Rising demand for York’s original open-top tour sees its timetable doubled to four journeys an hour from this Saturday

A vital boost for York’s visitor economy – that’s the good news today from the operator of the ever-popular York City Sightseeing open-top tour, as it reveals plans to double the frequency of its service to every 15 minutes from this Saturday (08 August 2020).

Rising demand for seats on the tour this week has prompted the use of two buses on several departures to cater for families visiting York during the summer holidays while ensuring safe social distancing on board.

Parent company Transdev now says numbers joining the tours are high enough to support a doubling of its frequency from every half hour to provide departures every 15 minutes, seven days a week.

Transdev CEO Alex Hornby said: “Our City Sightseeing York tour buses play a vital role in showcasing the best of York to visitors, while making sure the city’s tourism economy returns safely to its place at the heart of our economy.

“We’re delighted to see more and more people enjoying our unique tour in the company of our amazing live guides, as they bring their own blend of fun and facts together to entertain visitors as they enjoy unrivalled views of York’s historic landmarks.

“With demand increasing every day, it’s the right time to double our service to run every 15 minutes – making City Sightseeing York’s red tour buses the most frequent as well as the friendliest way to safely discover our beautiful city.

“Our tickets are also valid for a full 24 hours, meaning those arriving in York in the afternoon can complete a circular tour to plan their time here, and then return to our buses next morning to hop on and off at their chosen attractions. Even rain doesn’t stop play for us, thanks to our unique Rainy Day Guarantee – when you book on our website www.yorkcitysightseeing.com you can use your ticket any day during the week after your booking if it rains on your tour day.

“We also offer an exclusive range of discounts for our ticket holders at selected locations – saving families time and money while helping to boost visitor numbers at attractions right across our beautiful city.”

Today’s good news comes after tourism agency VisitEngland awarded City Sightseeing York its “We’re Good to Go” ‘tourism tick’ confidence mark, after the operator demonstrated that all social distancing and cleanliness measures are in place on each of its buses – giving visitors added reassurance that they’re in good hands.

City Sightseeing York tours follow a circular route currently serving 20 stops around the city every 30 minutes from 9am to 4.30pm every day. Customers are free to hop on and hop off all day to enjoy York’s attractions, or simply relax and take in the unrivalled 360-degree views of all the most popular landmarks.

An entertaining audio commentary in 9 languages, including an authentic Yorkshire voice, features fascinating facts, while exclusive ‘Transdev Treats’ discounts for attractions, eateries and more are available by showing a York City Sightseeing ticket.

City Sightseeing York buses call at or close to all the major sights, including:
*York Railway Station, for the National Railway Museum
* Museum Gardens, for the Yorkshire Museum, St Mary’s Abbey, Mansion House, Yorkboat River Cruises and the Visit York Information Centre
* Exhibition Square, for York Minster and the City Art Gallery
* Monk Bar, for the Richard III Museum
* The Stonebow, for The Shambles, York’s Chocolate Story and Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
* Clifford’s Tower, for the Castle Museum, York Dungeon and the Jorvik Viking Centre

Each tour ticket lasts a full 24 hours, allowing visitors who arrive in the city later in the day to continue their sightseeing the next morning.

Full details of all City Sightseeing York tours, bookings and attractions are online at https://www.yorkcitysightseeing.com.

Transdev’s buses also offer the ideal way to discover stunning scenery and award-winning attractions beyond the city. Its Coastliner buses travel across the North York Moors to the historic port of Whitby and to the perennial seaside favourite, Scarborough – while its express Cityzap service provides a fast, convenient and great value way to reach the sights and shops of Leeds.