Keep the kids occupied during your summer journey with Ollie’s Fare from Better By Bus

There’s a brand new, free app for kids that might just be the saviour of summer holiday journeys.

For the first time, Merseytravel, Arriva and Stagecoach have teamed up to be the driving force behind Liverpool City Region’s newest bus campaign. Better By Bus is a catalyst to motivate people to change their travelling habits away from the car and choose to use the bus for work and play.

What better time to get back on the bus than during the summer holidays, when planning days out and keeping the kids busy can cost a small fortune! The Better By Bus campaign has created a brand new app to entertain the kids during journeys called Ollie’s Fare, which features a great interactive game where your little ones can drive their own double decker!

Free to download and play, Ollie’s Fare is available on both IoS and Android so everyone can join in the fun. Alongside the brilliantly addictive bus driving app, you can get your little ones ready to go exploring by bus with a number of brand new games and activities on the Better By Bus website. Try your hand at word search, dot to dot, maze game, learn the catchy Better By Bus song (it’s guaranteed to stick in your head until the first day of term)and you can even design and colour  your own double decker too.

All of these fun activities can also be enjoyed at home and when riding the bus thanks to on-board wifi which could be super handy for longer journeys with excitable kids! With more than 6000 bus stops, some routes as frequent as every 3 minutes and on-board USB ports and free wifi, exploring the Liverpool City Region has never been easier, convenient or fun!

5 Liverpool City Region places and events to check out by bus this summer…..

1 – Southport

Images by Gareth Jones

Who doesn’t love a day out to Southport, it’s got a old school seaside charm and plenty of modern attractions for the kids (and big kids). Whether you’re taking buckets and spades, change for the arcades or a well earned ice-cream, get the kids playing Ollie’s Fare and catch a bus from the heart of Liverpool to the Southport attractions. Check out Southport Flower Show with Cbeebies 17-20th August.

2 – Crosby Beach

If you haven’t taken a selfie with one of Crosby beach’s infamous Iron Men already, where have you been? With a thriving coffee shop culture just up the road in Crosby Village and Waterloo, Crosby Beach is a great, local destination for a free, family friendly afternoon out. With stunning views across to Wirral and North Wales as well as our own iconic city sky line, don’t forget your camera!

3 – Albert Dock

Albert Dock is awash with brilliant events this summer with something for all the family. Free music and fun is the name of the game with Folk on the Dock returning on bank holiday weekend, swiftly followed by swashbuckling action as Pirate Festival on the Dock wows the crowds in mid-September. Events aside, Albert Dock is teaming with great dining deals, kids activities and culture. Have you been to the Space Disco at Tate Liverpool?

4 – New Brighton, Marine Point

Wirral is a real summer hot spot and so easily accessible by bus from either side of the Mersey. One of our favourite family dya out ideas has to be Marine Point, New Brighton. With adventure golf, soft play, plenty of places to eat and drink plus fresh-air fun at Fort Perch Rock and the most breath-taking view of Liverpool from the Black Pearl pirate ship down on the beach. Or why not jump on the bus to Willaston and walk the Wirral Way to West Kirby and a well earned ice-cream or coffee?

5 – Parks, Beaches and Fresh Air Fun

Our beautiful parks and beaches provide enough space for everyone to have fun this summer and they’re all accessible by bus. Grab a Walrus card and explore the range of events taking place across the city region, including Kidsfest at Stanley Park on Sunday 20th August, Fusion Festival returns to Otterspool on 2-3rd September, Sherdley Park, St Helens plays host to Reminisce Festival 2017 on September 9th swiftly followed by Sefton Park hosting Liverpool Food and Drink Festival on 16-17th September.

We don’t know about the kids, but we’ll certainly be ready to get back to school and work after all that!

Make journeys more fun and head to the App Store here or Google Play here to download Ollie’s Fare and try to beat our (pathetic) top score. Let the kids go to town decorating their own double decker and find out more about the campaign by heading to www.betterbybus.org or follow @Better_By_Bus on Twitter for regular updates.

So come on, who’s beaten our top score on Ollie’s Fare? Tweet us your best effort (with picture evidence, no cheating) to @TheGuideLpool and let the games begin!