to ask about free bus travel

LoveSoftAsAnEasyChair · 2025-06-24T07:10:30+00:00

Hi, I am over the age where I can apply for an exemption card for bus travel. I have read about people traveling all day using the card to get to faraway cities for no charge. I was wondering if I can use the card to get from my home town to London Heathrow (and back again after my air travel) airport. OR If there’s a dedicated bus service to that airport, would I be able to use the card? ideally my partner or friend or relative would drive me, but none of those choices are available to me. Yes I know it would be a challenge for a woman in her seventies with 23k & 10k cases to lug, but hopefully they will have wheels, and I consider myself to be a “tough old bird”. I hope I’m not considered to be a CF to be asking this question.

Original poster

LoveSoftAsAnEasyChair · 24/07/2025 11:26

PotatoFan · 24/07/2025 06:42

You will have to pay for the public buses if you’re travelling very early unless you’re going on the weekend as your pass won’t be valid

You’re making this way harder than it needs to be, just get the train or coach. National express is very easy and reliable and if you’ve paid for the flight then the £20 ish to get there should be considered as part of the overall travel costs when planning the journey

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Hey potatofan, you are so right !

I do recognise that I make things harder for myself than is truly necessary.

I think when someone tells me “oooo, you won’t be able to do that” (no matter the subject), I go all out to do my best to tell them, well I did it !

I’ve since looked at the reviews on Nat Ex, Flix, and Megabus, so I guess it’ll be one of those.

Again, I thank everyone for their kindness and generosity of their time, posting on this thread.

OP posts:

PotatoFan · 24/07/2025 06:42

LoveSoftAsAnEasyChair · 24/07/2025 04:20

Thank you for all the trouble you went to.

Its not a prob for me to get up early, in order for me to make the journey and the multi connections from friends home to Heathrow.
I suppose my concern is not missing the connections, and arriving at Heathrow too late to begin the process of getting the flight.
i think the advice is to arrive at check in three hours before take off.
So if mg flight is 7pm, the latest I’d want to arrive is 4pm.
Knowing me tho’, I’m more likely to be calmer if I arrived at 2pm.
it’s looking like I won’t be able to do that, unless the first journey begins before the buses start running

Another pp mentioned Flix, which I’ll look into.
National Express seems to have a lot of negative reviews.

Thanjs again

Show quote history

You will have to pay for the public buses if you’re travelling very early unless you’re going on the weekend as your pass won’t be valid

You’re making this way harder than it needs to be, just get the train or coach. National express is very easy and reliable and if you’ve paid for the flight then the £20 ish to get there should be considered as part of the overall travel costs when planning the journey

PotatoFan · 24/07/2025 06:34

Magnir · 23/07/2025 07:49

Do you mean the older persons bus pass, you can use it anywhere in England but only after 9:30 in the morning on weekdays, I have used mine on holiday. You just get the bus as normal and show your card and go wherever the bus goes. I think there are different ones for Scotland and Wales. Depending where you live and the bus services to the airport you could use it but not if your journey starts before 9:30 on a weekday

It varies by region. In London you can use it after 9am

Original poster

LoveSoftAsAnEasyChair · 24/07/2025 04:27

May913 · 23/07/2025 20:55

You can get a Flix bus from Northampton to Heathrow for £20, not free but cheaper than National express. The hassle of getting free buses with your pass is not going to be worth the stress.

Hi May913, thank you for your advice, I’d not heard of Flix before, so it sounds like a viable option.
I’ll contact them to see if and how I can book a ticket to Heathrow (and back!), hopefully the reviews for Flix are better than National Express.

Thank you.

OP posts:

Original poster

LoveSoftAsAnEasyChair · 24/07/2025 04:20

Blackcountryexile · 23/07/2025 21:00

OP Not so difficult if you start early
X6 Northampton to Milton Keynes station 50 minutes hourly
X1 Milton Keynes station to Luton station 1 hr 20 minutes hourly
321 Luton Station to Watford Junction 1 hr 40 minutes half hourly
724 Watford Junction to Heathrow 1 hr 15 hourly
If it all gets too much you could go part way on the bus and then catch a train

Thank you for all the trouble you went to.

