(21 May 2015, 1:48 pm)Jimmi wrote Think I have finally come up with some ideas for Dalesbus routes I could ride.

Route A
0945 830 Darlington - Ingleton Community Centre (Arrive 1220)
1230 581 Ingleton Community Centre - Settle Market Place (Arrive 1255)
1300 881 Settle Market Place - Malham National Park Centre (Arrive 1325)
1445 873 Malham opp. Buck Inn - Skipton Bus Station (Arrive 1523)
1525 872 Skipton Bus Station - Grassington National Park Centre (Arrive 1547)
1600 812 Grassington National Park Centre - York Rail Station (Arrive 1750)
ALTERNATIVE IF CONNECTION IS MISSED IN SKIPTON.
1445 873 Malham opp Buck Inn - Ilkley Bus Station (Arrive 1606) instead of jumping off in Skipton.
1612 873 Ilkley Bus Station - Skipton Bus Station (Arrive 1655)
1715 884 Skipton Bus Station - York Rail Station (Arrive 1910)

Route B
0945 830 Darlington - Ingleton Community Centre (Arrive 1220)
1230 581/580 Ingleton Community Centre - Skipton Bus Station (Arrive 1340)
1415 884 Skipton Bus Station - IIkely Bus Station (Arrive 1436)
1442 873 Ilkley Bus Station - Skipton High Street (Arrive 1520)
1525*  872 Skipton High Street - Grassington National Park Centre (Arrive 1547) * Time from Skipton Bus Station
1600 812 Grassington National Park Centre - York Rail Station (Arrive 1750)

Route C
0945 830 Darlington - Ingleton Community Centre (Arrive 1220)
1230 581/580 Ingleton Community Centre - Skipton Bus Station (Arrive 1340)
1415 884 Skipton Bus Station - Ilkely Bus Station (Arrive 1436)
1445 873 Ilkely Bus Station - Malham opp Buck Inn (Arrive 1600)
1630 884 Malham opp. Buck Inn - York Rail Station (Arrive 1910)

Some things about these plans.
Route A: Only around 2 minutes to connect between services 873 and 872 at Skipton Bus Station which is not ideal. 873 to and from Ilkley is the same bus. 1 hour and 20 minutes to kill in Malham, unless you do two journeys on service 881 arriving back in Malham at 1422.

Route B: Another tight 2 minute connection at Skipton Bus Station but I think both the 873 and 872 both stop on Skipton High Street so that would leave a few more minutes to connect between the two services to reach Grassington.

Route C: 873 and 874 would all the same bus so the day would lose some variety in terms of haulage and much of the two routes would mean I'd be doubling back on myself, but would have a few different places for photos though.

What does everyone think of these suggestions?

I am still working on ideas for Dalesbus outings for this summer but I am struggling to think of ideas as in many cases the connections don't work this year with them either being too tight and large gaps in places. There is also the worry a bus would not turn up and I'd be a little worried that I wouldn't be able to get home.

Having driven from Skipton to York, I found the road depressing.
Sitting on a bus for that sort of time, on that road, I would find it soul destroying.

Good luck!