 7:19 am

We must have been on the same bus! The driver kept his cool very well!

What time did you return? My return was a nightmare, queuing at Blunsden. I'm sure we did a different return route last year?

Good day out though, driving Monday for departures.
Canon EOS 80D
Canon 70-300 USM II
Canon 18-135 USM
Uniden 125XLT
Canon 50mm 1.8
Panasonic Lumix TZ70

User avatar
dicanio
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 6:30 pm
Location: Hampshire

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by dicanio » Sun Jul 15, 2018 5:59 pm

Sorry you guys had a rubbish journey.

On Saturday I took the 0710 shuttle, arriving 0740, and through security at 0810.

Leaving Fairford I was on the 1520, arriving Swindon 1545.

I always plan on early in, early home, to miss the traffic carnage.

Cheers
DC

User avatar
sneezy24
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:49 pm
Contact:

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by sneezy24 » Sun Jul 15, 2018 6:14 pm

Think I'll drive next year, the whole journey was pretty crap! Train to Swindon from Reading was 27 mins late, then 1.5 hours to get to FFD. Total 3.5 hours Wokingham to FFD.

Return wasn't much better (but trains were OK), took 2h 40mins in total.

If I drive, at least I can sit in A/C comfort with some music/radio to keep me sane!
Canon EOS 80D
Canon 70-300 USM II
Canon 18-135 USM
Uniden 125XLT
Canon 50mm 1.8
Panasonic Lumix TZ70

keithholden
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 8:03 pm

Re: Swindon Shuttle bus

Post by keithholden » Mon Jul 16, 2018 5:05 pm

Used the first bus every morning Wednesday to Monday. Absolutely no problems. Various times coming back each day. Again no problems.
Been using the shuttle for many years. No problems

Post Reply

Return to “RIAT”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: acsmith117, bob909, Callum1998, Flightline UK, johnb, MattMckie, Mikey1050, poison 143, timliu00 and 41 guests