Links to Bermuda Bus and Ferry schedules

[TPKeller]

Bermuda has one of the best public transportation systems I've ever seen, many residents use it as their primary means of transportation. There are no "school buses", school kids use the same bus system as commuters and tourists. If you get a multi-day pass, it is good for the ferry system as well. The fastest way to get from St. George's to the Dockyard at King's Wharf is by ferry, about 45 minutes.

There are brochures widely available in the terminals with the schedules, but I found it very helpful to be able to plan ahead before my trip. The two links below provide all the schedule information for the bus and ferry system. Each one starts out with a map, showing the routes and the stops they serve. From those color coded routes, you can click on the links to the detailed schedule. Make sure to pay attention to what day of the week it will be, there are different schedules for the weekends.

In Hamilton, it is about a 3 or 4 block walk from the ferry terminal to the bus terminal. Count on about 10 or 15 minutes for that. If you are coming into Hamilton by bus, many of the routes come in along Front Street and you can ring the bell and get off close to the ferry terminal. You'll need to check the map for your particular route.

Bus Schedule
Ferry Schedule

Some bus etiquette:

As the bus arrives, look to see if someone is getting off before you start to get on.
As you get on the bus, it is customary to greet the driver with a "good morning" or "good afternoon".
As you get off the bus, it is customary to say "Thank you" to the driver. They will almost always reply.

If you don't know exactly where your stop is, you can ask the driver to tell you, but I did this once on my last trip, and they forgot! So I had to walk back from the next stop.

Theron

[Batch5]

Thanks, for the great info. I as well like to plan.

[greatdanek9]

Please clarify/advise: So if I am at Warwick Long Bay beach and I want to take the #7 bus to Hamilton so I can get on the 2:15 pm Orange Ferry back to the Dockyard by 2:35 pm, what time should I be out standing by the road for the bus to come ??? Is there an actual bus stop there ?
I don't want to miss it since the ship all aboard is 3:30 and I wanted to use the time between when I get off the ferry at the Dockyard and all-aboard at 3:30 to do any last minute shopping. Thanks in advance !

[TPKeller]

Originally Posted by greatdanek9

Please clarify/advise: So if I am at Warwick Long Bay beach and I want to take the #7 bus to Hamilton so I can get on the 2:15 pm Orange Ferry back to the Dockyard by 2:35 pm, what time should I be out standing by the road for the bus to come ??? Is there an actual bus stop there ?
I don't want to miss it since the ship all aboard is 3:30 and I wanted to use the time between when I get off the ferry at the Dockyard and all-aboard at 3:30 to do any last minute shopping. Thanks in advance !

First, it is always important to check the schedule once you arrive in Bermuda for any last minute updates...

There is a bus stop near Warwick Long Bay. As with Horseshoe, you have to walk up the hill to the main road, but it isn't that bad. You will need to cross the street and find a pink pole which indicates the bus that stops there is going back into Hamilton.

It's about a half hour from Warwick Long Bay into Hamilton, and during the day (during the week) the buses are supposed to go every 15 minutes. So... roughly speaking, I would plan to be out at the bus stop no later than 1:30. That should get you back into Hamilton between 2:00 and 2:15. Make sure you get off when you see the cruise ships along Front Street, you won't want to walk (or take the extra time on the bus) all the way back from the bus terminal.

Your tolerance for schedule may vary, so you might want to start a few minutes earlier.

Theron

[TPKeller]

Originally Posted by TPKeller

There are brochures widely available in the terminals with the schedules, but I found it very helpful to be able to plan ahead before my trip. The two links below provide all the schedule information for the bus and ferry system. Each one starts out with a map, showing the routes and the stops they serve. From those color coded routes, you can click on the links to the detailed schedule. Make sure to pay attention to what day of the week it will be, there are different schedules for the weekends.

In Hamilton, it is about a 3 or 4 block walk from the ferry terminal to the bus terminal. Count on about 10 or 15 minutes for that. If you are coming into Hamilton by bus, many of the routes come in along Front Street and you can ring the bell and get off close to the ferry terminal. You'll need to check the map for your particular route.

Third party sites:
Bus Schedule
Ferry Schedule

It appears that the two links above are copies (in a fairly easy to read format) of the "official" schedules. There is also a web site that appears to be maintained by the bus and ferry officials themselves (the Government of Bermuda). However that site tends to be a bit slow. For completeness and in case one or the other web page is down, here are the other sites for reference:

Government sites:
Bus Schedule
Ferry Schedule

The Ferry Schedule site opens up to a map and a link on the left side of that page opens a .pdf file of all the ferry schedules. The bus page opens up to two maps (east and west) and links to individual web pages for each bus route.

I find the first set of links easier to use, but the official ones are official... even if they are a bit slower.

Theron

[Tatka]

What do you recommend if we are docked in King's Wharf 8:00 - 5:00 PM, probably want to see both St George and Hamilton, but at least Hamilton and some nice pink sand beaches or Horse Shoe.

We thought of using ferry one way and bus the other way, because ferries probably don't go to beaches.

Should we buy different tickets for ferry and bus? How much is it per person?

[Charles4515]

Originally Posted by Tatka

What do you recommend if we are docked in King's Wharf 8:00 - 5:00 PM, probably want to see both St George and Hamilton, but at least Hamilton and some nice pink sand beaches or Horse Shoe.

We thought of using ferry one way and bus the other way, because ferries probably don't go to beaches.

Should we buy different tickets for ferry and bus? How much is it per person?

I would not try to do all three St. George, Hamilton and Horseshoe using buses and ferries given the limited time. You could take the ferry to Hamilton, then a bus from Hamilton to Horseshoe and another bus back to Kings Wharf. You would want the one day transportation pass for $12. The pass is good for both the ferry and bus.

