On Monday 3rd August 2026, I came up with a little challenge for myself to see just how many buses I could ride between Huyton Bus Station and Queen Square Bus Station in Liverpool city centre, all within around three hours. The original plan was to film the challenge and document each journey along the way, but instead I ended up taking plenty of photos of the buses, routes and different places I visited throughout the day.

The aim of the challenge was pretty simple start at Huyton Bus Station and see how many different buses I could catch before my three hours were up, making the most of the routes available to get me towards Queen Square. It was a slightly different way of exploring the local bus network and gave me the chance to ride a variety of services that I might not normally use. Although it didn’t quite turn out how I originally planned, I still managed to get plenty of photos and had a great time seeing how many buses I could fit into the challenge.

My first bus of the challenge was the 53, which took me from Huyton Bus Station towards Page Moss, with the journey taking around 15 minutes. Once I arrived, I quickly checked BusTimes to see what services were available and where my next bus would be heading. I find BusTimes to be a really useful website for challenges like this, as it not only shows you the different bus routes available but also allows you to track buses in real time and see when your next service is due. Compared with some of the individual apps provided by operators such as Arriva and Stagecoach, I personally find BusTimes much easier to use, especially when you’re trying to keep track of different routes and operators while making the most of a limited amount of time.

From where I had got off the 53, I would then catch the number 8 bus, which would take me towards Liverpool city centre and become my second bus of the challenge. Rather than taking it all the way into the city centre, I decided to get off at Knotty Ash, an area which is also home to part of the former Liverpool Loop Line Railway, now disused and transformed into a popular route for walking and cycling. From Knotty Ash, I would then catch my third bus of the day, the 10/10A service. These buses do take you directly into Liverpool city centre, but the whole point of this challenge was to see just how many different buses I could catch within my three-hour time limit, so there was no point in simply staying on one bus all the way to Queen Square. Instead, I wanted to make the most of the different routes available and see where each bus could take me before jumping onto the next service.

I stayed on the 10A for around 20 minutes before deciding to get off once again and have a look at what my next option would be. The challenge was all about seeing how many different buses I could fit into the three-hour window, so rather than simply heading straight into Liverpool city centre, I wanted to keep changing routes and make the most of the network. My next service would be the 26/27 circular route, which gave me another opportunity to explore a different part of the network before eventually making my way towards my next connection, the number 18 heading into the city centre.

Originally, I had planned for the 18 to be my final bus of the challenge, but as I got closer to Liverpool Lime Street, I decided to change my plans slightly. I wanted to take the opportunity to ride one of the new Enviro400 EVs that have recently been introduced as part of the planned bus upgrades in St Helens, supported by Mayor Steve Rotheram and operated by Stagecoach. As I was already in the city centre, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to squeeze in one more bus journey rather than calling it a day. So, I got off near Liverpool Lime Street and set about finding one of the new electric buses to finish off what had already been a pretty enjoyable challenge.

And finally, I arrived at my last bus of the challenge, which would take me the final stretch into Queen Square Bus Station — and I think we definitely saved the best until last! I managed to catch one of the brand-new Enviro400 EVs from Alexander Dennis, giving me the perfect opportunity to experience one of these new electric buses for myself. The journey into the city centre was a really enjoyable way to finish the challenge, and I have to say, I was really impressed with the bus itself. They’re comfortable, modern and really quiet compared with some of the older vehicles you still find operating around the network. Having now had the chance to ride one, I think I might actually prefer these over the Electroliners that Stagecoach also have in service. It was certainly a great bus to finish on as I made my way into Queen Square Bus Station, bringing the challenge to an end.

Overall, I really enjoyed doing this challenge and it was a slightly different way of exploring Liverpool’s bus network. I originally planned to film the whole thing, but taking photos of the buses and routes turned out to be just as enjoyable. I’ll definitely be looking at doing more challenges like this in the future, so let me know what you think I should try next!