How I’m using free kids’ bus travel to visit undiscovered local gems over the Easter holidays

THEY say the best things in life are free and when I heard that my boys could take the bus without having to pay during the Easter holidays, it seemed like a no-brainer to make the most of the offer.

Leicestershire is following in the footsteps of previous schemes in the likes of York and the North East by making bus travel for under-16s free for a fortnight.

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While a single fare for me was just £2, thanks to the countrywide fare cap that's in place until the end of the year, it meant that our return journey would cost less than a fiver.

It gave us the chance to visit an amazing local landmark that we would normally skip on a sunny day in the school holidays, because finding a parking space can prove nigh on impossible.

Bradgate Park, five miles north of Leicester, is a firm favourite with families, dog walkers, cyclists and nature lovers.

The 830-acre historic parkland has stunning scenery, haunting history, as it was home to the ill-fated Nine Day Queen Lady Jane Grey, and wonderful wildlife with herds of deer, flocks of waterfowl and even a couple of peacocks roaming the ruins of the Tudor mansion. 

One of the reasons that the park is so popular is that it’s free to enter and has a wide, smooth path running from one end to the other, so even in the wettest winter, you can take a stroll without getting covered in mud.

It's perfect for wheelchairs, buggies and scooters - I even saw people using crutches to get along.

There's a lovely cafe and visitor centre at its heart and the ruins are open to visitors at weekends throughout the summer.

There's also a recently restored folly known as Old John set high on a hill.

Taking the bus proved a good call on the day we visited, as the car park was so full that they had to close the entry road to stop more motorists getting on site.

As parking costs £4.40 for three hours or £5.50 for the day, our bus trip meant we saved money on both petrol and parking.

It's easy to fall into the habit of always hopping in the car when you're going out and about as a family, just because it feels so convenient.

But it wasn't just the cost saving and not having to find a parking space that was a win about our day.

On the way back to the bus stop, we passed a little ice cream shack that we've driven past many a time.

As we were on foot for a change, it was the perfect time to sample the wares.

Then we had quarter of an hour to spare before the bus was due, so we wandered around the church over the road and admired a postbox with a topper of Lady Jane Grey, made by Leicestershire legend Syston Knitting Banxy, our answer to the infamous street artist.

It was a lot of fun having extra time to explore, rather than jumping straight in the car and heading off.

The only low point was when the bus driver pointed out that my sons’ scooters weren't supposed to come on the bus with us.

I'm not sure how I was meant to check that in advance as I couldn't find any mention of it on the bus company's website when I looked later.

It's exactly this sort of thing that puts people off using public transport.

It's already difficult enough getting everyone out of the door for a day out, so unless families can take the bus without a fuss, it's unlikely they're going to choose public transport over the car, especially as it would have cost at least a tenner for the return trip for all of us when kids aren't travelling free.

The Easter scheme is being funded by the Department for Transport to encourage youngsters to explore the county by bus, travel independently and save money.

The hope is that they might choose public transport more readily as adults if they've given it a go as children.

Only time will tell if many families and teenagers have taken up the free transport offer over Easter, but my little bus boys loved the novelty factor of our trip and I loved having time to look out of the window instead of staring at the road.

At the end of last year, Leicester was named the country's nightlife capital thanks to its nightclubs and pubs.

In addition to the pubs in clubs, there are plenty of other attractions in Leicester for tourists, including the National Space Centre and Leicester Cathedral.

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