The New Forest Tourific

The New Forest Tour open top bus started its 2013 timetable on Saturday, including a brand new route via Shorefield Country Park. I decided to try out the new blue route to see what fantastic attractions you could see if you decided to hop on this summer.

I start my journey at Shorefield Country Park, where once I had paid for the ticket I received an official guide which includes details on the various attractions, ideas on days out as well as a Brand New Forest card which gives you discount at a number of business’ throughout the New Forest. As the sun was shining I made my way straight to the top deck so I could get the best view of the journey.

The bus then made its way to the seafront at Barton on Sea with spectacular views across the Solent and an ideal location for walks along the bottom of the cliffs, where you might even find fossils of shells, plants or sharks teeth. We then made our way through New Milton and onto Burley, famous for the donkey and ponies that roam around the village as well as former tales of witches, smuggling and dragons. You can also treat yourself to some New Forest Cider or some fudge  both of which are made in the village.

Brockenhurst is the next highlight of the tour, which is one of the largest villages in the New Forest. It’s the perfect place to hire bikes or a New Forest Twizy; an electric car, making it an incredibly environmentally friendly way of exploring the forest. There are lots of places to eat and drink in Brockenhurst so it makes an excellent stop off point and you can also cross over to the green route which covers the South East area of the forest.

Next stop is Lymington, famous for its costal location on the edge of the New Forest. There’s plenty to see in Lymington including the harbour, quay and bustling high street. After that we head to Milford on Sea, which offers more beautiful views across to the Isle of Wight, especially from nearby Keyhaven. The bus soon arrives back at Shorefield Country Park, where we alight.

I found the blue route ideal for anyone who wants to see several different sides to the forest; you’ll not only see plenty of New Forest ponies, you also get to see the diverse towns and villages that make up the forest as well as beautiful coastal views. The audio commentary on each location was very useful and I found out quite a lot about this fascinating area. The best thing is that your £13 day ticket can be used on all routes so you can explore even more of the New Forest including Fordingbridge, Lyndhurst, Beaulieu and many more attractions along the way. Also, dogs and under-fives can travel for free on all routes and you can even bring your bike on board.

The tour arrives every six minutes past the hour from 10:06 to 17:06 daily near the zebra crossing just inside the entrance at Shorefield Country Park. Tickets can be bought from the driver at the time of your journey. WI