England bus services / Bus pass heaven

[bakerstreet]

I’ve been trying, without success, to find a bus journey planner which works like the national rail planner. One that can link together local bus journey opportunities (and fares) across England.

Does anyone know of such a thing?

Even Google maps includes trains even when only the bus mode is selected.

There used to be a website called bus pass heaven or something similar, which provided information on some very long journeys that one could do in England solely by bus.

Does anyone know the web address or perhaps it’s no longer in operation.

Is it really the case that to find this information one must look up individual bus companies and/or local transport authority areas and do the work manually.

 

[RT4038]

Try travelineinfo.org Don't forget to go into 'more options' and untick all but bus. It dosen't do large multi trip itineraries well, but gives you a general idea.

 

[bakerstreet]

Try travelineinfo.org Don't forget to go into 'more options' and untick all but bus. It dosen't do large multi trip itineraries well, but gives you a general idea.

Ah thank you, I did try this but I did not see the ‘more options’

 

[Merle Haggard]

Having found the Stagecoach website provided no useful information, a driver suggested I use 'bustimes'. He also pointed out that it's not an industry system but independent, a bit of a reflection on bus mangemnent

 

[RT4038]

Ah thank you, I did try this but I did not see the ‘more options’

I think it must have a maximum number of trips per itinerary, and/or length of time looking. I tried Watford-Nottingham which it wouldn't do, but did Watford-Leicester happily. Just need to try various combinations.

 

[PeterC]

Traveline doesn't seem able to distinguish services on which ENCTS is valid. It returns trips such as Oxford to London by Oxford Tube if you explicitly exclude "coach" and ignores the route if you exclude "coach"

This may be technically correct but unhelpful if wanting to use ENCTS .

Test searches were made using the mobile version of Chrome.

 

[RT4038]

Traveline doesn't seem able to distinguish services on which ENCTS is valid. It returns trips such as Oxford to London by Oxford Tube if you explicitly exclude "coach" and ignores the route if you exclude "coach"

This may be technically correct but unhelpful if wanting to use ENCTS .

Test searches were made using the mobile version of Chrome.

The Traveline data is not set up specifically for ENCTS validity I am afraid, so you'll have to work round these anomalies. The definition of 'bus' and 'coach' is not necessarily whether ENCTS is valid on it (or not). ENCTS passes are valid on the Oxford Tube between Oxford and Lewknor Turn (near Watlington) only.

 

[PeterC]

The Traveline data is not set up specifically for ENCTS validity I am afraid, so you'll have to work round these anomalies. The definition of 'bus' and 'coach' is not necessarily whether ENCTS is valid on it (or not). ENCTS passes are valid on the Oxford Tube between Oxford and Lewknor Turn (near Watlington) only.

Mor importantly for the average user Traveline doesn't return Tube for trips to central London or Airline for trips to Heathrow if you specify "coach". If I wasn't a bit of a public transport geek I would not expect to need to specify "bus" to get times for Tube or Airline.

 

[miklcct]

Mor importantly for the average user Traveline doesn't return Tube for trips to central London or Airline for trips to Heathrow if you specify "coach". If I wasn't a bit of a public transport geek I would not expect to need to specify "bus" to get times for Tube or Airline.

Is the Tube or Airline registered as a local bus service (a requirement to allow journeys within 25 km as the crow flies)? If so it should be a bus.

 

[CBlue]

Is the Tube or Airline registered as a local bus service (a requirement to allow journeys within 25 km as the crow flies)? If so it should be a bus.

It's a long distance bus service run with a coach.

Most people would assume it to appear as an option under "coach" - so putting it under another category just adds to the confusion

 

[RT4038]

Is the Tube or Airline registered as a local bus service (a requirement to allow journeys within 25 km as the crow flies)? If so it should be a bus.

It is not so simple as this - the Tube route is partially registered as a local bus service (Oxford-Lewknor Turn, and Hillingdon-Victoria) and is partially an unregistered express service. [The Airline I believe is registered Oxford-Lewknor Turn.] So the service is a hybrid. ENCTS is available Oxford-Lewknor Turn, but the Hillingdon-Victoria section is excluded from Freedom Pass/ENCTS scheme.

Mor importantly for the average user Traveline doesn't return Tube for trips to central London or Airline for trips to Heathrow if you specify "coach". If I wasn't a bit of a public transport geek I would not expect to need to specify "bus" to get times for Tube or Airline.

