Expert Tips To Travel Around The United Kingdom On A Budget

Travelling to a new country can be quite exciting. However, getting your head around the public transport system can be a bit exhausting at the same time. If you are travelling to the UK, it is only sensible to try to find out about the public transport system in advance. It will not only help you enjoy the trip but also save money where possible.

If you are travelling to the UK and are looking for the most affordable mode of transport, coaches or buses might just be the case. It is not to say that the UK does not have a well-developed railway system or adequate domestic flights, but they can easily offset your budget.

Travelling via coaches

Irrespective of your location of stay, you will find local buses to be one of the primary ways of moving around the country. It is the most popular mode of transport, and the annual trip count of more than 1.5 billion bus journeys, reinstates that.

However, the quality of service and buses on offer can vary a lot depending on where you intend to travel. In some of the larger cities such as London, the local government usually runs the bus network as a not-for-profit organisation.

This allows the operators to keep the running costs low and as a result fair fares as well as good service. However, in parts of the country, the services are run by private operators which can result in higher ticket prices without necessarily offering convenient services. Such occurrences are common in the rural areas.

When you board a bus in the UK, do not forget to tell the bus driver where you intend to get down. They will provide you with the necessary ticket.

Types of tickets

The cost of bus tickets would depend largely on your origin and destination along with the bus operator. Here are the different types of bus tickets that you can buy in the UK.

1. Single

You can use these tickets for a single journey from any source to the destination.

2. Return

You can use these tickets for an onward and return journey to a destination.

3. Group

You can use these tickets if you are travelling in a group, such as friends or family. You can buy up to 6 tickets and save on the tickets as well.

4. Day pass

You can use these tickets for unlimited trips on a given day, with the tour operator that you have bought the day pass.

As payment methods have evolved in the past few years, a lot of coaches these days support contactless payment. In fact, in some of the major cities like London, contactless payment is the only way to pay. Taking the Oyster card can be quite helpful during your trip to London.

For bus travel in more rural areas, the contactless payment might not be possible. In such cases, you can buy tickets from the ticket machine usually installed at the bus stop. It is recommended that you carry cash for rural places.

Bus timetables

Most bus operators in the UK start playing their buses as early as 5:00 every day and the services last till midnight, during the weekdays. For weekends, some of the bus operators extend their timings beyond midnight, albeit lower frequency of buses. On the other hand, rural bus operators stop their services by early evening.

Coaches for long distance travel

Most buses run on local routes but for intercity travel, the UK relies on coaches. The coaches run between the largest towns and cities and are more comfortable than the buses. You can buy tickets for these coaches either at your local bus station or online. While there are quite a few operators, National Express and Megabus are two of the largest coach operators in the UK.

To make your journey even more comfortable, coaches even stop at service stations. You will be able to use washrooms, stretch, or grab a quick bite in these service centres. The driver usually announces the departure time, so make sure you take a quick note of that. Coaches usually offer free Wi-Fi onboard for convenience.

One of the major reasons for coaches being popular is their affordable ticket prices. For example, a coach ride from London to Manchester can cost you about £5, whereas a train will set you back by £35 for the same trip.

Though buses and coaches are far more affordable as compared to trains, they do consume a lot more time as well. If you are on a tight budget and want to explore the UK, buses and coaches will help you save considerably.