Please check my bus/ferry info....

[sue58]

We will be in Bermuda for 3 days (weekdays) next week and I want to make sure that I have the right directions for a few of the places I want to see. I am hoping that some of the people familiar with the transit system will have a quick look and see if I'm on the right track. Thanks for any help/suggestions.

 

We will be docked at King's Wharf and will be using the buses and ferries from the Dockyard. Right now I am only listing the places I'm pretty sure that I will be visiting. I'm planning on buying the transit passes for the convenience - 2-day pass for sure, maybe 3.

 

Buses

From the Dockyard - bus stop in front of National Museum of Bermuda, Clocktower Mall

take # 7 to:

Somerset - approx. 10 minutes

Scaur Hill Fort & Park

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse

Horseshoe Bay / Warwick Long Bay - approx. 35-40 minutes or 20-25 minutes on Express bus which will say SPECIAL on front

Hamilton - approx. 1 hour

 

# 8 also goes to the first three places listed

 

The pink bus poles are for the buses going towards Hamilton.

The blue poles are for the buses going away from Hamilton.

Hamilton main bus terminal is at Washington & Church Sts. - take # 7 or # 8 to return to the Dockyard

 

Ferry

Blue route: Dockyard to Hamilton - approx. 20 minutes

Orange route Dockyard to St. George's - approx. 45 minutes.

* I checked the times for the ferry to St. George's and it looks like it goes 6 times a day from the Dockyard but I have read elsewhere that it only goes 3 times a day.

*I am seeing different things on different maps that I have found....does the blue ferry between the Dockyard and Hamilton do a direct route or is it a route that makes two stops on Somerset Island. Looks like there might be both direct ferries and the slower/more scenic ferries which run clockwise from Hamilton.

Pink route is the inner harbour from Hamilton but it is not included in the regular transit pass.

 

I've really appreciated it when people posted links to helpful info so I've listed a few here.

Bus routes: http://www.gov.bm/portal/server.pt?space=CommunityPage&control=SetCommunity&CommunityID=252

List of popular spots in Bermuda and which bus to take: http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_000071.htm

Ferry routes: http://experiencebermuda.com/transportation/winter_schedule_2011_12.pdf

Map of Hamilton: http://www.experiencebermuda.com/maps/pdf/HamiltonMap.pdf

[SailBadtheSinner]

The link you have listed is the Winter Schedule, 11/11 to 04/12:

Ferry routes: http://experiencebermuda.com/transpo...le_2011_12.pdf

 

Summer schedule: http://seaexpress.bm/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_13212_283_1766_43/http%3B/ptpublisher.gov.bm%3B7087/publishedcontent/publish/ministry_of_tourism_and_transport/sea_express/dept___seeaexpress__ferry_schedule_new/summer_schedule_2012__web_.pdf

 

You listed Gibbs Hill Lighthouse as being accessible from the route of the #8 bus, but the walk to the lighthouse is shorter if you take the route #7 bus.

 

I would only recommend taking the bus from Hamilton to the Dockyard if the ferries are not running. 20 minutes on the ferry vs 60 minutes on the bus. JMHO.

 

Since the ferry schedule for the Dockyard <> St George shows 6 trips per weekday, please provide the source for only 3 trips. In 2011, only 3 trips were done in the summer. Could that be it?

 

On weekdays only, there are 5 ferry departures from Hamilton that stop at Waterford Bridge and Cavello Bay and return to Hamilton. Times are at 6:50am, 7:50am, 4:10pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm. The other ferry departures from Hamilton would be direct to the Dockyard.

 

This is just semantics but the buses are either outbound from Hamilton or inbound to Hamilton. A mnemonic for remembering the bus stop pole colors: BOB is my friend (Blue Out Bound). Anyway, outbound works better with the mnemonic than buses going away from.

 

 

SBtS

 

[flowers44]

Don't be afraid to ask the bus driver or any of the Bermudians on the bus. They will be glad to give you directions and are very helpful. If you ask the bus driver to let you off at say Gibbs Lighthouse, he will stop and tell you when he reaches your stop. They are very glad to assist the tourists.

