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A 10 Day UK Trip Itinerary by Public Transport

Last updated: August 1, 2023 . Written by Laurence Norah - 31 Comments

In today’s post I’m going to share with you a 10 day itinerary for a UK trip, specifically covering England and Scotland, which will let you visit and travel around the UK entirely by public transport, and in particular by bus or train.

I have written a couple of posts giving detailed itineraries for the UK , but those are focused on self-drive trips. I’m often asked if they can be done by public transport, and whilst the answer is usually yes, it does come with caveats as the itineraries aren’t really designed around the public transport system in the UK.

With that in mind, I’ve put together the below itinerary for ten days in the UK that is designed to be done by public transport. The UK has an excellent public transport system, especially between the major cities, making it relatively easy to see quite a lot in a short space of time. So if you are interested in travelling the UK by train or bus, this itinerary is for you!

Let’s get started with my guide to taking a trip around the UK forb ten days by public transport.

A 10 Day UK Trip Itinerary

Here’s the detailed day by day itinerary for your 10 days in the UK

Days 1 & 2: London

I firmly believe that no trip to the UK is complete without spending some time in London, and that’s why this itinerary is kicking off with two days in the capital.

10 Day UK Itinerary - St Pauls Cathedral London

There is so much to do in London, and even if you have visited before, I guarantee you will find plenty to do. From classic sights like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace to visiting the Tower of London , through to afternoon teas and shopping at iconic stores like Harrods – truly, everyone will find something they love to do in London.

We have visited London a number of times, and have put together a number of guides to the city to help you out. Our first tip for inspiration would be to check out our guide to spending two days in London , which should give you some ideas, and if you have more time to spend in London check out our detailed  six day London itinerary .

We’ve also written a guide to getting into the city centre by public transport from all the major London airports , which you should find helpful for planning your arrival and departure if you are flying into the city.

Finally, if you’re planning on doing some sight-seeing, we definitely suggest checking out the London Pass , which will likely save you money. You can see our full  review of the London Pass here .

For accommodation, London has options to suit every budget. Start your search by taking a look at the London listings on booking.com , which is our preferred way of booking accommodation when we travel. For apartments, we love the curated selection on Plum Guide .

  • Day 3: Oxford

From London, it’s about an hours train ride to Oxford, or around an hour and a half by bus. Oxford is a stunning small university city that has served as the inspiration for numerous novels and films, and was one of the locations that the Harry Potter films were shot at. It’s a definite must for any visit to the UK.

10 Day UK Itinerary - Oxford Radcliffe Camera

A day is enough to see the city as it’s quite small. We’d recommend taking a walking tour of the city and universities , dropping into one of the beautiful old pubs like the Turf Tavern , and perhaps trying your hand at a spot of punting. There are also several great museums to explore in Oxford.

Otherwise, we’re sure you’ll just enjoy wandering the gorgeous streets of this city. For a lovely view across said streets, take a walk up to the top of the  University Church of St. Mary the Virgin , which is right next to the Radcliffe Camera.

For more inspiration, take a look at our guide to spending a day in Oxford,  a city we love visiting so much that Jess also wrote her thoughts on visiting Oxford for a day !

For accommodation, see the options for Oxford on booking.com here .

  • Days 4 & 5: Bristol

From Oxford, it’s an hours train ride to the next city on our 10 day UK itinerary – the lovely port city of Bristol. Buses are also available from Oxford to Bristol, and the journey is around three hours by bus.

In Bristol you’ll find a rich history of ship-building and trade, as well as Victorian engineering marvels like the Clifton Suspension Bridge. There’s an old city center to explore, one of the most vibrant street art scenes in the UK , beautifully coloured houses to photograph and of course, a number of excellent museums.

10 Day UK Itinerary - Bristol colourful houses

One highlight not to miss is the SS Great Britain . Originally built in Bristol in 1845, this was the world’s first ship to boast both an iron hull and a screw propeller.

She’s been beautifully restored and is now Bristol’s top visitor attraction. Note that tickets are slightly cheaper if you book them online, which you can do online here .

If you visit in August, you’ll also be able to attend Europe’s largest annual Balloon Fiesta –  the  Bristol International Balloon Fiesta . This takes place over four days in early August every year, and is free to attend.

For more ideas for your visit to Bristol, take a look at our guide to things to do in Bristol , as well as our guide to visiting the Bristol Balloon Fiesta , should you be lucky enough to be in town during this epic event.

For accommodation in Bristol, take a look at the Bristol accommodation page of booking.com .

  • Days 6 & 7: Liverpool

From Bristol, it’s time to turn north and head up to the home of the Beatles – Liverpool! You’re looking at around a three hour ten minute train ride from Bristol, which includes a change of trains (usually at Birmingham or Stafford). There are also buses available, which take in the region of 5 to 7 hours.

There’s plenty to do in Liverpool to fill two days of your time. Fans of the Beatles will want to head to Liverpool’s most popular museum – the Beatles Story . This is the world’s largest permanent exhibition devoted to one of the UK’s most successful rock bands.

Liverpool has more than the Beatles though. Liverpool’s historic Albert Dock  waterfront area has been revived, and turned from a 19th century dock complex to a modern thriving attraction with shops, accommodations, museums and attractions. As well as the Beatles Story, you’ll also find the Merseyside Maritime Museum , the Tate Liverpool , and the International Slavery Museum .

Finally, football fans might want to take a stadium tour of Anfield – the home of Liverpool FC.

For accommodation in Liverpool, see all the listings for Liverpool on booking.com here .

  • Day 8: York

Now we’re going to head north east across England, past Manchester and Leeds, to the beautiful historic city of York – just under three hours train ride away. Buses are also available, and these generally take between four and six hours.

York Shambles

The walled city of York was founded by the Romans nearly two thousand years ago, and has seen it’s fair share of history – for a time it was even ruled by the Vikings, and was known as Jórvík.

Today, there are still many reminders of the cities medieval past. A walk through “the Shambles” is a must – a winding medieval street overhung by old, timber framed houses and lined with pretty shops.

You’ll also want to check out the city walls – York has more miles of intact city wall than any other city in the UK. Originally built in Roman times, the surviving walls largely date from the 12th – 14th centuries, and you can see both the walls and their gatehouses, also known as “bars”.

Finally, no visit to York is complete without a visit to York Minster, York’s Cathedral. This is one of the most impressive religious buildings in the UK, built in the Gothic style, and with the present building dating from the 13th century. A highlight of any visit has to be a walk up to the top of the towers, from where you’ll get a gorgeous view.

For more information on your trip to York, see our guide to spending two days in York , which should give you lots of inspiration.

For your accommodation in York, check out the listings on booking.com here .

  • Days 9 & 10: Edinburgh

Our last stop on our ten day UK itinerary has you crossing the Scottish border and visiting the Scottish capital – Edinburgh.

Edinburgh

From York, it’s around a 2.5 hour train ride to Edinburgh, or 5 – 8 hours by bus.

This is a fantastically beautiful medieval city which features a castle built atop a volcano, lovely old cobbled streets, a whole Georgian era town, quaint villages to explore and of course, all the things you would expect from Scotland – haggis, tartan, bagpipers, and whisky!

There is a lot to do in Edinburgh. We very much recommend a visit to Edinburgh Castle , a stroll down the Royal Mile and some whisky sampling at the Edinburgh Whisky Experience.

If you’re planning on visiting a number of the Royal sights in Edinburgh, including Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace and the Royal Yacht Britannia , then you should consider a Royal Edinburgh Ticket . As well as giving you access to those three attractions, it also gives you a two day hop on hop off bus ticket for Edinburgh. See our full review of the Royal Edinburgh ticket to see if it might save you money.

For more ideas in Edinburgh, check out our suggestions for two days in Edinburgh , as well as our guide to some of Edinburgh’s hidden gems . For accommodation, see Edinburgh’s listings on booking.com .

For returning home after your UK tour is done, you have a number of options depending on where you are returning to. Edinburgh airport is just eight miles outside the city center, and offers a wide range of flights to both domestic and international destinations. To get to Edinburgh airport you can take the tram or AirLink Bus directly to and from the city centre.

If your return flight is from London, you have a number of options for returning to the capital city (including flying of course).

The main train station in Edinburgh (Edinburgh Waverley) is centrally located, and there are a number of train services that run directly to London, taking around 4 – 5.5 hours. There is also the option to take an overnight sleeper train from Edinburgh to London – read our experience doing that here . You can also take a bus from Edinburgh to London, which takes between 9 and 11 hours.

For more options, check out our detailed guide to getting between Edinburgh and London .

And that sums up our route for a ten day UK trip across England and Scotland! Now for some helpful hints and tips to help you plan your perfect adventure.

Map of Route for 10 Day UK itinerary

Here’s a map of the route to help you out with visualizing our 10 day UK trip itinerary, which you can see on Google Maps here .

10 Day Uk Itinerary route map

10 Days in the UK: Summary Itinerary

Here’s a quick overview of this itinerary for reference:

  • Days 1 & 2 : London

Tips for Using Public Transport in the UK

When it comes to taking public transit in the UK, you have two main options, the train or the bus, more commonly known as a coach.

As you can see from post, the train service in the UK is going to be the fastest way to get around for this public transport itinerary, especially between the major cities.

To get the best prices on trains, it’s essential that you book in advance. Tickets purchased on the day are nearly always going to be more expensive. Advance purchase tickets will save you money and usually come with a seat reservation.

There are a number of websites for booking UK train tickets online. We recommend the  Trainline  service, who have been around for a long time, and who we usually find to be the easiest for booking train tickets across the UK.

Opt to collect your ticket at the station to save on the ticket delivery fee – you will need the booking reference number and your credit card to pick up the ticket. Note that this will usually require a PIN enabled credit card. Alternatively, they usually allow you to print your tickets at home or use e-tickets.

They also let you book tickets for destinations all across Europe, and so are a handy one stop shop for all your ticket needs.

If you’d prefer not to have to worry about booking all the train tickets individually, or figuring out the pricing structure, another option is to invest in a UK rail pass. These are only available to UK visitors who don’t have a UK passport. If that’s you, you can likely save time and money by buying a UK Britrail pass .

For this itinerary, the best pass would likely be the 8 day consecutive pass, which would get you from London to Edinburgh through all the locations on this itinerary. These are available in first or second class, depending on your budget and travel style. Get yours here .

By Bus or Coach

You can also easily do this itinerary by taking long distance bus services (called coaches in the UK). Coach fares are often cheaper than train fairs, although as you can see from the itinerary, they usually take quite a bit longer. We therefore would only advise them if you are looking to save the maximum amount of money, or for the shorter legs like London to Oxford, or Oxford to Bristol.

They can also sometimes be a little easier, such as in the case of Bristol to Liverpool, as that route by train requires a change.

There are a number of long distance coach operators in the UK. The two we would recommend are National Express and Megabus , both of which offer a wide range of routes across the country.

From London to Oxford specifically, you have more choices, as well as the above options you can take the Oxford Tube . We’d suggest finding the route that departs from closest to your hotel to make it easier to get to it with your luggage.

As with the train, in most cases the best deals are available if you book as far in advance as possible for a specific bus time.

Is this UK Itinerary Achievable with Children?

So first, I have to say that Jess and I don’t have kids, so we don’t have first hand experience of travelling with children. However, a common question from readers is whether or not this UK itinerary can be done as a family.

Of course, every family is different, and there is no one size fits all answer. It will depend a lot on your individual family and travel style.

That said, speaking to friends with children and other family travel bloggers, as a general rule you will want to adjust your trip pace somewhat to suit the needs of your family. With this in mind, I would probably advise slowing the pace a little bit for the trip, and in this case of this itinerary, perhaps skipping one or two towns so you can travel a bit slower.

Obviously what you choose to leave out is up to you, but I would overall suggest focusing on Edinburgh, York, Oxford and London as an example, with 2 – 3 days in Edinburgh / London, and 1-2 days in York / Oxford.

Other Options for Touring the UK

If, having read all the above, you are feeling a bit overwhelmed at the idea of planning your UK trip yourself, don’t worry. We have a couple of other options for you to consider.

First, you could take a group tour of the UK. This will take you to a wide variety of sights, with someone else handling all the logistics, and letting you just relax and chill out.

We have used and can recommend Rabbie’s Trail Burners for this sort of thing – they’re a small group tour operator with lots of experience and great guides. As an example, they have an eight day tour that departs from London and goes to Edinburgh . Whilst the route isn’t quite the same, you will still see plenty of cool stuff.

Finally, you can also arrange a private tour. This will usually be a more expensive option, but will mean you can put something totally customised together. This is a service offered by a number of companies, we would again recommend Rabbie’s Trail Burners who offer a customised tour service .

Another option we are happy to recommend is professional driver-guide Robina Brown, who is a blue-badge guide offering tours across the UK. See her website here .

Where to Stay in the UK

For accommodation, there are a great many options to choose from, ranging from cosy B&B’s through to upmarket hotels, and everything in between. We’re big fans of Plum Guide , but for shorter city stays like those outlined in this itinerary, you will probably find hotels to be more convenient.

  • Our go-to choice to find the best deals on accommodation is with Booking.com . We find they usually have the best prices, they will price match if you happen to find a better deal, and they have a huge range of accommodation options – including apartments.
  • If you prefer an apartment or more of a hosted stay, then we recommend Plum Guide . We’ve tried many options, and have found Plum Guide to have the most consistent experience in terms of quality places to stay.
  • If you can’t find the room or apartment you want on Plum Guide, or you want some new options to try out, we have some alternatives we also use. We suggest trying Vrbo to start with. For even more ideas to help you save money and get the best choice, we wrote a whole post on the best holiday cottage and apartment rentals options in the UK .

Between these options, you should find the best prices and places to stay for your trip, as well as a good selection of reviews and feedback to help you make an informed decision.

When to Visit the UK

The UK is good to visit at any time of year, although for the best weather and longer daylight hours, we’d definitely suggest visiting in the warmer months – from May to September. May and September are probably our favourite times of year, the weather is usually quite reasonable but the tourist crowds are not too intense.

Christmas, and the period leading up to Christmas, can also be a wonderful time to visit, when the streets and shops are all brightly lit and decorated for the festive season.

For a good example of this, check out our guide to visiting Edinburgh at Christmas .

Further Reading for your 10 Day UK Trip

We’ve got lots of resources to help you plan your trip to the UK, both posts we’ve written ourselves based on our experiences travelling in the UK, through to third party content we’re happy to recommend. We think you’ll find them useful for planning your perfect UK trip:

  • If you would prefer a self-drive trip, check out my one week UK itinerary and my two week UK itinerary , which are both self-drive trips.
  • For budget planning, see our guide to how much it costs to travel in the UK
  • A two day Edinburgh itinerary, 21 Highlights in Edinburgh and Getting off the beaten path in Edinburgh
  • For London, we have some detailed itineraries and guides to help you plan your visit. These include a 1 Day London Itinerary , a Two Day London itinerary , a 3 Day London Itinerary and a Six Day London itinerary . We also have posts on The top Harry Potter sites in London and Tips on Buying and Using the London Pass
  • For Oxford, we have a guide to spending A Day in Oxford
  • In Bristol, check out our guide to  things to do in Bristol , as well as our guide to the street art of Bristol
  • Getting online when travelling in a foreign country can be daunting – check out our guide to getting online when travelling to help you figure out the best options for your trip
  • If you’re interested in getting better photos when you travel, take a look at my online photography course , where I’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting better photos – whatever camera you have!
  • If you want a physical (or digital!) book to accompany your travels, then Amazon do a good line in UK Travel Guides , and there is naturally a Lonely Planet and a Rough Guide to the UK available. We also think the Rick Steves guidebooks are excellent, and for our 10 day UK itinerary you should check out the Rick Steves Great Britain guide .

And that sums up our 10 day UK itinerary post! We hope you found it useful. If so, please share it on your favourite social media networks to spread the word. And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to pop them in the comments below!

A 10 day UK itinerary by bus or train. This itinerary for the UK focuses on what is achievable for a visitor to the UK who wants to travel using public transport. It covers many of the most popular sights and attractions in the UK, has a route map, plus tips and advice on planning the perfect trip to the UK.

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Vittorio says

28th June 2022 at 4:12 am

Hi Laurence,

Thank you very much for putting this itinerary together, it’s been really helpful and I’m actually thinking about following it quite closely. To give you a little bit of context: I’m from Argentina and I’m 23. I’m traveling in end of September, and I’m gonna spend a couple of days in London, then go to Dublin and back to London due to certain events I’ll be attending. After that, I have two spare weeks. I’m a little bit unsure about Bristol as a destination. I’m not exactly a museum-kind-of-guy so I’m actually afraid it might not be a destination for me? In addition to that, I think I have exactly 13 days after I leave London. Do you think there’s any other place I should definitely add to my list? Bath? Cardiff?

Any advice you might have or any tweaks to this itinerary that you can think of will be greatly appreciated. Once again, thank you for your work, you make planning so very much easier.

Best, Vittorio

Laurence Norah says

28th June 2022 at 9:23 am

Hi Vittorio,

Great to hear from you and it sounds like you have a fun time ahead 🙂 So Bristol definitely has a lot more to offer than museums, it’s one of the best places in the UK for street art, it has a vibrant student and arts culture and there is definitely plenty to see and do as you would expect from a medium sized city. It is hard to know if it is right for you specifically as I’m not sure what your interests are. Many city destinations are going to offer a range of attractions. Somewhere like Bath for example is known for its pretty Georgian architecture, and there is lovely walking in the area around. Oxford and Cambridge have lovely colleges you can explore. However all three of these are smaller than Bristol. Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham are larger cities with a bigger feel and more choice of things like dining etc. However, it really depends a lot on what you want to see and do. So if you could give me an idea of what you would love to do then I can perhaps offer some more specific advice 🙂

30th June 2022 at 9:43 pm

Hi Laurence!

Thank you for such detailed answer, and sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I hope I will have a good time in the UK, I’m super excited!

You asked me what I would love to do… I love sports, so finding cities with a sports culture and history is always amazing. When I travel, I really like walkable cities where you can wander around and get lost in the streets and find little places to have coffee or a couple of drinks, or maybe just snap a picture of a beautiful alley. I’m also really fond of street art and architecture. I love meeting new people, so if the community is friendly is always a plus. Music is one of my great passions as well, so if there are places where one can go and check out local bands with a beer in hand, that’s amazing. Shopping is not a must, to be honest. Apart from that, I like nature so coastal cities or parks within big cities are usually places where I like to take a break from the hassle of the city.

I’m still young and discovering what I like to do when I travel, but that’s mostly what I like to do when I’m abroad. Get up early, have a good breakfast and walk until dawn 🙂

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. Cheers! Vittorio

1st July 2022 at 11:30 am

Hey Vittorio,

My pleasure, and there’s no rush! So in terms of sports obviously London has a rich history with multiple football teams, the Olympic Park and locations like Wimbledon. Manchester and Liverpool are also well known worldwide for their football teams. Most of these locations you can either go see a game (depending on schedules) or take a tour of the stadium. So definitely consider that.

If you like street art Bristol is probably one of the best cities in the UK for street art. It’s where Banksy started his career, and many of his originals can still be seen. Bristol also hosts a massive street art festival every year, and the street art around the city is really good. You can see my guide to street art in Bristol for more.

For live music, London is good for that for sure, just because the city is so big that there are so many venues. Check out the Camden area in particular. Liverpool is also good for this, it was the home of the Beatles after all! For parks, London also has excellent parks, but smaller cities like Bath and Oxford are surrounded by nature so it is easy to get out. Bath in particular has some lovely countryside around it and the six mile Bath Skyline walk is a lovely countryside walk you can do from the city centre on foot.

I would definitely include Edinburgh and York as well. York makes for a nice day of exploring, it’s small but the medieval streets are lovely. The same can be said for the old town of Edinburgh.

So I would probably say that this itinerary should overall work for you, every location has something a little bit different to offer. You could tweak it a bit in terms of how long you spend in each location, but overall I think it should be a good match!

Shemna says

18th January 2022 at 4:45 pm

Thank you for this itinerary! My sister and I are planning to travel in 2 weeks time for 10 days. We were thinking of covering London extensively and york. We have already been to Edinburgh before so not doing Scotland this time. We’re more interested to spend time visiting quainter villages. So we were thinking of having London as a base and doing day trips from there to Cotswolds, bath, the Stonehenge – what other place wud you recommend? And would you suggest any other place to make base rather than London?

Thanks in advance! Shemna

21st January 2022 at 10:52 am

It’s my pleasure! I would say you have a good plan. London is probably the best base as you can either take a train to the locations you describe, or book a day trip. I’d suggest maybe adding Stratford Upon Avon, Oxford and or Cambridge to your list, they are all worth visiting and easy to do as a day trip from London. Bath makes a good base for the Cotswolds, but I’m not sure if there are many tours from Bath specifically. Let me know if I can be of any more help!

17th January 2020 at 5:39 pm

This is precisely what I am looking for, for my upcoming 2-week ‘milestone birthday’ tour of Great Britain. I don’t want to drive, rather wanted a train journey with stops and day tours. Thank you for providing such detailed information! You’ve saved me a great deal of planning time! Susan

18th January 2020 at 10:00 am

Our pleasure Susan! If you have any questions as you plan, feel free to get in touch 🙂 We also have a travel facebook group with lots of folk keen to help out, which you can see here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelloversandphotography/

Have a lovely trip!

Tracy Lewis says

1st January 2020 at 5:49 pm

Hello, Just happened upon your website; can’t wait to share it. We are 4 seniors (2 married couples) planning a trip to Scotland, Ireland and Wales in mid to late Apr. 2020. We do not want to rent a car. I have a teacher friend in Welshpool Wales that I want to see. Please tell us the best way to visit these 3 places – train, ferry, plane? Which would you do first? We are leaving from NC in the USA. Thanks so much. I do have a concern that if we’re not with a tour group we’ll only be able to see the cities and not much of the countryside. I appreciate any help you can give. Thanks again!!

1st January 2020 at 5:50 pm

This is Tracy Lewis again. I think I forgot to mention that we can only be gone 16 days.

