Herefordshire coaches

County advice overview 

National Express operate in Herefordshire with some services to Ross-on-Wye, Ledbury, Newent and Gloucester, and further afield to Cheltenham and London. 

National Express provide wheelchair-accessible coach services. Wheelchair spaces can be found at the front of the coaches, whilst storage for manual wheelchairs and scooters can be booked in advance.  

National Express coaches are equipped with a wheelchair lift. However, it cannot be deployed at all stops, so you should always check in advance by contacting the Assisted Travel Team on 03717 818181. 

If passenger assistance is required at the coach stations, you can contact the coach operator to pre-arrange.   

Key tips 

Always allow yourself plenty of time to plan your journey. It may be worth considering: 

• If you will need help to access the coach and will you be travelling with mobility equipment. Consider whether it is easier to take equipment with you or hire it at your destination from an outlet such as ShopMobility. 
• Booking assistance in advance. Before you contact the coach operator to arrange, consider all aspects of your journey so you can obtain all the information in one call. For example, if travelling by coach are you able to access the onboard toilets? Will your destination stop be accessible? 
• When booking transport assistance, you should be able to provide the size of a wheelchair or mobility scooter, including the total weight with or without the user. 
• What local transport do you need once you arrive at your destination? Will you need to pre-book an accessible taxi? 
• Will you be making this journey more than once a year? If so, it may be worth researching concessionary travel schemes. 

Your local Central England and Greater Manchester Hubs Mobility Advice Service can provide further helpful advice and information. 

Operators 

National Express 

www.nationalexpress.com

Provides a coach service from Hereford to London. 

Help with cost 

Check my Bus

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

www.checkmybus.co.uk

National Express Senior Coachcard 

If you are 60 or over, you can apply for a National Express Senior Coachcard. It offers a 1/3 saving on Standard and Fully Flexible fares. 

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 the National Express website below, by phoning 03717 818181, or at any National Express ticket outlet. 

National Express Disabled Coachcard 

A Disabled Coachcard offers a 1/3 saving on Standard and Fully Flexible fares to hundreds of UK towns, cities and airports  

Special assistance 

National Express 

You can contact the National Express Assisted Travel Team to talk through your assistance needs, on 03717 818181. (Lines are open 9.00am – 5.00pm, 7 days a week.)  

It is not a requirement to book your assistance in advance but it will help National Express to provide your assistance if you do so. 

National Express provide a selection of Journey Assistance Cards for passengers. These explain to staff and drivers of any need for assistance or exemptions from requirements. For example, if you have a hearing impediment.  

They can be downloaded on the National Express website. 

Travelling with mobility equipment 

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. 

Wheelchair users are advised to book travel in advance on 03717 818181, although this is not essential. This will allow National Express to check: 

• 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 National Express 36 hours in advance of travel. This will ensure they are able to carry out checks. If you book same-day travel, National Express 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 mobility scooter will be accepted, you will need to provide National Express with the size, make and model. You will be advised either at the time of booking, or by National Express calling you back, about the suitability of your mobility scooter for carriage in the luggage hold. 

Further passenger assistance information can be found on the National Express website. 

Assistance dogs 

Are accepted on National Express services. You will need to contact Customer Services, at the latest 36 hours before departure. 

Routes and timetable links 

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.  

On the Traveline website, you can plan your journey door-to-door, see the different ways you can travel, view journey times and your route on a map.

If you need help to plan a journey, Traveline’s national call centre can be contacted on 0871 200 2233.