Overall, the National Express bus network covers 688 destinations on a total of 76378 bus connections.
National Express Discounts, Deals and Promo Codes
Taking the coach is an affordable way of travelling anyway, but you can get even more bang for your buck thanks to National Express offers. If you travel in a group, then you can benefit from reduced fares. If you are a senior citizen, a young adult or if you travel with your family then you should think about purchasing a National Express Coachcard, which will get you discounts on any trip for the next 12 months.
Overview over National Express Discounts
| Offer | Discount | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Group Deals | 25% off Standard Fares | Book a trip for a group of four or more at least three days in advance. |
| Group Deals for Airport Transfer | £20 per one-way ticket | Book a trip to any of London’s four major airports for a minimum of three travellers |
| Senior Coachcard | Save 1/3 on Standard Fares (valid for 12 months) | Valid for travellers 60+: Pay £12.50 for your Senior Coachcard |
| Disabled Coachcard | Save 1/3 on Standard Fares (valid for 12 months) | Valid for travellers with a disability: Pay £12.50 for your Disabled Coachcard |
| Young Persons Coachcard | Save 1/3 on Standard Fares and get 10% off on trips to festivals and other events (valid for 12 months) | Valid for travellers between the age of 16 and 26 or full-time students: Pay £12.50 for a one-year Coachcard of £25 for a three-year Coachcard |
National Express Coachcards
Coachcards are not only a smart option if you are planning to travel a lot. Basically, if the ticket price for a journey is over £30, you instantly make up for the cost of your Coachcard (i. e. £12.50). What’s also good is that some of the Coachcards come with additional offers. If you buy a Young Persons Coachcard, for instance, you do not only get 1/3 off every Standard Fare but you will also get a 10 per cent discount on trips to festivals and other events. Owners of a Senior Coachcard benefit from a Money-back guarantee: if they can’t manage to save the cost of the Coachcard within a year, they get a full refund. They can also claim a free return journey if their bus is delayed by an hour or more.
Coachcards are valid on any National Express Standard Fare. Excluded are Fun Fares and trips operated by third party providers.
In order to claim your discount, you only need to tick the Coachcard box while buying your ticket and insert the number of your individual Coachcard. Don’t forget to take it with you on the journey as you will have to show it to the driver.
Fun Fares
Looking for a Fun Fare is another way of saving money when travelling with National Express. Fun Fares are the cheapest tickets and they are available exclusively online. You can easily find them with the CheckMyBus search engine: simply type in your travel details and look out for the cheapest price.
Remember, though, that a Fun Fare ticket is not refundable, however you can amend your booking should you decide to take an earlier or later bus. Fun Fares cannot be combined with other forms of discounts.
Promo Codes and Special Deals: National Express frequently gives out promotional codes or offers reduced fares on select days or routes. To keep up to date you should check out all current National Express Deals.
National Express Skimmer Pass
In spring 2017, National Express launched their Skimmer Pass: customers, who are planning on travelling fairly frequently in the upcoming weeks, can purchase this pass to buy unlimited travel across England, Scotland and Wales for a limited amount of time. The Skimmer Pass is available in three versions: 7 days, 14 days and 28 days. It costs £69, £119 or £199 respectively. If you’re interested you can buy your unlimited travel pass online on the coach company’s website. This is also where you can select the dates, for which you want your pass to be valid. Once you’ve received it including the individualised serial number, you can easily book bus trips online – you will be charged nothing when you enter your Skimmer Pass number.
National Express Coach Times
Connections throughout England, Scotland and Wales are operated by National Express. You can book intercity trips, such as from London to Glasgow or from Manchester to Cardiff, as well as shorter trips from town to town. The company also offers connections that require a changeover, which basically enables passengers to travel from any location in the UK to their desired destination.
National Express also operates connections to all of the UK’s major airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester Airport. The connections are operated as 24 hour services and most of them are even available on Christmas Eve, when National Express adds more seats in order to offer travellers an alternative in times of the annual Christmas rail shutdown.
Popular National Express Bus Routes
Information on National Express on-board features and services
- WiFi on Board
- Toilets
- Electric Sockets
- Air-conditioning
- Compartments for hand-luggage
- Luggage transportation
- Discount for frequent passengers / members
- Bulky luggage transportation
National Express makes use of modern vehicles, which offer travellers extra leg-room, electric sockets and air-conditioning. The latter is actually checked by the National Express control centre, which receives a GPS signal for the coach tracker as well as information on the on-board temperature ever 30 seconds. This way, customers still waiting for their bus can check its current location while travellers already on the bus benefit from pleasant temperatures.
On top of that, the company uses state-of-the-art vehicles in select regions, such as the Black Country. These Platinum buses are equipped with USB chargers and 4G WiFi. Thanks to the Euro 6 engine, they also reduce carbon emissions by one third, making a coach trip even more sustainable.
One of the latest National Express coups, that vastly enhances on-board comfort, was the launch of its free-of-charge infotainment system VUER (View – Unwind – Enjoy – Relax). Travellers can download the VUER app, which allows them to stream films and TV shows on their own phone or tablet. Select magazines are available as well and so are Sky Sport News and Soccer AM. This way, travellers can always be up to date on the latest Premier League scores.
By the way, should your bus be a bit late you can easily avoid the hassle of phoning the hotline: thanks to the National Express Coach Tracker, you can follow your bus in real-time and check for its current position.
Awards and Distinctions
Over the years, National Express has won many awards in areas such as safety, customer service, and creativity. In 2018, the company was named the Operator of the Year by the UK Coach Awards, and brought home ten awards in total, including excellence in technology, innovation in employee engagement and top large fleet operator. The coach company has also won a gold award for excellence in safety for a fourth consecutive year.
National Express History
The first motorbuses appeared on streets throughout the UK by 1918, however it wasn’t until 1968 that the National Bus Company was created. This brought independent coach operators together under one name, and just six years later the National Express name was used for the first time. By the 1980s, National Express faced some stiff competition around the country, particularly for routes to and from London, however thanks to the introduction of new services and lowered ticket prices, the company was able to come out on top, winning the “coach wars.” By the 1990s, the company continued to grow, expanding services to airports, and also building coach stations in Liverpool, Leeds and Southampton. Today, National Express is the UK’s market leader, with routes all over the country.
National Express Contact Info
Should you need to contact National Express, then there’s several options. You can use their social media channels (Twitter and Facebook) to get in touch. What you can also do is to use the contact or feedback form that is provided on the coach company’s website. Should it be something urgent, then we recommend phoning them up. You can reach them under +44 (0)871 781 8181.
