Family days out this summer and beyond are more affordable than ever, with free travel for children all day, every day on Tyne and Wear Metro and the Shields Ferry.
Up to three children aged 11 and under can travel for free when accompanied by a fare paying adult.
Over 200,000 free Metro journeys have been enjoyed by children since the price pledge was introduced in January 2020.
Now operator Nexus is highlighting family activities easy to reach by Metro this summer. Today Metro teams were out and about at Monument and South Shields stations, talking to families enjoying the first day of the school holidays, and giving out activity packs and information on great family days out close to Metro.
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “Our free travel promise applies all day, every day, and as schools start their summer holidays, we’re reminding people of the opportunities Metro provides as a great value way of enjoying the attractions in our region.
We’re delighted at the number of families who have already made the most of great value trips on the services we operate. We wanted to be a key part of helping families get out and about, in an extremely affordable way.
“Our free travel promise applies all day, every day, and as schools break up for summer, we’re reminding people of the opportunities Metro provides as a great value way of enjoying the attractions in our region.
“We hope our Take the Kids for Free promise will continue to attract new customers to Metro, helping more people enjoy the convenience, great value and sustainability of public transport, as well as great days out with their families.
Metro was the first in the region to offer this promise and I’m delighted that our colleagues in the bus industry are extending it over the summer holidays.”
Tyne and Wear Metro have continued their partnership with Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums and their Ways to Play campaign, which promotes free family fun at museums across the region, including Discovery Museum, South Shields Museum & Art Gallery and Segedunum Roman Fort, plus free travel there by Metro for children.
Keith Merrin, Director of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, said: “We’re committed to ensuring that all families can enjoy our museums and galleries for fun and educational days out and that the cost of visiting shouldn’t be a barrier. Whilst our venues are mostly free to visit and they are all free for under 16s, there are often hidden costs to a day out including transport, so we’re delighted that Tyne and Wear Metro are offering a great value way to travel to our museums and galleries.
“Our Ways to Play programme provides events for families which are inspired by our museum collections; simple for children to follow; free or inexpensive and most importantly great fun.”
Tyne and Wear Metro also provides easy access to three beautiful coastlines in the region, in North Tyneside at Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth, in South Shields and in Sunderland at Roker and Seaburn, plus countless parks and green spaces, ideal for low-cost family days out.
The fare-paying adult must be aged 18 or over and in possession of a valid ticket or validated smartcard. The accompanying children don’t need to have a ticket, making travel simple as well as great value.
For more details on the Take the Kids for Free, and which adult tickets are valid, see: Take the kids for free | nexus.org.uk
For more details on free travel for kids on buses this summer see: Take the kids for free on buses | nexus.org.uk
For offers, activities and ideas for places to visit on Metro, see Offers and activities | nexus.org.uk