1st January 2020 at 8:23 pm

Thanks for your messages! So train is going to be the best way to get around England, Scotland and Wales. You can definitely get the train to Welshpool as I have done it myself many times as my grandparents used to live in that direction, you can get the train from Birmingham, which in turn you can reach easily from most of the rest of the UK.

In terms of seeing the countryside, certainly, you will be a little restricted without a car but all hope is not lost. If you combine the train with local buses you should be able to see quite a lot without needing a car. Of course, a tour is another good option, but obviously you have to go where the tour goes rather than at your own leisure. One option in this scenario is to base yourself in some of the cities and then take day trips out into the country. This can be a great way to get your countryside fix and see some of the sights that might be harder to see otherwise. In Scotland for example, there are a range of day trips from Edinburgh we’ve written about .

Between the UK and Ireland you can either fly or take a ferry. Without a car, I’d say flying from either Glasgow / Edinburgh to Belfast or Dublin would be easiest. From these two cities you can also take a number of day trips, or even 2 day tours. I think that would be what I would do – base myself in the city and then take the tours in the day, either day trips or two days tours.

I hope this helps a bit, let me know if I can offer any further advice and assistance 🙂

Have a great trip, and Happy New Year!

30th December 2019 at 5:12 am

Hi there. This site is a great find. I will be travelling to the UK in May/June spending a week in London visiting family and sites, then possibly following your itinerary afterwards. Just wondering if taking an 8 day rail pass to all the locations you mention, after my week in London, whether I could manage a return trip from Edinburgh to London on that same pass? Also, do you recommend one direction over the other? That is, based on time of year, would starting in Edinburgh, or London be best? Thanks in advance….

30th December 2019 at 3:23 pm

Thanks very much! So the rail pass will work for travel as long as you are within the 8 days of the passes validity. In terms of direction – I don’t think it matters too much! I would probably start in London as it’s the UK capital, but really it doesn’t make difference. The only difference would be around flights and where you want to fly to / from, and if this makes a difference to price. Don’t forget to check flight prices from Glasgow – it’s not far from Edinburgh and often has some good prices.

Have a great trip!

Karen Street says

20th October 2019 at 12:43 am

Hello, First of all thank you for this information. I appreciate it. My husband and I are planning to travel december 2020 for our 10 year anniversary. (I know it’s a little bit early but planning ahead is good for us.?)This is our first UK trip and planning for 10 days. Public transport or car? We are debating with that and we have experienced left side of the road driving because we just got back from Ireland. With public transport less stress right? Please advise for December season.

Thanks again.

21st October 2019 at 8:32 pm

Our pleasure. So if you are used to driving on the “wrong” side of the road, you should be fine driving if you choose to. However, if you are happy sticking largely to the cities, as outlined in this itinerary, then public transport would be my preferred option. It’s usually quicker (especially the train), can be more affordable if you book in advance, and most UK cities are not really car friendly so you have to park the car and pay for parking. So yes, I’d go for public transport 🙂

Have a great trip and let me know if I can help any more!

PS – it’s never too soon to plan!

karen street says

22nd October 2019 at 7:50 pm

Hello Laurence,

Thank you for the reply. Can you give me an advice during Christmas time where to stay? Planning leaving LA on 12/16/2020 to 12/28/2020. Help! Thanks 🙂

24th October 2019 at 12:48 pm

It’s really up to you in terms of your budget and requirements. For that time of year I’d recommend booking in advance, and I link to the website for booking.com on each city section so you can search 🙂 I have recommendations for some of the cities specifically in some of our other posts, including our London , Edinburgh , Oxford and Bristol content, which should also give you some more specific ideas!

Kathy Jones says

12th April 2019 at 6:30 am

Hi Laurence…..2 queries!!….we leave London ( staying in E Putney ) on train bound for Truro, with our luggage. Which station most practical to use please? Paddington the closest? Hiring a car at Truro ( probably Enterprise…hoping they’re as good as their website!) driving around U.K. for 10 days and returning car to Edinburgh before catching train to London again. Some have advised to drop hire car off at airport as Edinburgh city driving is a nightmare?!…but I see Enterprise have a depot in Waverley, which makes more sense to me as we are staying in Great King St in the centre. Would we manage the city streets?! Really grateful again for your help.

12th April 2019 at 12:06 pm

So I’m not sure you have a choice of train stations, unless I’m misunderstanding the question. The train you are booked on will have a specific departure station, so that’s the one you’ll have to go to 🙂 It’s it departs from Paddington, that’s an easy tube ride from East Putney, direct on the district line.

It’s hard for me to comment exactly on driving in Edinburgh. Personally I drive in Edinburgh all the time and have no problems, but I know friends of mine visiting from the US did not enjoy it (although this was exacerbated a great deal by them accidentally hiring a manual car that they weren’t used to!). Given that you are already used to driving on the left hand side of the road in a manual car, I don’t think you’ll have any problems. Bear in mind that many people coming to drive in the UK are used to driving automatics on the other side of the road, which can make the whole process a lot more nerve wracking. So I think you should be fine. Just make sure you have Google Maps with Edinburgh downloaded so you can get navigation instructions 🙂

Hope this helps! Have a great trip – let me know if I can help any more!

26th March 2019 at 11:56 pm

What do you do with your luggage while you’re sightseeing? Thanks.

27th March 2019 at 11:02 am

We usually leave it with the hotel we are staying at. If that’s not an option, we try and find a secure storage locker. However, that’s not normally an issue, most hotels are happy to hold onto it 🙂

31st October 2018 at 8:28 pm

Hi, Thank you for sharing such a detailed information! I’m really interested to plan my trip in december based on your guides. However, I will also be travelling with a baby, do you think this guide will be doable while travelling with a baby around 9 months old? What do you think I should adjust given the situation?

1st November 2018 at 1:38 pm

Thanks for your comment. I have to preface my response by saying that I don’t have children, so I don’t have any first hand experience. I know from speaking with other families who travel though, that it does tend to add a fair bit of overhead to the trip. I think with a 9 month old this may be reduced as they can sleep a lot, so you can take them to more places perhaps than a toddler who will need more consideration. But I would still suggest perhaps cutting the trip down a little bit and maybe skipping a couple of destinations. You can see a suggested reduction in the trip itinerary in this comment here:

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/10-day-uk-itinerary-public-transport-train-bus/#comment-8660

Hope this helps!

Alana Gaymon says

23rd October 2018 at 12:42 pm

This is a great itinerary! We may need some modifications, but I love the idea of seeing the U.K. by rail. Thanks so much!

23rd October 2018 at 1:04 pm

Our pleasure! Thanks for stopping by and letting us know!

Puspita says

23rd October 2018 at 6:46 am

Hi! This is going to be our first trip to UK and we found your itinerary here is so helpful..very detail and interesting! However, is this itinerary doable with family with young children? I am concerned with the luggages too! Lastly,.. Is it possible (& sensible to go to Edinburg straight from Gatwick airport and then following your itinerary backward all the way down to London ? Thanks a lot for your reply!

23rd October 2018 at 2:06 pm

Hi Puspita,

Delighted to have been able to help. So first, I have to say that Jess and I don’t have kids, so we don’t have first hand experience of travelling with children. That said, speaking to friends with children and other family travel bloggers, you certainly have to adjust your trip pace somewhat to suit their needs, which will vary individually of course. So I would probably advise slowing the pace a little bit, and in this case of this itinerary, perhaps skipping one or two towns so you can travel a bit slower.

Obviously what you choose to leave out is up to you, but you might perhaps focus on Edinburgh, York, Oxford and London as an example, with 2 – 3 days in Edinburgh / London, and 1-2 days in York / Oxford.

You can definitely go straight from Gatwick to Edinburgh. The easiest way is going to be to fly, although of course that is the mode of transport with the most restrictive luggage allowances. Other types of transport such as trains and coaches are less restrictive.

I hope this helps – have a great trip!

27th August 2018 at 5:25 am

Hi guys, thanks for the fantastic info! My wife and I will be visiting Birtain from Canada for 10 days next month and will be virtually mirroring your itinerary. How do you suggest packing for a trip using public transportation? Suitcases or backpacks? And how do you deal with trinkets purchased along the way?

27th August 2018 at 12:27 pm

Our pleasure 🙂 We usually travel with rolling luggage, specifically something like the Osprey Sojourn 60L. The UK is an easy place for rolling luggage, but luggage with slightly larger wheels will be easier to manage we think. We find backpacks are better in countries where there is less paving, but in the UK you can roll your bags pretty much everywhere, so it’s a lot easier. On trains there is nearly always a luggage area either at the end of the carriage or in the middle, whilst buses will have a dedicated luggage area under the passenger area. We’d advise having a smaller bags for your valuables (camera / passport etc), which you can keep with you.

For trinkets… we have two options. We usually try and leave enough space in our bags so they fit in as they go. Alternatively, for larger items it can just be easier to mail these back to yourself, but just be aware of any tax implications or import fees. But we generally try to avoid picking up anything too bulky (hence our extensive collection of fridge magnets)

I hope this helps – have a wonderful trip and do please check back in to let us know how it was!

Richard says

23rd July 2018 at 3:22 am

Hello, Thanks for the wonderful information. As a suggested show to see this summer at the Fringe, stop by the Bedlam Theatre to see Theatre Movement Bazaar’s “Grail Project”. Our son is performing in this play about the King Arther days. This will be his third time at the Fringe as a performer. Your 2 week agenda of London -Edinburgh – Ireland – London is great. We can expand the time along the way to make it work for our 4 weeks. Big question though is it possible to make it work and see all the sites you mention by way of train or bus, or will we need to rent a car? I was hoping not to have to rent a car.

24th July 2018 at 9:44 pm

Hi Richard! Thanks for the recommendation! We’ll do our best to look him up, we’re in Edinburgh the for festival this year 🙂

For the 10 day itinerary here, you can definitely do it by public transport.

For the 14 day itinerary, it is possible for most of it, but the more remote castles, stately homes and national parks would be more of a challenge. No problem though, there are loads of tour companies that run short 1 day or half day tours to many of the attractions listed, so you could take small group tours to some of the attractions and thus circumvent the need to either hire a car, or figure out the (sometimes, rather challenging!) rural public transport system!

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What are you looking for, travelling around britain.

VisitBritain/ Peter Kindersley

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Introduction

Whether its lush green countryside, dramatics coasts, cute villages or bustling cities, you’ll find all you need on the different ways you can get around Britain.

Travelling around London

Britain’s busiest, most populated and diverse city is England’s capital: London. While lots of the central areas are easy to explore by foot, you will no doubt need some form of transport during your stay. If you know where you want go to, you can find the quickest routes for your journeys in and around London using Transport for London’s (TfL) handy journey planner .

Transport tickets and Oyster Cards

The cheapest way to get around is by using a Visitor Oyster Card , a pre-paid electronic card that can be used on buses, the tube, the tram and most rail services within London’s travel fare zones (zones 1 to 6).  You can save time by ordering your card before you arrive.

One-day paper travelcards (which cover bus, tube and inner-city rail services) are also available from all London Underground stations and are a good choice for short breaks. To charge or ‘top up’ your Oyster Card (known locally as an oyster), visit travel information centres, newsagents showing the blue Oyster symbol, and all London Underground stations. You can also use the Oyster Card app .

Contactless bank cards, Apple Pay and Android Pay can also be used on London’s transport system – there are daily caps meaning you can take unlimited journeys in a day for a set price, though these caps change depending on which zones you travel through.

The London Underground

The legendary London Underground network, often just called the tube, has more than 270 stations, each marked with the famous London Underground roundel logo.

Tubes run daily, apart from Christmas Day, from around 5:30am until midnight. Some lines run throughout the night at weekends. There are also fewer services on Sundays and public holidays.

Each tube line is represented by a different colour. Colour-coded maps can be found at every tube station and maps of the central section of the network are displayed on each tube carriage.

If you get lost, flag down a TfL staff member for help or simply ask fellow passengers – most Londoners will be happy to help.

Find out more about travel on the London Underground .

The London Overground and suburban rail services

The London Overground and a number of traditional rail services also operate out of London’s major hubs, such as Waterloo, Liverpool Street and Victoria, and travel to more suburban areas of London, particularly parts of south London which aren’t reachable by tube.

Oyster Cards and contactless bank cards can be used on many services up to certain stations (within the London fare zones). To be sure check the stations you use operate within these zones before travelling.

London buses

London buses come in all shapes and sizes – from double-deckers to single-deckers and Routemaster buses (with doors at the front, centre and rear) and operate all over the city. Check out bus routes with TfL’s handy bus map .

London buses don’t take cash - instead you need to touch your Oyster Card or a contactless bank card against the reader when you board the bus, and a set cost will be deducted from the card, regardless of how long the journey takes. Paper travelcards can also be used on buses - just show this to the driver when you board.

London has the most extensive night bus system in the world, with a number of buses running 24- hours-a-day, meaning you can go clubbing into the small hours without worrying about getting home. 

Cycling is an increasingly popular and green ways to get around London and with hundreds of cycle lanes throughout the city, it’s easy.

Santander Cycle can be hired (and dropped off) from docking stations throughout the city. Just turn up, pay and cycle away.

Folding bikes are allowed on all forms of public transport, while non-folded bikes can only be taken on some services at specific times .

The famous London black cabs (officially known as Hackney Carriages) are as much as an institution as big red buses. Black cabs are safe and reliable and drivers have to undergo strict tests to get a licence. All are wheelchair accessible and accept credit and debit card payments, and some are now electric, making travelling around London even greener.

There are fewer black cabs outside central London, but you will find that plenty of mini-cab companies or check out minicab apps such as Uber or Bolt.

While it’s possible to drive around London, it can sometimes end up being the most time-consuming and expensive way to travel. London is congested, and cars are charged for entering certain central areas. This is known as the Congestion Charge , which is charged per day, and payable online. It applies to drivers who use the congestion zone Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm, although black cabs are exempt. Certain vehicles will also have to pay to drive within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) , which is in force 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This zone covers a larger area of London than the Congestion Charge.

Guidance for non-UK registered vehicles

If you intend to bring a vehicle from Europe and it is registered outside of the UK, you will need to register it with Transport for London before driving in the capital. More guidance can be found via the official Transport for London website .

You can also check if your vehicle meets emissions and safety standards. You can check your vehicle here .

London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

The London ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) costs £12.50 per day (from midnight to midnight) for non-compliant vehicles. It was expanded to cover all London Boroughs in August 2023. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, except Christmas Day (25 December).

A failure to pay the ULEZ for a non-compliant vehicle could result in a penalty charge notice of £180. This can be reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days but can also be increased should you fail to pay or successfully challenge it. Both UK and non-UK registered vehicles can be given penalty charge notices.

Find out more about the London ULEZ .

The Congestion Charge

The Congestion Charge covers central London and is a daily £15 charge. All vehicles driving in the zone are required to pay. It applies from 07:00 – 18:00 Monday to Friday, and 12:00 – 18:00 at weekends and bank holidays. There is no charge from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day bank holiday, inclusive.

A failure to pay the Congestion Charge could result in a penalty charge notice of £180. This can be reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days but can also be increased should you fail to pay or successfully challenge it.

Find out more about the Congestion Charge .

London low emission zone (LEZ)

The low emission zone (LEZ) covers most of Greater London and operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The LEZ is not the same as the Congestion Charge zone in Central London and the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ).

If your vehicle is registered outside of the UK, you will need to register it with Transport for London to ensure that it meets the LEZ emission standards.

Find out more about the low emission zone .

Do driving charges apply to rental cars?

The Congestion Charge in London applies to all drivers. The requirement to pay the ULEZ fee will be dependent on whether your rental car meets emission standards. As most hire fleets are relatively new, the majority of vehicles will be exempt. Check with your car rental company when booking or picking up your vehicle to ensure it is compliant.

Travelling around other British towns and cities

Using public transport is an easy, economical way to travel around Britain’s cities and towns, and is a great way to experience local life.

Local buses

In most UK cities, you can buy bus tickets directly from the driver when you board a bus. Large areas like the West Midlands and Greater Manchester also have their own regional travel cards which are valid on all public transport within their area.

Check local tourist websites for timetables and more information. Regional bus operators may also have their own apps, which can be downloaded via the main app stores.

City tram networks

Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham operate tram services – you can purchase tickets for the tram either from an on-board conductor or from ticket machines at tram stops. Get more information from local tourist offices and local tourist board’s websites.

Taxis and minicabs are available in cities and towns across Britain. Taxi ranks can be found just outside most busy train stations or you can phone for one in advance. Minicab apps, such as Uber or Bolt, also provide services in many of the major towns and cities.

Many city roads have cycle lanes and even dedicated traffic lights. Most destinations have somewhere you can hire bikes, and increasingly scooters.

The National Cycle Network , managed by Sustrans, also covers many different parts of Britain, providing signed routes and paths.

Travelling around Britain by train

Travelling by train is a green, scenic and relaxing way to discover Britain. The rail network here covers whole swathes of Britain, with more than 2,000 stations serving England, Scotland and Wales. It’s an easy and efficient was to travel, with different train companies serving different parts. You can plan your journey using the National Rail Journey Planner  and before you know it you could be in Brighton or Scotland or almost anywhere else. Journey lengths aren’t too onerous either - hop on a train in London you can be in Scotland within four hours.

It’s easy to travel within regions and towns too. Plan your journey and buy tickets from large travel agents,  online ticket providers, and at all railway stations.

Buying your ticket further in advance can save you money  and sometimes it’s even cheaper to buy two separate singles than one return, so it pays to check this before booking.  If you opt for a BritRail pass – exclusively for tourists – it offers unlimited journeys and various discounts, giving you the freedom to travel around at your own pace.

VisitBritain/Ben Selway

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Travelling around Britain by car

What do you need to drive in britain.

You’ll need a current valid driving licence, and if required, an international driving permit.

You must keep proof of ownership or a rental agreement in your vehicle, plus any insurance documents.

Find out more information on what you’ll need to drive in Britain .

How to hire a car in Britain

With lots of hire car comparison sites, make sure to do your research in advance to find the best price.

You’ll find major car rental company desks at airports and coastal ports as well as others conveniently located in city centres and major towns.

All rental companies should include insurance cover and breakdown cover with car rental, so check this when you book.

You’ll also need to have a credit card in the name of the main driver to hire a vehicle.

Electric vehicles are also available to hire at many large rental companies.

Electric vehicles and charging points

Driving electric vehicles makes travelling around Britain more sustainable. Most major car rental companies will hire them. There’s some advantages with parking not afforded to petrol or diesel powered cars too.

Britain has an extensive and growing network of electric vehicle (EV) charging points with more than 20,000 locations in operation and more being added all the time. Some charging points are free to use while others require payment using an app or a credit or debit card.

Use the Zap Map website or app to find your nearest charging points.

Fuelling stations in Britain

Most petrol stations are self-service and instructions at the pump are easy to follow.

You’ll often pay for your fuel at the counter or at the pump itself using a bank card.

Clean air zones and low emission zones

What is a clean air zone (caz) or low emission zone (lez).

In a bid to reduce air pollution, some cities in the UK have clean air zones (CAZ) or low emission zones (LEZ). Vehicles that do not meet emission standards may be charged for entering the zones. The minimum emission standard can be found in your vehicle logbook or checked via your vehicle manufacturer.

England’s clean air zones

Seven cities in England have clean air zones (CAZ) – Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield, and Newcastle/Gateshead. However, charges may only apply to non-compliant cars and motorcycles for the zones in Birmingham and Bristol.

The CAZ minimum standard for cars and vans is Euro 6 (for diesel vehicles) and Euro 4 (for petrol vehicles), motorcycles are Euro 3.

The zones operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year (midnight to midnight).

Find out more about England’s clean air zones .

Scotland’s low emission zones

Unlike England’s clean air zones, non-compliant vehicles cannot enter Scottish low emission zones at any time. There is no daily charge, just a £60 daily penalty.

The Scottish LEZ minimum standard for cars and vans is Euro 6 (for diesel vehicles) and Euro 4 (for petrol vehicles). The LEZ in Glasgow has been enforced from June 2023. Further zones in Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen will be enforced from late May/early June 2024.

Find out more about Scotland’s low emission zones .

Toll roads and tunnels

Some toll roads, bridges and tunnels on the UK road network will require you to pay a charge. What you will need to pay varies by location and is dependent on the vehicle you are driving.

A full list of UK toll roads can be found on the official government website .

Tips for driving in Britain

Cars drive on the left-hand side of the road.

Speed is measured in miles per hour and distances on road signs are displayed in miles.

Most hire cars will include GPS or offer a satellite navigation system as an extra, but it’s also a good idea to keep a map handy.

Take a look at the Highway Code for an up-to-date guide to all the current British driving regulations and traffic signs.

It is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving.

There are some toll roads, bridges and tunnels within the UK road network. For information on toll road charges see GOV.UK .

Travelling around Britain by coach

If you’re on a budget, travelling by coach is a great alternative to train or car, but journey times can be longer. 

If you know where you want to go, plan ahead and book your coach in advance from major operators like National Express or Megabus . You can also take a coach tour of places of interest - lasting anything from a couple of hours to couple of weeks. Choose from seaside towns to chocolate-box villages, historic sites to buzzing cities. It’s a good idea to book coach excursions or longer coach trips before you arrive here.

VisitBritain/Jon Attenborough

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Travelling around Britain by air

If you’re short on time, then major cities and some towns are well connected by airports. This is an expensive option and once you’ve factored in getting to and from the airports, not always the most time efficient.

You can catch domestic flights from major cities like London to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen in around 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Travelling around Britain by boat

Britain has thousands of miles of inland waterways and hundreds of islands scattered along its coastline, many of which can be explored by cruising in a canal boat or by hopping on a ferry.

You can hire canal and narrowboats, or take an organised boat tour. For more information of Britain’s canals, rivers and lakes, visit the Canal & River Trust website .

Ferries in Scotland sail to a myriad of destinations including the Isle of Skye, Stornaway and Lochboisdale in the Western Isles. Most of the ferry companies offer a variety of different ticket types including island-hop passes.

