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Journey Planner

This is a Alpha release of a mobile bus app designed to help people on the Isle of Man use the available Isle of Man bus services on the island, the App's and Website are currently in development. Contact us to give feedback and suggestions on how we can improve the App's and website. Download the iPhone App from the iTunes App Store here and the Android App from the Google Play Store here .

Welcome to Bus-Man

Find all you need to know about the Isle of Man Bus Services running on the island. Bus positions updated from last known locations.

Bus-Man is proud to announce winning the Bus Feed Competition held by MICTA .

Plan your bus journey using Bus-Man, enter the 'from' and 'to' locations, the date and time of the trip and search for the available bus services running between the two locations on the date and time of your trip. You can also plan a return trip.

See what bus services are running on the Isle of Man bus network and touch or click the markers to find more details zoom in further to find the bus stops on the island.

Find the bus stops near you with Bus-Man, or search for a location.

Use the bus service timetables with Bus-Man, select the service timetable for your journey.

The Bus-Man Website

Find the all the above Bus-Man functionality on our companion website at wwww.Bus-Man.com

rReasons why the Bus-Man website and mobile apps are no longer active.

Sorry, the Bus-Man apps and website are no longer active. Bus-Man was a proof of concept to win Manx ICT Association competition. I was told at the end of the competition that there would be further funding to further develop the apps by Ian Longworth and Mark Lewin but this never materialised. Bus-Man was a great project, but unfortunately I could not fund the further development myself when Bus Vannin were indirectly paying for the development of another mobile app and could afford to purchase of 53 Mercedes mini buses. In May 2017 Ian Longworth refused to give the new timetable information in order to update the Bus-Man apps with the current information.

I suggested adding Electric Trams, Horse drawn Trams and the Steam railways timetables to the Bus-Man apps but he refused giving the excuse that the timetables could not be altered to the bus format. The Bus-Man apps could have really been a benefit to Bus Vannin and the Isle of Man tax payer but they have squandered the opportunity.

At the beginning of February 2019 the real-time bus feed from Bus Vannin stopped. On Monday 11th of February, Richard Crammer at Bus Vannin stopped the bus feed from being restarted.

The Bus-Man project was well recieved from the public and most people I have spoken to preferred it over the government funded apps and was the best app the government could offer for a couple years at times with over 2800 users per week and with a total of over 48,000 users during the three years it was running.

I only hope the new 53 Mercedes minibuses improves the Bus Vannin service and the new Department of Economic Development brings real returns for the Isle of Man tax payer.

Information used in the Bus-Man Apps and website has been provided by Bus Vannin. The Bus-Man Apps and website has been developed in conjunction with Bus Vannin, MICTA and the Digital Strategy.

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To work towards a more secure, vibrant and sustainable Island nation for all, our focus is on five interrelated priorities as developed from early engagement with Tynwald Members in October 2021.

Each priority relies on cross-Government working and has its own vision, reflecting the aim, commitments and focus of this administration, which seeks to put people at the heart of service delivery and policy-making.

The focus for Government must be on straightforward delivery on the issues that matter most, with clear emphasis on creating a sustainable future and being an attractive destination for people and business. 

Whilst Our Island Plan sets out a vision for the next 10-15 years, with the actions to be taken over the course of this administration, Government must be ready to adapt to changing priorities, updating policy and taking a long-term view.

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Proposals have been approved in principle for funding from the Island Infrastructure Scheme to redevelop three key brownfield sites across the Island.

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DESTINATIONS

The Isle of Man by public transport: a 3-day itinerary

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It’s surprisingly easy to do the Isle of Man by public transport – much easier than other weekend getaway destinations like the Lake District or the Highlands. As an added bonus, the Isle of Man’s public transport isn’t just boring buses. Oh no. You’ve got horse trams, the electric railway and the steam train – so the transport is as much a part of the experience as the places you’re using it to get to.

I thought I’d share my 3-day itinerary for doing the Isle of Man by public transport, which I made for a long weekend this summer (using only one day of annual leave because of desperate times).

Get the kettle on – wait no, get a G&T because you’re not driving – and read on…

Before you go to the Isle of Man

Where to stay.

