Victoria Coach Station - © Stephen McKay
The UK bus & coach travel network is an extensive one which enables visitors to travel across the UK. There are a number of options for visitors to the UK to consider, the privatised coaches offer the ability to see much of the UK on a reasonable budget while the public buses in cities such as London, Manchester & Liverpool offer a cheap and relatively quick way to make your way around the city. Using cars, trains and flights are often considered when travelling around the UK however using buses and coaches is unfortunately sometimes overlooked. Whilst they usually do not offer the same speed of travel as other modes of transport, travelling by coach & bus can offer an enjoyable experience for visitors enjoying the UK and has the advantage of usually being the most economical way to travel between towns, cities & places of interest.
Bus & Coach Travel in the UK
Seeing the UK by Bus & Coach
Coach Travel
Bus Travel
Bus & Coach Travellers Tips
Seeing the UK by Bus & Coach
Using buses and coaches to see the UK can provide visitors with a great chance to see the UK, for those not wishing to drive around the UK using buses and coaches provides a viable alternative in many cases. Not having to drive yourself and find new places on roads you are not familiar with can lessen stress and anxiety, leaving you to enjoy your trip without having to worry about these matters.
Bus and coach travel does not usually get you to your destination as quickly as using trains and flights, the gentler pace of travel appeals to many people. You can see the famous British countryside and experience the sites and sounds of the UK making for an enjoyable experience. Coach travel is particularly appealing for those with more time to see the UK and for those on a budget or wishing to experience the UK at a lower cost than is usually the case with other forms of transport.
Choosing a coach timetable that suits you allows you to see places and visit attractions at your own pace.
Coach Travel
Coaches in the UK are privatised and there are several companies offering coach services. Coach operators offer services that are local/regional and national, the largest and best known coach operator in the UK is National Express. National Express offer many routes to all corners of the UK including services from convenient places for visitors to the UK such as airports, train stations and other attractions. The cost of travel is reasonable compared to other forms of transport and with several services in operation at various times of the day especially to popular places, visitors have plenty of choice of which services to use.
There are regular promotions and discounted fares are available, booking in advance and checking other booking requirements can save you some money on the fares. See: National Express for further details.
For coach travel in London, Evan Evans offers a range of coach tours to experience the best of London, there are also services to areas of interest for tourists such as Stonehenge and the Cotswolds. There are day tips, 4 day tours and evening tours available among others. The guided tours help take the hassle out of finding places on your own or needing to drive and then find parking.
For coach travel in Scotland, Scottish Citylink offers frequent services to over 200 towns and cities across Scotland, there are plenty of daily services to locations across Scotland in comfortable coaches. It offers a great value way to experience the sites and sounds of Scotland on a reasonable budget. For further information please see: Citylink
Green Line coaches offer services between London and the Home Counties. The areas covered include Luton, Slough, Hemel Hempstead, Maidstone, Lakeside and Heathrow Airport. The services make it convenient for travellers to go on shopping trips to places such as Lakeside, see London city shops and nightlife in central London & experience attractions in the home counties. For more information please see: Green Line Coaches
Bus Travel
Bus travel offers many journeys across the UK at very competitive prices. The cheapest journeys are very hard to beat with bus operators such as Megabus offering tickets for inter city UK travel starting from as low as £1. This not only represents great value for money, with plenty of services available to places of interest for visitors to the UK, it offers a true alternative to more expensive ways to get around the UK.
One of the best known operators is Megabus that offers services to towns and cities across the UK going to and from major cities such as London. Using Megabus provides a cost effective way of travelling to places of interest and tourist attractions for visitors, the frequent services mean you are likely to find a service that suits your schedule. For more information please see: Megabus
Stagecoach offers bus services to many major towns and cities in the UK, they are one of the largest bus operators in the UK. The services are frequent offering services to larger towns and cities and more rural areas. For more information please see: Stagecoach
Public buses in towns and cites across the UK offer a good way to get around. The city centres can be extremely busy with driving a car and finding parking likely to be a challenge, using public buses are a good option for visitors needing to get around the town or city. With special bus lanes in operation in places such as London, it can help speed up journey times during the hours of operation.
The bus stops are frequently very close to train stations, hotels, hostels and places of interest and attractions making it relatively quick and easy to use. The fares can vary, it can be cheaper to purchase a one day or one week bus pass ticket if you are going to be using the services on a regular basis (buying a separate ticket each time you use the bus is likely to be more expensive, it is worth checking to see if you can benefit from a one day or weekly ticket).
Bus & Coach Travellers Tips
If you know in advance you wish to travel by coach, check online & on the phone for ticket prices. There can be discounts if you book early before a certain period of time, booking later can mean paying more.
Allow for extra time for your journey, bus and coach services can be subject to delay for a variety of reasons including unforeseen circumstances.
Take the bus/coach timetable with you in case you need it.
If you are unsure where a bus/coach is going to, it is best not to assume & check with the driver to make sure. Otherwise you could end up somewhere you did not want to go & lose your way.
If you are prone to motion sickness, take motion sickness tablets/medication at the appropriate time before you start your journey.
Do not show valuables such as money, your wallet/purse & jewellery on the bus/coach. Keep these out of public view.
Do not leave your bags/luggage unattended and if you need to put the luggage in to a luggage rack make sure you watch it at each stop to ensure no one walks off with it.
It is not common practice for strangers to talk to one another on public buses or coaches, thus if people do not talk to you do not take it personally!
Plan your journey so you get on the bus/coach station that is in an area that is relatively busy, has other passengers & is well lit, avoid using bus/coach stops in poorly lit areas and those that are deserted.
Visitors to the UK wishing to use the bus and coach network have several options and companies to choose from as outlined in the UK bus & coach travel guide. Travelling by bus and coach in the UK offers a viable alternative in many cases to using other more expensive forms of transport to get around and is an option travellers are advised to consider.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.