River ferries are an interesting alternative to the more usual forms of transport, like the ferry across the Mersey River between Liverpool and Birkenhead and the London river boats that run from Westminster to Greenwich and beyond. You can discover more about ferry routes and timetables by visiting local destination websites.

VisitBritain/Andrew Pickett

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UK Bus & Coach Travel

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This article was updated on June 11, 2018.

Traveling within the UK by bus is one of the best ways to discover the unrivalled scenic gems its regions have to offer – something you’ll definitely miss with the plane. With more bus paths than train routes, not only is the bus a cheaper, greener, and more flexible alternative, but it’s also the chosen mode of transportation among the locals. From Scotland’s diverse countrysides, to England’s bustling city centers, if you’re currently in Europe or planning an upcoming trip, here are our 10 tips & tricks for bus travel in the UK.

1. Opt for the scenic route Travelers with a penchant for wanderlust usually revel in the idea of an offbeat adventure, and choosing the bus will help you get there. Riding a bus – or a coach – in the UK is perfect for visiting more than one city or village off the beaten path because they usually take routes that don’t exist by train. These journeys boast an array of mountainous panoramas, unspoiled countrysides, and historic architecture, making it easy to unearth the many wonders that dot the UK’s landscape. If you pass through small towns, you’ll even get the chance to observe how the locals live.

2.  Take advantage of full stops Another great way to snap Instagram-worthy pictures is by getting off the bus! Not only are these breaks welcome during longer trips, they’re ideal for uncovering the territory’s picturesque backdrop. If you’re traveling by day, you’ll begin sightseeing before reaching your destination – for free.

Oxford

3. Discover tasty snacks Delving into the local fare is a fun way to discover other cultures. Want to begin sampling the region’s food before stepping off the bus? Pick up a Cornish Pasty or a Bedfordshire Clanger for lunch breaks. These traditional goodies are easy to pack, making them perfect for on-the-go munchies.

4. Dress for appropriate temperatures We all know the UK has a reputation for its unpredictable weather, so ensure you dress wisely. Since it tends to be generally colder than other parts of Europe, be sure to pack a good pair of walking boots for treks (bonus if they’re waterproof), a wool sweater if you’re visiting in winter, and a sturdy umbrella.

5. Pack your music What’s better than admiring the scene to the sound of a personal soundtrack? Create a vacation playlist for your UK adventure by adding tunes like “London Calling” by The Clash or some classics from The Beatles to your repertoire.

Liverpool

6. Familiarize yourself with the terminology Knowing a few of the UK’s key terms will come in handy for bus travel: Bus (coach or sleeper coach), bus station (coach station), bus driver (coach driver), line (queue), highway (motorway).

7.  Research and book your bus tickets online Search your departure date & time and  book your ticket  with  Busbud . Once that’s done, simply arrive at the bus terminal and board stress free! This is also the easiest way to ensure you are booking through a safe and reliable bus company – and it’s an eco-friendly alternative to other modes of transportation.

8. Choose  luxury Most coach buses in UK are already equipped with a high level of coziness, but you should also consider upgrading to first class for ultimate comfort. The UK has some pretty luxurious coach buses that are at par with some airline cabins. The majority will offer reclining leather seats, WiFi, power outlets, movie screens, sleeper kits, air conditioning, as well as onboard snacks and meals.

Plymouth

9. Organization is key Many buses journey to neighboring countries, and though most Western countries in the European Union do not have border checkpoints, passport checks still happen from time to time. Be sure to keep passports and bus tickets in order and within reach.

10.   Make friends with your bus driver If you do speak the language, chat your driver up during breaks. You’ll be amazed at how much they know – and how much they’ve seen. They will even give you tips on which side of the bus you should sit on to get the nicest views…and photos!

Visit Busbud to learn more about  National Express’s schedule and tickets.   Have you taken the bus throughout the UK and have some tips you would like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

UK Travel Planning

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  • How to plan your UK Trip – A step by step guide

If you have a feeling of overwhelm when you think about planning your UK trip this article will help you – I recommend following each step below in order.

From deciding when to go, what to see, how to get around and even what to pack I will walk you through each step and make your planning process smoother and less daunting.

Step 1 – Decide when to visit the UK

Uk travel toolkit, step 2 – decide on your budget, step 3 – start your research, step 4 – check your passport and any visa requirements, planning your itinerary, popular destinations in england, popular destinations in scotland, popular destinations in wales, looking for a good map to help plan your itinerary, itinerary suggestions, intrepid travel, flying to the uk, other inbound transport options (bus/ferry/eurostar), travel insurance, step 7 – book accommodation, how to get around london, driving in the uk, train travel in the uk, by coach or bus, take an internal flight, english heritage overseas visitor pass (not available to uk residents), city passes, activities and experiences, book airport transfers, plan how you will access the internet, money matters*, check medical supplies.

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London travel guide & itinerary planner (+ 4 bonus ebooks), 10 step guide to plan your uk vacation.

10 STEPS TO PLAN YOUR UK TRIP 2

Visiting the UK is wonderful at any time of year but it is important to be aware of the possible impact of the seasons on your travel plans.

If you have set dates when you have to take your vacation it is still essential to be aware of the possible weather conditions for the time you will be in the UK.

The weather varies greatly depending on where you visit in the UK. It will be considerably colder in Scotland in winter than in London for example. Generally the further north you travel the cooler it becomes at any time of year!

The days are also shorter in winter leaving less time for sightseeing especially if you are exploring countryside areas such as the Cotswolds or the Highlands of Scotland .

Summer – June to August

This is peak tourist season and it is busy all over the UK. School holidays in July and August lead to an influx of visitors to popular seaside destinations as well as cities such as London and Edinburgh .

The hours of daylight are longer during the summer with light evenings enabling visitors to do and see more.

There are also many popular festivals and shows held during the summer months.

In Scotland midges can be a problem in the warmer months so insect repellant is recommended if you plan your trip at this time.

Whilst the weather can be warm to hot in the UK during the summer it is sensible to check the forecast, wear layers and carry an umbrella!

If you are planning to visit during this peak time it is important to book accommodation, transport, tours and tickets as soon as possible.

Autumn/Fall – September to November

Once the schools return in early September tourist destinations start to become less busy. This is a great time of year to visit Scotland and the Scottish islands particularly in the early Autumn months.

At the end of October the clocks are put back one hour and daylight hours start to dwindle.

Winter – December to February

The coldest months in the UK can herald ice and snow and freezing temperatures in Scotland and on higher ground in England and Wales.

The days are short due to reduced daylight.

This is also a time to visit Christmas markets and enjoy the build-up to the festive season. London is spectacular at this time of year and very busy in the lead up to Christmas.

Read more about visiting the UK in winter

Spring – March to May

March can still be a chilly time of year in the UK but at the end of the month the clocks spring forward one hour and the hours of daylight begin to increase.

Daffodils, crocuses and tulips make a colourful appearance and the countryside recovers from the dark days of winter. Spring is a wonderful time to visit the UK .

School holidays over Easter can lead to an increase of visitors to popular destinations such as London, the Cotswolds and Cornwall.

The weather can be variable throughout the spring and an umbrella will probably be necessary but some warm sunny days are generally expected.

Read: When is the best time of year to visit the UK?

AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE NOW!

The UK TRAVEL TOOLKIT is the perfect resource to organize and track your itinerary.

It includes pre-travel checklists, pages for essential destination information such as hotel reservations and bookings, a packing list, budget tracking sheets, important contact numbers and addresses, tour information, flight information, car hire, train travel planner, daily travel memories as well as at a glance pages for weekly and daily itineraries.

Available to download and print off or to use as an editable planner on your laptop or iPad this is the ideal tool to reduce stress and stay organised both before and during your trip.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE AND PURCHASE YOUR COPY

UK Travel Planner Book Cover 6

Deciding what your budget will be is an important step. It can be expensive to travel in the UK particularly if you plan to spend extended time in big cities such as London.

However, there are ways to budget for your trip. Even in London there are many free attractions available to help you plan a more budget-conscious trip. I recommend also weighing up the benefits of discount cards and passes to see if you can save money that way.

There are a variety of accommodation options available in the UK to suit all budgets ranging from hostels and B&Bs to boutique stays and luxury 5* hotels. You can find detailed accommodation guides for London , England , Scotland and Wales to help you find the best accommodation for your needs and budget.

Using public transport such as trains, coaches and buses can be cheaper than hiring a car too.

We recommend planning on an average individual daily budget (excluding airfares and accommodation) of £60 (budget) £125 (mid-range) and £200+ (luxury)

This budget should cover activities, transport and food.

Read – How much does it cost to visit the UK? UK budget planning guide

UK trip planner surrounded by travel related items

Once you have decided when you will visit, for how long and your budget the next step is to research what you want to see and do in the UK.

Considering which airport you will fly into from your country of origin may also influence your plans as well as your proposed length of stay.

This stage can be overwhelming as there is so much information available. Using our website to identify which areas, cities and places match your interests is a great way to start.

Also pop over to our Facebook group UK and London Travel Planning and join thousands of others planning their trip. It is the perfect place to ask questions and discuss plans with other travellers visiting the UK.

You can find inspiration in this selection of the best UK travel guidebooks available (including city, region and country guidebooks)

UK itinerary planning challenge.

Citizens of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can stay in the UK visa-free for the purposes of tourism for up to 6 months (at the time of publishing this article)

This situation could change at any time so please check with your local foreign office for the latest advice about travel to the UK.

United States – click here

Canada – click here

Australia – click here

New Zealand – click here

Due to changing regulations on the 1st January 2021, (because of Brexit) citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland should check the official UK government website to check the situation prior to travel.

Some visitors to the UK require 6 months validity remaining on their passport so check in case you need to get a new passport.

We recommend iVisa for all your visa requirements. Save time with their easy traveller friendly application process. Their visa specialists are available 24/7 to help wherever you are in the world. Click here to find out more about how iVisa can help you.

Step 5 – Where to go (Itinerary planning)

Travel itinerary for a UK trip planner with phone and a pen

This can be the hardest part of planning any trip. With so many wonderful destinations in the UK to choose from it can be overwhelming when you have to decide which to see and which to leave out.

It is easy to include too many places and end up exhausted at the end of your trip so do think carefully about travel times and distance and just how exhausting a packed schedule can be.

Questions regularly asked in my UK and London Travel Planning Facebook group include:

  • How much can I fit into my limited vacation time?
  • What are the must-sees in London?
  • What are the must-sees in the rest of the UK?
  • How can I put together an itinerary to include all the things I want to see?
  • How long do I need in London, the Cotswolds, Bath, Scotland etc?
  • How can I do all of this without feeling exhausted at the end of my holiday?

There are many articles on this website to help you to prioritise and plan your itinerary and even suggested itineraries you can follow or adapt.

In STEP 1 you will have decided when and for how long you will be in the UK so that gives you a baseline upon which to build your itinerary.

In STEP 8 we will look at transportation around the UK in more depth but it is worth considering at this stage whether you prefer to hire a car , take public transportation, join organised tours to areas of interest or perhaps using all three.

In London, I highly recommend that you use public transport or a taxi to get around the city and do not hire a car. It is expensive, there is limited parking in central London and you will spend most of your time in a traffic jam! You can read my guide to using London transport here .

Many places are easily reached by train (see our top 10 UK train trips or our 14-day best of Britain rail itinerary ) including the major cities. However, the train has its limitations particularly if you plan to access rural areas such as the Cotswolds, Cornwall, the Jurassic Coast and the Highlands of Scotland this is best done on a road trip or by taking a tour.

This doesn’t mean excluding them from your itinerary but consider carefully the locations of your chosen destinations and the best ways to get to (and around) them.

You will find information in all my city and area-specific travel guides about the transport options to each destination as well as must-sees, itinerary suggestions and recommended time to spend there.

So what are the popular places visitors want to see when in the UK?

5 STEP itinerary planning challenge 1

  • London – everyone want to visit the capital city! I recommend at least 3 days in London to enable you to see the main sights landmarks and attractions. Read my essential tips and planning guide to start planning your London itinerary without the overwhelm!
  • The Cotswolds – although you can visit the Cotswolds on a day trip from Bath or London I recommend at least 2/3 days to fully explore this beautiful region.
  • Bath – one of England’s most beautiful cities and popular for its stunning architecture, Roman baths and many teahouses. It is possible to see the main highlights of Bath in one day or use the city as a base to explore the Cotswolds and Stonehenge.
  • York – this historic city is the perfect stop for those traveling between London and Edinburgh.
  • In south west England the counties of Dorset , Devon and Cornwall attract visitors looking for (amongst other attractions) beautiful beaches, coastal walks, stunning countryside and quaint villages
  • Brighton – visit this English coastal city on a day trip from London and enjoy exploring its famous Pavilion, independent shops and pier.
  • The University cities of Oxford and Cambridge – Enjoy a walk around these beautiful and historic cities within easy reach of London.
  • The Lake District – perfect for nature lovers, walkers and those seeking to experience the best of the British countryside
  • A bit of a hidden gem but absolutely worth visiting are the counties and cities located in the North East of England. The county of Northumberland has a stunning coastline, areas of outstanding natural beauty, castles, Roman sites and great walks. A little further south is the historic city of Durham – home to a UNESCO World Heritage-listed cathedral and castle.
  • An English castle – most visitors to the UK want to visit at least 1 castle (or even spend the night in one)

Read more – England Travel Guide

Map showing main destinations in Scotland

  • Edinburgh – popular with visitors for its history, architecture, culture and castle Edinburgh is the perfect Scottish destination for first time visitors to the country.
  • Scottish Islands – offering stunning scenery, wildlife, culture and history choosing which of the islands to include in your itinerary is the first step.
  • Scottish Highlands – beautiful scenery, landscapes, wildlife and experiences await in the Highlands. This is an entire holiday of its own so think carefully if this is an area you wish to visit – either plan a driving holiday or base yourself in one or two cities and take day trips.
  • Explore a Scottish castle – with so many beautiful castles in Scotland most visitors include at least one or two in their itinerary.

Read more – Scotland Travel Guide

Popular destinations in Wales

  • Cardiff – the Welsh capital
  • National Parks such as Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire are popular with nature lovers, walkers, climbers and adventurers.
  • Castles including Caernarfon and Conwy are popular with visitors to Wales.

Read more – Wales Travel Guide

UK scratch off map

Read more – Best travels books and maps for planning your UK trip

As I mentioned previously I highly recommend thinking carefully about your priorities and interests. It is very easy to over plan and try to fit in too much.

Spending a few days in London can be exhausting in itself. If you plan to take a road or rail trip around the UK I recommend 3 days per destination (but consider travelling time and distances)

It is possible to base yourself in London and take tours or day trips to nearby cities and areas of interest, plan a road trip around the UK or even a train travel itinerary that incorporates your areas of interest but what you can fit in will depend greatly on the length of your trip.

If you have 7 days I would recommend 3/4 days in London followed by 4 days to explore areas in the south of England such as the Cotswolds, Bath, Stonehenge and Oxford.

If you have 10 to 14 days (or longer) for a road trip or train trip it is possible to include many of the popular destinations throughout England, Scotland and Wales in your itinerary.

These are just a couple of examples of possible itineraries!

  • Highlights of Scotland – Edinburgh -> Kelpies -> Glasgow -> Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park & Glencoe -> Glenfinnan -> Isle of Skye -> Inverness -> Loch Ness -> Pitlochry -> Edinburgh
  • Grand tour of England, Scotland Ireland and Wales – London -> Cambridge -> York -> Durham -> Alnwick -> Edinburgh ->Inverness -> Loch Ness -> Glasgow -> Belfast -> Dublin -> Caernarfon -> Liverpool -> Stratford -> Oxford -> London
  • England, Scotland and Wales – London -> York -> Edinburgh -> Glasgow -> Liverpool -> Cardiff -> Bath -> Stonehenge -> Cotswolds -> Oxford -> London
  • 14 day best of Britain by train – London -> Bath -> Cardiff -> Liverpool or Lake District -> Edinburgh -> York -> London

The ideal place to discuss your proposed itinerary is in our free UK and London Travel Planning Facebook Group – pop over, have a chat and find out other travellers experiences exploring the UK.

Consider booking an organised group tour

Coach heading towards hills in Scotland

If you prefer to avoid the stress of planning your own trip there is always the option to book a packaged group tour of the UK.

There are a number of tour companies that offer tours around the UK including Trafalgar, Intrepid and Tourradar.

Good to know – Many tours also incorporate Ireland in their itineraries so if you were considering a visit to the Emerald Isle you will find many combined tour options.

Read more – Best UK tours 2023 – Comparison and itinerary guide

A great place to start Tourradar is a marketplace for tours. Use the filter option to sort tours by date, travel styles, maximum group size, ages, and interests and check out reviews so you can pick the ideal tour for your needs.

This 11 day Best of Britain tour covers 25 destinations across England, Scotland and Wales and includes accommodation, an expert guide, meals, transport and more.

Click here for more UK tours from Tourradar

Intrepid are a popular choice for those seeking a small group tour with a focus on discovering a region’s people and culture. Many of their UK tours have an active focus – cycling or walking.

They have several tour styles available ranging from Basix to Comfort.

Tours with Intrepid include this 5 day tour of the Orkneys in Scotland , a 7 day walk along Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England and a 4 day cycle tour of the Lake District.

Click here for the full range of UK tours from Intrepid

Trafalgar is a well known and respected brand that has been in business since 1947. Their coach tours appeal to the 50+ age bracket with an interest in culture and history.

  • 7 Day Best of Scotland tour includes Edinburgh Castle, Pitlochry, the Isle of Skye, Glasgow Cathedral, Culloden Battlefield and Stirling Castle.
  • Amazing Britain – From Shakespeare’s theatrical roots and mystical Stonehenge to the fresh air and rugged outdoors of the Scottish Highlands, where you’ll learn all about the locals’ favourite drink at a traditional whisky distillery.

Click here for more tours of Britain and Ireland from Trafalgar

Rabbies offer small group tours of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland with no more than 16 people to a tour. They offer guaranteed departures so you know once you book you will go!

Their tours vary in length from day trips to up to 17 days and they have a wide selection of family-friendly tours to choose from.

Here is a selection of some of the great tours on offer

  • The Lake District, Edinburgh, Mull & the Isle of Skye ( 9 day Rail and Trail Journey ) – Enjoy 3 wonderful UK destinations on this 9 day tour.
  • Heart of England, Wales & Yorkshire ( 5 day tour ) – Travel through the Peak District, Shakespeare country, Welsh mountains, and beautiful British cities.
  • Scottish Island Hopping Extravaganza ( 17 day tour ) – Discover the majesty of Mull, Skye, Iona, Orkney & the Outer Hebrides on this tour from Edinburgh.

> You will find more small-group tour options from Rabbies here

Step 6 – Book flights and organise travel insurance

A computer with a booking sign and an airplane

Next step is planning how you will get to the UK. If you are in North America, Asia, Africa or Australia/New Zealand the answer is generally by air. (Unless the UK is the start or end point for a cruise or you are travelling overland by train or bus)

There are 15 major airports in the UK including Heathrow airport, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Luton, Edinburgh and Manchester.

To find the best flight deals to the UK I sites such as Skyscanner or CheapOair provide comparisons of all available options (prices and routes)

Skyscanner is useful if you are searching for various route options and the cheapest dates to travel. Set up an email alert if prices change.

CheapOair is good for deals on first and business class travel.

If you are entering the UK from mainland Europe there are a number of other transport options available including taking a ferry, bus or the Eurostar.

The Eurostar departs from Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels with some stops at other regional cities along the way with the final destination at St Pancras International Station in London.

The Eurostar is a quick, easy and comfortable way to travel between London and major European cities such as Paris and Brussels where onward high-speed connections will transport you all across the continent.

You can even pop over to Paris from London on a day trip if you plan carefully!

Read – Best booking sites for UK travel

At this point (with a tour or flight booked) we highly recommend taking out travel insurance.

I learnt this the hard way after booking pricy plane tickets and waiting to pay for travel insurance. A few weeks before we were due to fly my husband was admitted to hospital and though recovered in time for our trip it tripled our insurance costs which also then excluded his medical condition. Now I pay for the insurance as soon as my flights are paid for!

Due to the impact of the pandemic, it is vital to check the terms and conditions of any cover you are considering. Ensure that general health cover and repatriation is included and check what cover is provided for any Covid-19 related issues (health/cancellation/delays etc)*

For US-based travellers Travel Insurance Master and for Australian-based travellers Cover-More are companies which both offer travel insurance.

*Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. You should always seek your own professional advice that takes into account your personal circumstances before making any financial decisions. We always encourage our readers to compare options when it comes to financial products. Read our full disclosure.

A London phone box, a red suitcase and a hotel room key

There is a huge range of accommodation options available in the UK to suit all travel budgets and styles including Airbnbs, hotels, B&Bs, cottages and even castles!

We recommend using booking.com for your hotel and apartment accommodation. It is the site we use for our own trips all over the world. The site is easy to use and we find the option to book with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance of a stay absolute essential. It may cost slightly more but for peace of mind it is invaluable.

Vrbo and Plum Guide are other sites to check for accommodation across the UK. Offering many unusual, quirky and unique choices such as cosy Cotswold cottages, log cabins in the Lake District and castles in Scotland as well as more budget-friendly London accommodation options.

You will find your perfect accommodation in my guides

  • London Accommodation Guide
  • England Accommodation Guide
  • Scotland Accommodation Guide
  • Wales Accommodation Guide

Step 8 – Book transport

A map of England with a toy car and car keys on it

There are a number of options for getting around the UK including by train, car, bus, internal flights and ferry. In Step 5 you will have identified how you will get around London and the UK so now is the time to book!

If you are arriving at a London airport you will need to know a little about London transport options and the Oyster Card so you are prepared.

I would recommend that you avoid driving in London if you can. London is a busy, congested capital city that is best travelled by foot, cab and public transport.

Consider purchasing a Visitor Oyster Card which can be used to access public transport in the capital. You can also purchase the  Visitor Oyster Card  as part of your  London Pass .

Read more in my full guide to  getting around London using public transport.