If you’re car-free, you’re best off staying in the centre of Douglas as a base. This’ll make it so much easier to use all the different public transport and head out for day trips to different parts of the island. Douglas also has the most going on at night too. So in the evenings, you can eat at a good choice of  Douglas restaurants and then have a drink without forking out loads for a taxi ‘home’. On our last trip, we stayed at the gorgeous  Raymonds B&B . The room was massive and was only £75 a night, complete with brilliant veggie breakfast.

Flights to the Isle of Man

I fly from Liverpool with EasyJet. Last time (and the trip this itinerary is based on), this meant a horribly early morning 7:30 Saturday flight to make the most of the weekend. But it worked out pretty well. It was about £40 each there and back. Obviously this will depend on the time of year and stuff, so as always you should check Skyscanner/Momondo etc.

It’s only an 18-minute flight so you’re only just in the air when you hear ‘cabin crew, prepare for landing’. Highly amusing.

Aaaaaaaand onto my actual itinerary for a long weekend in the Isle of Man by public transport…

Day 1 in the Isle of Man (Saturday): to the north

• Arrive hideously early having got the 7:30 flight from Liverpool with EasyJet. Breeze past everyone waiting for their suitcases because you’ve only got hand luggage. Exerting self-control when packing for a long weekend does have some payoff.
• Head to the airport information desk and purchase a 3-day explorer GO card , at the bargain price of £32 each. You can use it on the horse tram, buses, railways, EVERYTHING.
• Fling yourself wholeheartedly onto a bus to Douglas , assuming that’s where you’re staying. The buses have free WiFi, but I’d recommend downloading the PDF of the bus map to your phone just in case you need to look at it offline.
• Alight near wherever you’re staying to rid yourself of baggage. If you let them know ahead, I find most B&Bs/hotels are happy to hold luggage if you’re arriving before check-in time.
• Hop onto the  horse tram  wherever it stops near you. For us, it was outside the  Gaiety Theatre  (also worth seeing if you have time) . As a horsey person, I’m always wary of any tourist stuff involving horses, but these chaps are definitely well looked after. They’re all Shires, Clydesdales or crosses and they have GREAT human names: Andrew, Philip, Keith, etc. Use the horse tram to get to the north end of the promenade.
• From the north end, change onto the Manx Electric Railway (usually leaving at 10 and 40 past the hour) to Ramsey . The journey is really pretty and will introduce you to the amazing Manx scenery. I don’t want to spoil it for you by describing it but it’s very good indeed.

• Ramsey is up in the north of the island. You can walk along the shore (or Mooragh Prom) and back over the bridge to explore the town a bit, probably getting windswept in the process.
• Ramsey’s centre has a handful of really nice shops to mooch round, including my favourite  The Tide , where you can find all kinds of Manx-themed bits and bobs.
• Warm up with lunch at Rosa’s Pantry , a cute café that does brilliant vegan options.
• Suitably revived, head to Ramsey bus station and get the bus to Laxey . It’s the number 3 bus and leaves at 15 or 45 past the hour (on a Saturday, that is). Enjoy the scenic ride – not quite as exciting as the electric railway but as bus journeys go, it’s a good one.
• Laxey is a pretty, coastal village set into a valley, which makes for some beautiful scenery and photo opportunities. The  Laxey Wheel  (or Lady Isabella to her mates) is the main attraction. It’s a huge, red, working waterwheel set into the hillside above the village and you can go up it to look at the view from the top. There are some nice walks nearby if you have time.
• If the weather is clear, now’s your chance to ride the  Snaefell Mountain Railway  from Laxey up over 2,000 feet to the top of the Isle of Man’s only official mountain, Snaefell . The views are beyond anything and it’s the only place in the British Isles where you can see the ‘seven kingdoms’ of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Heaven, Mann and the Sea from one vantage point.
• Round off your trip to Laxey by visiting the lovely bunting-strewn café  The Shed  on the promenade for tea and cake or heading to the  Shore pub  for a pint of the local Bosun’s Bitter.
• Get the bus back to Douglas from King Orrie’s Grave, Minorca Hill.

