frequently asked questions

Tickets bought online can be posted to you (please allow 5 working days for delivery), or you can pick them up at a station ticket office or self-service ticket vending machine.

2. I have already bought my train ticket, can I still buy PLUSBUS for my journey?
Yes, if you take your valid train ticket to any train station ticket office, ask for PLUSBUS for either your origin or destination town. You will be asked to pay the appropriate PLUSBUS ticket price.

3. Can I buy PLUSBUS on the train from a conductor?
Train Companies advise customers wherever possible to purchase their tickets before getting on a train, from a ticket office, a self-service ticket machine or in advance by 'phone or online. If you are unable to buy your ticket in advance then you can buy your train and your PLUSBUS ticket from the Conductor or Train Manager on the train (but some discounts may not be available).

4. Can I buy PLUSBUS on the bus?
Sorry, no. You must buy PLUSBUS before you wish to use the bus as it has to be bought in conjunction with a valid train ticket. Bus drivers are not able to issue PLUSBUS tickets.

5. Do I get a discount off PLUSBUS with my Railcard^*?
Yes, with a valid National Rail network Railcard you will get one-third off the adult price of a PLUSBUS day ticket (Railcard discounts are NOT available with any season ticket, as these are heavily discounted). Railcards which offer the one-third discount include:

• 16-25 Railcard;
• Disabled Persons Railcard;
• Family & Friends Railcard (not possible to buy online);
• HM Forces Railcard;
• Network Railcard & Gold Card;
• Seniors Railcard.

Please note that morning peak period restrictions apply to some Railcard discounts. For details click here. 

6. What is included in the price of PLUSBUS?
The PLUSBUS ticket price includes unlimited bus travel on all services of participating bus operators' in each town. It does NOT include the cost of your train ticket. However, PLUSBUS must be bought in conjunction with a valid train ticket.

Please note, that in some cases there are special services, (such as Airport Express routes, Night buses and sports special services) that a PLUSBUS ticket is not valid upon. These exceptions are listed on the page for each town on this website.

7. Is it possible to buy season tickets for PLUSBUS?
Yes, but you must have a season ticket for train travel as well. PLUSBUS season tickets are now available for nearly all PLUSBUS served towns and cities across Britain. Each PLUSBUS served town or city in Britain has its own page on this website. The prices for buying PLUSBUS with your train ticket are listed on this website. Season ticket prices are shown where they're available. Season tickets are available for specific periods only: 7 consecutive days; 1-month; 3-months and a year.

If you don't want the period of validity of your PLUSBUS season ticket to match your rail season ticket - that is OK, but your PLUSBUS ticket MUST expire either on the same date as your rail season ticket, or on a date before your rail season ticket expires.

8. Can I use PLUSBUS to travel on trams?
Yes, the following tram networks accept PLUSBUS tickets for travel on their services:

• Midland Metro (in Birmingham and Wolverhampton),
• Nottingham Express Transit (in Nottingham) and
• Stagecoach Supertram (in Sheffield).

9. Can I use my PLUSBUS ticket more than once in a day?
Yes, a valid PLUSBUS ticket gives you unlimited bus travel on all bus and tram services of participating operators' in each town for the day or period that your ticket covers. So you can make as many bus journeys as you like, anywhere within the PLUSBUS zone.

10. Can I use PLUSBUS if I only want to travel by bus?
Sorry, no. PLUSBUS is an integrated ticket that has to be bought and used with a train ticket. So you must be travelling by both the train and bus in order to buy and use PLUSBUS

11. Can I use PLUSBUS if my train journey is between two stations that are within the same bus zone?
Sorry, no. Your train journey must either start, or finish at a station outside the PLUSBUS town zone (or PTE region).
For example, if you are travelling by train from Derby station to Reading station and wish to travel by bus in Reading you can buy PLUSBUS for unlimited bus travel in the Reading zone. However, you cannot buy and use a PLUSBUS ticket if your train journey is between two stations that are within the Reading PLUSBUS bus travel zone.

12. Does PLUSBUS operate its own buses?
No, PLUSBUS is not a bus operator. PLUSBUS is a ticket that is accepted by local bus companies that have chosen to offer and accept this ticket. Participating bus operators in each town decide the PLUSBUS ticket prices and the area covered by the town zone.

13. Are refunds available for PLUSBUS tickets?
PLUSBUS is a National Rail ticket, whose standard terms and conditions apply (including for ticket refunds). If you have bought a PLUSBUS ticket in advance from a station and do not intend to use it, then you may claim a refund from the ticket office that took original payment, but you MUST do this BEFORE the day that the ticket is dated for use. Some ticket offices charge a discretionary £10 administration fee for refunds.

PLUSBUS tickets bought online may not be refundable from some online agents.

If you have a PLUSBUS season ticket and have used it for a while, but then want a refund of the outstanding period, you can claim a refund from the issuing ticket office. In this case normal National Rail season ticket refund terms and conditions apply.

14. Where can I check bus routes and timetable information?
Visit traveline or call: 0871 200 22 33 (calls from landlines cost 10p/minute)

For details of a specific bus operators service, try the following websites:

• Arriva
• First
• Go-Ahead
• national express
• Stagecoach
• Transdev

For Northern Ireland visit translink

If you have a question, not already answered, please email us by using the 'Contact us' form click here.

Thank you!

For legal information about this website click here.

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Revised: 8 August 2010