How to get around the UK

Hiring a car  and taking some road trips around the UK is an option. If you do plan to hire a car don’t forget that you will need your full licence and ID such as a passport (if your licence was not issued in English you will need an international driving permit)

If you are travelling to the UK and plan to hire a car I would recommend comparing prices before booking – you can compare prices from all major car hire companies from Discover Cars.

If you decide to drive there are some  important points to remember:

  • Drive on the left side of the road.
  • Most cars are manual (automatics are more expensive to hire)
  • Everyone in the vehicle is required by law to wear a seat belt.
  • “Gas” stations are called petrol stations and the fuel for your car will either be petrol or diesel. It is important to know which fuel type your hire car requires. We have had friends fill up with the wrong fuel and it was a costly mistake. Petrol is expensive in the UK compared to many other countries around the world so factor this into your budget.
  • Roundabouts are common in the UK – give way to traffic on the roundabout which will be approaching from the right.
  • It is illegal to use a cell phone when driving in the UK.
  • Pay attention to speed limits. Speed cameras are common in the UK and you will be fined if found to be above the limit.
  • Children under 12 (or 135 m tall) must use a child car seat.

🚗 Nervous about driving in the UK? Tripiamo is the number one guide teaching Americans how to drive and get around across the United Kingdom.  Read more about Tripiamo

My own personal choice is to travel by train in the UK when possible. It is fairly easy to travel by train between major cities but can become trickier to travel around rural areas such as the Cotswolds, Scottish Highlands, Jurassic Coast etc without a car.

If you enjoy train travel there are many  beautiful scenic rail journeys  to take in the UK. There are also some sleeper train services such as the Caledonian Sleeper which are an adventure in themselves.

For more information our comprehensive guide to travelling the UK by train which was written by my husband (who worked in the UK rail industry for 25 years) is essential – you can find out more about the guide here .

  • London to Birmingham  – 1 1/2 hours
  • London to Manchester – 2 hours
  • London to Edinburgh – 4 1/2 hours
  • London to Cardiff – 2 hours

I recommend  The Trainline  for tickets for trains, buses or flights in the UK.

Graphic of updated UK Train Guide

If you are travelling on a budget the cheapest way to travel the UK will be by coach though your journey time will be longer.

The largest company is National Express whose network serves over 1200 destinations. You can check prices and timetables for National Express via the TrainLine which also provides a handy comparison between coach and train times and prices.

If you are really pushed for time flying may be an option. It is important to calculate how long you need to be at the airport before your flight (at least 2 hours with checked baggage and 1 hour without) plus the time to get to and from airports at either end.

Check on Skyscanner for routes and prices.

If you plan to visit the Scottish Islands , the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles, and Ireland you will need to take a ferry (though flights may also be an option)

There are many ferry companies in Scotland but the main two are CalMac (for the Inner and Outer Hebrides) and Northlink Ferries (Orkneys and Shetland) If you are planning a road trip around Scottish Islands it is important to book in advance due to limited capacity.

Tickets can be purchased for ferry routes across the UK from Direct Ferries

Ferries to Ireland from the UK are as follows

  • Wales – Fishguard to Rosslare and Holyhead to Dublin
  • England – Liverpool to Belfast and Liverpool to Dublin
  • Scotland – Caimryan to Belfast

> Read more in our complete guide to transportation in the UK

Step 9 – Book attractions, tours and activities

A boat on the Thames and the London Eye

Once you have firmed up your itinerary I recommend booking tickets for any attractions, tours, activities and experiences. This is particularly important during peak seasons for popular attractions such as the Tower of London, London Eye, Churchill’s War Rooms in London, the Roman Baths in Bath, Stonehenge, and the Jacobite Steam Train in Scotland for example.

I recommend purchasing skip the line tickets during the summer months so as to avoid standing in long queues.

There are a number of city and attractions passes available for the UK which may be cost-effective if you are planning to visit many of the most popular sights and attractions.

I recommend listing the cost of each attraction you want to visit in London and comparing the amount to the cost of one of these London Passes.

There are a number of passes available in London including the classic London Pass with access to more than 80 of London’s top attractions, tours, and museums as well as a hop-on hop-off bus ticket and the Go London Explorer Pass which allows you to create your own tour of London with a pass to 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 top attractions.

The More London for Less 5 Attractions Pass covers Madame Tussauds London, the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, The London Dungeon, DreamWorks Tours: Shrek’s Adventure! London, and The London Eye all on 1 great value ticket.

The Royal Museums Greenwich Day Pass includes the entrance fee to the Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark, a free audio guide at both attractions and access to The National Maritime Museum & The Queen’s House.

The Three Palace Royal Pass includes entry to the Tower of London, Hampton Court and Kensington Palace.

With so many passes to choose from it can be confusing – read my comparison guide to London Passes to help you choose the best one for your needs and interests.

The English Heritage Pass entitles unlimited access to more than 100 of the most important places in English history including castles, abbeys, Roman ruins and prehistoric monuments.

Heritage sites included in this pass are Dover Castle , Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall .

The pass is valid for 9 or 16 consecutive days.

  • York City Pass – This pass is valid for one or two full days of sightseeing and gives your entry to 25 attractions in York.

Click here for more tours and attractions in York with Get Your Guide

I highly recommend taking some day tours when you are exploring the UK. It is the best way to learn about the places you are visiting as tour guides are always keen to share their knowledge of the history and culture.

Walking tours are also a great way to get your bearings, especially in larger cities such as London. There are lots of fantastic group tours (or private tours if you prefer) available for many popular destinations across the UK.

I recommend the following group tour companies:

Take Walks – Take Walks offer a selection of small group tours in London including VIP access to the British Museum , a VIP tour of the Tower of London and tours of the Houses of Parliament . Their London in a Day Tour is very popular and includes the Tower of London Tour, Westminster Abbey & Changing of the Guards plus a Thames cruise. Find out more about Take Walks London tours here.

LivTours – Another great tour company offering private and semi-private tours of London.

⭐️ Click here for our preferred partners for private driver guided tours

Get Your Guide is a platform that gathers the best activities across the globe in one place which means that they have tons of amazing day trips to choose from all over London and the UK. With free cancellation on most of their tours up to 24 hours before departure they are my go-to for larger group tours and tickets. Click here find more day tour options in the UK!

There are some fantastic experiences waiting for you in the UK from attending a football match to baking scones in the Cotswolds there is something for all the family to enjoy including

  • Private London photoshoot with Scalens Studios ( Quote code UKTP10 at checkout for 10 extra images for free)
  • A tour of Anfield the home of Liverpool Football Club

For more memorable activities to add to your itinerary take a look at Get Your Guide (our gift guide for Anglophiles also has some great suggestions for once in a lifetime activities.)

Step 10 – Prepare for departure

UK trip planning and everything you need in an illustration of a suitcase with London landmarks poking out

It is important to know how you will get from the airport to your accommodation and book transfers ahead of time.

There is nothing worse than arriving jet-lagged and feeling disorientated in an unfamiliar environment.

If you are flying into one of London’s major airports (Heathrow or Gatwick) there are a number of options open to you including taking the train, bus or (the more expensive) taxi.

Approximate times to travel from each airport by train into central London are:

  • Heathrow – 45 minutes
  • Gatwick – 45 minutes
  • City Airport – 30 minutes
  • Luton – 40 minutes
  • Stansted – 50 minutes

If however, you prefer to avoid negotiating the London Underground with your luggage pre-booking a private or shared transfer will perhaps be the less stressful option.

Read more – How to get into London from Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport

You will find many places that offer free WiFi in the UK including shopping centres, coffee shops and trains. When booking your accommodation check if free WiFi is included.

If you have an unlocked smartphone consider purchasing a SIM card prior to departure or on arrival at the airport. Another great option is to purchase a portable WiFi device such as the Solis from Skyroam . Quote Tracys Travels at the checkout for a 15% discount. Unfortunately, the Solis is only available to purchase in the USA at the present time.

An alternate option is to purchase a portable device through TravelWifi.

We recommend these apps for London and the UK – just remember to download them before you travel.

Read more – How to access the Internet while travelling in the UK

The UK currency is the Pound Stirling – £

Read – How Should I Bring Money to the UK? A Complete Guide to Cash & Cards

You will find ATM’s all around the UK if you need to withdraw cash though be mindful of currency charges and fees.

Visa and Mastercard are accepted in most places (shops, restaurants, transport etc)

There are 1p 2p 5p 10p 50p £1 £2 and £5 coins as well as notes in the following denominations – £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100.

Contactless transactions are available up to a £30 value (after a number of taps you will be required to enter your pin number so ensure you know what it is!) Ensure you have told your bank of your travel plans prior to departure to prevent them from blocking your card for suspicious usage!

I do recommend carrying some cash. I usually keep £50 worth of notes and change in my wallet.

I have a Wise account (formally Transferwise ) and Wise Mastercard which I use as well as my normal credit cards when I am in the UK. The Wise Mastercard works like a debit card and can be loaded up with your home currency and converted into £££’s when required.

It avoids the charges you would incur using credit cards or your normal bank debit card and is an easy way to handle spending money when travelling.

The exchange rate is excellent and you can hold a number of currencies on your card. At the end of the trip you can transfer any unused currency back into your bank account.

Click here for more information about the Wise card *

If you need to take prescription medications with you on holiday make sure you have enough for the duration of your trip.

If necessary keep a copy of the script with you too in case of an emergency.

I recommend keeping essential medicines in your hand luggage. Although it is rare these days there are still cases of luggage going missing and arriving a few days late (or not at all)

Click to buy – UK Travel Toolkit the perfect resource to organise and track your itinerary

We start packing a few days before our flight just to make sure we have everything and give us time to purchase any last-minute necessities.

Also, consider carefully the type and amount of luggage you plan to bring. If you are travelling by public transport it will be a little a lot more difficult with lots of large suitcases.

Check out my recommended packing list for the UK (for all seasons) which will provide an idea of what to bring as well as recommendations for suitcases and travel bags.

Essentials for your UK packing list include the following items

Guide Book

Read more – Complete packing list for London and the UK (all seasons) & also check out my UK Travel Packing Essentials

This is my suggested timeline for planning and booking your UK travel itinerary.

6 – 12 months in advance

  • Plan your itinerary
  • Book International flights
  • Take out travel insurance
  • Book accommodation (for popular destinations if you are visiting during peak times)

3 – 6 months in advance

  • Book accommodation
  • Book transport (car hire/ train tickets are available 3 months prior)
  • Consider booking attractions and tours (especially if travel is during peak season)

1 month in advance

  • Book attractions and tours and any restaurants you particularly want to visit
  • Book airport transfer
  • Buy an Oyster card for London (posted to your home address)
  • Buy a Sim card or wifi device for internet access
  • Purchase any essential items such as travel adaptors now
  • Complete travel planner with all booking information, numbers and essential information.

1 day in advance

  • Email or provide hard copies of your itinerary to family members/friends

Start planning your UK trip – step by step

My step by step guide may have given you lots to think about but if you follow each of the 10 steps you will find the process easier and less overwhelming.

My guide to the best booking sites for UK travel also contains useful links and information which compliments and adds to this post.

Why not pop over and join our Facebook community and discover more inspiration, tips and advice to make the most of your UK holiday.

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  • Getting around England: Transportation Tips

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Most places in England are accessible by train or bus. However, public transport costs are among the highest in Europe: travel can eat up a large part of your budget. It pays to investigate all the special deals and passes, some of which are only available outside England – and for some journeys it may be worth flying. It’s often cheaper to drive yourself around the country, though fuel and car rental are expensive – and traffic congestion can be very bad.

By bus and coach

By car or motorbike.

Meet your England local travel expert

Marcela, Local Expert

20 days  / from 3042 USD

The Great British Road Trip

Get ready to explore Britain on this unique self-drive road trip. Choose the car of your liking before you hit the road: from the Cotswolds and its picturesque villages over the Beatle's favorite hang-out in Liverpool to Scotland's capital Edinburgh: this trip includes many highlights to be explored

Refreshing English Countryside Break

5 days  / from 648 USD

Refreshing English Countryside Break

Outside of London, England is known with a countryside full of history, picturesque villages, patchwork hills, and winding country roads. Explore the countryside with its castles, parks, and historical cities such as Oxford.

England Historical Highlights

11 days  / from 1308 USD

England Historical Highlights

Discover the highlands of England: From busy London and its Buckingham Palace over historical Oxford to the mysterious Stonehenge. England has plenty to offer and this self-drive itinerary allows you the freedom and flexibility to choose activities to your liking.

Despite some poor infrastructure and a tiresomely London-centric network, trains are still the best, most scenic and most pleasurable way to get around England. Overall reliability remains fairly good. Mainline routes into and out of London have fast and frequent services – the 200-mile journeys to York or Exeter, for instance, are covered in two hours – but travelling between other cities, or trying to go east–west across the country, can be a lengthy business, often involving numerous connections. The essential first call for information on routes, timetables, fares and special offers is National Rail Enquiries (t: 0845/748 4950, wwww.nationalrail.co.uk). The key to getting the best fares is to book early and bear in mind that your best bet may well be to go for a rail pass (see below). Point-to-point tickets, in general, offer the least flexibility and the highest prices.

Rail passes

Otherwise, numerous options exist for locals and visitors to cut the cost of rail travel – all are detailed in full on the National Rail website. There are dozens of “Ranger” and “Rover” regional passes, covering travel on specified lines for varying periods – anything from two weeks on the entire national network down to, for example, the Cotswold Line Railcard, which gives one-third off the standard fare between six named stations near Oxford. For discounts off fares nationwide, people aged between 16 and 25 (and full-time students of any age) qualify for the 16-25 Railcard ; people over 60 can get a Senior Railcard ; groups of up to four adults and four children travelling together (they don’t have to be related) can get a Family & Friends Railcard. Each of these passes costs £26 per year, and there are more available. Check restrictions and validity carefully on the National Rail website, where you can also buy online.

Individual point-to-point fares vary wildly. Each train operating company offers its own ticketing options, broadly grouped under three titles. Cheapest are “ advance ” fares: these cannot be bought on the day of travel and come with several restrictions (most notably that you must travel only on the train specified on the ticket: miss it, and you pay a surcharge). Advance fares sell out quickly: book as far ahead as possible. “ Off-peak ” fares can be bought in advance or on the day of travel, but are only valid for travel at quieter times, which vary depending on the location (generally after 9.30am Mon-Fri, all day at weekends). Most expensive are “ anytime ” tickets, which permit travel on any train. Expect extraordinary price variations: from London to Manchester, for instance, an advance fare is £11, an off-peak fare £65 and an anytime ticket £131.

A seat reservation is usually included with the ticket – these are essential, since most inter-city trains are crowded, especially on Fridays, weekends and public holidays. Many train companies let you upgrade your ticket by buying a first-class supplement for around £15, either in advance or on board – worth it if you’re facing a long journey on a popular route.

For any journey, you can buy a ticket in person at any station, or by phone or online from Trainline.com or any train operator. These are listed on the National Rail Enquiries website, which also offers direct links from its journey planner for purchasing specific fares.

If the ticket office at your departure station is closed or there is no ticket machine, you can buy your ticket on the train. Otherwise, boarding without a ticket will render you liable to paying the full fare plus, possibly, a surcharge.

Megatrain (wwww.megatrain.com) offers a limited number of budget fares on certain routes around the country. If you accept the restrictions (specified off-peak trains only, no changes, no amendments, and so on), you could travel from London to Birmingham, for instance, for only £3. Check the website for details.

Travel by bus (or, to use the more common term for long-distance bus services, “ coach ”) is generally much cheaper than by train. Though some coach services duplicate rail journeys, many others follow routes that would otherwise be tortuous or impossible by rail.

Local buses within individual regions are run by a huge array of companies. In many cases, timetables and routes are well integrated, though some firms duplicate the busiest routes and leave the more remote spots neglected. As a rule, the further away from urban areas you get, the less frequent and more expensive bus services become.

The impartial official service Traveline (t0871/200 2233, wwww.traveline.org.uk) has full details and timetable information for every bus route in the country.

If time is short and you want to cross the country quickly (Brighton/Gatwick to Newcastle, for instance, or Manchester to Newquay), you might consider flying . Leading airlines include Ryanair, easyJet, Flybe, bmibaby and British Airways, though routes and carriers can (and do) change. Often, though, if you calculate total journey time door to door, going by train can be just as quick and – if you book in advance – considerably cheaper.

Driving yourself around England brings the convenience of personal transport – but it can be both expensive and time-consuming.

In England you drive on the left . Motorways – “M” roads – and main “A” roads may have up to four lanes in each direction, but even these can get very congested, with long tailbacks a regular occurrence, especially at peak travel times and on public holidays. In the country, on “B” roads and minor roads, there might only be one lane (single track) for both directions. Keep your speed down, and be prepared for abrupt encounters with tractors, sheep, ponies and other hazards in remote spots.

Don’t underestimate the weather : driving conditions can deteriorate quickly during rain, snow, ice, fog and high winds – on motorways as much as in rural areas. BBC Radio Five Live (693 or 909 AM nationwide) and local stations feature regularly updated traffic bulletins, as does the Highways Agency website.

Fuel is pricey: at more than £1.15 a litre, unleaded petrol (gasoline) and diesel are three times more expensive than in the US. The cheapest places to fill up are out-of-town supermarkets.

Rules of the road

Drive on the left . You must have your current full driving licence with you to show on demand: an international licence is not necessary. If you’re bringing your own vehicle into the country you should also carry your vehicle registration, ownership and insurance documents. Left-hand-drive cars require minor adjustments to the headlights. Seat belts must be worn by everybody in the vehicle, in front and back. Motorcyclists and their passengers must wear a helmet.

Speed limits are clearly marked: 20 miles per hour in residential streets, 30 or 40mph in built-up areas, 60mph on out-of-town single carriageway roads (often signed by a white circle with a black diagonal stripe), 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways. The last two are reduced to 50 and 60mph if you’re towing a caravan or trailer. Assume that in any area with street lighting the speed limit is 30mph unless otherwise stated.

Parking in towns, cities and popular tourist spots can be limited and is often very expensive. A painted yellow line beside the kerb indicates time restrictions on parking; there will be a sign nearby (often attached to a lamp post) detailing exactly what they are. Two yellow stripes (a “ double yellow line ”) means parking is prohibited at all times, though you can stop briefly to unload or pick up. A red line means no stopping at all. Do not park on the white zigzag lines painted near pedestrian crossings. Fines for parking trangressions are high – often more than £50 – and if you are wheel-clamped, expect to pay £200 or more to be released.

Vehicle rental

Car rental is usually cheaper arranged in advance from home through one of the global chains or through your tour operator as part of a fly-drive package.

If you rent a car locally, expect to pay around £30 per day, £50 for a weekend or from £120 per week. You can sometimes find deals under £20 per day, though you’ll need to book well in advance for the cheapest rates and be prepared for surcharges for extras like damage excess waiver (CDW) and an additional driver. Small local agencies often undercut the major chains. Few companies will rent to drivers with less than one year’s experience and most will only rent to people between 21 and 75 years of age. Rental cars will be manual (stick shift) unless you specify otherwise.

No one would choose to get around England by cycling on the main “A” roads – there’s simply too much traffic. It’s far better to stick to the quieter “B” roads and country lanes – or, best of all, follow one of the traffic-free trails of the extensive National Cycle Network.

Cycle helmets are not compulsory – but if you’re planning on tackling the congestion, pollution and aggression of city traffic, you’re well advised to wear one. You do have to have a rear reflector and front and back lights when riding at night, and you’re not allowed to carry children without a special child seat . It is also illegal to cycle on pavements and in most public parks. Off-road cyclists must stick to bridleways and byways designated for their use.

Bike rental is available at cycle shops in most large towns, and at villages within national parks and other scenic areas. Expect to pay around £10–15 per day, with discounts for longer periods; you may need to provide credit card details, or leave a passport as a deposit.

The Rough Guides to England and related travel guides

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updated 16.05.2021

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Traveling by Train

Getting Around Britain - A Guide to Transportation Options

how to travel by bus in uk

If you need to get around the United Kingdom without a private car, there are several options to choose from. Will it be trains, buses or long-distance coaches? Time, cost and environmental concerns are all part of the mix. This guide will help you find the travel choices that best fit your plans, time, budget and conscience.

Using British Trains to Get Around

British trains have been around, in one form or another, since the early 1800s. The network is well established and extensive, making train travel the easiest and, usually, the fastest way of getting around England, Scotland and Wales. It is also acknowledged to be the most eco-friendly way to travel in Britain. Most major towns are connected to London and to each other by either direct trains or by links through stations that are regional hubs. Smaller communities may have less frequent service or may require changing trains a few times but chances are there's a train station nearby.

How to Plan a Train Trip

Government-owned Network Rail is responsible for the tracks and the 20 largest train stations, managing timetables and regulating fares. Many different private companies own and operate the trains themselves. Figuring out which train company goes where can seem confusing but it's easier than you think.

The private companies belong to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG ) and one of the great services they provide together is National Rail Enquiries. This is a website and an app that enables you to find trains and fares and directs you, by link, to the train companies to buy tickets. It has tools to find the cheapest fares and service alerts.

The good news is that any UK train company can take your booking and payment for any other train company on the system. The British train fares are nationally regulated so the fare for a given journey will be the same regardless of which train company sells you the ticket or operates the trip.

Find out more about National Rail Enquiries and how to use it.

Types of British Train Tickets

Tickets are 1st or 2nd class or classless. Unless you are taking one of the few overnight train journeys, there is little point in spending extra on first-class service.

Most trains have open seating; once you have a ticket, you can sit wherever you like within the class of service you've bought. An exception is for particularly busy routes when you may have to book a seat along with your travel ticket. Usually this is free or costs a nominal fee.

Do pay attention to the difference between advance fares and anytime fares, single (one-way) or return (round trip) tickets, because the savings can be considerable.

