Bus info Northampton
County Advice overview
Buses in the East Midlands are run by different companies called operators.
You can buy bus tickets:
- on the bus
- at a travel centre
- with a Swift pay as you go card
- with the operator’s mobile app
Use our ticket finder to find the best value ticket for you. You can also find bus timetables online. If you’re not sure of your route, you can:
We provide bus stations and travel hubs (interchanges) across the region. Travel hubs are where buses, trams and trains meet. They help you change easily from one mode of transport to another.
If you’re buying a ticket on a bus, you have to use the exact change or a Swift card. Some bus operators also accept contactless bank cards.
Key Tips
Journey planning
When planning a journey by bus, things to consider might be “Where is my nearest bus stop?” and “What bus number do I need?”. You may also want to think about buying your ticket, what it will cost, can you pay by cash or card and can you buy it in advance online. Be aware that online tickets for buses are often non-refundable if you cannot make your journey.
Buses can only stop at marked bus stops, so you need to be sure where you are getting off in advance. If you are not sure, the bus driver should be happy to help you. Ask the driver to let you know when your stop is coming up. You may need to consider if the nearest bus stop is accessible if you are travelling with a scooter or wheelchair.
You could use the Transport for West Midlands website below to help with advice about travel choices in your area that may result in saving you time and money. Find the journey planner beneath the tab that says, “plan your journey”. You can select your preferred form of transport and choose different mobility options to find wheelchair accessible vehicles and stations where you can avoid using escalators, lifts, and stairs. You can even view locations and routes on the map by quickly clicking on the map icon next to specific directions.
Transport for West Midlands | Journey planning, tickets and help (tfwm.org.uk)
Local bus providers have journey planners and will be able to help you with information about your journey.
Traveline is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach, and ferry and to provide it in as many different ways as possible.
If you are travelling outside the county, the national NextBuses website will help you search for bus timetables and your nearest bus stop.
You can put in your postcode to find your nearest stop and the next bus due https://nextbuses.mobi/
Stagecoach have produced cards called Extra Help to Travel cards and Safe Journey Cards for people who have a disability to use on their buses. They are available from Travel shops, or you can download one using the link below:
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/journey-assistance-cards
Operators:
Stagecoach Midlands
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/
Britannia B
http://www.britanniabus.co.uk/en-gb/
Help with cost – Concessionary Travel
Older Person’s Bus Pass
https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/buses-and-transport/older-persons-bus-pass
If you want to travel for free during off-peak times, get hold of an older person’s travel pass. This will allow you to travel for free between 9:30am and 11pm, Monday-Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays, apply using the link below.
Free Travel Pass Registration (concessioncard.net)
Disabled Person’s Bus pass
If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Person’s bus pass Residents of the East Midlands can apply because of a disability. There is no upper age restriction for the disabled person’s bus pass.
Information on eligibility is available here:
https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/buses-and-transport/disabled-persons-bus-pass
Travelling with mobility equipment
Wheelchairs and Scooters
Most low floor buses have a dedicated area for wheelchair/scooter users; other passengers are required to give up the space for wheelchair/scooter users. When your low floor bus arrives at the bus stop you can ask the driver to lower the step and/or ramp to allow you to board. Wheelchair/scooter users have priority over everyone else for the use of the designated wheelchair space since this is the only place in which they can travel safely.
If the bus is full or there is already a wheelchair/scooter user on board it may not be possible not be able to carry another wheelchair/scooter user.
Assistance Dogs
All recognised guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed to travel on Stagecoach and Britannia B buses.