Holidaymaker Andrew Cowell stopped in Swindon on an epic three-day bus journey that cost less than £40.

The 47-year-old set off from his home in Allestree, Derby on April 13 and arrived in the Cornish town of Penzance 320 miles later at around 9pm.

And he managed to do it by taking advantage of the Government's bus fare cap

After finishing his mammoth journey, which saw him take 20 buses down to the south coast for £2 each, he says he celebrated with a pint and a good night sleep.

Swindon Advertiser: Several buses were used as Andrew travelled the country.Several buses were used as Andrew travelled the country. (Image: SWNS)

Andrew said: “It was all quite an adventure but after 12 hours on the last bus it was a relief to get here.

“It was five past nine so I had to have dinner so I went for a pint and then collapsed into bed.”

Andrew started his journey by travelling from Derby to Swindon on nine different buses.
He then got seven buses from Swindon to Exeter and on the final day of the route, he travelled to Penzance on four buses.
Thanks to the Government's £2 fare cap on bus fares in England, the 36-hour journey only cost him £39.50. But he did have to pay extra for food and accommodation.

Andrew said he relished the challenge and felt lucky to be able to take in the beauty of the country out of his window.

He said: “The three hour trip from Bude to Newquay was probably one of the nicest bus journeys in the UK.

Swindon Advertiser: Andrew visited several destinations during his bus adventure.Andrew visited several destinations during his bus adventure. (Image: SWNS)

“You hug the coast and then you go through all the different villages and you get a mixture of locals and tourists. It was great."

After doing a similar journey in February where he travelled from Derby to Whitby, North Yorkshire on five buses, Andrew said he thought he needed more of a challenge.
He said: "This is about as far as you can go in England from Derby using the £2 bus fare as it only applies in England.
"I also like Cornwall so it just seemed like a good place to go."
He planned to spend two days in the seaside town and catch a sleeper train home.
He said: "Getting another 20 buses back would be a bit much, even by my standards."

The rail operations planner added: "I know that the £2 scheme has helped increase bus usage.
"But if we want to keep a reliable bus network, then we need to keep using it.

"If everyone who could did one journey a week by bus instead of driving, then it would make a huge difference to the environment and to the buses.
"I've been speaking to different people today who have told me that if it wasn't for the scheme, then they wouldn't use the bus service.

“I spoke to a chap at Exeter bus station who was going for an interview and he said that without the bus he couldn’t go for an interview and I couldn’t get a job.”

While Andrew has no plans for another trip, he isn’t ruling out one in the future.

He said: “I haven’t got plans at the moment but I may work on something. I will get my thinking cap on.”