Main Categories of Train Fares and Ticket Prices

What you pay for a British train ticket usually depends on when you buy it and when you plan to travel. Here are the main categories of ticket prices:

  • Anytime - The most expensive tickets are "buy anytime-travel anytime". They have no restrictions on the date or time of travel. For some trips, they can cost ten times more than an advance purchase or "off-peak" ticket.
  • Off-peak - Buy off-peak tickets at any time but only use them to travel on off-peak services. They are cheaper than Anytime tickets though not the cheapest. One confusing aspect is that "off-peak" time is not standard but varies from one train company to another and from one service to another. Trip planning tools such as National Rail Enquiries  can find you the off-peak services for the trip you want to take.
  • Advance - Advance fares are the cheapest. They are one-way tickets purchased and booked in advance for specific trains. How far in advance depends on the popularity of the journey. For some trips, you can book the cheapest fare as little as the day before while for others you need to book your train at least 14 days in advance. These tickets commit you to a specific train at a specific time. If you miss that train, there may be another one coming right along but catching it will cost you the full fare for the trip. And the difference can be gobsmackingly huge. For example, in January 2020, a one-way ticket from London to Lincoln at 8 p.m, purchased a week in advance would cost thirty-two pounds and 50pence. Show up at the last minute and the same trip would cost eighty-eight pounds and 50 pence.

Where to Buy Tickets and How to Pay

At the station: Most of the big mainline train stations have ticket offices where agents sell tickets. But, unless you are buying advance tickets, you won't be offered any discounts or savings.

By Phone: The train companies that National Rail Enquiries directs you to usually have phone numbers on their websites but you may be left hanging on for quite a long time.

Online: Choose journey and fare and let the National Rail Enquiry tool guide you to a train company to buy your ticket, using a debit card or (for international customers) a credit card. You'll get an email with a confirmation number. Print and save it. Then get your ticket:

  • By mail, if purchased four or five days in advance from a UK address.
  • At a fastTicket machine at the station. Bring the credit card you used to pay for the ticket, along with the confirmation number you've printed out. Follow the directions on the machine. Arrive early enough for the queue at the automatic machine. Any fastTicket machine can dispense booked tickets for any departure station as long as you have your booking number and credit card. So as soon as you are at a station, save time and pick up all your tickets at once.
  • At a manned ticket booth . Present credit card and confirmation number at a manned ticket window.
  • When the station is unmanned Smaller stations may not be manned. If you board at an unmanned station, you can buy a ticket on the train. But make sure the station really is unmanned because if staff is available and you board without a ticket, you may be fined or have to pay the highest available round-trip fare.

Using Rail Passes

BritRail Passes are prepaid tickets valid for unlimited travel during specified periods. They are sold as:

  • Consecutive Passes , good for a fixed number of days of unlimited British rail travel.
  • Flexipasses , for a specified number of days (4, 8 or 15) - not necessarily consecutive - during a longer period, currently two months.

BritRail passes are available for UK, Scotland-only or England-only travel; and as Senior, Youth, Party or Family passes. They are not sold in the UK and must be purchased online or through a travel agent before you arrive.

Because the tickets are prepaid, most of the time all you have to do is show up on time and hop on the train. If you want to book a seat or sleeper accommodation, you need to do that at a manned railway station. Seats are usually free, as are reclining seats in overnight trains, but there is a charge for sleeper births.

Are they worth it? - So many cheap rail fares are now available when purchased online in advance, you may not save anything by buying a BritRail Pass . It is worth comparing the cost of the pass with the fares listed on National Rail Enquiries before buying one. If, however, you like to travel spontaneously, you probably should buy a pass because last-minute train tickets bought any other way are much more expensive.

Public Transportation in Northern Ireland

Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, all public transportation in Northern Ireland is operated and coordinated by one umbrella organization, Translink . They provide coach, bus and train services connecting at a province-wide network. That includes urban mass transit in Belfast, airport transfers from Dublin or Belfast airports to Belfast city center and, in partnership with Irish Rail, cross border routes into the Irish Republic. Buy tickets online because they are much cheaper. A mid-day train from Belfast to Dublin (February 2020) cost ten pounds and 99 pence online but 30 pounds for cash at the station.

Use the integrated travel planner on their website. It gives a choice of searching for bus, train or combined services and an easy link with to buy tickets.

Other Ways of Getting Around Britain

Coach Travel- Long-distance buses are known as coaches in the UK. Several intercity bus companies provide some of the cheapest ways to get around. Fares vary with operators, generally ranging from five-pound promotional fares to upwards of 35 pounds for longer trips. Coach tickets are usually offered as one-way or "singles."

These are the main coach operators in the UK:

  • National Express- Intercity travel in England and Wales, tickets online or at main coach terminals
  • Megabus - A stripped-down service offered to some destinations with tickets only available online
  • Scottish Citylink - Intercity services across Scotland
  • TrawsCymru - Medium and long-distance express buses in Wales
  • Ulsterbus - Part of Northern Ireland's Translink service described above.

Regional Bus Services - Different bus operators run networks of regional buses. Tickets for some of these buses can be purchased online but usually you just buy them on the bus. Finding out fares for these services is pretty hit and miss but you can get a general idea from the operator's website. Some of the main companies for regional buses are:

  • The Oxford Tube One of the most popular long-distance bus routes, this is an express service between several stops in Oxford and several stops in London. It runs 24-hours a day, with peak time buses leaving every 12 to 15 minutes. Tickets can be booked online or from the driver using contactless credit or debit cards, or via mobile payment apps. Single adult fare is nine pounds.
  • Stagecoach A major operator of regional bus services all over the country. They use a variety of local names but their website has a very good journey planner that integrates all the information with maps, timetables and a ticket-buying widget.
  • Arriva - Another major operator of regional bus services in London and the home counties, England's northwest and northeast, and Wales. Their website has maps, journey planners and ticket buying options.

Travel Tips

  • Check a map - Sometimes a better (cheaper, more direct, faster) train may be scheduled for a station just a short taxi ride from your chosen destination.
  • Compare prices Two singles can be cheaper than return tickets.
  • Buy before boarding . You can be fined for boarding without a ticket or be made to pay the highest price for the tickets.
  • Keep your train ticket even after it has been checked on board. You may be asked to show your ticket or put it through a machine to leave the platform.
  • Use online information sites to plan coordinated journeys using different modes of transportation. The two most useful are:
  • Traveline - a partnership of transport companies, local governments and passenger groups. With its journey planner, you can plot door-to-door journeys that include trains, buses, walking and local taxis.
  • Trainline - An international organization of 270 train and coach companies across the UK and Europe that helps you combine train and coach travel and book tickets.

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Open Dated Return Information

If your return date is not yet known, open return tickets provide flexibility. When travelling within the UK, the return journey can be made within 3 months of the outward date of travel. To guarantee your seat on your return journey you need to confirm your ticket before you travel by visiting www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets/open-returns or call us on 03717 81 81 81. Lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 8pm (calls to this number are charged at local rate). Valid on any day throughout the year.

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Young persons (13 - 25)

Children under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Young persons aged 16 or 17 years can travel alone on European services but only if they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

Senior (60 and over)

Passengers aged 60 and over are entitled to receive a small discount on European journeys. On European journeys a 50% discount is given to carers, please call us on 08717 818177 to book.

Please select your passenger type first and then add your coachcards.

We have three different Coachcards available, each offering savings of 1/3 on all of our Standard and Fully Flexible coach fares all year round.

Prices shown include your coachcard discount, your coachcard number will be required during the booking process.

Adult fares are applicable to all passengers aged 2+. Adults under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel alone on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over or they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

Infants 0-1 Inclusive

Children aged under the age of 2, must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over. Unaccompanied children will not be carried.

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Bus in the UK

The UK bus market was the first to be deregulated in Europe. Going as far back as 1986, the majority of the market for intercity and local buses in England, Scotland and Wales were gradually turned into services based on the “free market” principles. The London buses were excluded from the 1985 transportation act, the privatisation of them followed in 1994. The existing publicly owned bus companies across the country were sold to private investors and in some cases bought by the management and employees of the companies. 

In the years following liberalization , there was fierce competition for market share. Operators who used to have a monopoly on profitable routes now had to face competitors entering their domain. By the end of the 90s, the following 5 companies: Arriva, First, Go-Ahead, National Express and Stagecoach had a 70% of the market for the city, regional and intercity buses. Many of the companies taken over by the “big 5” still operate the services under a local brand. In Scotland, the main bus company is Scottish Citylink and in Wales the dominant operator is TrawsCymru.

The market for coach hire and coach tours is shared between hundreds of often very small and locally operating bus companies.

Table of Contents

Intercity coaches in the UK

Despite the UK having a dense railway network, intercity buses are very popular in England , Wales and Scotland. This is due to the low prices and the main routes offered. The quality and comfort of the coaches used on intercity routes are very high. Usually, buses are less than 3 years old and equipped with reclining seats, air conditioning and other comfort features. 

Tickets for intercity coaches can be bought online and in larger cities at the bus station. The types of tickets offered to depend on a company. Some companies have discount tickets for children, others have different fare types like Restricted Fare, Standard Fare and Fully Flexible Fare. Most operators have dynamic pricing, so the price will vary depending on when you travel and when you buy your ticket.

Domestic bus routes

Domestic coaches are a great alternative to travelling by train or car. In most cases, it is the most environmental and economic way of travelling. There is of course lots of daily departures between all the larger cities. However, all the smaller cities are connected to larger cities in their region. Many intercity coach routes also include stops at airports, which is very convenient for travellers not having to change the mode of transportation, when they e.g travel from Manchester airport to Liverpool . Below we have listed some of the most popular domestic coach routes.

International coach routes

Obviously, the UK as an island is a bit limited when it comes to international coach routes. However, when going to the following 5 countries: Northern Ireland, Ireland, France , Belgium and Netherlands there are buses operating on a daily basis . All international coach routes of course include a trip with a ferry , which is actually quite convenient. The buses to France, Belgium and Netherlands , drive from London and other cities in the southern part of the UK. The buses to Northern Ireland and Ireland drive from Glasgow and other cities in Scotland and the northern part of England. Below we have listed some of the most popular international coach routes from the UK.

Airport buses in the UK

All the major airports in the UK have well organized public transport to and from the airports . In the case of the larger airports like e.g. Heathrow , Stansted or Gatwick , public transportation includes train and buses. In the case of the smaller and mid-sized airports, there is almost always an airport shuttle to the nearest large city and to other cities in the region. In general British airports are well organised, so it is usually easy to figure out which transport options are available from the airport. Also, most airports have good on-site navigation, so finding where buses or trains depart/arrive is usually easy. Here are some of the airport bus connections with the most passengers.

Bus companies in the UK

In the UK there are hundreds of coach/bus companies . The majority of them are small local players typically offering school or workplace commute services, coach hire and coach holidays. Many of the brands operating on the market are part of the 5 big companies I mentioned above. For example, Megabus is a brand of Stagecoach and Green line is a part of Arriva. Below we have listed some of the most well-known coach companies in the UK.

Bus stations in the UK

In all large and mid-sized cities in the UK, you will find a dedicated bus station. In most cases, the bus station has a terminal building with a waiting room and toilet. In many cases, there are also amenities like kiosks, fast food, ATM and luggage lockers. Some of the coach terminals are referred to as an interchange, which means you have more mode of transportation available from the location. In cities without a bus terminal/station, there is usually a clearly marked curbside stop location. In a rainy country like the UK, the stop usually has a shelter. At many of the larger airports, there is also a dedicated departure and arrival area for buses. Below we have listed some of the busiest bus terminals in the UK.

Coach hire the UK

Hiring a coach is very common in the UK which is reflected in the number of companies offering this service. Almost in any city with a population of more than 10.000 people, you will find at least one company offering coaches for hire. The standard of the coaches for hire is usually very high. Most companies operate with new or fairly new vehicles equipped with amenities adequate for comfortable group travel. 

Prices for hiring a coach can vary a lot, so it pays out to request a quote from several companies or to use the dedicated bus rent platforms, which usually can provide you with the best offer.

London Buses

You of course know the iconic London buses , but did you know the following interesting facts about them.

  • In 1829 the first bus in London started its operation between Paddington and the city the bus was horse-drawn.
  • The first motorized bus was introduced in 1902
  • Initially, the first motorized bus was red, but over the years buses in other colours had been operated by various companies. Since 1997 it is required that the buses are 80% red.
  • Not all buses are the iconic double-deckers (Routemaster), also single-decker buses are used nowadays.
  • There are almost 9000 buses operating in London.
  • The London buses are divided into 12 business units which are operated by various companies, often using subcontractors.
  • London buses have started introducing Hybrid and Electric versions, with the goal of having a zero-emission bus fleet by 2037.
  • Skopje , the capital of North Macedonia, uses copies of the original Routemaster double-decker for public transport, and they are called city Master.

Bus Scotland

If you are visiting Scotland and need to travel around one of the following 4 companies Scottish Citylink, Stagecoach, Megabus and National Express will be your operator. These companies more or less run all intercity buses in Scotland. Within the cities, there are other operators. In Edinburgh and surrounding, the operator is called Lothian, in Aberdeen and Glasgow, city and regional buses are operated by First Group. 

If you are planning to visit some of the many whiskey distilleries on the Scottish west coast, you can get around with the company West Coast Motors. It is the main operator on the west coast.

As mentioned above the main intercity bus company in Wales is TrawsCymru. Companies like National Express and Megabus operate buses from England to larger cities in Wales. Rural local transportation in Wales is provided by the following companies: South Wales Transport (Neath) Ltd, Stagecoach in South Wales, Arriva Cymru, Floyds Coaches, Mid Wales Travel, Morris Travel, Sargeants Bros. In Swansea city buses are operated by First Group and in Cardiff, buses are operated by Cardiff Bus. You can find more information about regional transportation in Wales here .

Bus North Ireland

The majority of public transportation in Northern Ireland is handled by Translink, which operates the following brands. Ulsterbus, which is the main bus brand in North Ireland. Ulsterbus lines operate in all parts of the country. In Belfast, Translink also operates the Glider which is a bus rapid transit system. You can find more timetables and other travel information related to Northern Ireland here .

Bus in the UK FAQs 

A bus that travels a longer distance is usually referred to as a Coach (Motorcoach) in the UK. That means that the term coach is used when you speak about higher-quality buses equipped with comfortable seats, luggage racks, baggage holds, and other amenities. In UK terms coaches are usually used for intercity bus routes, tours and travel. 

You can find information about current Covid travel restrictions in the UK here . And here you can find rules in Scotland. Rules which currently apply in Wales here . Also if you plan to travel to the UK, please check your resident countries rules before travelling, stay safe!

Well, that obviously depends on where you are travelling. If you are referring to a city bus ticket, the fare for a single ticket should be around 2 pounds, if you are referring to an intercity bus, the fare price depends on the route you travel. In general, buses are cheaper than trains.

Generally speaking yes, if you act as a responsible traveller it is very unlikely that anything would happen to you.

In general bus companies are very good in the UK, defining which one is the best depends on which criteria it should be based on.

For bus companies

If you operate a British coach company and would like to be included in the list, you are more than welcome to contact us , we also can offer you access to an easy platform for managing bus rentals in the UK.

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How to travel around in Wales: enjoy epic scenery as you go

Emma Sparks

Nov 25, 2021 • 6 min read

Comwy, Wales - April 9, 2015: Conwy Castle and a Passenger Train North Wales. The railway lone runs along the base of the medeval castle and the Virgin Trains service passes the castle. People can be seen on the catsle walls. The sky is clear and blue.

From budget train and bus transportation passes to finding the perfect cross-country cycle route, here are the best ways to travel around in Wales © wcjohnston / Getty Images

Wales  is made for lovers of the great outdoors , and many of its most scenic travel routes are best explored on foot or by bike. The 870-mile (1400 km) Wales Coast Path winds its way around the entire Welsh coast – a world first when it launched in 2012 – and the country’s rural heart is crisscrossed with off-road cycle routes and quiet country lanes.

Traveling the country by public transportation is entirely possible with a little patience and planning. Buses and trains are generally comfortable and efficient, but you're likely to find driving your own set of wheels more convenient if you’re hoping to pack lots in or venture to Wales’ wildest parts. Here are our top tips for getting around in Wales.

Old railway station museum and the town of Llangollen, Wales,

Trains are efficient but expensive

Traveling Wales by train is an increasingly comfortable and efficient option – often enhanced by sweeping views of plunging valleys and glittering shores – but tickets can be pricey, and journeys relatively slow.

Most rail services are run by Transport for Wales . Book direct or use Trainline  or Split My Fare  to search for alternative routes and fares. For long-distance trips, aim to book a couple of months in advance for the best price. The network is reasonably extensive along the south and north coasts and the South Wales valleys, but trains heading between north and south Wales always cut across the border with England, with key changes occurring in the English towns of Shrewsbury and Chester.

If you're planning to take a few long-distance train trips, look into the UK’s railcard system , which offers various concessions. An annual railcard typically costs £30, which you can often make back in just a few discounted journeys.

Llanddwyn Lighthouse and path

Buses are perfect for travel to more remote towns and villages

If you plan on getting to some of Wales’ more remote corners by public transport, trains can only get you so far. Regional buses regularly traverse the more rural areas, though services can be limited on weekends. A whole host of private companies operate throughout the country; sift through your options using the journey planner from Traveline Cymru . Contactless payments and ticketing apps are becoming more popular, but if you’re paying by cash, it’s always wise to bring exact change.

Many local bus providers offer day or multi-day bus passes, which are often more affordable than buying numerous single or round-trip journeys. Do your research if you want to save a little extra. 

Long-distance buses (known as coaches) run between major towns and cities and should be booked in advance. They’re generally the cheapest option but can be incredibly slow, especially if you’re heading between the north and south, which usually involves a change at Birmingham. Check for timetables and tickets with National Express .

Buy an Explore Wales Pass for unlimited rail and bus travel

Offering four days of unlimited rail and bus travel within an eight-day period (on selected operators), the Explore Wales Pass is a budget-friendly way to take in some of the country’s highlights. There are some restrictions; for example, you’ll need to avoid commuter-heavy early morning train services from Monday to Friday on some routes. But with a little planning, you can take in Snowdonia’s soaring peaks, Pembrokeshire ’s pristine beaches, Cardiff ’s epic nightlife, and more, in just over a week.

Sticking to a smaller area? Regional passes with similar benefits are also available.

A car drives along a tarmac road in a rural hilly area. Several sheep stand at the edge of the road

Car and motorcycle journeys offer maximum flexibility

If you want to get far off the beaten track or see as much of Wales as possible in a short space of time, traveling by car or motorcycle is your best option.

While North and South Wales are well developed in terms of road infrastructure, the more rural areas often consist of narrow single-track lanes and windy roads with blind corners galore. Pair this with lashing rain or sheep-induced traffic jams and you can expect to travel very slowly indeed.

If you’re traveling the length of Wales, it may be easier to dip into England to shoot up the highway, but crossing the rugged mountain ranges and valleys of Mid-Wales is far more memorable – just bring anti-nausea medication if you get travel sick.

Want to road trip in the most sustainable way possible? The country’s compact size makes Wales ideal for journeys by electric vehicle. There are hundreds of charging stations across the country (see Zap Map  for more details), and many heritage sites and attractions have dedicated EV charging points, so you can sightsee while your car charges up for the next leg of the journey. 

Rental cars can be expensive, so use comparison sites and book in advance to find the best deals. 

Taxis are readily available in Cardiff

Ride-hailing apps like Ola and Uber – as well as plentiful local “Dragon Taxis” – are available in the Welsh capital, Cardiff. In other big towns, there’s usually a taxi rank outside the train station. Elsewhere, you might need to call to book. Ask locally for taxi company recommendations.

A white female cyclist rides a bike along a paved flat coastal path with a sandy beach

There are many wonderful cycling routes 

Wales is home to some of the UK’s most spectacular cycling routes, whether you’re looking for family-friendly jaunts or tough long-distance trails. Short, easy routes include the Bay Trail in Cardiff and the canalside path ​between Llangollen and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, while experienced hill climbers and Geraint Thomas wannabes will be spoiled for choice in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia National Park . 

If you can handle thigh-burning ascents and unforgiving weather conditions, there are plenty of long-distance routes to choose from. Heck, you can even pedal the length of Wales if you want to. Check out the Sustrans' National Cycle Network to get planning.

Most large towns have at least one bike rental shop if you don't have a bike of your own. Bike-sharing schemes are available in Swansea and Cardiff, and bike lanes are constantly expanding, but the cities still aren’t super bike-friendly. Always wear a helmet and high-visibility clothing.

Take a seasonal boat ride to offshore islands

Seasonal tourist boats shuttle passengers to offshore islands, such as Caldey Island or Bardsey Island , but there are no ferry services between Welsh ports.

Go by plane between Cardiff and Anglesey

The only domestic flights in Wales run between Cardiff and Anglesey and take around 50 minutes.

Accessible transportation in Wales

Public transport vehicles in Wales are reasonably set up for passengers with accessibility needs, with designated seating, wheelchair space, and access ramps. If traveling by train, it’s best to call Transport for Wales in advance if you require assistance in the station, though staff (and friendly locals) will always help where they can. You could be eligible for discounted travel depending on your disability, so check with your chosen transport provider to find out more.

You might also like:  Top 13 things to add to your Wales trip itinerary    The best time to visit Wales for food, hiking or bog snorkeling    Whether it's cloudy or sunny, you can still enjoy these best beaches in Wales   

This article was first published September 2021 and updated November 2021

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how to travel by bus in uk

  • Local transport
  • Bus operators

A guide to registering and operating local bus services in England and Wales

An overview of the process for registering and operating local bus services in England and Wales

Please note this guidance is primarily for local bus services registered with a traffic commissioner. Changes in legislation has resulted in an increase in the number of bodies responsible for the registration of local bus services. However, much of this guide will be relevant for those areas which have different registration authorities. 

Services that operate in franchised areas or in some areas covered by enhanced partnership schemes will be subject to different procedures. Further information on these different scheme types can be found in this guide and Annexes.

Introduction

This guidance is intended to help the operators of local bus services to understand the requirements for registering a local bus service. It will advise on how to register services with a traffic commissioner and describes how the local bus service registration system works in England and Wales.