• You must go to  The Little Fish Café  on the North Quay for your evening meal (I keep typing ‘evening meal’ in my blog posts because American readers are confused by the word ‘tea’ and I refuse to go southern and say ‘dinner’.) Make sure you book ahead, especially on a weekend because it gets busy, but it’s very much worth it. Manx queenies (a type of tiny-but-delicious scallop) are a big deal round these parts and you can get some amazing ones there. It’s also really pretty inside and one of those places that I’m confident recommending to my friends/family when they visit because everyone will love it. Also, it was the first place I  ever  got recognised in real life by a reader of the blog, which blew my mind. This obviously cemented it as my favourite restaurant of all time…
• After eating your own bodyweight in queenies, head for a gin & tonic or three just across the road at the  Seven Kingdoms Distillery . They do their own excellent rhubarb gin.
• End the night at  Bath & Bottle  for craft beer and cocktails. It’s a bar you can happily go to in a dress and heels at the weekend without feeling overdressed. I like this very much. Enjoy the cocktails and craft beer.
• Walk ‘home’ or get a taxi if you’re in the aforementioned heels. Sorry, that goes against the public transport theme but sometimes it’s needed.

Day 2 in the Isle of Man (Sunday): west coast is the best coast

• After eating a full breakfast at the B&B because you’re definitely not hungover, head to the  Manx Museum  (easily walkable from most places in Douglas). This is a really good way to get to grips with Manx history and also to see a giant elk and a pufferfish with an hilarious facial expression. It’s free to get in and is open 10:00 – 17:00. It should take a couple of hours and is a good one for if it’s raining.
• Have a mooch round Douglas because you won’t really have seen it in daylight yet. This is the bit where I insist on going into TK Maxx because I really know how to experience the culture of a place.
• Look out for the  Tower of Refuge   in Douglas bay, an iconic part of the Manx coastline, while walking through the seafront gardens – which are really pretty in summer. Douglas also has some really nice colourful Victorian buildings if you want to get some Instagram photos… Just saying.

• Have lunch at the very trendy Noa Bakehouse . You will not regret it.  It does the best pancakes and ‘squassants’ (squashed croissants).
• Pop over the road to Lord Street bus stop and get the bus to Peel .
• Peel is a lovely seaside town to explore. It’s home to the  House of Manannan , a museum all about the Isle of Man’s Celtic and Viking history, including a replica of a Viking longboat. This is a brilliant shout if you’re caught in the rain but if you’ve just done the Manx Museum you might be a bit museumed out. 
• Another option is going to Peel Castle . It’s a beautiful ruin and you can do a lap of it if it’s not too windy, and then walk down the beach to the other end of the town. Or you can go inside it, which is worth doing because the views are great and you might see the ghostly black dog who haunts it… Moddey Dhoo. What a name. It’s £6 to get into the castle.
• Then head to the local ice cream parlour,  Davisons  right on the front, to get an ice cream before wandering down the beach (vegan ice cream available too!). 
• Before you leave the delights of Peel, pop into  Two Fellas , which is new micropub. It’s a simple no-frills setup, with a brilliant range of craft beer (the proper hoppy kind). Also call in at the famous  kipper factory  to stock up on all your kippery needs. 
• Get the bus from Peel Town Hall back to Douglas . It’s at 23 or 53 past the hour.

• Eat at the new(ish)  Just Pizza and Pasta , which does brilliant pizza and unexpectedly inside has the kind of style of somewhere you’d expect to find in the Northern Quarter in Manchester or Bold Street in Liverpool.
• Post-pizza drinking options include The Railway Inn  or the Thirsty Pigeon . The latter is closed on Sundays though I think.
• We needed to pack for the morning so for this particular long weekend that this itinerary is based on, we only stayed out for one before walking back to the B&B. The woes of a very short break.

Day 3 in the Isle of Man (Monday): down south

• Today is your last day and time is of the essence , so get that breakfast down you, pack the suitcases (ahem) and get waddling.
• Head to Douglas’s Steam Railway . Make a quick stop by the platforms for a photo with the 9 3/4 sign if you’re a Harry Potter fan (and if you’re not, please get off my blog).
• Take the 09:50 steam train to Port Erin . All aboard, toot toot, etc. The journey is frankly incredible, passing through loads of gorgeous scenery. More importantly, it’s an excellent opportunity to lean out the window and wave manically at EVERYONE you pass. If they don’t wave back, you can swear at them. It’s all in the unwritten rules of steam trains. I checked.
• The train should arrive at Port Erin about 10:50. You have a brief chance to run down to the beach or just look at it from afar if the train got in late, before catching the number 28 bus from Port Erin train station at 11:30. This takes you to the Calf of Man (The Sound) for 11:50.