The hybrid nature of the route means it could be classified as either, and I expect the software used by Traveline (and other journey planners) cannot cope with a service being in more than one category. I would put it in 'Coach' but for some reason they haven't, which I expect is due to some other upstream use of the data which needs it in as a Bus.

 

[padbus]

It is not so simple as this - the Tube route is partially registered as a local bus service (Oxford-Lewknor Turn, and Hillingdon-Victoria) and is partially an unregistered express service. [The Airline I believe is registered Oxford-Lewknor Turn.] So the service is a hybrid. ENCTS is available Oxford-Lewknor Turn, but the Hillingdon-Victoria section is excluded from Freedom Pass/ENCTS scheme.


The hybrid nature of the route means it could be classified as either, and I expect the software used by Traveline (and other journey planners) cannot cope with a service being in more than one category. I would put it in 'Coach' but for some reason they haven't, which I expect is due to some other upstream use of the data which needs it in as a Bus.

I have used my ENCTS pass on the Oxford Tube (and on the rival Oxford Bus Co service) between Victoria and Hillingdon, but it was some years ago. Has there been a change in the rules more recently?

 

[RT4038]

I have used my ENCTS pass on the Oxford Tube (and on the rival Oxford Bus Co service) between Victoria and Hillingdon, but it was some years ago. Has there been a change in the rules more recently?

Oxford Tube website says niet https://www.oxfordtube.com/tubefares.aspx There is no rival Oxford Bus Co service for quite some years now.

Concessionary bus pass holders
Concessionary bus pass holders are entitled to the the student, young person and over 60 fares. Free travel is permitted on the Oxford Tube up until Lewknor for those with a concessionay bus pass. If travelling from Oxford to London (or vice versa) then the single or return fare will apply.

*Concessionary tickets are not available between Hillingdon & London.

 

[01d-and]

Going back quite a few years , I had a play around with Traveline and typed in two random towns , one in south west Wales and the other somewhere on the west coast of Scotland and the route that was suggested was via Ireland and of course included two ferry crossings . . . . .

 

[danielcanning]

Oxford Tube website says niet https://www.oxfordtube.com/tubefares.aspx There is no rival Oxford Bus Co service for quite some years now.

Not true, you can use Freedom passes/ENCTS passes between Hillingdon and Victoria, in fact I used mine to travel last night, you can't however buy a discounted concessionary fare between those two locations.

 

[PeterC]

Not true, you can use Freedom passes/ENCTS passes between Hillingdon and Victoria, in fact I used mine to travel last night, you can't however buy a discounted concessionary fare between those two locations.

This is stated on the Stagecoach website:

Oxfordshire concessionary bus pass | Oxfordshire | Stagecoach

Oxfordshire concessionary bus pass holders can enjoy free travel on Stagecoach buses and the Oxford tube. Learn more and find out if you qualify today!

www.stagecoachbus.com

(My phone is playing up and won't copy the relevant passages)

They start by saying that passes are valid
On Tube services "in Oxfordshire" but if you keep scrolling you eventually find a mention of Hillingdon to Victoria.

I don't recall any mention of local journeys within Greater London on hardcopy publicity and it never occurred to me that they would be available for any passengers.

 

[danielcanning]

This is stated on the Stagecoach website:

Oxfordshire concessionary bus pass | Oxfordshire | Stagecoach

Oxfordshire concessionary bus pass holders can enjoy free travel on Stagecoach buses and the Oxford tube. Learn more and find out if you qualify today!

www.stagecoachbus.com

(My phone is playing up and won't copy the relevant passages)

They start by saying that passes are valid
On Tube services "in Oxfordshire" but if you keep scrolling you eventually find a mention of Hillingdon to Victoria.

I don't recall any mention of local journeys within Greater London on hardcopy publicity and it never occurred to me that they would be available for any passengers.

My Brother uses the Oxford Tube on a daily basis from Hillingdon to Marble Arch, outside of peak times the coach can be quite a bit faster than taking the Met line, the return fare is around £6 so compares favourably to the Underground.

 

[RT4038]

Not true, you can use Freedom passes/ENCTS passes between Hillingdon and Victoria, in fact I used mine to travel last night, you can't however buy a discounted concessionary fare between those two locations.

I stand corrected!

 

[David Burrows]

Google maps will show bus services with connections, but does include trains if feasable for a journey. Click on directions, put in from and to, then click the public transport icon.

 

[Deerfold]

Google maps will show bus services with connections, but does include trains if feasable for a journey. Click on directions, put in from and to, then click the public transport icon.

The OP described their use of Google Maps in the first post.