This guidance is only intended for services operated in England and Wales. The law for operating bus services in Scotland differs slightly and services that start in Scotland are registered with the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland. References to Scotland in this guide mainly relate to those services that operate across the English and Scottish border. Guidance on operating and registering local bus services in Scotland can be found at: Local Bus Service Registration in Scotland Guide for Operators .

A local bus service can only be run if it has been registered with the relevant registration authority. To register a service, one of the following is required:

valid unconditional public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence or

a special restricted PSV operator’s licence (for holders of taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) licences) or

a section 22 community bus permit.

If you do not have any of the above you should read the Public service vehicle operator licensing guide which provides advice on PSV operator licensing.

An application to register a local service cannot be accepted unless you have the required authority. Obtaining or increasing the authority of an operator’s licence may take at least nine weeks, and in some cases much longer. You should take this time into consideration before bidding for contracts.

This guidance is not a legal document. Neither the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain nor the Department for Transport can provide specific legal advice to operators. If you are unsure as to whether you are compliant with the law, you should seek independent and informed legal advice.

The main legislation for running local bus services can be found in the Transport Act 1985, the Transport Act 2000 and the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) Regulations 1986.

Role of the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain and the Senior Traffic Commissioner

In Great Britain, the traffic commissioners are regulators of the road transport industry and are responsible for issuing operator’s licences and maintaining the register of local bus services. Traffic commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport but act independently from Government and the enforcement agencies, including the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Their function is to ensure that only safe and reliable operators of goods and passenger vehicles are permitted to be licensed. Traffic commissioners may take regulatory action against an operator where they may revoke, suspend or curtail an operator’s licence. They may also take regulatory action should an operator fail to operate a local service in accordance with the registered particulars.

Further information can be found on the  Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain’s website .

For the purposes of operator licensing, Great Britain is divided into eight  traffic areas . A traffic commissioner is deployed by the Senior Traffic Commissioner to be responsible for a specific  traffic area .

The Senior Traffic Commissioner is appointed with legal powers to deploy traffic commissioners and to provide statutory guidance and statutory directions to traffic commissioners on how they should approach their functions. This helps to ensure a consistency of approach and provides useful advice for other service users.

These documents will be referenced throughout this guide as the Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Documents which are uploaded on the  Traffic Commissioners’ website .

Traffic commissioners are supported in their functions by Deputy Traffic Commissioners. Deputy Traffic Commissioners are deployed for the days they are required. They are not full-time appointments.

Administrative support to the traffic commissioners is provided by staff based in the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. The majority of staff are based in the licensing office in Leeds , with small teams based in the eight regional offices whose primary role is to support the traffic commissioners in carrying out their tribunal hearings.

Role of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is responsible for ensuring that operators of goods and passenger vehicles are compliant with the legislation relating to matters including drivers’ hours, roadworthiness, operator licensing and the safe loading of vehicles.

DVSA’s Bus Operator Accounts Manager (BOAM) examiners in England and Bus Compliance Officers (BCOs – funded by the Welsh Government) in Wales, work with operators and local authorities to promote punctuality improvement and partnership working. DVSA check that operators have systems in place to ensure their services are reliable and punctual, offering assistance and guidance to operators where necessary. They also investigate complaints about the running of local services which may involve carrying out monitoring of local services.

The DVSA are independent of the traffic commissioners and will submit reports of non-compliance to the traffic commissioners for consideration.

More information on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency can be found on the  DVSA website .

Role of the Local Transport Authority (LTA) or Integrated Transport Authority (ITA)

Local transport authorities and integrated transport authorities (in larger urban areas) work with operators to develop policies for the promotion and encouragement of safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport that meets the needs of communities and service users. In this guide reference to local transport authority can refer to the Integrated Transport Authority where appropriate.

This may take different forms depending on the needs of the local area. They may introduce quality partnership schemes, enhanced partnership schemes or franchising arrangements. Other areas may also subsidise local services that would otherwise be uneconomical to operate but which are considered socially necessary. If the relevant authority wishes to subsidise a service they will usually ask for tenders from operators. Operators may want to consider registering their interest to receive any invitations to tender with the relevant authority. 

Before submitting an application to register, vary or cancel a service in England, an operator must provide the relevant local transport authority with a copy of the draft proposal. The local transport authority may then consider how the local transport requirements in that area will be met and request further information from the operator if required.

In some areas where there is an enhanced partnership scheme, a local transport authority may have delegation from a traffic commissioner to act as the registration authority for services that operate wholly within the area of the scheme. The role of a traffic commissioner in these areas is generally limited to hearing appeals against decisions of a LTA to refuse an application to register a service, cancel a registration or record particular requirements when the service is registered.

Where a franchising  scheme operates, the local transport authority will be responsible for awarding contracts or local service permits which allow local bus services to run in the scheme area. The role of a traffic commissioner in these areas is generally limited to hearing appeals against the failure of the local transport authority to grant a service permit, or their revocation of a service permit. 

Role of the Department for Transport (DfT)

The Secretary of State for Transport (working through Parliament) is responsible for determining the legal requirements of operator licensing and local bus services, in doing so establishing the roles and responsibilities of the traffic commissioners and DVSA. Traffic commissioners are independent of Government.

The DfT assists the Government in establishing the strategy for the provision of local bus services (and other forms of public transport).

More information on the Department for Transport can be found on the  DfT website .

Return to Contents

Registration Authorities

Traffic commissioners.

Most local bus services in Great Britain have to be registered with a traffic commissioner.

Applications to register, vary or cancel local bus services that start in England and Wales are processed by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner in Leeds . For services that start in Scotland please refer to the guidance for Scotland .

Transport for London

Transport for London are responsible for local bus services that operate in the Greater London area. Most services are operated by private operators under a contract arrangement. There are some commercial services that are operated under service permits. Anyone wishing to operate a local bus service with stops in the Transport for London area should contact them for advice.

Further information can be found at:

What we do - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

London Service Permits - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

Local Transport Authorities

Local transport authorities may request from a traffic commissioner the delegation to be responsible for the registering of local bus services in areas where an enhanced partnership scheme is in force. If the scheme contains a route requirement , the LTA must take on the role of registration authority.

The local transport authority will only delegate responsibility for those services that operate wholly within the scheme area. Any service that has stops both inside and outside of the scheme area will remain registered with the traffic commissioner.

A local transport authority will always take on the role of registration authority in areas where a franchising scheme is in place, although services operated under a Section 22 community bus permit will remain registered with a traffic commissioner.

Please see here for further details.

Definitions

Local bus service.

A local bus service is a service using PSVs to carry passengers at separate fares where they can be picked up and set down within 15 miles (measured in a straight line). Services (outside of London) are generally registered with the traffic commissioner, however this may be different where an enhanced partnership scheme or franchising scheme is in force in a particular area.

The route can be of any overall length as long as a passenger can get off the bus within 15 miles (measured in a straight line) of the point where they boarded. If on a long-distance service there are some parts of the route where passengers can make local journeys of 15 miles or less, those parts of the route should be registered as local services. However, it should be noted that parts of a long-distance service where passengers cannot get off within 15 miles do not need to be registered.

There are different types of local bus service . A local bus service does not always have to be open to the public, it may be restricted to school children or a workplace, e.g. a factory or distribution centre.

In certain circumstances a service will not be regarded as a local service, provided all the following conditions are met in respect of each journey:

  • someone other than the bus operator an agent or any person who is remunerated for doing so, is responsible for arranging the journey and for bringing the passengers together
  • the journey must be made without previous advertisement to the public of the arrangements
  • all passengers must, in the case of a journey to a particular destination, be carried to, or to the vicinity of, that destination, or, in the case of a tour, be carried for the greater part of the journey
  • passengers pay the same no matter how far they travel

Services using vehicles operated under the authority of a standard or large bus permit issued in accordance with section 19 of the Transport Act 1985 are not regarded as a local bus service.

Public Service Vehicles

Minibuses and larger vehicles

  • If the vehicle is designed or adapted to carry nine or more passengers, and does so for hire or reward, it is a public service vehicle.
  • A vehicle must have the appropriate  approval , be  tested  and if required meet  accessibility requirements .

Small vehicles - where separate fares are charged

A small vehicle with eight passenger seats or less can be defined as a PSV if it is used for carrying passengers for hire or reward whilst charging separate fares.

But the use of the vehicle must also meet one of two conditions to be treated as a PSV:

(i) The passengers must have been brought together for the purposes of making the journey by the driver or owner of the vehicle or by some other intermediary who is paid for doing so.

In addition, each journey must have been advertised to the public, so as to create a genuine opportunity for members of the public to be carried on the particular journey in question, i.e. the journey is not an exclusive hiring for an individual or group, notwithstanding that separate fares are paid. Advertisement at a place of worship, a place of work, a club or other voluntary association for the information of people present at those places, or in periodicals circulated wholly or mainly among such persons, does not count as advertisement to the general public.

Finally, in the event that there are multiple destinations, there should be differentiation of fares for the journey based on distance or time.

(ii) The making of the agreement for the payment of separate fares must have been initiated by the driver or owner of the vehicle, or by some other intermediary who is paid for doing so – not by the passengers themselves, or any other party. In addition, as in condition 1, each journey must be advertised to the public beforehand as being open to passengers to be carried at separate fares.

Hire or Reward

For the purpose of PSV operator licensing, ‘hire or reward’ is defined as any payment in cash or kind which gives a person the right to be carried, regardless of whether or not that right is exercised. It is also regardless of whether or not a profit is made.

The payment may be made to the operator, the driver or any agent or representative acting on behalf of the operator.

The payment may be made by the passenger, or on the passenger’s behalf. It may be a direct payment (e.g. a fare) or an indirect payment (this could be an exchange for services such as a membership subscription to a club, payment for a bed in a hotel, school fees or payment for concert tickets) where travel is included. The payment does not have to be money and the right to travel does not need to be taken up.

Separate fares

Separate fares mean an individual payment for each passenger to undertake the journey. Payment may be made on the vehicle or in advance of the journey at a sales point (website, app, ticket machine, or sales office). Payment may also be by indirect means (in respect of other services such as concert tickets where travel is included).

Separate fares are not usually involved where the vehicle is hired as a whole, unless passengers have made individual payments for the right to travel. Each passenger should pay the same fare for the same journey, regardless of how many other passengers are already on board or boarding the bus at the time the journey is made.

Types of Local Bus Services

Local bus services can be registered either as a standard service or a flexible service.

A standard service runs along a fixed route in accordance with a timetable. It must always run at the times it is registered to do so.

A standard service can take many different forms and there are different ways standard services can be registered, for example:

Frequent Services

Where a standard service operates at a frequency of 10 minutes or less, an operator can advise the traffic commissioner of that fact instead of providing a timetable. All the other requirements for a standard service, apply to a frequent service.

Excursions or Tours

These are services on which passengers travel together on a journey, with or without breaks, from one or more places to one or more places and back.

Excursions and tours are only regarded as local services that need to be registered if:

separate fares are paid, and

the whole journey is within a 15-mile radius of the starting point, and

they run one or more times a week for at least 6 weeks in a row.

It should be noted that the ‘hop-on/hop off’’ style of tour where passengers may get off at any point along the route and rejoin the tour on a later bus are not excursions or tours. These are standard services and must be registered and operate in accordance with that registration.

Works or School Services

Schools and works services may be local services if any of the users pay a separate fare (especially if passengers pay different amounts depending on how far they travel). Services may be registered and noted as school or work services only.

Flexible Services

A flexible service is a service:

which serves one or more local communities or neighbourhoods within a specified geographical area

  • which is so flexible that it is not practicable to identify in advance all the roads to be used at any given time (NB: there may be fixed sections of the route but the vast majority of the journey is flexibly routed)

which is provided primarily to carry passengers who have booked in advance and whose collective requirements determine the route of each journey even though that other persons may also be travelling

  • where all the seats of which are available for use by members of the general public, and

where separate fares are paid which do not vary according to the number of passengers carried on the journey

A flexible service may, like a standard service, have fixed sections of route. However, over the entirety of the service it isn’t practical to identify a route and timetable. Instead, the operator defines as part of the registration:

(a) a geographical area of flexible operation (with or without details of any fixed part of the route), and/ or

(b) fixed stops

For further details please see Annex 5 .

If a service doesn’t fall into the above requirements of a flexible service, it is defined as a standard service. 

Services that do not need to be registered

Whilst most services that carry passengers for hire or reward over short distances are required to be registered with a traffic commissioner or other registration authority, certain services do not:

school or college bus services if the following two conditions are met:

(i) the bus service is provided on behalf of a local education authority in England or Wales

(ii) the only passengers who pay fares are either studying at a school or college, supervising pupils or students, or teachers or assistants working at the school or college.

If other people can also use the service, it must be registered.

substitution services for railway services which have been temporarily interrupted, provided under an agreement entered into with the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers or the National Assembly for Wales

services operated under a section 19 permit. Please refer to the guidance at https:// www.gov.uk/government/publications/section-19-and-22-permits-not-for-profitpassenger-transport/section-19-and-22-permits-not-for-profit-passenger-transport

excursions or tours , except those that operate at least once a week for a period of at least six consecutive weeks

free services where travel on a vehicle is not dependent on a payment of separate fares, for example some supermarkets contract operators to provide a free service to bring customers to their stores. Provided no fares are charged and a passenger can travel on the vehicle without obligation it is likely that the service will not require to be registered

If you are unsure whether your service needs to be registered you should seek informed advice or contact the Office of the Traffic Commissioner or, if appropriate, the relevant local transport authority if they are the registration authority.

Considerations Before Submitting An Application To Register A New Local Bus Service

Punctuality.

When a local bus service is registered with a traffic commissioner, the operator commits to operate it in accordance with the route and timetable provided. If there is a failure to operate it reliably and punctually a traffic commissioner may attach conditions to the licence preventing the running of local services and/or impose a financial penalty.

Therefore, you must ensure that you can run the service in line with the punctuality standards expected. The Senior Traffic Commissioner has issued a Statutory Document relevant to local services in England and Wales setting out how traffic commissioners should interpret the law and the standards expected.

Before you apply to register the service, you should check that your proposed route and timetable are achievable at all the times when you intend to run the service. You will also need to ensure that you have sufficient resources to provide the service.

You should take into consideration the following points:

  • the usual level of congestion at different times and days
  • whether it takes longer to travel the route at certain times during the day. For example, a morning service at 08:30 may take longer than a service operating later in the evening
  • ensuring that the roads are suitable for the size of vehicles you are intending to use
  • whether you need permission to use a bus station or existing bus stops
  • whether you need new bus stops. If so, you should discuss this with the local authority
  • ensuring you have sufficient vehicles or access to vehicles to cover periods when the vehicle(s) you usually use are out of service, e.g. undergoing inspections or annual tests
  • the range of any electrically propelled vehicles you are intending to use and the time taken to recharge these vehicles
  • ensuring you have sufficient drivers to cover the service, with enough to cover normal levels of sick absence or annual leave
  • whether there is a traffic regulation order, or a traffic regulation condition in place that would affect the service

Principal Timing Points

When registering a standard service an operator must provide a traffic commissioner with a principal start and end point for the service. They will also be asked to provide details of principal timing points. These are the places where the reliability of the service will be monitored.

In the interests of passengers, these points may not usually be more than 15 minutes apart, but in certain circumstances a traffic commissioner may agree more widely-spaced timing points if it is impracticable for the service to stop.   

Motorway service areas

It is not usually acceptable for motorway service areas to be used as timetabled stopping points for the purposes of registering a service as a local bus service. This is because, with some exceptions, they are not a destination, or a place where passengers catch or change buses to other destinations.

Service areas which are located off the motorway and are accessible by other means may be a stopping point. A service area which has one or more bus stops may also be acceptable. Additionally, a works service provided for the service area work force may have a service area as its destination.

A service area where the vehicle stops in order for passengers and driver to have a break is not a stopping point for the purposes of registering a service as a local service.

Traffic Regulation Conditions (TRCs)

One or more TRCs can be placed on an operator’s licence by a traffic commissioner in response to a request from a traffic authority to resolve a particular traffic problem.

A traffic commissioner cannot determine a TRC unless satisfied that such a condition is required to:

(a) prevent danger to road users, or

(b) reduce severe traffic congestion, or

(c) reduce or limit noise or air pollution

The purpose of a TRC can be to regulate:

(a) the route of a bus service

(b) the stopping places of a service

(c) when a vehicle used in providing a bus service may stop and for how long

(d) regulating the roads to be used and the manoeuvres to be performed when turning a vehicle in the provision of a service

(e) limiting the number of vehicles which may be used, or the frequency at which vehicles may be operated, in the provision of a service along all or part of its route whether generally or during particular periods or at particular times

(f) regulating the emission levels of vehicles used in providing services; and

(g) regulating the noise pollution levels that may result from the operation, in vehicles used in providing services, of a loudspeaker or other type of public address system.

In considering what traffic regulation condition(s) should apply to a particular area a traffic commissioner shall have regard, in particular, to the interests of:

(a) those who have registered under section 6 of this Act services which are or will be operated in the area

(b) those who are, or are likely to be, users of such services; and

(c) persons who are elderly or disabled

Details of the request for a TRC and the proposed determination must be published in the Notices and Proceedings. A determination may relate to all services in an area or service of a specified nature. Before determining a TRC the traffic commissioner must hold a public inquiry if requested to do so by:

(a) the traffic authority who made the request

(b) any other traffic authority likely to be affected by the TRC

(c) any operator who has a service registered within the area affected by the TRC

If the traffic commissioner considers there to be a clear danger to either other road users or members of the public, a TRC may be placed on an operator’s licence without a public inquiry, but one must be held as soon as is reasonably practicable if requested by any of the above groups.

Once a TRC is in place the traffic commissioner may consider varying or revoking it if requested to do so by, either an operator whose services are affected by it or any traffic authority in the area.

Once a TRC has been determined it is attached to any PSV operator’s licence which has a service registered in the area affected by the TRC.

Before registering a service, you should establish whether there is a TRC in place. If there is, you should contact the OTC Licensing Office in Leeds . for advice as a condition may need to be placed on your licence.

If a local authority introduces a franchising scheme any TRCs in the franchising area will no longer apply.

Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs)

A TRO is a legal document that restrict or prohibit the use of the highway network, in line with The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

They help authorities to manage the highway network for all road users, including pedestrians and they aim to improve road safety and access to facilities.

Examples of schemes that require a TRO include:

  • speed limits
  • on-street parking restrictions
  • weight limits
  • one-way streets and banned turns
  • prohibition of driving

A TRO can be permanent, temporary or experimental. It can be worded to apply to particular categories of user, and can be weight or width related.

The Police, or civil enforcement officers in the case of parking restrictions in a decriminalised parking enforcement area, can enforce the various restrictions and prohibitions.

Before registering a service, you should consider whether there is a TRO in force that may affect your planned route.

Partnership Schemes and Franchising Schemes

In addition, before registering your service you should find out whether there is a statutory partnership scheme or franchising scheme in place, either in part or over the whole of the route. If there is it may affect how you intend to operate the service and additional requirements or permissions may be necessary. You should contact the local transport authority or Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) and notify them of your intended application and discuss any additional requirements.

See Annex 3 for more information on enhanced partnership schemes and Annex 4 for further details on franchising.  

Registering A Local Bus Service With The Traffic Commissioner

Requirement to consult with a local transport authority.

Before a local bus service can be registered, varied or cancelled with a traffic commissioner the relevant notice period must be complied with. The notice required will differ depending on whether there are stopping places in England, Wales or Scotland.

For services with stopping places in England and Scotland there is a requirement for an operator to provide up to 28 days’ advance notice of the draft registration to the relevant local transport authorities before applying to register, vary or cancel a service to a traffic commissioner. The purpose of the advance notice is for the local transport authority to consider the impact on the local transport plan. Where services are being varied or cancelled a local transport authority may require an operator to provide further information on the number of passengers and revenues. An operator is required to provide the information requested.

Only when a period of 28 days has elapsed from notifying the local transport authority of the application, or sooner if the local transport authority consents, can an application be lodged with a traffic commissioner. A local transport authority should provide the operator with a signed form to send to the traffic commissioner. If the operator does not receive a response from the local transport authority, the application may be submitted after the 28 days have elapsed. In these cases the operator should attach proof of the date that the draft application was sent to the local transport authority.

If a service crosses into several local transport authority areas, you must obtain the proformas from each individual authority, or wait 28 days, before you can submit an application to the traffic commissioner.

There is no requirement to provide this formal notice to local transport authorities for stopping places in Wales, but operators are encouraged to consult with local transport authorities before submitting an application to a traffic commissioner.

Once the relevant notice has been given the application can then be submitted to a traffic commissioner.

Period of notice

The operator cannot start running the service until the application to register has been accepted by a traffic commissioner and the notice period complied with. In the case of variations or cancellations the operator must continue to run the service in compliance with the original registration until the application has been accepted by a traffic commissioner.

The statutory notice period is 42 days for services with stopping places in England and Scotland and 56 days in Wales which starts from the day a traffic commissioner accepts a completed application.

For community bus operators the statutory notice period is 14 days in England and 28 days in Wales. The requirement for providing advance notice to the local transport authorities for services with stopping places in England is the same.

There are certain circumstances which allow a traffic commissioner to waive these notice periods and allow a service to start, vary or stop at short notice. Requests for short notice registration or changes must be made by completing the relevant application form, PSV350A . If an application is supported by the local transport authority confirmation of this support should be enclosed either with your application or they can include it within the proforma. Acceptance of short notice is not dependent on support from the local transport authority, but obtaining their support can assist such a request for short notice.