[sue58]

Thanks for the replies. I don't know how I managed to post the link for the winter schedule for the ferries because I was definitely looking at the summer one....that's where I saw the 6 times per day. I must have been looking at an older post that mentioned 3 times a day for the ferry to St. George - been doing so much reading on the forums and am not always checking the dates of the posts.

 

SBtS - I like your BOB mnemonic - will be using that to remember the colours.

 

I think the #7 bus between the Dockyard and Hamilton might be nice once - just to see a bit of the scenery. I'll be seeing a bit anyway when I go to Warwick Long Bay/Horseshoe Bay.

 

flowers44 - I will be asking the driver to please let us know when we have reached our destination, that way I can sit back and enjoy the ride instead of worrying if I'm going to miss my stop. I have no problems asking for directions or information when I travel and have had some very nice conversations with locals....always nice to pick up some local information and recommendations.

[SailBadtheSinner]

Thanks for the replies. ....................

 

.................

 

I think the #7 bus between the Dockyard and Hamilton might be nice once - just to see a bit of the scenery. I'll be seeing a bit anyway when I go to Warwick Long Bay/Horseshoe Bay.

 

.....................

 

 

Sue -

 

The recent experience I had with the route #7 bus when I went from Hamilton to Warwick Bay & Horseshoe Bay to the Dockyards was this. The only time I was able to see any scenery was when the bus stopped to pick up or drop off passengers. The road is narrow and flanked on each side with fences, shrubbery and other vegetation which in most cases went to the sides of the road. And the speed they drive the buses makes it almost impossible to enjoy what you can see. It is not like here in the states, where on most country roads you generally have good vistas to enjoy.

 

I must admit that for part of the ride I was standing (be prepared for that), but when I did sit, I concentrated on holding which may have detracted from my ability to enjoy any of the scenery I could see.

 

YMMV

 

 

SBtS

[biker@sea]

( Horseshoe Bay / Warwick Long Bay - approx. 35-40 minutes or 20-25 minutes on Express bus which will say SPECIAL on front

Hamilton - approx. 1 hour )

 

Special busses

only goes to Hourseshoe bay beach and back to dockyard.

[sue58]

Okay, ferry it is to Hamilton. I will treat the bus ride from the Dockyard to Horseshoe Bay like a fast and wild amusement park ride. :)

 

Good to know there are the special buses between Horseshoe Bay and the Dockyard. Do you know if they go to Warwick Long Bay? I had wanted to go there first and then walk back to Horseshoe Bay beach. Maybe I'll have to take the regular bus to go that extra distance.

[SailBadtheSinner]

....................... :)

 

Good to know there are the special buses between Horseshoe Bay and the Dockyard. Do you know if they go to Warwick Long Bay? I had wanted to go there first and then walk back to Horseshoe Bay beach. Maybe I'll have to take the regular bus to go that extra distance.

 

The special buses only go only Dockyard <> Horseshoe Bay. Why don't you take a regular bus to Warwick Bay and walk to Horseshoe Bay and there catch the special bus back to the Dockyard.

 

Since you mentioned walking from Warwick Bay to HSB, I'll tell you about my recent experience. I answer a lot of posts about the paths and have a satellite photo that shows the paths. I was so certain I had memorized the correct paths to walk, I did not print a copy of the satellite photo. Were things different at ground level. I took more wrong paths and ended up walking at least twice the normal distance. Make sure you take a copy of the satellite photo with you; it is located here.

 

Here are printing instructions:

• Place cursor over map and right click;
  
• From the drop down menu, select - View Image;
  
• The map will now be centered on the screen with a black background surrounding it;
  
• From the top menu bar, select - File > Page Setup >
  
  • Orientation - Landscape
    
  • Scale - Shrink to Fit
    
    
  • Margins & Header/Footer - set Margins to zero (0), set Headers/Footers to --blank--
    
  • Select OK
    

   

  [*]From the top menu bar, select - File > Print Preview > Print.

If you have a problem printing, post back to this thread.

 

 

SBtS

[sue58]

Thanks for the map SBtS, I just printed it and will bring it with me along with my other maps, directions, etc.

 

I will take the regular bus to Warwick Long Bay and then walk over to Horseshoe and return to the Dockyard from there. I wanted to start at Warwick because it should be quieter and also we will appreciate the facilities at Horseshoe (drinks, etc) after the walk over, especially if it is a hot day.