In May, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her plan for ‘Great British Summer Savings’- a UK-wide scheme to help families enjoy this summer. One of the savings is free bus travel for children throughout August, helping families across England get out and explore. Well, this pricked up our ears as we love a good bus!

Here’s the deal:

Children aged 5 to fifteen can travel for free on participating local bus services across England from 1st to 31st August.

No Registration Needed: You don’t need passes, apps, or prior registration. Kids can just hop on and ride.
Unlimited Journeys: There are no limits on the number of trips they can take between August 1 and August 31.
All major operators and local transport providers in Oxfordshire are participating. This includes Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and Stagecoach. Please check directly for smaller independent operators that run quiet rural lines or community-run buses.
There is also still FREE park and ride travel on services into and around Oxford city too.

Updates on the scheme will be published on the dedicated GOV.UK website: https://costoflivinghelp.campaign.gov.uk/summer-savings

We reached out to Scott Urban, a founding member of Oxfordshire Liveable Streets and a local resident and parent who has years of experience taking his family out and about around Oxfordshire using public transport. In this blog he kindly wrote for us, Scott takes us on a tour around the Chilterns with loads of tips and suggestions for days out. We also dive deeper into the X40 bus route, picking out all the hot spots for a fun-filled way to get out and about.

Scott Writes:

The Chilterns are arguably Oxford's most overlooked natural resource. If you hanker for woods to "bathe" in or just some slopes and views, look no further. Children enjoy and need this as much as adults do, so there's every reason to point the whole gang toward our hills to the south for a great day out.

Public transport makes pretty much all of this accessible without a car. This isn't just green or virtuous -- bus and train options give you a way to plot end-to-end routes that unfold a much larger section of Chilterns than any car-based plan can do.

I've written the following suggestions in order of challenge and distance, and therefore probably age range.

Woodcote

The village of Woodcote, near Goring, is a great starting point for first adventures in the Chilterns. It's on a direct bus route from Oxford: the X40 River Rapids. From here, it's downhill to a host of villages on the Thames, meaning you can get a train back to Oxford from any of them. For example, you can follow the Chilterns Way from Woodcote to Goring (about 4 miles). Progressively longer options are Goring-Pangbourne (around 4 miles) and Goring-Caversham/Reading (about 8 miles). Or plan a circular walk returning to Woodcote if your group fancies a bit more of a challenge.

Nettlebed

Another option from Woodcote, rather than heading down to the Thames basin, is to go cross-Chilterns to reach Nettlebed (about 6 miles distant from Woodcote). The halfway point is Stoke Row, where you can have a look at Maharajah's Well and maybe drop into the local award-winning bakery. This could end up as a culinary-themed excursion since Nettlebed itself has some delightful eateries.

The real treat associated with Nettlebed is Warburg Nature Reserve. It's an easy walk from Nettlebed and yet leaves you feeling in a mountain valley miles and miles from the otherwise high-density South-East England region. A great day-trip from Oxford is to walk the 3.5 miles from Nettlebed to Stonor Park Estate, via the Warburg Nature Reserve. At Stonor, kids can indulge in the large forest-themed playpark and cafe. Just be sure to leave enough time for the 3.5 miles back to Nettlebed, as there isn't any other public transport option nearby.

You can’t get to Nettlebed directly from Oxford, but via the 33 bus route, which goes through Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford, Benson (change from the X40 bus route), Nettlebed, Bix and onto Henley.

Watlington

As you get a bit more ambitious (or as the kids get older), you can really start diving into some deep Chilterns woodlands and great topography. For example, you could walk from Nettlebed to Watlington via the delightfully named Pishill or via Stonor Park itself (between 7 and 10 miles depending upon route).

Watlington isn't in the Chilterns per se, but it's immediately at the foot of them, and has a good bus link to Oxford via the number 11 bus, though with limited frequency. (For those living in OX4, it has the added benefit of departing/arriving from the Templars Square area.)

Ibstone

If you really want the dramatic-slopes and ancient-forest experience, treat yourself to the woodlands between Christmas Common (above Watlington) and Ibstone, and to the areas immediately surrounding Ibstone. You won't believe you're in SouthEast England. Rather like Stonor, Ibstone can't be reached directly by public transport, but you can walk from Watlington or from Stokenchurch. And yes, Stokenchurch-to-Watlington via Ibstone is a terrific idea. Also good -- but tougher and longer -- is Stokenchurch to Nettlebed via Ibstone and Pishill.

Not far from Ibstone is Turville, where the windmill scene from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was filmed. You can climb the hill to the windmill, enjoying great views and a fun tumble for the children. Pubs are not in short supply here, either, and are all family-friendly.

TOP TIPS

OS Maps is a must. It's a good idea to invest in the OS Maps subscription to plan your walk and to plot your way en route. Use OS Maps on your desktop browser to do the planning (you can create, name and save a route); use the OS Maps app on your phone on the day you walk.
Google Maps is your friend. Just plug any of these villages into Google Maps, along with your starting point, and you'll immediately understand the possibilities by public transport. It will suggest train journeys where appropriate, e.g. journeys that involve Goring, Pangbourne, Reading and Princes Risborough.
Don't lose sleep over footwear. If the kids enjoy walking in their everyday trainers, let them. A great tip is to procure some kids' woollen socks. That way, even if their feet get wet, the socks will keep the feet warmer and more comfortable than would be the case with cotton socks.
Lewknor can be a back-up plan if you miss your Watlington bus. You can get an Oxford-bound Oxford Tube from here at a very high frequency, but just be aware that the fares won’t be part of the free bus travel offer.
If you're reaching out for a slightly longer distance than the kids have done previously, have a game up your sleeve to take little ones' minds off the distance. Kids love mental challenge games

All hail the X40 - Your gateway to South Oxfordshire and the Chilterns

The X40 between Oxford and Reading is operated by Thames Travel and leaves Oxford City Centre from St Aldates heading out along the Abingdon Road. You can also pick it up from Redbridge Park and Ride. Options along this route include:

Travelling by bus means that the adventure starts before we get to our destination and we love seeing the world from a new perspective on the top deck!

Keira from Little Oxplorers

Harcourt Arboretum - Get off at Nuneham Courtney and enter this oasis. Perfect for a hot day. Explore 130 acres of picturesque landscape, woodland and wildflower meadow. Kids are free (adults are £9 each).
Queensford Lake - Get off at Berinsfield for activities such as open-water swimming, kayaking, and a giant inflatable obstacle course. There's also The Burrow, a community-owned cafe in the Berin Centre and Better Leisure’s Abbey Sports Centre.
Benson - Jump off at Benson for The Waterfront Cafe. You can also hire boats here and take a lovely walk along the Thames path. Head into Benson for an amazing kids playpark at Sunnyside. You canswitch buses to the 33 and head up to Nettlebed as per Scott's suggestion
Wallingford - Definitely worth a stop off. Wallingford has a splash park and outside swimming pool beside the river as well as ‘Wallingford beach’ a designated bathing area (follow river swimming safety advice). You can also check out the Castle Gardens and have a sit beside Agatha Christie! Loads of pubs and cafe’s to try too.

Photo: Have a chat with Agatha Christie in Wallingford (where she lived until her death in 1976). She sits in front of the Wallingford Museum. Also worth a visit.

We’d love to hear about your car-free travel tips. Get in touch at info@oxfordtraveloptions.co.uk.