Suffolk coaches

County advice overview

National and regional coach operators provide some services within Suffolk and to outside the county.

It is advisable to contact the coach provider directly for details regarding wheelchair accessibility and mobility requirements as this can vary between providers and routes.

Some operators offer local hire services, or concentrate on holiday and leisure travel. 

Key tips

When planning a journey by coach, you may wish to plan ahead if you have reduced mobility by considering:

• Which mobility aids you will be travelling with. (Contact the provider if you are unsure whether you can travel with your scooter/wheelchair to check accessibility)
• If the destination stop is accessible and what arrangements you may need to make for onward travel.

You may also wish to consider:

• Where the nearest coach pick-up point is
• What method of payment is accepted
• If the ticket must be bought online
• Which destination stop you need. (The bus driver should be happy to help)

Regional Operators

This is a selection of operators in the Suffolk area. 

Remember to check accessibility when you make your travel enquiries. 

Galloway Coaches

www.travel-galloway.com

Coach hire, tours and excursions in Ipswich, Felixstowe, Colchester, and Stowmarket.     

Galloway Coaches have one hire coach that is wheelchair accessible with a wheelchair lift. 

On all other coaches, some walking aids can be stowed; however, travellers should be aware that coaches do not adjust to ground level and individuals should be able to manage steps independently. 

Contact 0330 1000 360 (Monday – Friday, 9.00am and 3.00pm)

Or email info@gallowayeuropean.co.uk

Beestons

www.beestons.co.uk

Tours, excursions, coach hire. Pick up points: Ipswich, Chantry, Capel St Mary, Langham and Colchester.

Contact: 01473 823243 (Monday to Friday, 10.00am – 2.00pm)

Belle Coaches

www.bellecoaches.co.uk

A variety of tours, excursions, coach hire and bus routes.

Leiston: 01728 830414
Lowestoft: 01502 574669

Turners of Great Barton

www.turnersluxurytravel.com

Coach hire including accessible coaches/mini buses.

Contact: 01359 271177 

Navigator Coaches 

www.navigatorcoachesltd.co.uk

Days out, coach hire, events.

Contact: 01473 554448 

National Operators

There are limited national services within Suffolk.

You can check route information on the National Express online map.

Further National Express information, including accessibility arrangements, can be found by visiting their website. 

Help with cost

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

You can apply for a Senior Coachcard on the National Express website, by phoning 0871 781 8181, 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.

Check my Bus

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

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 requirement. For example, if you have a hearing impairment. 

Journey Assistance Cards can be downloaded here.

Travelling with mobility equipment

It is recommended to contact your coach operator to check accessibility requirements in advance of travel. 

Some coaches may be equipped with a wheelchair lift; however, it may not be deployed at all stops. Some operators will stow walking aids; however, you may be required to get up and down steps and access your seat independently.

National Express

Have a dedicated Assisted Travel Team who you can contact on 03717 818181 to talk through your needs. (9.00am – 5.00pm, 7 days a week). It is not a requirement to book your assistance in advance, but it will help them to provide your assistance if you do so.

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

• 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, 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.

You will need to provide 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 National Express calling you back, about the suitability of your mobility scooter for carriage in the luggage hold.

Assistance Dogs

Are accepted on both Megabus and National Express services.

If you are travelling with local operators, it is recommended to check in advance.

Links and routes

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 journey that best suits you using the most up to date information, which can also save you money. You can plan your journey from door to door, see the different ways to travel, how long the journey will take and view your route on a map.

Traveline national call centre: 0871 200 2233