It often feels as though the number of cars on the road is increasing almost exponentially. You can drive anywhere and get the sense that hundreds, if not thousands, of other people are doing the same thing. What that means is that the roads are choked, and getting a car parking space in towns and cities can be an absolute nightmare. Guildford is no exception to that, which is why the Park and Ride service has become more and more popular, making it the easiest and most sensible way to get into Guildford.
What Is the Park and Ride Service?
In simple terms, the Park and Ride service sees you drive to a specific area, park your car, and then get the bus into Guildford town centre. The car parks on offer are Artington and Merrow, where the car parks are free for you to park your car, so you only have to pay for the cost of getting the bus. The bus itself will then drop you off at the Friary in Guildford town centre, which is also where you need to head to in order to get the bus back to your chosen car park so you can jump back in your car and make your way to your next destination.
As you can imagine, this is a significantly more convenient service than driving around Guildford trying to find a parking space, struggling to do so, and then paying through the nose for the privilege. The cost of the bus from the Park and Ride locations is significantly cheaper than car parks would be, so it’s also the most cost-effective way of getting around. Unless you have access to a private car park where you know you’ll be guaranteed a space, perhaps thanks to the company you work for, the Park and Ride might be your best option.
Getting the Service That’s Right for You
Although Guildford did offer four Park and Ride services in the past, the changing working patterns of people as well as the move to shop online more than in person have meant that the number of people travelling into the centre of the town has dropped off quite dramatically. As a result, the decision was taken by Stagecoach in association with Guildford Borough Council and Surrey County Council to remove the 100 service from Onslow and the service to the Spectrum from the rotation of Park and Ride options.
That means that you’re left with the 200 from Artington and the 300 from Merrow as your main options if you want to take advantage of the Park and Ride service. Which one you use will depend entirely on your own situation and which is the more convenient for you, with the following meaning the main information about each:
Artington
The 200 service from the car park at Artington begins at 7:35 a.m. Monday to Saturday, running for 12 hours through until 7:35 p.m. The buses run every 20 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes during the daytime. It takes around eight minutes for the bus to complete its journey into the centre of the town, with extra pickup stops close to the Park and Ride site and extra drop-off sites as the bus approaches Guildford, meaning that you can get off at The Mount or Lawn Road if you want to.
The Artington Park and Ride is located on Old Portsmouth Road, GU3 1LP.
Merrow
It is the 300 service that runs from Merrow into Guildford, with bus services beginning at 7:45am and continuing until 7:30pm. When it is peak times, you will find that the buses run every 20 minutes, which changes to every 30 minutes once it’s in the daytime and demand isn’t as high. The journey from the car park in Merrow into the centre of Guildford lasts for around 12 minutes. The 300 service also stops at Merrow Church, Jenner Road, and Guildford Library, giving you options as to where to get on or off.
The Merrow Park and Ride is located on Epsom Road, GU4 7AA.
How to Use the Park and Ride
If you have decided that the Park and Ride is going to be the best service for you, then the main thing that you’ll want to think about is how best to use it. The answer will obviously depend entirely on how often you’ll be heading into Guildford and how regularly you’ll want to do so courtesy of the Park and Ride bus. There is a ticket available for a day’s worth of journeys, for example, or a single if you think you’ll only be heading into Guildford on the Park and Ride bus but not back out to your car using it.
If you’re going to head in and out of Guildford courtesy of the Park and Ride all week, it might make the most sense for you to pick up a 7-Day MegaRider. If you’re the kind of person who knows you’ll be heading to work or for your own purposes several times a week for the whole month, you can look to get a 28-Day MegaRider instead. Regular travellers might find that the MegaRider Xtra is the best-value option for them, which can be bought from the Stagecoach website as opposed to from the driver directly.
The other thing that you might want to bear in mind is the fact that the buses are all-electric and have zero emissions. That means that they are much better for the environment than petrol or diesel buses. If you have an electric car yourself or else choose to cycle wherever you go, making use of the Park and Ride will also give you the ability to protect the environment as much as possible.