The legislation sets out the circumstances which permit the traffic commissioner to waive the notice period and allow the service to start, be varied or cancelled at short notice, these are:

(a) registering or varying a service (or part of a service) which will be substantially similar to and will replace a service (or part of a service) which has ceased or is ceasing to operate. The name of the operator and registration reference of the existing service should be provided with the application

(b) varying or cancelling the registration of a standard service which is either not available to members of the general public or not regularly used by them

(c) varying or cancelling a service in response to representations from an authorised person (a traffic authority or a chief officer of police) on a matter concerning road traffic regulation or road safety. A copy of a letter from the traffic authority or police should be provided with the application

(d) registering the particulars of a new service or varying a registration to increase an existing service, in order to provide the new or augmented  service for a period not exceeding 21 days, in connection with a specified event or occasion which will cause an additional demand for a service

(e) varying a registration by adjusting the timetable without significantly affecting the level of the service provided, and the adjusted timings are either:

i. no more than 10 minutes earlier or later than those in the registered timetable, or

ii. required to adapt the service to a variation in a connecting rail, ferry or air service – details of the connecting service should be provided

(f) varying the registration so as to vary or suspend the service for a period not exceeding 14 days in response to public holidays restricted to the relevant locality or holidays taken by a substantial proportion of the population in that locality

(g) where, due to circumstances which were not reasonably foreseen, you failed to make an application in sufficient time for the period of notice. You should provide full details on the application as to why it could not have been foreseen (h) register or vary a registration in order to meet an urgent and exceptional public passenger transport requirement

To accept an application at short notice a traffic commissioner must be satisfied that one of the criteria set out above is met. When applying for short notice the relevant reason must be identified with sufficient explanation to justify the application. Evidence may also be requested.

Submitting an application to a traffic commissioner

Once the period for the local transport authority to consider the draft application has been completed (in England and Scotland), an application can be submitted to a traffic commissioner by either:

  • using the form, PSV 350 and sending it with all relevant information (known as the prescribed particulars), to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner Licensing office in Leeds . Form PSV 529 should be used when registering a flexible local bus service.

The fee should be paid by cheque, postal order or by completing credit/debit card details on the application form. Alternatively, this can be paid online using a Vehicle Operator Licensing self-service account , but only once an application has been received and a request for payment has been made. If choosing this method, the fee must be paid within 7 days of the request. Applications will not be processed unless payment is received, or

  • sending the details using the Electronic Bus Registration System (EBSR). To do this the operator must be able to send documents using TransXChange , and there must be prior agreement with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner to submit in this format.

When you submit a registration through EBSR, the fee will be created and available to pay through the VOL self-service account. It should be paid at the time of submitting the application for registration.

Email [email protected] for further information on how to use EBSR.

www.gov.uk/government/collections/transxchange

Prescribed Particulars

The registered particulars are the details that must be provided when registering a local bus service with a traffic commissioner. These must be supplied when a service registration is submitted, otherwise the application cannot be accepted, and it will be rejected.

For all services (standard or flexible) the following details need to be provided:

  • the name of the operator of the service
  • the number of the operator’s licence or community bus permit
  • the date on which the service is to start
  • the service number or, if it has no number, the name by which it is to be known
  • if the service does consist of excursions or tours, an outline of the route indicating the points, other than the starting point, where passengers will be picked up, and the maximum number of vehicle departures to be made on any one day.
  • the times during the year when the service will be provided
  • whether the service is subject to a requirement imposed by an enhanced partnership scheme under section 138C(1) of the Transport Act 2000 and, if so, details of the requirement or requirements to which the service is subject
  • whether the service is subject to a requirement imposed by an enhanced partnership scheme under section 138C(3) of the 2000 Act and, if so, details of the requirement or requirements to which the service is subject

In addition, there are further details that need to be provided depending on the type of service:

Standard services

For a standard service the following information is required:

  • the principal starting and finishing points of the service
  • a statement on whether the service is a tour or excursion

if the service is not a tour or excursion:

(a) a description of the route, including details of alternative sections of route where it may be modified for the purpose of particular journeys, which is sufficient to identify the roads to be traversed, together with a map of a scale not smaller than 1:50,000 showing those roads

(b) a timetable for the service indicating the proposed times (on the days when the service is to run) of individual services at principal points on the route, except where the service interval is 10 minutes or less when a statement of that fact may be given (see Frequent Services ), and

(c) an indication of the stopping places where the vehicles used on the service will stand for longer than the time required to pick up or set down passengers

if the service does consist of excursions or tours –

(a) an outline of the route indicating the points, other than the starting point, where passengers will be picked up, and

(b) the maximum number of vehicle departures to be made on any one day

details of stopping arrangements, including (in appropriate cases) –

(a) details of whether all the marked or generally recognised stopping places on the route will be used on every journey and, if not, what the stopping arrangements at those places will be, and

(b) details of any sections of the route where passengers will be picked up and set down upon signalling their wishes to the driver of the vehicle

  • a description of any reversing and other manoeuvres which will result in a vehicle returning along part of its route.

For a flexible service the following information is required:

  • the address of the operator
  • a description of the area of operation and a map of a scale not smaller than 1:50,000 showing the sections of flexible operation and fixed sections of route (if any)
  • details of any fixed stopping places and the stopping arrangements at those places (including whether all the specified fixed stopping places will be in use at all operating times and, if not, what the stopping arrangements will be at those places).

an indication of any fixed stopping places where the vehicles used on the service may or will stand longer than the time required to pick up or set down passengers * the terms on which, and the methods by which, journeys maybe booked, including:

(a) the times when a booking for a particular journey may be made,

(b) the means of identifying where a passenger may be picked up or set down in places other than at fixed stopping places, and

(c) whether the travel demands of every prospective passenger will be met and, if not, what arrangements (if any) will be made where a person’s demands cannot be met

the timing of the service, including:

in the case of a service having a fixed stopping place on its route, a timetable indicating the proposed times of individual services at those stopping places; and in every case

the means of determining the time at which a passenger may be picked up or set down in the sections of flexible operation;

  • where it is impracticable to specify an exact time of arrival at, or departure from, a fixed stopping place or other point within the area of operation, a period of time maybe specified instead. This is known as a ‘time window’. The time window is to be an appropriate length but not longer than 20 minutes unless a traffic commissioner is satisfied that it is reasonable for a longer period to be allowed.

All the required information must be provided, including the completed local transport authority proformas (or proof that 28 days has elapsed) when an application is submitted. It will not be accepted otherwise, and it will delay your ability to run the service.

Bus Open Data Service (BODS)

The Bus Open Data Service is designed to provide certain information for every local bus service in England to improve the passenger experience of bus travel.

Operators of local services in England are required to provide:

  • timetable data
  • vehicle location (real-time) data
  • historic performance (punctuality) data.

The need to comply with the BODS applies to any local service with stopping places in England. This includes services which may be predominately in Wales or Scotland.

See www.gov.uk/government/collections/bus-open-data-service for more information.

If an operator fails to comply with the bus open data requirements, a traffic commissioner may take regulatory action or issue a financial penalty against the operator. The financial penalty could be for a sum of up to £550 for every vehicle authorised by the licence.

The BODS is a separate system from the local bus service registrations held by a traffic commissioner and other registration authorities. Operators must update BODS separately when registering, varying or cancelling local bus services. 

Notices and Proceedings

Every application to register, vary or cancel a service is published in the traffic commissioners’ weekly publication, Notices and Proceedings (N&Ps). These are published for each traffic area at: Traffic Commissioner PSV Notices and Proceedings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Also, when an application is accepted, details are published online at: Bus registration search

Should you wish to receive electronic copies of N&Ps you should e-mail: [email protected] specifying which area(s) you are interested in receiving. There is no charge for this service.

Varying And Cancelling A Local Bus Service

Operators must ensure that registrations are kept up to date. Operators must vary registrations before a service is changed or cancel the registration before withdrawing a service completely. Should an operator fail to do this the traffic commissioner may determine that the operator has not been providing the service in accordance with the registered particulars and take regulatory action .

A service may be changed or cancelled using the appropriate form, PSV355 . There is a fee for a variation, but not for the cancellation of a service.

When applying to vary or cancel a service the same notice periods as those for registering a service will apply, including the grounds for requesting short notice.

When varying a registration, the operator must provide details on what is being changed, and supply new timetables or route maps and descriptions as required.  

If an operator cancels a service, they must give the date when the service will stop. Although there is no legal requirement to do so, it is good practice to put a notice in the vehicles used to provide the service advising passengers that the service is being changed or withdrawn. Some enhanced partnership schemes may require an operator to do so.

Operators must also ensure that any changes to the registration are also separately communicated to the Bus Open Data Service.

Changes to a service that do not require a formal variation

In England and Wales, a registered service may be changed without the need to apply for a variation to registration in the following instances:

  • a service may be varied in England and Wales in respect of any journey in a week which includes 24th December, Christmas Day, Good Friday or any bank holiday, provided notice of the intention is sent to every relevant authority and to a traffic commissioner no later than 21 days before the variation is to take effect
  • a journey on a service identified in the registration as an excursion or tour may be withdrawn or curtailed
  • the route of any service may be varied to the extent required to comply with any temporary prohibition or restriction of the use of any road by traffic by or under any enactment or with any direction by a police officer
  • a service which is not available to the general public, and which is provided by a local authority (within the meaning of the Education Act 1996) in connection with the exercise of its functions relating to education
  • the running of duplicate vehicles (see below)

Duplicate vehicles

An operator may run duplicate vehicles on a service if there are reasonable grounds to expect that, owing to special circumstances, the number of vehicles normally required to provide the service would be insufficient to carry all the people wishing to travel, or to provide the service in accordance with the registered timetable. This could be for example, providing additional capacity to cater for a special event occurring along an established bus route.

In areas where there is an enhanced partnership scheme the provision of additional vehicles must not breach any requirement set out in the scheme. In these areas the operator may wish to contact the local transport authority.

The vehicles can be operated over any part of the route, but must be operated as closely as possible to the timings in the registered timetable.

If it is a regular occurrence that the usual number of vehicles used to provide the service is unable to carry all the persons wishing to travel, it would not be considered a special circumstance, and the operator should make a variation to the registered service.

The traffic commissioner may determine that unregistered local services have been operated if there are no special circumstances which warrant the provision of additional vehicles.

General Requirements

Passenger information.

When operating a standard service, the operator must either display inside the vehicle in a clear and visible manner or have available on the vehicle for passengers who request them:

  • a fare table containing sufficient information to enable any passenger to ascertain the fare for their journey or how the fare is calculated
  • a timetable indicating the days the service operates and the times at principal timing points (unless a frequent service in which case this must be stated).

And outside the vehicle:

  • a notice indicating the destination or the route of the service, and
  • either the service number or the name by which it is known.

Flexible services

When operating a flexible service, the operator must display inside the vehicle information about fares  which is both clear to read and set out in such a manner that a passenger may ascertain the fare for the journey without difficulty. Outside the vehicle the operator must display the name of the service.

Operators will need to have a system in place to deal with complaints, and to take action to resolve any problems that are brought to their attention. Operators should ensure that passengers are provided with information on how they may complain or raise any issues relating to individual services. For example, a notice on the bus with contact details provides useful information for passengers.

Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 (as retained in UK law) establishes rules for bus and coach transport in respect of:

non-discrimination between passengers with regard to transport conditions offered by carriers

rights of passengers in the event of accidents arising from the use of the bus or coach, resulting in death or personal injury or loss or damage to luggage

non-discrimination and mandatory assistance for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility

rights of passengers in cases of cancellation or delay

the minimum information to be provided to passengers

A passenger must first make a complaint under this legislation to the relevant person who is the subject of the complaint. If the complaint is not resolved within three months after submission the complaint may be directed to London TravelWatch ) (for road passenger transport services or facilities in London), or for any other services or facilities elsewhere, to Bus Users UK .

As the designated national enforcement authority, the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain must be referred complaints which London TravelWatch or Bus Users UK have not resolved within three months from submission by the complainant.

A traffic commissioner will consider whether or not to take action to remedy any contravention of the regulation if the subject is the holder of a PSV operator’s licence. The Regulations allow the traffic commissioner to take other appropriate enforcement measures, including issuing improvement notices, the attachment of conditions to any PSV operator’s licence or the imposition of a financial penalty.

Any appeal of a traffic commissioner’s decision is made to the Upper Tribunal.

Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations

An operator must ensure that the vehicles used on a local service meet the relevant accessibility requirements . Operators using vehicles that do not meet the required standards may face prosecution from the relevant enforcement agencies, and/or regulatory action by a traffic commissioner.

Bus Services Operating Grant (BSOG)

A local bus service may be eligible for BSOG in England, or the Bus Services Support Grant in Wales and details of the schemes can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bus-services-grants-and-funding

Failing To Run The Service Reliably

Once a service has been registered with a traffic commissioner it must be operated in accordance with the registered particulars. A traffic commissioner may take regulatory action if an operator fails to do so. 

The expectations on operators are set out in the Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Directions and Statutory Guidance No.14. Services operated in areas with enhanced partnership schemes or franchising may need to meet other standards set out in the relevant schemes.

For most standard services, operators are expected to run services no more than one minute early and five minutes late at least 95% of the time. Operators are expected to have appropriate systems in place to monitor their compliance. This maybe through, for example, by collecting performance data electronically or, in some cases, periodic roadside monitoring of services. Operators should take action to rectify any issues. This may include amending timetables or routes, or increasing their resilience to avoid vehicle or staff shortages. Frequent or flexible services must meet other standards.

For services that cross into a franchise or enhanced partnership area the LTA may have different performance standards that apply to that section of the route.

As operating conditions can alter over time, e.g. the volume of traffic may increase, or there may be changes to road layouts which affect levels of traffic, operators will need to regularly review timetables to check that the registered timings remain feasible and, if necessary, apply to vary the registration.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency employ specialist Bus Operator Account Managers (BOAM) examiners in England. In Wales Bus Users Cymru employ Bus Compliance Officers (BCOs) to carry out similar work.

The DVSA BOAM examiners and BCOs work with operators and local authorities to promote punctuality improvement and partnership working. Examiners will check that operators have systems in place to ensure their services are reliable and punctual and will offer assistance and guidance to operators where necessary. They also investigate complaints about the running of local services which may involve carrying out monitoring of local services. Usually, the DVSA will agree an improvement plan with an operator before referring the matter to a traffic commissioner.

If a traffic commissioner receives evidence from the DVSA or local authorities that an operator is failing to run services as registered without reasonable excuse, regulatory action will be considered.

Before any action is taken by a traffic commissioner, an operator will be given an opportunity to set out any reasonable excuse or mitigation for the services not running as registered. A traffic commissioner will usually consider more serious cases of non-compliance at a public inquiry.  

Public Inquiries

A traffic commissioner may call an operator to a public inquiry to consider evidence that the operator is not running punctual and reliable services. Operators will be invited to challenge the evidence and put forward any reasonable excuse for the services not operating in accordance with the timetable. An operator can also set out how they have addressed the issues and give the traffic commissioner assurances that the services will operate reliably in the future.

In certain cases, a traffic commissioner may decide to call an operator to a preliminary hearing to consider whether a public inquiry is necessary. Preliminary hearings are similar to public inquiries with operators given the opportunity to set out why a public inquiry is not required.

If called to appear before a traffic commissioner, an operator does not have to be represented by a legal or professional representative. However, as the traffic commissioner’s decision could have serious repercussions for an operator’s business it is advisable for the operator to consider whether a representative could help to prepare and present the case. An operator should read the letter calling them to the hearing and the evidence contained within it carefully. If asked to provide information by a set date the operator must comply in doing so.

At an inquiry or preliminary hearing, the traffic commissioner will first briefly summarise the purpose. The BOAM examiner in England and BCOs in Wales or anyone else who has supplied evidence will probably be asked to present evidence at the inquiry. Questions can be put to any witnesses. The traffic commissioner will also ask the operator questions.

More information on public inquiries can be found in the Guide to Public Inquiries .

After considering all the evidence the traffic commissioner will determine the appropriate action to take. In most cases the traffic commissioner will give their decision on the day of the hearing but in more complex cases the traffic commissioner may issue a written decision. This is usually issued within 28 days of the hearing date.

If a traffic commissioner determines that an operator has operated a local service unreliably, a condition may be attached to their operator’s licence prohibiting them from running certain local services or, in some cases, any local services.

The traffic commissioner may also impose a financial penalty which can be up to £550 for every vehicle authorised by the operator’s licence. This may be applied by:

  • making a direct payment (similar to a fine)
  • spending a sum of money on the provision of specified local services or facilities, or improvements to existing services or facilities
  • paying compensation to certain groups of passengers (either money or reduced or free travel)

Where a licence is held by a group the calculation of the penalty can be applied across the number of vehicles authorised on licences held by the group.

There is a right of appeal to the Administrative Appeals Chamber of the Upper Tribunal if the traffic commissioner attaches a condition to an operator’s licence or imposes a financial penalty.

The notice of appeal must be received by the Tribunal within one month of the date on which notice of the decision was sent to the appellant.

Operators can apply to a traffic commissioner to ‘stay’ their decision. A ‘stay’ is a legal term that means the decision will not take effect in order to allow the appeal to be decided. A traffic commissioner will consider whether to grant an application for a stay as quickly as possible. If a traffic commissioner refuses an application for a stay, the Tribunal can reconsider that decision.

Further information is available from the  Upper Tribunal’s website , the  guide to public inquiries  or the Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Document on  appeals .

Local Transport Authority – Traffic Management Duties

Local transport authorities have a duty under the Traffic Management Act 2004 to manage their road network, to reduce congestion and improve reliability. This can have an important effect on the ability of bus services to run on time.

If a traffic commissioner identifies any remedial measures which could be taken by the operator, or by a local traffic authority, a traffic commissioner may prepare a report recommending the implementation of those measures to enable or facilitate the operation of the service(s) in accordance with the registration.

Local authorities should therefore work in partnership with bus operators to improve time keeping where necessary and assist the operator to maintain a level of punctuality that meets the requirements of the Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Documents.

Annex 1 – Further information

  • Senior Traffic Commissioner’s statutory guidance and statutory directions
  • Drivers’ hours: Buses, coaches and minibuses
  • Run international bus or coach services and tours
  • International bus or coach services and tours: driver documents

Relevant legislation

Copies of the legislation can be viewed or downloaded from:  www.legislation.gov.uk

  • Transport Act 1985
  • Transport Act 2000
  • The Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) Regulations 1986
  • Local Transport Act 2008
  • Bus Services Act 2017
  • Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981
  • The Public Service Vehicles (Operators’ Licences) Regulations 1995
  • The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
  • The Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2001
  • The Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport (Exemptions and Enforcement) Regulations 2013
  • The Public Service Vehicles (Open Data) (England) Regulations 2020
  • The Public Service Vehicles (Traffic Regulation Conditions) Regulations 1986
  • The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000
  • Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023
  • The Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990

Annex 2 – Traffic Areas and Office Address

Office access and opening times.

View office information and opening times for the Office of the Traffic Commissioner

Traffic Areas

Please note that the below list acts as a guide only. When  applying  for a licence the correct traffic area will be automatically allocated. If you have any doubt as to which traffic area an  operating centre  falls into, you can contact the Office of the Traffic Commissioner for advice.

North Eastern Traffic Area - Responsible for

The metropolitan boroughs within:

  • South Yorkshire
  • Tyne and Wear
  • West Yorkshire

The counties of:

  • East Riding of Yorkshire
  • Northumberland
  • North Yorkshire
  • Nottinghamshire

The districts of:

  • North East Lincolnshire
  • North Lincolnshire

North Western Traffic Area - Responsible for

  • Greater Manchester

Eastern Traffic Area - Responsible for

  • Bedfordshire
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Cambridgeshire
  • Hertfordshire
  • Leicestershire
  • Lincolnshire (except the Districts of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire)
  • Northamptonshire

Ardal Traffig Cymru/Welsh Traffic Area - Cyfrifol am/Responsible for

  • Cymru/Wales

West Midland Traffic Area - Responsible for

The metropolitan boroughs within the West Midlands.

  • Herefordshire
  • Staffordshire
  • Warwickshire
  • Worcestershire

Western Traffic Area - Responsible for

  • Gloucestershire
  • Isle of Wight
  • Oxfordshire
  • Bath and North East Somerset
  • North Somerset
  • South Gloucestershire

South Eastern and Metropolitan Traffic Area - Responsible for

  • Greater London
  • East Sussex
  • West Sussex

Scottish Traffic Area - Responsible for

Annex 3 – enhanced partnership schemes.

In England, local transport authorities may make enhanced partnership schemes.

An enhanced partnership is a statutory partnership between one or more local authorities and local bus operators. It sets out how they will work together to improve local bus services or reduce or limit traffic congestion, noise or air pollution in a defined geographical area(s).

Detailed guidance and information on enhanced partnership schemes can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/bus-services-bill-overview

An enhanced partnership scheme may set certain requirements that local services must comply with. These are known as route or operation requirements and are defined in the legislation.

Route requirements relate to the frequency or timing of particular local services or local services of particular descriptions.

Operation requirements can include (but are not limited to):

(a) standards which the vehicles being used must meet

(b) enabling tickets to be purchased or fares to be paid in particular ways

(c) enabling entitlement to travel to be evidenced in particular ways

(d) the provision of information to the public about local services

(e) the publicising of local services, fares or ticketing arrangements

(f) the appearance of tickets for local services

(g) the appearance of vehicles being used to provide local services

(h) the prices of multi-operator tickets

(i) the dates upon which operators may change the timing of local services, and

(j) ticketing arrangements

Local transport authorities will consult with operators when developing a scheme. It is important that operators understand the requirements proposed in schemes and work with the local transport authority to successfully implement the schemes.

Commencement of Scheme

Once a scheme is in place an application to register a service may be refused if the operator cannot meet the requirements of the scheme. Similarly, an existing registration may be cancelled if the requirements are not met. Decisions taken by a traffic commissioner may be appealed to the Upper Tribunal .

It is important that operators understand the requirements of any scheme when applying to register services. The relevant local transport authority will be able to assist.

Delegation of registration function to the local transport authority

The introduction of an enhanced partnership scheme may result in a local transport authority becoming the relevant registration authority. This only applies to those services which have stops only in the scheme area. Services which have stops both inside and outside the scheme area will remain with a traffic commissioner.

The Office of the Traffic Commissioner will transfer any relevant current registrations to the local transport authority at the relevant time. The registrations will then be shown as ‘Admin Cancelled’ on the records held by a traffic commissioner.