• The Sound is right down in the south of the Isle of Man and it’s full of seals. Dolphins and basking sharks sometimes call in and there are loads of seabirds. But your best bet is spotting some seals playing and being super cute. If you walk to the left of the café, you can find some little steps that go down the rocks to a small seating area. Try not to fall in the sea and die.
• Have lunch at the  Sound Cafe . It’s designed so that most tables have a panoramic view, which is very impressive. If it’s summer, a weekend day, or any kind of busy time, you’ll need to secure a table ASAP because it gets full and can take a while.
• Hoover that lunch up and get the number 28 bus to Port St Mary at 13:55. You won’t get to see much of Port St Mary other than a bus stop, sorry. One to save for next time. Change onto the number 2 bus to Castletown .
• Castletown is a town in the south of the island, where you can find lots of tiny doors built into the sides of buildings. They belong to the town of  Balley Cashtal Beg , which is Manx Gaelic for ‘Little Castletown’. A town within the town! You can do a whole walk/trail looking for them if you have time. It may be aimed at children but I bet I appreciated it a lot more.
• The main thing to do in Castletown is  Castle Rushen . It’s £8 and worth it. It’s pretty much in full working order rather than being a ruin. Most of it is indoors too so it’s a good one for a rainy day. It features those standard-issue historical dummies where you’re not quite sure if they’ll suddenly start moving and make you jump and then die of shame.
• After castling, get the bus to Ronaldsway Airport from outside Castletown’s Co-Op (you’re getting to see so many cultural landmarks!) at 16:06, arriving at the airport in time for your flight home (hopefully).

• The airport last time we were there was chokka. I don’t know if it’s always like that but be prepared. Our flight was at about 17:30, so we were back in Liverpool quite early, which gave us plenty of time to get our train off to Cheshire lands.
• And that’s the end of the Isle of Man itinerary (almost).

For next time…

Obviously, this 3-day itinerary for doing the Isle of Man by public transport isn’t the only way you could organise your trip. It might not even be the best way – we did Saturday to Monday because of when we could take annual leave, but Friday to Sunday would have been slightly better transport-wise.

Also, there’s loads of stuff I’ve not included that’s 100% accessible by public transport – not least my FAVOURITE place on the island, Niarbyl .

Have a look at my other Isle of Man posts if you want to find out more about things to do/see/eat:

• an Isle of Man travel guide: the hidden gem of the British Isles
• 20 of the best Isle of Man restaurants and places to eat and drink
• 60 things to do in the Isle of Man .

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11 comments.

Brilliant itinerary. Without the TK Maxx reference I’d never have read it 😉 x

Ahaha, it’s a unique and cultural landmark. I actually went in one today too! Out of control x

This is a fantastic guide! What a fantastic way to see the Isle of Man!

Thank you! x

It’s a lovely place! I had the privilege of working there for several months in the 80s (engineering job). Had a flat in Peel which is a nice area especially with the castle and there’s some scenic coastal walks, good beach too. Kippers of course are wonderful !

Thanks Ben! You’ve been to so many places I have. Peel is great, really like it there.

This & your other IOM posts are extremely helpful. My husband and I are planning a trip next summer of some combination of Ireland & IOM ( we are in the US). You may have covered this, and my apologies if i missed it, but is IOM bikeable? (Meaning not too hilly in which case it’s public transport for me!) We won’t be renting a car in any event so I’ll be referring to your guides many times as I plan!

Hi Kayla, glad you like the posts. You can definitely do some of it by bike and then do the tougher terrain by bus! Have a look at this: https://www.visitisleofman.com/things-to-do/activities/cycling/road-cycling

I did all the public transport too!!! We decided to turn it into a challenge and do it all in a day LOL. (my partner is from there and I’d been there before, I should probably point that out) We literally took the railway to Laxey, the mountain tram up Snaefell, back to Douglas, horse tram along the promenade and then the steam train to Port Erin to meet our friends in the evening haha! I really like Peel – isn’t the House Of Manannan great?! And I loved all the little fairy doors in Castletown!

Ah brilliant! My other half is also from there sort of – his dad is Manx and all his childhood holidays were there so he knows it so well. Peel is lovely!

