Open-Tops 2024

Over the last couple of years I have maintained a list of open-top bus services here on the blog, as ever since childhood I’ve always had a soft spot for open-top buses. Yesterday I decided to make the most of the warm sunny weather that had finally arrived to take a trip down to Eastbourne to sample the open-top operation there, which was recently acquired by Go-Ahead Group’s Brighton & Hove from the now-closed independent Seven Sisters Bus & Coach (along with a walk along the Birling Gap and Beachy Head clifftops, a round of crazy golf and some fish and chips sat on the beach). This led me to have another quick review of the current open-top bus listing, which I have been gradually updating over the last few weeks while this year’s services have been announced.

Four operators have confirmed by email to me that four services which operated in 2023 will NOT be returning this year:

• Baslow to Castleton ‘Breezer’ (Hulleys of Baslow)
• ‘Bridlington Explorer’ (Go-Ahead East Yorkshire)
• Cardiff to Penarth ‘Skycar’ 99 (Cardiff Bus)
• Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth ‘hop222’ (Stagecoach South West)

Four other services listed below have not been confirmed at the time of writing, however I will update the open-top page and blog’s Facebook page with any news as and when it becomes available:

• City Sightseeing Derry – The operator’s own website for this service is no longer online and City Sightseeing’s official website simply reads “City Sightseeing Derry-Londonderry will return in 2024”.
• City Sightseeing Norwich – The former operator, Awayadays, have updated their website to say that the service is “currently suspended, effective Spring 2024 until a new operator can be found following the passing of operator David McMaster in 2023”. City Sightseeing’s official website has no other information.
• Coastal Breezer 400 – The Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire website still has a notice from last year reading “Our Coastal Breezer service has now ended for this season, the service will return next summer!”, however as it didn’t commence until the school holidays last year then it’s possible we may have to wait until closer to this year’s summer holidays to find out more.
• Southsea Coaster 50 – I contacted First Solent about whether this service was likely to return, but just got a response saying to look at the website. So judging by there being no mention of it on the Adventures by Bus website anymore and the vehicle used having now returned to Cornwall (with modified livery), one can only assume that we probably won’t be seeing it return this year.

Should there be any further news on the above four services, or indeed if any new services not already mentioned are announced and launched, then I will of course update the page accordingly as well as our Facebook page.

So, if you fancy a trip out on an open-top bus then why not have a peruse over this year’s offering by visiting my open-top bus service page. You can do this by clicking the link in the menu at the top of each page or by clicking here.

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