Bedfordshire coaches

County advice overview

There are a number of coach operators, many with accessible vehicles, servicing the region and connecting Bedfordshire to the rest of the UK. 

Coach travel to and from Bedfordshire is largely offered by National Express, who provide services linking Bedfordshire to destinations in the Midlands and the north of England as well as London and beyond.  For National Express travel from London, the coach is estimated to take 2 hours and usually includes one change before reaching Bedford Bus Station. This is in the centre of Bedford with plenty of links to other coach and bus services, as well as the rail network, where Passenger Assist can be used to arrange any required assistance for onward travel. 

Key Tips

Always check in advance that vehicles are accessible if you experience mobility difficulties. Remember, coach toilets are rarely accessible and require using a step or two. If you are unsure, it is always best to plan routes and facilities by contacting the operator or taking a look at relevant websites before you travel.

Regional Operators

For coach travel around the county of Bedfordshire, there are a number of companies operating around the region, including Marshall’s Coaches who service Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard among other places. Chiltern Travel are another coach hire company operating in the Bedfordshire area.

Marshalls Quality Coach Hire

Some vehicles are accessible 
01525 376077
info@marshalls-coaches.co.uk

Chiltern Travel

01767 641400
gary@chiltern-travel.co.uk

National Operators 

National Express

Operating nationally, National Express has many coaches with wheelchair lifts. However, it’s always important to check before booking your journey. National Express also offers a discount card for people with disabilities. 

Contact the Assisted Travel Team on 03717 818181 or find further information about accessible coach travel on the National Express website.

Greenline Arriva

Arriva Greenline 755 coaches have lifts for wheelchair users, making coach travel accessible between Luton and London. By removing seating, they have also adapted these coaches for wheelchair users. You will need to provide a minimum of 24 hours’ notice.

www.arrivabus.co.uk/help/contact-us
Or contact: 0344 800 44 11

Some accessible coach companies also operate a holiday and tour service, which can be found on the relevant websites above.

Help with cost

Check my Bus

Check my Bus will help you find the cheapest fares for your journey.

National Express Senior Coachcard

If you’re 60 or over you can apply for a National Express Senior Coachcard. It offers a 1/3 saving on Standard and Fully Flexible fares to hundreds of towns, cities and airports across the UK.

There are no restrictions on peak and off-peak travel times, so you can travel when it suits you and your plans. This includes public holidays, bank holidays and weekends. Benefits include:

• Save 1/3 on Standard and Fully Flexible fares, even at peak times.
• £15 day-return on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to anywhere in the UK (excluding airports), just book 3 days in advance of your travel.
• Free journey if your coach is delayed for over an hour.

Apply for a card on their website, phone 0871 781 8181 or apply at any National Express ticket outlet.

National Express Disabled Coachcard

If you have a disability, then a Disabled Coachcard offers a great way to save 1/3 on Standard and Fully Flexible fares to hundreds of UK towns, cities and airports. Find more information using the link here.

Special Assistance

National Express have created a selection of Journey Assistance cards for passengers. These explain to staff and drivers any need for assistance or exemptions from requirements. For example, if you have a hearing impediment. They can be downloaded here.

Travelling with Mobility Equipment

National Express

National Express coaches are equipped with a wheelchair lift. However, it cannot be deployed at all stops, so it is best to check in advance if your stop is accessible. You can ring the Assisted Travel Team on 03717 818181 to check. (Lines open 9.00am – 5.00pm, 7 days a week).

Wheelchair users are advised to book travel in advance, although this is not essential. This will allow National Express to check the following:

• that the wheelchair is compatible with the space on the coach
• that the combined weight of the customer and the wheelchair do not exceed the maximum weight capacity of being lifted by the wheelchair lift
• that the locations at which the customer plans to board and alight the coach from, are accessible stops at which the wheelchair lift can be deployed
• that the specific coach on which the customer plans to travel is not already fully booked

It is recommended that you contact them 36 hours in advance of travel on the telephone number above. This will ensure they are able to carry out these checks. If you book same-day travel, they will make all reasonable efforts to carry out checks on the day. 

Customers cannot travel in their mobility scooters; however, small lightweight mobility scooters that can be dismantled and safely stowed in the luggage hold of the coach are accepted.

In order to check if your scooter will be accepted, you will need to give details of the size, make and model of the mobility scooter you will be travelling with. You will be advised

either at the time of booking or by calling you back, about the suitability of your mobility scooter for carriage in the luggage hold.

Megabus

Megabus offer assistance to those with walking difficulties or those who normally use wheelchairs.

They recommend that all wheelchair users contact them before purchasing their tickets (preferably at least 36 hours before their intended journey), to book the wheelchair space.

All their coaches are wheelchair accessible and can carry one seated wheelchair user subject to size and weight limits (with max weight 300kg, dimensions length 1200mm x width 700mm x height 1350mm including the seated passenger).

They are unable to accommodate passengers seated in mobility scooters. However, If you use a wheelchair (max weight 20kg) or mobility scooter and are able to climb the few steps into the bus, your mobility device can be stored in the luggage bay and the driver will help you to your seat.

In order to be accepted for transit, your mobility scooter must break down into separate parts each weighing no more than 20kg. You or a companion must be able to dismantle and reassemble the mobility scooter for carriage in the luggage hold.

Assistance Dogs

Are accepted on both Megabus and National Express services

Routes and timetables

Direct coach services to and from London include the Green line route 757 operated by Arriva and the A1 service from National Express which pick up and drop off at London Victoria Coach Station. These services offer transfer services onto London Luton Airport, as well as the main rail stations and other airports in and around the south east. 

Easy bus services also offer coach travel to and from London Luton Airport to London Liverpool Street Station. Travellers wanting to continue onto other areas of Bedfordshire can then connect using local bus and coach services, taxis or railway.

Traveline

Traveline is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach and ferry. They can help you find the way that best suits you for making your journey using the most up to date information. From their homepage, you can plan your journey from door to door, see the different ways you could travel, how long the journey will take and view your route on a map.

If you need help planning a journey, Traveline’s national call centre can be contacted on 0871 200 2233 between 07.00 and 10.00 seven days a week (more limited hours at Christmas/New Year). Calls cost 12p per minute plus any charges your network provider makes.