Came across your blog by chance and will refer to it for other places… so useful and informative, many thanks. (No 28 bus only goes from Port Erin to The Sound on weekends and Bank Holidays)

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IOM Transport 4+

Isle of man bus timetable app, thomas coldwell, designed for ipad, screenshots, description.

The Isle of Man's bus timetables in one place for any bus you need to get you around the island. NOT affiliated with Isle of Man Transport Department or Bus Vannin. Interact with all of the bus timetables and get live stop updates for each bus route.

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The developer, Thomas Coldwell , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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Visiting Niarbyl

Related news articles.

• Close of MNH Attractions - Weather Update 22 March 2013 The House of Manannan, The Sound and Niarbyl are closed today due to inclement weather and road conditions. [More]
• Niarbyl Catering Contract 22 September 2010 Manx National Heritage (MNH) is a publicly funded body which exists to preserve, protect and promote the Island’s natural and cultural heritage for the Manx community. [More]
• Basking sharks are back in Manx Waters! 20 May 2010 Basking sharks returned to Manx waters at the weekend with the first reported sightings made from land at the Sound and Niarbyl and from boats out to sea along the West coast. [More]
• Niarbyl interpretation centre celebrates 100,000 visitors 19 September 2007 The combined café and visitor centre at Niarbyl celebrated its 100,000th visitor yesterday since reopening in 2005. [More]
• Over 1,000 Visitors Experience New Niarbyl Cafe & Visitor Centre 14 September 2005 Manx National Heritage have said they are delighted with the hundreds of visitors who have flocked to the new Niarbyl Café and Visitor Centre. [More]

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At The Races Isle of Man TT: Getting There, A First Timer’s Guide

Photo: rtwpaul

The Isle of Man TT ranks very highly on most motorcycle riders’ bucket lists— but while it seems easy to get there, the planning process can turn into quite a logistical challenge.

Having visited the races this year (2022), I figured I’d put together a How-To, directed more towards the North American riders. I am sure the British and European riders will add helpful tips in the comments.

First: When do you want to go?

This is not something that can (usually) be planned a few weeks or even months before the race. The TT is a very popular destination and the biggest issue can be simply getting there. Ferry space is at a premium.

To give you an example of this, I started the booking process 14 months, more than a year before my journey— and I booked one of the last available tickets for the dates I wanted .

When do you plan to go, and leave?

Where are you catching a ferry from to get to the isle of man (and the follow up question, are you going with or without a motorcycle), why did i choose heysham port as my port of choice.

Image: Google Maps

Riders waiting for the ferry to arrive. Photo: rtwpaul

Where to stay on the IoM?

What did i choose and why.

The sign is old but the distance is still correct, a 1-mile walk to town. Photo: rtwpaul

Were there any downsides to this choice?

Photo; rtwpaul

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Building a secure, vibrant and sustainable future is the vision set out by the Government in Our Island Plan.

• Secure We have an Island where everyone feels safe, our economy is secure, our health and education systems support everyone, and we have housing, food, energy, and transport security.
• Vibrant Our Island is vibrant, diverse and welcoming, providing excellent educational, recreational and economic opportunities for all, and our businesses are able to grow with confidence, accessing the skills and people required now and into the future.
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This document sets out our policies and the strategic programmes and core actions for the lifetime of the Island Plan including our Economic Strategy until 2026; and sets the course for the longer term delivery of our vision over the next decade and beyond.

The Economic Strategy is integral to the delivery of the Island Plan and has been fully incorporated in order to align delivery against a single set of interrelated objectives. The overall Island Plan vision is supported by the ambitions and objectives of the Economic Strategy, aligned to the five core Island Plan themes.

The latest plan can be accessed via the Island Plan website .

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Ferry to the Isle of Man

The Sea Terminal is located in the heart of the capital, Douglas. Ferries are operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and run daily between the Island and the UK mainland.

The Manxman vessel runs all year round, primarily operating on the Douglas to Heysham route, with a fast-craft vessel, the Manannan, running in the summer months to Liverpool, Dublin and Belfast.

In winter the Manxman also operates a weekend service to Liverpool.

A taxi rank is located outside the Sea Terminal, with the capital's bus station (Lord Street) being just a 50 metre walk away.

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