Its not a prob for me to get up early, in order for me to make the journey and the multi connections from friends home to Heathrow.
I suppose my concern is not missing the connections, and arriving at Heathrow too late to begin the process of getting the flight.
i think the advice is to arrive at check in three hours before take off.
So if mg flight is 7pm, the latest I’d want to arrive is 4pm.
Knowing me tho’, I’m more likely to be calmer if I arrived at 2pm.
it’s looking like I won’t be able to do that, unless the first journey begins before the buses start running

Another pp mentioned Flix, which I’ll look into.
National Express seems to have a lot of negative reviews.

Thanjs again

OP posts:

AmicaNemica · 23/07/2025 22:43

The 724 Watford Jct to Heathrow is only £3 in case useful for non pensioner travellers. There's not a lot of space for very large luggage. It's quite a bumpy single decker.

crackofdoom · 23/07/2025 22:29

Blackcountryexile · 23/07/2025 21:00

OP Not so difficult if you start early
X6 Northampton to Milton Keynes station 50 minutes hourly
X1 Milton Keynes station to Luton station 1 hr 20 minutes hourly
321 Luton Station to Watford Junction 1 hr 40 minutes half hourly
724 Watford Junction to Heathrow 1 hr 15 hourly
If it all gets too much you could go part way on the bus and then catch a train

That's really impressive. Did you use a specific website or app to find that out?

Blackcountryexile · 23/07/2025 21:00

OP Not so difficult if you start early
X6 Northampton to Milton Keynes station 50 minutes hourly
X1 Milton Keynes station to Luton station 1 hr 20 minutes hourly
321 Luton Station to Watford Junction 1 hr 40 minutes half hourly
724 Watford Junction to Heathrow 1 hr 15 hourly
If it all gets too much you could go part way on the bus and then catch a train

HonoriaBulstrode · 23/07/2025 20:58

The Whitby to Scarborough journey sounds nice! How long does it take?

I did this on the regular bus recently, in reverse - Scarborough to Whitby, and back again. It's supposed to take an hour, but there were roadworks.... It is a nice ride.

An English bus pass gets you 25% off bus fares in Wales - at least it did my friend and me in N Wales a couple of years ago.

May913 · 23/07/2025 20:55

You can get a Flix bus from Northampton to Heathrow for £20, not free but cheaper than National express. The hassle of getting free buses with your pass is not going to be worth the stress.

Createausername1970 · 23/07/2025 20:47

I went to Heathrow by National Express. It was a two hour coach journey from my home (not Northampton) and cost about £25 return.

crackofdoom · 23/07/2025 20:44

Mate.

I actually had a look for you on Rome 2 Rio and...I don't think you can feasibly do this, unless it's some convoluted mission that you end up writing a best selling travel book about. Seriously.

Looks like you can get to Milton Keynes for free, and from there all the suggestions are for National Express, which I assume you have to pay for.

You might find a way, if you spend a couple of days poring over every county's bus timetables, and if you get up at 5.00am or something. But is it really worth it to save £20-30?

Original poster

LoveSoftAsAnEasyChair · 23/07/2025 19:08

Westfacing · 23/07/2025 10:02

The OP posted a month ago and didn't return to the thread - she's probably still on the bus trying to get to Heathrow!

🤣 Lol !!!!
No I’ve not had to make the journey yet, I’m busy gathering as much info as I can.

Sorry I’ve not caught up with all the responses.
I thank you all.

I’ll be staying primarily with a friend who live s in Northampton so I’ll be traveling from there, and not my own home.
im seventy, so I think I’d be eligible for whatever passes can get me to Heathrow.

im hoping to get a a 7pm flight, and I’ll be wanting to get to Heathrow Mike’s ahead of time, as I’m a worry wart, and I can immerse myself in a puzzle book to waste time, and of course, people watching.

