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Getting to and around Peak District National ParkBetween the major population centres of Manchester, Sheffield, Derby and Stoke lies the Peak District National Park, the oldest established national park in Britain. Composed of the southernmost part of the Pennine hills, the National Park has two contrasting landscapes. In the north the Dark Peak is dominated by gritstone crags, and the brooding peat moorlands of Kinder Scout and Bleaklow. Further south is the limestone country of the White Peak, broad plateaux dissected by narrow twisting valleys. Like the Yorkshire Dales further north, this part of the Peak is famed for the cave systems lying underground. The landscapes of the White and Dark Peak meet near Castleton where the peak of Mam Tor, known as the "Shivering Mountain", has forced a main Trans Pennine road to be abandoned because of repeated landslips.
Part of the Peak District's appeal are market towns such as Buxton, Ashbourne and Bakewell, pretty villages such as Castleton, Edale, Bamford, Youlgreave, as well as attractions such as the Chatsworth House Estate or Peak Caverns.
At fine weekends huge traffic problems can cause extended traffic jams at every road junction, and near gridlock conditions in popular villages. However, there is an intensive network of rail and bus services to and throughout the National Park, which, once you are away from the congested roads, offers scenery of a wildness and grandeur unequalled in the English Midlands. |
 
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Traveline East Midlands Timetables Peak Connections Travel Guides Peak District online |
Regular rail services run along the Hope Valley between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield. Rail services also connect Buxton and Glossop with Manchester Piccadilly, and Matlock with Derby.
A Summary of local bus services A dense network of buses connects the Peak District with Manchester, Stoke, Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield, including the following excellent cross-park bus routes: Trans-Peak Manchester-Buxton-Derby-Nottingham services which go through the heart of the National Park via Bakewell 218/240 bus service which links Sheffield with Bakewell. 272 bus service to Castleton runs every hour, 7 days a week from Sheffield, Hathersage, Bamford and Hope. Thanks to the new through ticketing system, the same ticket can be used on the Hope Valley Line. 57/58 bus service from Macclesfield over the Cat & Fiddle pass to Buxton. 173 bus service between Bakewell, Monsall Head and Castleton 442 bus service from Buxton to the top of the Manifold Valley and Hartington for Dovedale and the High Peak cycleway. |
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transpeakwalks Guided walks in The Peak District National Park |
Fares and Tickets : Leisure Tickets are an excellent way of travelling around the Peak District. Not only do they offer freedom to hop on and off buses and trains, but also entitle holders to various concessions at tourist attractions. Derbyshire Wayfarer - a bus rail Rover ticket valid on bus and rail services throughout the county, priced at £8.30 adult, £4.15 concessions and £13.10 group, allow you to enjoy the freedom of the public transport network in the Peak District. Greater Manchester Wayfarer, including travel to the Peak, is also available, at £8.80 for adults, and £4.40 concessions. South Yorkshire Peak Explorer - enables travel throughout South Yorkshire (including Supertram) and to the Northern part of the Peak District up to Holmfirth, Glossop, Hayfield, Sparrowpit, Buxton, Bakewell, Baslow and Owler Bar. Adult £7.50, Senior Citizens (SY passholders), children £4.75 Peak District Family Freedom: £8.00 Hope Valley Family Freedom: £3.00
Useful Contacts: Peak District National Park and Visitor Information or tel: 01629 813227 Public Transport Information: 0870 608 2 608 A free Hope Valley Leisure Guide, with details of days out, events, cycle hire and public transport details and timetables, is available from the:
Hope Valley and High Peak Transport Partnership The Partnership are also running a series of events, including guided walks on the Hope Valley, Glossop and Buxton lines. There are also music trains (with live band entertainment), operating on the Hope Valley and Glossop lines. See also the local travel guides (e.g. Days out from Buxton, Bakewell, Manchester, Sheffield and the Hope Valley Guide) available from the Peak National Park offices - phone as above. In addition to network of all the year round services, on summer Sundays and Bank Holidays the National Park Authority promotes several leisure routes, including routes from neighbouring towns and cities such as Sheffield, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Derby and Manchester, into the heart of the National Park. An excellent range of multi-mode Wayfarer tickets keeps the cost of travel relatively low. This makes the Peak District one of the best served National Parks in Europe in terms of its public transport provision. Best Places to stay without a car: Buxton, Bakewell, Castleton, Matlock. |