Tender, loving romantic routes ready to be devoured

There’s unbridled bus bliss to be cherished this week! What better way to treat your loved one than a Valentine’s delight on one of the adorable routes within the Great Scenic Journeys collection to melt hearts?

We’re passionate about the many fab bus adventures that can be enjoyed by all and as we build up to the big day, we’ll be showcasing a sprinkling of love dust on a few of our favourite, fab romantic journeys and destinations.

Love-struck in the Lake District on the 555 from Lancaster to Keswick

A languid, candlelit dinner before retreating to a cosy couch with a fireside view warming the cockles of the heart up in one of the lovely Lake District hotels and restaurants, is just the tonic for love-birds at the end of a scenic sojourn on Stagecoach’s 555 from Lancaster to Keswick. It’s also the start of a bus encounter to follow the next day, maybe the open topper 78 from Keswick to Seatoller (a great place for a marriage proposal on the upper deck?) or working up the courage to say ‘I love you’ on the X4/5 to Workington through beautiful Cockermouth, followed by a Cumbrian coast train ride off the beaten track in blissful solitude to Barrow and another bus back to Keswick. The 555 cuts to the heart of the Lake District, with a taste of everything, including the idyllic Bowness and Ambleside piers, stunning views of Lake Windermere, the Langdale Pikes and the gateway to great, romantic walks through silent woods, up enchanted mountains or to wonderful shops where many a cherished gift for your partner can be purchased. Soak up the atmosphere of the homeland of William Wordsworth and be inspired by some of his poetry at the Wordsworth Museum. This really is a heavenly bus route to be cherished and it’s easy to get to by train to Lancaster from London, Scotland and the Midlands.

Number 555 Lancaster – Keswick – Great Scenic Journeys

Shopping paradise transitions to blissful beauty on the 65 from Meadowhall to Buxton

Love is never blind with views from the bus window on this adorable scenic journey overlooking Yorkshire and the star-struck Derbyshire Peak District below. Sumptuous Stagecoach serves up another amorous treat which combines shopping paradise and the chance for a Valentines pressie for your loved one at Meadowhall before the bright lights of Sheffield are kissed goodbye and you are whisked away to the scenic delights of the Peak District, of fascinating valleys, villages and wildlife. This is not a trip for the faint-hearted, and there’s lots of gorging on gorgeous gorges along the two rivers – Wye and Derwent before seeing where only fools fall in love, as the bus joyfully passes the blissful village of Foolow before curling up in Buxton. Sadly inhibitions can’t be cast aside at the famous Roman Bath, but you can pay this great place a visit and fall in love looking at this amazing sculpture of the past, popular with roman lovers. Then maybe soothe and soak in the natural minerals at the nearby Buxton Crescent Wellness Spa before another shared cultural experience at the Buxton Opera House or a lovely ice-cream or hot chocolate to melt the heart at one of the many intimate coffee shops. If the weather’s kind, then a romantic stroll, arm in arm, round The Pavilion Gardens, at peace with nature, with love-birds fluttering around is just the tonic.

65 Meadowhall – Buxton – Great Scenic Journeys

Derry delight gives way to gushing Galway on the 64

The fire of love burns bright on the brilliant Bus Eireann and its Expressway coach service, drives many a lover wild with its many romantic scenic journeys across all parts of Ireland. One of the very best is this scenic sojourn to Galway, which has long been renowned as a top-notch destination for intimacy, tender love but also brief encounters. The heart beats fast in bustling Derry, a city resplendent in nightlife and beautiful architecture and a place that hosts many a hot date. Onto the coach and there’s a real sense of ambience and vibe on a trip with stunning views of rolling hills, wild beauty and pretty Irish villages before arriving in Galway, the most eclectic of cities, where there’s something for everyone. Staring in your lover’s eyes, whilst walking hand-in-hand across the cobbled streets of Galway’s Quay Street, gazing at colourful buildings, popping in and out of boutique shops and maybe taking in the Claddagh Ring Experience to learn the history of a ring that symbolises love, loyalty and friendship, is the perfect romantic experience. Cruise down River Corrib, gazing at the luscious scenery and into the eyes of your partner before a fine-dining, candlelit dinner in one of the copious seafood restaurants, devouring oysters and with a sip of champagne is the ultimate Valentine’s Day to remember and it’s all made possible by the relaxing, becalming Expressway.

Expressway Route 64 Galway – Derry – Great Scenic Journeys

Pastel perfection as pulses race on the 64 from Ipswich to Aldeburgh

Big city romantic nights out are all very well, but sometimes those serenest retreats away from noise, drama and attention are more seductive. The 64 First Bus from idyllic Ipswich to Aldeburgh is a route to give you butterflies, with its market town vitality and charm left behind as the bus winds its way towards the Suffolk coast, through rolling farmyard pastures, stopping off at the pretty town of Woodbridge with its hidden gem, cosy shops and pubs before finding love in Aldeburgh, the most picturesque of seaside resorts. Each twist and turn will make you quiver as the sea gets closer and cute pastel buildings tear at the heart strings in this underrated town, where the cold sea air whips up an unforgettable feeling on the solitude of an expansive pebble beach, with the chill making cheeks rosy. Two wonderful independent book shops in the High Street give ample opportunity to find a romantic novel to lose yourself in, gazing out onto the sea before catching the 64 back to the bright lights.

64 Ipswich – Aldeburgh – Great Scenic Journeys

Cupid strikes on the Sherwood Arrow, Retford to Nottingham

It used to be the single person’s party paradise, with a ridiculous myth of there being 5 gents to every female, but Nottingham is now one of the hottest destinations in the UK for love-struck folk. Intimate restaurants in secluded parts of the City, surrounded by ornate, but the most eclectic of architecture and winding, narrow streets, with the mist rolling in from the River Trent, creates the perfect vibe. Maybe sip cocktails in one of the trendy bars, before a jig on the dance floor of the many nightclubs which are just the tonic for lovers of all ages. So too, the chance to be seduced by Stagecoach’s Sherwood Arrow service as cupid unleashes his bow, alongside deep, green fields and tree-lined lanes, through eye-candy Nottinghamshire villages with perfectly manicured gardens and maybe an overnight stay en route at Center Parcs in one of the lovely log cabins, close to the bus route but deep in the forest away from the stresses and strains of modern life and just the sound of birds tweeting overhead as the night draws in and sun sets romantically the next day. It’s a perfect journey from Retford with its own beauty, including the delightful Idle Valley Nature Reserve, where there are soul-seeking walking trails and over 250 species of love-birds.

Nottinghamshire – Great Scenic Journeys

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 

Bus trips really are everyone’s “happily ever after” and in truth, there’s romantic beauty in all of our 200 routes within the delightful Great Scenic Journeys collection and something for all tastes, so share the love and plan your romantic scenic sojourn for Valentines by checking out Home – Great Scenic Journeys