Any future application to register, vary or cancel a service which only has stopping points within the scheme area must be sent to the local transport authority using their forms and processes.

The requirements on operators remain the same, and the traffic commissioners remain responsible for the operator’s licence and taking any regulatory action , including on the punctuality and reliability of services.

The local transport authorities listed below have been delegated by a traffic commissioner to carry out the registration functions for local bus services that are wholly within the enhanced partnership scheme that are in force within their jurisdiction.

Hertfordshire County Council:

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/highways-roads-and-pavements/public-transport/public-transport-in-hertfordshire.aspx

Transport for West Midlands:

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/plan-your-journey/ways-to-travel/buses-in-the-west-midlands/

West of England Combined Authority:

https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/bus/

Appeals regarding the decision of a local authority with delegated authority

Decisions by authorities to refuse registrations or cancel registrations can be appealed to a traffic commissioner.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-commissioner-appeals-enhanced-partnerships-schemes

Annex 4 – Franchising

A franchise scheme is where the local authority specifies the bus services to be provided and the details of those services such as where they run, when they run and the standards of the services. Typically, operators bid for contracts to run the local services in the franchised area. No other services can operate in the franchised area without the agreement of the franchising authority, usually through the issue of a service permit.

Detailed guidance and information on franchising can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/bus-services-bill-overview

Where a franchise scheme is in place, the local transport authority is responsible for all registration functions for services operated in the scheme area. Operators considering whether to run local services should check the list below and consult early with the local authority if the proposed route or variation to an existing route, goes through an area where a franchising scheme is in place.

Franchising schemes are currently in force in London and Greater Manchester. Further information on these areas can be found at:

Transport for London – https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/suppliers-and-contractors/london-service-permits

Transport for Greater Manchester – https://tfgm.com/contact

Transition Period

During the transition period local bus services remain registered with a traffic commissioner and applications to register new services, or to vary or cancel existing services should be made to a traffic commissioner in the usual manner.

When a scheme is announced, but is not yet in force, the local transport authority may publish a transition notice. This notice may require an extended notice period of up to 112 days (16 weeks) for any application to vary or cancel a service that has a stopping place in the scheme area. Some services may be excepted or exempt from the extended notice period. For example, an authority may want to consider leaving the cancellation and variation notice period at 42 days for services which only have a few stopping places in the franchising scheme area.

When the franchising scheme comes into force, the affected services registered with a traffic commissioner must be cancelled. The Office of the Traffic Commissioner may do this on the operator’s behalf.

Services that cross between the franchise area and an area under the jurisdiction of a traffic commissioner are likely to require a service permit for the part of the service operating in the franchise area. The relevant local transport authority will be able to advise on this.

How cross-border services are registered and who fulfils the requirement for Bus Open Data may differ from scheme to scheme. Operators will be advised of the processes to follow. It has previously been agreed that the entire length of the service can remain registered with a traffic commissioner to assist service information with the clear understanding that the part of the service within the scheme area is no longer the responsibility of a traffic commissioner. Changes to the service outside the scheme area must be notified to a traffic commissioner in the usual manner. If a similar approach is agreed by a franchising authority in respect of its area, a traffic commissioner should also be notified of changes within the franchise scheme area so that the record can be updated and to ensure that service information remains accurate. In these cases, it is regarded as a notification to a traffic commissioner and does not incur a charge.

Operators providing services affected by franchising will be provided with the relevant information during the process of making the scheme and prior to commencement.

Appeals regarding service permits

The administration and decision-making for service permits is a matter for the local transport authority, but an operator has the right of appeal to a traffic commissioner should a local authority make a decision to refuse, revoke, suspend, or attach conditions to the permit. 

An appeal should be lodged with a traffic commissioner within 28 days and contain the following information:

(a) the name and address of the appellant;

(b) the name and address of the appellant’s representative (if any);

(c) the operator’s licence number if known;

(d) an address or electronic address where documents for the appellant may be sent or delivered;

(e) the name and address of the respondent;

(f) details of the decision under appeal;

(g) the decision the appellant is seeking; and

(h) the grounds on which the appellant relies.

Forms to use for an appeal can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/appeals-to-a-traffic-commissioner-franchising-service-permits

The respondent and appellant will be given opportunity to make representations.

A commissioner may determine the appeal based on the information provided or may decide to call an appeal hearing.

The decision of any appeal may be to:

(a) uphold the decision,

(b) quash the decision, or

(c) substitute a decision for the decision made by a traffic commissioner.

Annex 5 – Guidance for flexible registrations

Like a conventional registered service, a flexible service uses public service vehicles to carry passengers at separate fares over short distances. In order to qualify and register as a flexible service, each passenger must be able to leave the bus within 15 miles (measured in a straight line) from the place at which they were picked up.

However, unlike a conventional registration, operators of flexible services are not required to register a fixed route or timetable. Instead, individual passengers must pre-book their journey with the operator and the route and timings will vary according to those passengers’ needs. Operators must also keep records of each booking taken, and their on-the-road performance in providing the service. Operators can also specify a geographical area of operation within which they can provide fully flexible services.

A flexible service is defined as one:

which is so flexible that it is not practicable to identify in advance all the roads to be used at any given time (NB: there may be fixed sections of the route, but the vast majority of the journey is flexibly routed)

where separate fares are paid, and

In addition, all seats must be available for use by the general public.

Registering a flexible service

A flexible registration shares many of the particulars that need to be provided for a

standard bus service, e.g. the name of the operator and details of their operator’s licence or permit, the date on which the service is to start operating, etc.  

However, while a flexible service may have fixed sections of route, it is not practical to identify a route and timetable over the entire length of the service. Instead, as part of the registration an operator defines:

A geographical area of operation is a specified area within which the flexible service operates. The below example shows an area of operation that serves a small town.

how to travel by bus in uk

In this example, passengers can pre-book to be picked up and set down anywhere within the area of operation. This is often referred to as a ‘many to many’ journey.

Although the area can be of any size, it can only serve one or more local communities or neighbourhoods. For example, an area of operation covering a large part of a county could not be said to fall within this definition. However, an area encompassing a town or a number of adjacent rural villages could.

In addition to providing ‘many to many’ journeys in an area of operation, the buses can also serve fixed stops. This would allow, for example, a vehicle to pick up individual passengers from a location within the area of flexible operation and take them to a single, fixed destination (a so called ‘many to one’ journey). An example could be a minibus that picks up passengers from any location in a group of villages (covered by the area of flexible operation) and takes them to a fixed stop (which may or may not be timetabled) in an adjacent town. The service itself could have a number of fixed destinations. The service could also operate in the other direction (say, to provide return journeys), with passengers picked up from fixed stops outside the area of flexible operation and taken to different destinations inside it, on demand (a ‘one to many’ journey). The below example shows a ‘one to many’ service with stops outside schools, hospitals etc.

how to travel by bus in uk

A more complex arrangement could involve specifying a number of areas of operation and a number of fixed stops, creating a flexible network as shown in the below example.

how to travel by bus in uk

Where a booking is accepted for a journey to two consecutive stopping places that are more than 15 miles apart, that part of the journey does not fall within the definition of a registered local service. The record-keeping requirements outlined below do not apply, nor are such services subject to regulatory action by a traffic commissioner.

Pre-booking

A feature of a flexible service is that it is “provided primarily for the purpose of carrying passengers who have booked in advance”. Instead of providing a timetable showing individual buses stopping at particular stops, operators take pre-bookings from passengers for individual journeys (either with the operator itself or via an intermediary – e.g. an agent, mobile app, or call-centre) before travelling. There is no minimum pre-booking period. That is an operational matter for the operator. However, passengers cannot make a booking using any method (or direct with the driver) when the vehicle is present as that may infringe Hackney Carriage (taxi) law.

However, passengers who have not pre-booked may be carried in certain circumstances as detailed below.

Operators are not under any obligation to carry every passenger that enquires about a booking. There may be instances where the operator could not meet the travel demands of individuals, e.g., because the time and places where the person wished to travel could not be accommodated (although there may be scope to negotiate alternative times). The registration requirements would only apply where the operator has accepted a particular booking.

Passengers who have not pre-booked

As detailed above, flexible services are provided wholly or principally for passengers who have pre-booked. So, while a clear majority of passengers must have pre-booked, room may be made for some who have not. However, passengers that have not prebooked cannot alter the existing route of the vehicle to suit their journey. So, for example, they may travel on a flexible service in the following circumstances:

between fixed stops that are timetabled

where they are carried as extra passengers accompanying other passengers who have pre-booked, for those passengers’ entire journey. However, there must be: (a) sufficient room on the vehicle taking into account all the pre-bookings for that journey; and (b) doing so would not move the journey times of existing pre-booked passengers outside the maximum 20-minute time window detailed below.

Time windows

Operators of registered flexible services have the freedom to agree pick up and arrival times individually with each passenger during pre-booking, taking into account other pick-ups and traffic conditions. However, once the operator accepts a booking, the vehicle must arrive at each individual passenger pick-up and destination within a maximum 20-minute time window of the agreed time. The time window may be either a period specified by the operator (i.e., the vehicle will arrive at a particular stop between 10:00 and 10:20am) or be specified by reference to the pick-up time requested by the passenger (i.e., not more than 10 minutes before or 10 minutes after the agreed pick-up time).

For example, an individual booking scheduled to pick up a passenger from their home at 10am and drop them off at the shopping centre at 10:30am, must arrive at the passenger’s home no earlier than 9:50am and no later than 10:10am. Likewise, the operator must specify that the vehicle will reach its destination during a 20-minute period or less (i.e. that, in the above example, it will reach the shopping centre between 10:20am and 10:40am. Of course, it is important that all passengers are ready to travel when the vehicle arrives, to ensure that it is not late picking up subsequent passengers sharing the vehicle.

A traffic commissioner does have the discretion to grant a time window greater than 20 minutes in exceptional circumstances. However, a traffic commissioner must believe there is a good case for doing so.

Record keeping

In the absence of a fixed route and timetable, a traffic commissioner must have some other means of determining whether an individual operator is providing the service outlined in the registration. Therefore, operators are required to keep a record of each booking taken and their on-the-road performance in satisfying it. Such details (accessible either in paper or electronic form) should comprise the following for each booking taken:

name and contact details that would enable a traffic commissioner to subsequently contact each passenger that used the service (contact details can comprise address, telephone number, email address, etc)

the date of the journey

the agreed time and place where the passenger was picked up and set down

the actual time the vehicle arrived to pick them up and reached their destination.

Records must be kept for period of at least 12 calendar months from the date the journey was made (a traffic commissioner has the discretion to extend the record-keeping period for individual operators). In practice, the operator, a call-centre or a local authority (e.g. in the case of a subsidised service) can keep this data. The operator must also make it available to a traffic commissioner (or their representatives) on request. It is the operator’s responsibility to ensure that this data is complete for the full 12-month period (or longer at the direction of a traffic commissioner). A traffic commissioner can take regulatory action against an operator if it is incomplete.

Keeping details of individual passengers does have data protection implications. It is for individual operators to ensure they meet the relevant requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 – this may include registering as ‘data controllers’ by contacting the Information Commissioner’s Office .

Display and publication of service information

The fare structure is key to ensuring that individual fares are charged on flexible services. Operators are therefore required to display fares (whether in tabular form or otherwise) in a prominent position inside each vehicle providing a flexible service. These must be clearly legible to passengers and enable them to easily see the fare for their journey.

Each bus must also display in a position clearly legible from the outside of each vehicle the name of the service.

It is also important that prospective passengers are fully aware of how flexible services operate before they make a booking. Therefore, operators are required to include the following details in any passenger information (whether in written or electronic form):

  • a statement that it is a flexible bus service and that

(a) passengers must book in advance (except in the circumstances outlined above)

(b) all the seats on the vehicle are available for pre-booking (i.e. there can be no exclusive hire), which will determine its route

(c) passengers making individual bookings may travel together on the same vehicle

the arrangements for pre-booking

the times when a booking may be made (e.g. 8am – 10pm, Monday to Friday, 52 weeks a year)

a description or map of the area of flexible operation

details of any fixed stopping places, with timetable information for any that are timetabled

whether the operator intends to meet the travel demands of every prospective passenger, and if not what arrangements (if any) will be made where a person’s travel demands cannot be met

information about fares so that each prospective passenger can easily work out the fare for their intended journey

the time window that will apply (up to a maximum of 20 minutes).

Cross-boundary services

  • Into Scotland

If a flexible service is planned to extend across the Scottish border, the operator will have to register that section in accordance with the regulations in force in Scotland.

  • Into a franchise scheme area

A service crossing into a franchise scheme area will also require a service permit from the local transport authority. A flexible service registration cannot be granted until a service permit has been obtained from the local transport authority. Please see above section on franchised services . 

  • Between traffic areas

The service should be registered in the traffic area where the largest part of the registered area of operation is situation, or where there are the greatest number of fixed stops.

Notice Periods

The notice periods and fees for flexible services are the same as standard services.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Part of London where it takes two hours to get three miles thanks to LTNs

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Cars were seen queueing to exit a new South London LTN causing congestion so bad buses take two hours to travel three miles (Picture: Twitter)

New data has shown where in London it takes the longest to get between bus stops and where it is quicker to walk than to get on a double-decker.

Buses are taking two hours to travel less than three miles due to congestion caused by a new low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) in south London , it has been revealed.

The Streatham Wells LTN has caused traffic jams since it was first introduced in October 2023 as part of an 18-month trial.

Lambeth Council blamed ’emergency roadworks’ when the Times first reported on the congestion in December, saying it expected conditions to improve as road users got used to the new scheme.

But after four months in operation, the gridlock is so bad it took the bus 121 minutes to travel 2.9 miles down the A23 on the western side of the LTN last week. according to Transport for London (TfL) data.

It would have been twice as quick to walk the route meant to only take 29 minutes by bus.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 1: A cyclist passes between planters blocking a road for cars in a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) on August 1, 2023 in London, England. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for a review of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in England, supporting drivers' concerns and sparking a debate on green policies. LTNs aim to reduce traffic, street crime and air pollution, but face criticism from some Conservative MPs who argue they impede motorists' freedom and cause congestion on other roads. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Long queues of cars appeared within the LTN as residents tried to exit the area and turn onto the main road.

Buses have also been rerouted to avoid the congestion.

Three-quarters of one route was diverted around the LTN during rush hour while another went straight through it.

Hundreds of LTNs have been introduced across the UK since 2020.

They’re intended to reduce air pollution and traffic as well as making roads easier to walk and cycle in areas frequently used as shortcuts by cars, vans and other vehicles.

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A spokesperson for Lambeth Council said: ‘The Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, and other measures such as those in West Dulwich, been introduced to our busy London borough to make the areas safer, more sustainable and to improve the quality for life everyone living in our local neighbourhoods.’

But the schemes have caused growing controversy among drivers, leading Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to order a review into LTNs last summer.

The Department for Transport is yet to publish any findings or guidance on the zones.

This latest drama surrounding Streatham Wells LTN challenges the notion traffic ‘evaporates’ when the zones are introduced.

Lambeth council continues to blame ‘ongoing roadworks’, in addition to ‘recent rail strikes’, for the traffic problems in the area.

The LTN generated £320,000 in fines for the council in its first three months of operation.

Despite traffic problems surrounding the zone, the council insists on seeing the 18-month trial through to the end and is planning another LTN a few hundred metres away.

A Lambeth council spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of concerns regarding bus times in Streatham relating to the trial of Streatham Wells LTN, ongoing roadworks by utilities and recent rail strikes.

‘We are working closely with TfL to monitor the situation and will make changes as needed.

‘In previous Lambeth LTN schemes, traffic fell across the neighbourhood and boundary roads by the end of the trial.’

However, TfL’s bus operations team concluded that it was actually the LTN that was causing the problem.

The LTN’s Operations Network Management Control Centre recently raised an ‘incident’ as they said the LTN was causing ‘serious’ delays in the area.

Lambeth council expected traffic to increase along the LTN’s boundary roads, with a risk assessment conducted before it was introduced noting the scheme was ‘very likely’ to have a ‘significant impact’ on the traffic levels of nearby roads.

Tom Cunnington, Transport for London’s head of buses, said: ‘We are sorry passengers continue to experience delays to services in Streatham — this is not in line with the level of service we aim to provide.’

Stephen Hall, who runs the Streatham Stuff website, said: ‘It’s four months into the scheme and buses on the High Road are still regularly getting stuck for an hour in the congestion. 

‘Lambeth Council seems to have hugely underestimated the amount of damage and disruption the LTN would cause.’ 

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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  7. The cheapest ways to travel in the UK: Bus & Coach vs Train

    Travel by Bus and Coach in the UK. Traveling by bus and coach in the UK offers a cost-effective and scenic way to explore the country, and is usually the go-to option for budget travelers. Numerous companies operate extensive networks, connecting cities, towns, and tourist destinations. Here are some popular bus and coach options:

  8. A Simple Guide to Using Buses in England

    Trainline - Although clearly designed for trains, Trainline also recommends alternative bus routes to help you get where you need to go. This one is best used for longer trips between English cities. UK Bus Checker - An easy way to track bus journeys in England and throughout the rest of the UK.

  9. Book Cheap UK Bus & Coach Tickets Online

    If you're looking to buy tickets for your next coach journey online, look no further. We now sell bus and coach tickets to most major destinations in the UK, both through our app and our easy-to-use online booking system.. To find coach tickets, simply start a search above, and we'll compare journey times and costs for train, coach and bus travel side by side.

  10. Using buses in London

    Using buses in London. We have put together the following tips to help you have the best experience when travelling by bus. Buses are an easy and affordable way to travel around London, with 95% of Londoners living within 400 meters of a bus stop and our Hopper fare giving you unlimited journeys within one hour of touching in for just £1.75.

  11. First Bus

    Our UK Bus division operates around a fifth of local bus services in the UK and is one of the largest bus operators with a fleet of approximately 6,400 buses around the England, Scotland and Wales. We have bus routes serving 40 of the UK's largest towns and cities providing great value public transport for students, commuters, leisure travellers and concession travellers.

  12. UK Bus & Coach Travel

    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 ...

  13. Buses in the United Kingdom

    Bus travel in England. In addition to the many UK bus tickets that are offered throughout Europe, you can also find a cheap bus ticket in the United Kingdom. As London is such a major transportation hub within the country, many UK bus tickets either originate from or end here. ... National Express bus UK is known for being a primary UK bus ...

  14. Book Cheap Coach Tickets Online

    On CheckMyBus you can compare the offers of thousands of coach companies and millions of bus connections in the United Kingdom and worldwide. You can find departure times, the exact locations of departure and arrival points, all travel times, and of course the best coach ticket prices. Sort your search results by price, departure and arrival ...

  15. 10 Tips & Tricks for Bus Travel in the UK

    Familiarize yourself with the terminology. Knowing a few of the UK's key terms will come in handy for bus travel: Bus (coach or sleeper coach), bus station (coach station), bus driver (coach driver), line (queue), highway (motorway). 7. Research and book your bus tickets online. Search your departure date & time and book your ticket with Busbud.

  16. UK trip planner (How to plan your UK Trip

    Step 6 - Book flights and organise travel insurance. Next step is planning how you will get to the UK. If you are in North America, Asia, Africa or Australia/New Zealand the answer is generally by air. (Unless the UK is the start or end point for a cruise or you are travelling overland by train or bus)

  17. Plan Your Journey

    The gateway to Britain's public transport network. Latest News. Plan your journey; About Traveline

  18. Getting around England

    By bus and coach. Travel by bus (or, to use the more common term for long-distance bus services, ... The impartial official service Traveline (t0871/200 2233, wwww.traveline.org.uk) has full details and timetable information for every bus route in the country. By plane.

  19. 10 Tips For Travelling By Coach In The UK

    Coaches are fun to travel in and quite honestly no other form of transportation lets you enjoy the journey like a good old coach. "A Bus Ride Is Like Being In Another World". ~ JA Redmerski. With thousands of people travelling by coaches every year, we have come up with a list of 10 tips that can help passengers make their journey more ...

  20. Getting Around Britain

    Other Ways of Getting Around Britain. Coach Travel- Long-distance buses are known as coaches in the UK. Several intercity bus companies provide some of the cheapest ways to get around. Fares vary with operators, generally ranging from five-pound promotional fares to upwards of 35 pounds for longer trips.

  21. Coach Travel & Airport Transfers

    Find your journey. 1 /. We accept: Book coach travel to 100's of UK towns, cities and airports with National Express coaches.

  22. Bus UK

    Airport buses in the UK. All the major airports in the UK have well organized public transport to and from the airports.In the case of the larger airports like e.g. Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick, public transportation includes train and buses.In the case of the smaller and mid-sized airports, there is almost always an airport shuttle to the nearest large city and to other cities in the region.

  23. How to get around in Wales

    Wales is made for lovers of the great outdoors, and many of its most scenic travel routes are best explored on foot or by bike. The 870-mile (1400 km) Wales Coast Path winds its way around the entire Welsh coast - a world first when it launched in 2012 - and the country's rural heart is crisscrossed with off-road cycle routes and quiet ...

  24. A guide to registering and operating local bus services in ...

    The Bus Open Data Service is designed to provide certain information for every local bus service in England to improve the passenger experience of bus travel. Operators of local services in ...

  25. Where a London bus takes two hours to travel three miles

    But after four months in operation, the gridlock is so bad it took the bus 121 minutes to travel 2.9 miles down the A23 on the western side of the LTN last week. according to Transport for London ...

  26. TfL changes set to boost the bus network in the Croydon and Sutton area

    The bus network across London plays a vital role in enabling people to travel affordably and sustainably, with more than 95 per cent of Londoners now living within 400 metres of a bus stop. By focusing on the local bus network, TfL is continuing to support current and expected demand in the areas, providing connections Londoners need, while ...

  27. London bus and Tube fares frozen as travelcards and caps increase

    Adult travel cards and adult daily and weekly caps will increase by 4.9%. It comes as rail fares in England and Wales rise by 4.9% - the UK and Welsh governments set the cap for rises in regulated ...