[Writeratsea]

Originally Posted by Charles4515

I would not try to do all three St. George, Hamilton and Horseshoe using buses and ferries given the limited time. You could take the ferry to Hamilton, then a bus from Hamilton to Horseshoe and another bus back to Kings Wharf. You would want the one day transportation pass for $12. The pass is good for both the ferry and bus.

Charles is right, you do not have enough time to do all three. You would have to choose either the ferry to Hamilton or St. George. St George is at the other end of the island and you could easily miss the ship trying to get back. Explore Hamilton and then take the number 7 bus to Horseshoe Bay. If you have the pass you can get on and off the ferries and buses as much as you want. So on the way back to the dockyards from Horsehoe Bay (a gorgeous beach), you can stop at Gibbs Lighthouse, the village of Somerset or Fort Scaur. What is important is that you are close to the dockyard and if you run late, can just grab a taxi back if needed.

[Tatka]

Thanks a lot.

I just noticed beautiful arches in St. George. Do you think it's possible to see it and Hamilton (skipping Horseshoe beach)? I noticed there are ferries from Hamilton to St. George too.

[jascruise]

Originally Posted by TPKeller

There are no "school buses", school kids use the same bus system as commuters and tourists.

Some bus etiquette:

As you get on the bus, it is customary to greet the driver with a "good morning" or "good afternoon".

Theron

On one of our visits we were on a bus when a school kid boarded and did not acknowledge the driver. BIG MISTAKE. Driver read the kid the riot act.

Driver became my new hero.

Civility rules!

[TPKeller]

Originally Posted by jascruise

On one of our visits we were on a bus when a school kid boarded and did not acknowledge the driver. BIG MISTAKE. Driver read the kid the riot act.

Driver became my new hero.

Civility rules!

I had heard from other school kids that it was expected behavior and that something would be said if you didn't do it... but I have never seen it happen!

I'm sure they don't expect it from tourists, but I feel much better when I blend in as much as possible.

Theron

[WALCET]

Just returned today from Bermuda. The $12 pass is the best deal to buy. We took the ferry to Hamilton and then the bus to the aquarium. The entry fee is $10. We then took the bus to Horseshoe Bay which was beautiful. Some excitement when a Portuguese Man of War jelly fish floated by. Someone got a piece of wood to remove it. It wasn't until we were leaving that we saw the sign on what to do if you get stung by one. They are deadly. We then took the bus back to the Dockyard. Since everyone on the bus was returning to the ship, the bus driver took us right up to the ship instead of leaving us off a good distance away.

[Louise922]

We were at the Royal Dockyard about 3 years ago and there was an express bus to Horseshoe Bay. Does anyone know if there still is an express bus?

Thanks

[Beachgirl 2]

Does anyone know if the buses to Horseshoe Bay run on Sunday? Our ship is docking in King's Wharf on a Sunday and I think I heard that transportation is limited on Sunday.Have bben to bermuda at least 10x's before,but can't remember about this issue. Any recommendations for tours with a beach break?

[Beachgirl 2]

Does anyone know if the buses to Horseshoe Bay run on Sunday? Our ship is docking in King's Wharf on a Sunday and I think I heard that transportation is limited on Sunday.Have been to Bermuda at least 10x's before, but can't remember the answer to this dilemma Any recommendations for tours with a beach break?

[Charles4515]

Originally Posted by Beachgirl 2

Does anyone know if the buses to Horseshoe Bay run on Sunday? Our ship is docking in King's Wharf on a Sunday and I think I heard that transportation is limited on Sunday.Have been to Bermuda at least 10x's before, but can't remember the answer to this dilemma Any recommendations for tours with a beach break?

They run on Sunday but on a more limited schedule. If you click on the links Theron provided they include the Sunday schedule.

[TPKeller]

Originally Posted by Charles4515

They run on Sunday but on a more limited schedule. If you click on the links Theron provided they include the Sunday schedule.

I wonder if they also run special buses to Horseshoe on Sunday. The specials are not in the schedule, but are reported to run when a ship is in port at Kings Wharf. I guess we'd need to find out from someone who has been there recently on a Sunday...

Theron

[Orslaw]

Dear Theron and everyone,

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful tips. A huge help.

Does anyone know the best way to get from Horseshoe Bay to St. George? Is it to take the number 7 bus from HBay to Hamilton, then the number 10/11 buses to St. George? or

taxi from HBay to Hamilton, then the 10/11?

Anyone done this?

The ship does not leave until the next day, so we have some flexibility.

Thank you for your suggestions.

[TPKeller]

Originally Posted by Orslaw

Dear Theron and everyone,

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful tips. A huge help.

Does anyone know the best way to get from Horseshoe Bay to St. George? Is it to take the number 7 bus from HBay to Hamilton, then the number 10/11 buses to St. George? or

taxi from HBay to Hamilton, then the 10/11?

Anyone done this?

The ship does not leave until the next day, so we have some flexibility.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Looks like the only difference in your two plans is either taxi or bus from Horseshoe Bay to Hamilton. Taxi will be more expensive, but faster. Bus will be cheaper, but slower. During the day, I believe a bus comes by in that direction about every 15 minutes or so. Depending on the time you hit the bus stop, you might have to wait that long. One other consideration is the walk up the hill. I believe taxis pick you up at the bottom, but the bus would require a walk (or a mini-taxi) up the hill.

I have no idea what the taxi cost would be.

And of course, if you ask the taxi driver to drop you off at the bus station, you know he is going to try to sell you a ride all the way out to St. George's!!

Hope that helps!

Theron

[Orslaw]

I like the idea of cutting a deal all the way to St. George's. I will have to ponder price, but it seems like the best way to do it.

Your help is most appreciated.