Wales has a vast network of rail and bus services that will take you almost anywhere you need to go. While the system is far from perfect — often requiring changes, and with some areas better served than others — it is definitely a viable solution for those who can’t or prefer not to drive.
When it comes to public transport, there are multiple websites you can use to buy tickets and plan your journey, as well as several bus companies — sometimes operating in the same area — and an impressive variety of ticket types. So, if it’s your first time visiting the country (or the UK altogether), you might feel a bit unsure about where to start.
This article aims to give you an introduction to public transport in Wales, explaining how to plan your journey, where to buy tickets, and which type of ticket might be best for you.
For a more general overview of how to travel to Wales, or if you’re coming from a specific location in the UK — such as Manchester, for example — please check the links below.
- Introduction on How To Travel In and Around Wales (entering the country, cars, public transport and more)
- How to get to Wales from Manchester (with maps, guides to specific destinations, itinerary examples, and more)
Photo Credits
Photos of the train on Barmouth Bridge and Heart of Wales train are from the Wales Asset database. © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2022) Cymru Wales. Additional credits can be found on individual photos.
Photos of Sherpa’r Wyddfa and T1, as well as the cover photo, are from the media library of Transport for Wales.
All the other remaining photos are property of Mathieu Gasquet / We Travel Wales.
Where To Start
The traveline.cymru website is your primary resource for planning journeys involving trains, buses, or both. It can calculate combined journeys and provides information on all Welsh bus services operating across the country, including disruptions. You can also plan journeys that start or end outside Wales — for example, setting London as your departure point (note that it does not include coach services such as National Express).
If you create an account, you can save journeys, timetables, and bus stops. Please note, however, that the website does not sell tickets (see below for information on how to purchase train and bus tickets). A mobile app is also available although it is not updated very often.
Overview of Train and Bus Services
Transport for Wales operates train services across the country, with connections to stations in England such as Manchester in the north and Birmingham in the Midlands, covering a total of 16 railway lines. I would have created a map to show all these train lines visually, but TfW already provides a comprehensive Rail Network map, which also includes information on major medium- and long-distance bus routes.
While all trains are operated by the same company, the situation with buses is quite different — there are over 12 companies serving various regions.
On a national scale, TrawsCymru operates long-distance routes across Wales and are partnered with TfW. They too offer a helpful map showing all the major bus routes in operation.
The other bus companies typically operate within specific areas — whether that’s the southwest, Mid Wales, the north, or within national parks such as Eryri (Snowdonia). Once again, the Traveline Cymru website is the best place to start. When planning your journey, it will indicate which bus to take, the company operating it, and provide the relevant timetables.
Certain areas of the country also have seasonal bus services during the summer months to reduce traffic and help locals and tourists get to short destinations, like for example the Coastal Buses in Pembrokeshire.
National coach services (long-distance buses), such as National Express, offer limited options within Wales unless privately hired. However, they can be a cost-effective way to travel between major cities in England — for example, from London to Birmingham — particularly if train services on that route are less convenient.
Where Can I Buy Train and Bus Tickets?
The Transport for Wales (TfW) website or mobile app is the easiest way to buy train tickets and checking the latest updates on disruptions and cancellations. If you prefer to book by phone, there is a dedicated number on the TfW website: +44 (0) 3330 050 501.
Note that Transport for Wales (TfW) only allows you to purchase tickets for journeys within the areas it operates. For example, you can buy a ticket for a journey starting in Manchester — even if parts of the route are operated by other companies — but not from London. In such cases, you’ll need to purchase a separate ticket from the company that operates the London leg of the journey — or, more simply, you can use a third-party provider such as Trainline to purchase all your tickets — it may also offer its own deals and discounts.
Alternatively, you can buy train tickets at a ticket office or from an automatic ticket machine, but bear in mind that smaller stations may not have these facilities. As a last resort, you can purchase a ticket from the conductor once on board, or even at the destination station, without incurring a penalty. Please note that this is only valid for trains operated by Transport for Wales. If your journey includes a service run by another operator, you should check their official website to confirm your purchasing options.
For bus tickets, the simplest way is to buy them on the day from the driver, who should accept either cash or contactless payment. Some bus stations may also have automatic machines.
Buying bus tickets online is a bit more complicated, as there are many different bus operators in Wales — but not all of them offer online ticket sales. See the list of bus companies further down to know more.
disruptions
Disruptions and cancellations can happen in Wales, so it’s important to keep an eye on the websites mentioned above. If you’ve already purchased tickets online, you should receive notifications (via email, SMS, or through the app) if there is a problem affecting your journey. When a train is cancelled, a replacement bus service is usually provided.
Which Type of Train Ticket Should I Get?
When buying train tickets online, you’ll come across a wide range of options — some less expensive than others — but the differences between them aren’t always clear. Here’s a breakdown of the ticket types you may encounter.
Advance tickets
These generally need to be purchased in advance, as availability is limited, but they offer the lowest fares for long-distance journeys. They are only valid for the specific train you booked, on a specific day and time. A small number of Advance tickets may be available on the day of travel — up to five minutes before departure — through what’s known as the Late Bird scheme; however, these cannot be purchased from vending machines.
Anytime tickets
These are more expensive but allow you to travel at any time on the date printed on the ticket. They can be purchased on the day of travel. If you have the relevant Return ticket, you can make your return journey at any time within one calendar month.
Off-Peak tickets
These offer cheaper fares by avoiding peak travel times — usually between 09:30 and 16:00, or after 18:30. They can be purchased at any time, including on the day of travel.
