Bus queues outside Victoria station, London, on the second day of a 48 hour strike by tube workers on the London Underground over ticket office closures. (Photo by Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)

Can I get a combined train and bus ticket to travel inside the United Kingdom?

Combined train and bus tickets are usually only available in New York City. 

The United Kingdom does not have an extensive network of combined train and bus tickets, but you can purchase separate train tickets from one destination to another and combine them with local bus connections. 

This means that instead of buying one ticket from point A to point B, you buy one ticket from point A to C, another from chord C to D, and a third from chord D to point B. 

The downside is that you may have to change trains and buses multiple times to get to your final destination. 

Read on for more information about combined train and bus ticketing in the United Kingdom.

What are train and bus combined tickets in the United Kingdom?

Combined train and bus tickets allow you to book and travel on a single ticket. 

This means you purchase one ticket and pay one fee, regardless of the number of modes of transport you use to get from one place to another. 

Combined train and bus tickets are particularly useful if your journey includes connections between cities, as you can book one ticket that includes all connecting train rides and bus rides. 

Combined train and bus tickets are offered by most major train and bus companies. 

It’s important to note that not all companies offer combined tickets for all of their routes. 

The big advantage of combined tickets is that you can travel from one end of the country to the other on one ticket. 

If you’re planning a trip from London to Glasgow, for example:

You can buy a single ticket that includes a ride on the train from London to Edinburgh, a bus ride from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and a train ride from Glasgow back to London. 

If you’re only planning to go from one city to another, however, you should buy a train ticket to one city and a bus ticket to the other. 

This will be cheaper than buying a combined ticket.

Train and bus combo tickets from London

To make a combined train and bus ticket from London, the easiest option is to book a train ticket from London to Edinburgh, followed by a bus ticket from Edinburgh to Glasgow. 

You can book these tickets through either the Trainline or the Trainline. The trip takes around 6.5 hours with two transfers–one from London to Edinburgh, and one from Edinburgh to Glasgow. 

Depending on the time of day you travel, you may be able to book a single adult fare for £57.50. 

If you want to make a combined train and bus trip from London to other destinations, you’ll have to use the bus as your mode of transportation. 

The bus lines that travel between London and other cities in the UK are called National Express buses. 

Combined train and bus tickets from London to the following cities can be booked on the National Express website: 

  • Birmingham 
  • Bristol 
  • Brighton 
  • Cambridge 
  • Canterbury 
  • Cardiff 
  • Edinburgh 
  • Exeter 
  • Glasgow 
  • Leeds 
  • Liverpool 
  • Newcastle 
  • Oxford 
  • Portsmouth 
  • Sheffield 
  • Southampton 
  • York

Train and bus combo tickets from Glasgow

To make a combined train and bus ticket from Glasgow to London, you can book a train ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh. 

From Edinburgh, you can then book a bus ticket to London. The trip takes around 4 hours with two transfers–one from Glasgow to Edinburgh, and one from Edinburgh to London

Depending on the time of day you travel, you may be able to book a single adult fare for £39. 

If you want to make a combined train and bus trip from Glasgow to other destinations, you can book a train ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh and a bus ticket from Edinburgh to your final destination. 

The bus lines that travel between Glasgow and other cities in the UK are called National Express buses. 

Combined train and bus tickets from Glasgow to the following cities can be booked on the National Express website: 

  •  Birmingham 
  • Bristol 
  • Brighton 
  • Cambridge 
  • Canterbury 
  • Cardiff 
  • Edinburgh 
  • Exeter 
  • Liverpool 
  • London 
  • Oxford 
  • Portsmouth 
  • Sheffield 
  • Southampton 
  • York

Train and bus combo tickets from Manchester

To make a combined train and bus travel ticket from Manchester to London, you can book a train ticket from Manchester to London, followed by a bus ticket from London to Bristol

The trip takes around 7 hours with two transfers–one from Manchester to London, and one from London to Bristol. 

Depending on the time of day you travel, you may be able to book a single adult fare for £27.50. 

If you want to make a combined train and bus trip from Manchester to other destinations, you can book a train ticket from Manchester to London, and a bus ticket from London to your final destination. 

The bus lines that travel between Manchester and other cities in the UK are called National Express buses. 

Combined train and bus tickets from Manchester to the following cities can be booked on the National Express website: 

  • Birmingham 
  • Bristol 
  • Brighton 
  • Cambridge 
  • Canterbury 
  • Cardiff 
  • Edinburgh 
  • Exeter 
  • Glasgow 
  • Liverpool 
  • London 
  • Oxford 
  • Portsmouth 
  • Sheffield 
  • Southampton 
  • York

Train-only tickets from London

If you only want to travel by train, you can make a combined train and bus ticket from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester. 

Combined train and bus tickets from London to the following cities can be booked on the National Express website: 

  • Birmingham 
  • Bristol 
  • Brighton 
  • Cambridge 
  • Canterbury 
  • Cardiff 
  • Edinburgh 
  • Exeter 
  • Liverpool 
  • London 
  • Oxford 
  • Portsmouth 
  • Sheffield 
  • Southampton 
  • York

Train-only tickets from Glasgow

If you want to travel by train from Glasgow to other destinations, you can make a combined train and bus ticket from Glasgow to London, Bristol, Southampton, and York. 

Combined train and bus tickets from Glasgow to the following cities can be booked on the National Express website: 

  • Birmingham 
  • Bristol 
  • Brighton 
  • Cambridge 
  • Canterbury 
  • Cardiff 
  • Edinburgh 
  • Exeter 
  • Liverpool 
  • Southampton 
  • London 
  • York

Train-only tickets from Manchester

If you want to travel by train from Manchester to other destinations, you can make a combined train and bus ticket from Manchester to London, Southampton, and York. 

Combined train and bus tickets from Manchester to the following cities can be booked on the National Express website: 

  • Birmingham 
  • Bristol 
  • Brighton 
  • Cambridge 
  • Canterbury 
  • Cardiff 
  • Edinburgh 
  • Exeter 
  • Southampton 
  • London 
  • York

The United Kingdom does not have an extensive network of combined train and bus tickets.

But you can purchase separate train tickets from one destination to another and combine them with local bus connections. 

This means that instead of buying one ticket from point A to point B, you buy one ticket from point A to C, another from chord C to D, and a third from chord D to point B. 

The downside is that you may have to change trains and buses multiple times to get to your final destination. 

If you’re travelling in the United Kingdom, make sure to book your tickets in advance to get the best price and avoid crowds!


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