Scotland's national tourism organisation
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Path to this page:Travel around Scotland by coach and bus
All Scotland's major towns and cities are served by long-distance bus services, known across Britain as coaches; these are run by a number of operators. On the whole, coaches are cheaper than the equivalent train journey and as a result, are very popular. For busy routes and travel at weekends and holidays, it's a good idea to buy a 'reserved-journey ticket' which guarantees you a seat.
Find A Coach Holiday lists dozens of coach tour operartors from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who operate tours to and around Scotland.
Local Services
Four main operators, plus a number of independent operators run local bus services within Scotland. Networks of regular local services operate throughout the main towns and cities in Scotland. Though rural services may be less frequent, often buses will operate in these areas around the school times (approximately 8.30am and 3.30pm).
For information on local bus services in and around Scotland's towns and cities, contact TravelineScotland on 0871 200 22 33 or visit the TravelineScotland website.
Postbus Services
Some rural areas, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, are only served by the postbus network, which operates numerous minibuses carrying mail and between three and ten fare-paying passengers. They set off early in the morning, usually around 8.00 am from the main post office, and collect mail (or deliver it) from/to the hinterland. It's a sociable, though often slow, way to travel, but may well be the only means of reaching hidden-away B&Bs and the like.
Details of postbus routes and timetables can be found on the Royal Mail website or from the Royal Mail Customer Services (ph: 0131-550 8232), while details of relevant local services are available at local tourist information centres.
Discount Fare Options
If you plan to do a lot of travelling by coach, it may be worth buying an Explorer Pass, which offers unlimited travel on Scottish Citylink network or the megarider tickets offered by Stagecoach, which can provide unlimited travel within certain areas.
If you're travelling a lot in England and Wales too, you might be better off with a National Express Brit Xplorer Pass. This gives you unlimited travel throughout Britain on National Express coaches, although the National Express network in Scotland is not as comprehensive as that of Scottish Citylink / megabus.com.
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