All your ideas are much appreciated.

OP posts:

Zanzara · 23/07/2025 11:04

In case it's relevant to anyone I checked this for the Transdev Flyer services to Leeds Bradford Airport recently and was pleasantly surprised to find OAP passes are valid on these services. See their website for details.

OutsideInsideListen · 23/07/2025 10:48

All airports have local buses that go to them.
These are also used by people that work there.

For more long distance journeys to airports there are
National Express coaches
Flibco coaches
Other coaches

Wadadli · 23/07/2025 10:14

Bikergran · 23/07/2025 09:04

Not sure what a Freedom Pass is, but my South Yorkshire concessionary pensioner's pass is not accepted in London, though I have found it accepted everywhere else so far. The best one was a bus over the moors from Whitby to Scarborough with a tour commentary included!

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My friend has a Freedom pass she uses in London and she lives in Leeds!

Westfacing · 23/07/2025 10:02

The OP posted a month ago and didn't return to the thread - she's probably still on the bus trying to get to Heathrow!

Seymour5 · 23/07/2025 09:52

Bikergran · 23/07/2025 09:04

Not sure what a Freedom Pass is, but my South Yorkshire concessionary pensioner's pass is not accepted in London, though I have found it accepted everywhere else so far. The best one was a bus over the moors from Whitby to Scarborough with a tour commentary included!

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I've used my South Yorkshire issued pass on buses in London, Manchester, and other areas in England. Not valid on the Tube or other public transport. But someone coming to SY could only use their pass on the buses not the tram.

Magnir · 23/07/2025 09:47

Westfacing · 23/07/2025 09:46

Don't want to nick-pick but the Freedom Pass is what we get in London at State pension age; the one we get at 60 in London is the 60 Plus pass, which is not valid outside London.

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Oh no that's fine, sorry.

Westfacing · 23/07/2025 09:46

Magnir · 23/07/2025 09:39

The freedom pass is the London version of the pensioners bus pass, but starts at 60. My Northamptonshire bus pass is valid in London on local buses it appears. I would be useful though to know OP's area for us to help more though.

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Don't want to nick-pick but the Freedom Pass is what we get in London at State pension age; the one we get at 60 in London is the 60 Plus pass, which is not valid outside London.

crackofdoom · 23/07/2025 09:45

It kind of depends whether you live in Slough or Berwick-upon-Tweed OP....

(I mean, I think you could get from Berwick- upon- Tweed to Heathrow on a pensioner's bus pass, but it would probably take a week)

Magnir · 23/07/2025 09:41

London ones are accepted in the rest of England but only from age 66 or 67, whatever it is now.

Magnir · 23/07/2025 09:39

Bikergran · 23/07/2025 09:04

Not sure what a Freedom Pass is, but my South Yorkshire concessionary pensioner's pass is not accepted in London, though I have found it accepted everywhere else so far. The best one was a bus over the moors from Whitby to Scarborough with a tour commentary included!

Show quote history

The freedom pass is the London version of the pensioners bus pass, but starts at 60. My Northamptonshire bus pass is valid in London on local buses it appears. I would be useful though to know OP's area for us to help more though.

Bikergran · 23/07/2025 09:30

AffableApple · 23/07/2025 09:24

I'm not an expert, but yeah that should have been accepted. Pretty sure my parents' London ones were accepted in Yorkshire...

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Well, of course they were, because we're generous like that!! But not reciprocal.....

mamagogo1 · 23/07/2025 09:30

You can use London buses but not tubes. There is no freedom pass outside of London, its buses only and at state pension age currently 66. Yes we are always treated worse! Then my local council has the cheek to complain we all drive everywhere, we wouldn’t if there were frequent affordable convenient buses - to get to work I have to order my pick up the day before and often it’s simply not available unless I log in at 8am