Easter Sunday/Monday and the Isle of Man

Yeah I even tried looking on the bus schedule on the Isle of Man transportation website, but it was very difficult to understand.
Thanks!!

I would imagine that most of us “locals” have never been to the IoM! I certainly haven’t and I don’t know anyone that’s ever been.

I have Jennifer, but not at Easter.

Doing an extensive google search, the only information I could find that specifically mentioned Easter was on their Facebook page. It does show bus services running over Easter.

Over the Easter 2020 period bus services operate as follows due to the current reduced timetable provision.

*Good Friday - 10 April - Normal Winter Sunday service.

*Easter Saturday - COVID Timetable (sorry, don't know what this was - but they did take covid restrictions very seriously)

*Easter Sunday - Normal Winter Sunday service.

*Easter Monday - 13 April - Normal Winter Sunday service.

You can find information about the current timetable here. It says that 'On Public Holidays buses operate to the Sunday timetable.' So it sounds as if there should be buses running next Easter, and the Sunday service is pretty good.

I know the bus timetables aren't the easiest to understand and it isn't helped that numbers on the same route are different... The bus route map may help.

There are regular services between Douglas, Castletown, Port St Mary and Port Erin, between Douglas and Peel and between Douglas and Ramsey. There is also an less frequent service from Peel to Ramsey.

Your best source of information is the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal. I've always found they really helpful with all the many questions I've thrown at them.

https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/contact-us/?contactid=21502

like Jennifer but unlike wasleys I have never been to the land of the three legs. sorry I can't help

Oh wow. You all are making me think I’ve made a mistake and shouldn’t go. Thought it sounded nice.

This Visit Isle of Man link might be worth exploring:
https://www.visitiom.co.uk/

Maybe especially this link to Holiday Extras:
https://www.visitiom.co.uk/iom-holiday-extras/

And this one to info on buses and trams:
https://www.visitiom.co.uk/travel-and-accommodation/bus-or-tram/

Depending on where you stay, you may not be alone. There's a big Easter Festival of Running in 2023:
https://www.visitiom.co.uk/visitiom/manx-harriers-isle-of-man-easter-festival-of-running-2023/overview

It all sounds great to me. 😉

You've both missed a treat by not going to the Isle of Man. I've made three visits over the last five years and have still hardly scratched the surface of the island. It is a magical place - scenery, super walking, lovely beaches, wildlife, history, archaeology, ruined castles, steam railways, electric tramways, mountain tramway, good beer, no litter or grafitti.... Just avoid TT and other races if you aren't into motor bikes.

Jennfur,

I hope you were not put off going to the Isle of Man for this Easter. The Sunday and Bank Holiday bus services are very good across the Island. And, as is usual the Steam Railway is doing Easter lunch and afternoon tea in the Dining Car on the Sunday and an ABBA night in the dining car on the Saturday night.
I was there on Easter Day 2022, and have been a number of times.
I arrived on the ferry from Belfast at 6am, and had already missed the first bus to Peel!
As so often happens on the island, it was an absolutely cracking day weather wise.
I was leaving at 3pm to Liverpool (as I was there merely for an ashes scattering at a very special place on the island and visiting a family grave), and was so sorry to have missed the chance to do Easter lunch on the train, I needed the train to have been 20 minutes earlier. I made a bad mistake in not staying overnight. I was too focussed on the sad task of the day and not over-burdening myself emotionally.
Also Covid rules were still in place when I booked, and, even with my Manx Covid passport I would have had to test after 24 hours on the island, which was going to be a huge hassle and waste of time to get to the testing point- as it was that was all lifted about a fortnight before Easter.
The bus system and the heritage transport system is not actually hard to understand especially with a paper timetable.
It may be the only place in Europe where you can catch a steam train from the airport.
In case you are still going here is the railway special events leaflet-https://www.iombusandrail.im/media/2748/2023-dining-car-brochure.pdf

If you cancelled then you missed a treat.

(I found this post when looking for another more recent post about this Easter to update it)

I haven't been there - one day perhaps - but looking at 2020 results won't help. That was in the midst of the first lockdown. Things are different now.

I am surprised by the number of my fellow countrymen who have not been to the Isle of Man.
But then on a good day I can see the island 40 miles away, from the house.
Even if I then have to go to Heysham or Liverpool for a boat (or Belfast if I am being daft). Until recently we did have three direct boats a year direct to Douglas, but those days are gone.
And I don't know why everyone could only find information relating to 2020, when looking in November 2022, as I know that all information was current on the website both then, and at Easter 2022.
Of course there were no Airport Buses in 2020 as the airport was all but closed down, during strict Covid lock down- far stricter and longer than on the UK mainland. That is not the case now.
By the way last year was the first year that Isle of Man Transport haven't run on Christmas Day, let alone Easter Day.
Pretty much everywhere is open- even the Grocery stores, as Manx law applies, not English Law.