Family tickets
These allow up to two children under 11 to travel free on Transport for Wales services with each paying adult. Children under 16 can travel free on off-peak trains. Please note that family tickets can only be purchased on the train or at a ticket office.
Group tickets
For groups of up to nine people, the Small Group Day ticket offers a 25% discount on return journeys made the same day. However, this discount tends to apply mainly to tickets purchased on the day or a few days beforehand. For trips planned weeks in advance, buying Advance single tickets might be more convenient. For larger groups (10 or more), you can use this form to contact TfW.
Travel passes
Valid for unlimited travel on trains and selected buses, these can be purchased for one day or multiple days, with various options depending on the area you’re travelling in.
Whether they offer good value depends on how many train journeys you plan to take. For example, the Explore Wales Pass — which allows travel across the entire country — costs £149 for an adult and is valid for four days of travel within an eight-day period. However, if you book in advance (even just a few weeks), it’s likely you could make three or four journeys for less than that, so it’s worth doing the maths beforehand.
Please note that these passes cannot be purchased online and must be bought at Transport for Wales ticket offices.
Photo: Tom Martin WALES NEWS SERVICE
What About Bus Tickets?
The variety of bus ticket types available will depend on the specific company operating in the region you’re travelling in. With many different operators across the country, it’s difficult to summarise all available options here, so it’s best to check the official website of the operator you intend to use.
For example, TrawsCymru—part of Transport for Wales and covering medium- to long-distance routes—offers a range of day, weekly, monthly, and bundle tickets. Although some of these are primarily aimed at commuters, there are still options that may be convenient for tourists.
Special tickets are also available, such as the 1bws ticket, which allows you to travel on almost any bus in North Wales—including the Snowdon Sherpa buses. The West Wales Rover Ticket lets you travel on most local bus services in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
It’s also possible to buy a combined rail and bus ticket, but despite the advertising, I found such options to be rarely available. Transport for Wales may sell combined train and bus tickets for select routes, but not for bus-only journeys.
TrawsCymru does offer them, but even when I entered the same itinerary provided as an example on their website, no results appeared—or the suggested journey included only buses. For this reason, I’d recommend simply purchasing your train and bus tickets separately, unless the combined option is clearly presented, or you have time to enquire at a ticket office.
Here is a list of all the bus operators and the region they cover.
- TrawsCymru: medium- and long-distance journeys covering some of the main routes across the country. See their network map for details. Day tickets, rover tickets and 1bws tickets available. Tickets can be purchased online.
- PlusBus: When combined with a train ticket, it provides unlimited bus travel within the entire urban area of the rail-served town or city you started from, arrived at, or both ends of your journey. This scheme currently operates in 26 towns and cities. See the full list on the website. Can be bought at train station or online.
- Arriva Buses Wales operates in the north, particularly in Anglesey, along the north coast as far as Chester, and south to Wrexham. Tickets can be bought online, day/family offers available.
- Sherpa’r Wyddfa operates routes around Snowdonia National Park, particularly in the northern part of the park, where Wales’s highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), is located. They have a very comprehensive website with useful maps and timetables. Tickets can be purchased directly on the bus, using either cash or card.
- Lloyds Coaches is a smaller, family-run operator with services in Mid Wales. It also runs TrawsCymru buses connecting Mid Wales to the north (Bangor, Wrexham) and the south (Aberystwyth). Tickets available from the driver (also online for TrawsCymru services).
- Tanat Valley Coaches is another family-run company operating buses in Montgomeryshire—one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales and now forming the northern part of the principal area of Powys. It serves towns such as Oswestry, Llangollen, Welshpool, and Newtown, with connections to Shrewsbury as well.
- Richard Brothers operates a series of services in the south-west, including routes connecting Aberystwyth to Cardigan, as well as services linking north and south Pembrokeshire. Tickets available on the bus (cash or contactless).
- AdventureTravel: It covers areas in South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea and the Gower, with a particular focus on the south-east—extending down to Barry and up to the Brecon Beacons. Mobile tickets can be purchased online (requires registration).
- First Bus Cymru operates in the south of Wales, covering a wide area from Pembrokeshire (including Pembroke, Haverfordwest, and Tenby) through to Swansea and Cardiff. Day, Family and Group tickets available, can be purchased online.
- Stagecoach South Wales is another operator providing services in South Wales—including Cardiff, Newport, and the Rhondda Valley—as well as operating some of the TrawsCymru routes. Tickets can be bought online.
- Pembrokeshire Coastal Buses run between various towns and villages in the county. Most services are seasonal and operate between late May and late September, although a few continue during the winter with a reduced timetable.
- Cardiff Bus, as the name suggests, is the main operator in the capital and its surrounding areas. Tickets available online.
- Newport Bus is the main operator in the city of Newport, in the south of Wales. Tickets available on the website.
Travelling On Steam Trains
If you want to travel around Wales in style, then riding aboard a fully preserved steam train might just be the icing on the cake of your holiday. Wales is home to a number of preserved railways across the country, and some of them cover surprisingly long distances. However, as magical as this sounds, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
First, these are primarily tourist attractions, and tickets are typically more expensive than those for regular trains. You also need to book in advance.
Second, they usually operate only on certain days of the week — and sometimes just once per day.
Third, they are slower than standard train services.
Finally, many of them run only short routes to small villages.
So, while the options are limited, it’s certainly not impossible to include a steam train ride in your journey. For example, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway runs from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog, or from Porthmadog to Caernarfon. As long as the timetable and ticket prices suit you, it can be an unforgettable experience to add to your travel plans.
Read more about steam trains in our dedicated article.
