Customer FAQs

Yes. Please visit our service updates page for more information on which services are running.

It is your responsibility to check Government guidelines and ensure you are travelling within the guidelines provided. We would also like to remind our customers of the following:

• It is illegal not to self isolate if instructed to do so in line with government guidance.
• Wearing a face covering is now a personal choice on our services in England, but it is your responsibility to check and comply with Government and any local guidelines. We can all take precautions to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. If you are travelling to a London location, wearing a face covering still remains a mandatory requirement at Transport for London stations and on their transport services. For services operating in Scotland & Wales, face coverings remain a legal requirement and must be worn on public transport.
• Guidance is changing regularly and may differ from one location to another. Please check government guidance in line with your travel plans and make arrangements accordingly.

Full details of the latest government guidance for each of the UK nations can be found here:

• England
• Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland

Keeping our customers and colleagues safe has always been, and continues to be our top priority and we’re doing everything we can to ensure this. Find out what changes we have put in place on our services and at our stations on our coronavirus safety page.

In response to the most recent government guidance in France, services via our European Partner Operator BlaBlaBus have been suspended. European bookings are not being offered until further notice, when government guidance changes.

Services via our European Partner Operator BlaBlaBus have been suspended following government guidance in France. If your service is affected you can obtain a full refund by using our contact us page to get in touch.

The safety of our customers and staff has always been our number one priority, so we have introduced a number of extra measures so we can continue to ensure this. When travelling with us you can expect:

• Face coverings - Wearing a face covering is now a personal choice on our services in England, but it is your responsibility to check and comply with Government and any local guidelines. We can all take precautions to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. If you are travelling to a London location, wearing a face covering still remains a mandatory requirement at Transport for London stations and on their transport services. For services operating in Scotland & Wales, face coverings remain a legal requirement and must be worn on public transport.
• Increased and enhanced cleaning regimes onboard our coaches and in our stations.
• Find out more about the great reasons to travel the nation’s number 1 on our travelling with us page.

You can find more detailed information on our coronavirus (Covid-19) safety measures by going to our coronavirus safety page.

Yes, depending on the ticket type you have purchased.

• Fully Flexible tickets can be amended or refunded
• Standard tickets can be amended but not refunded
• Restricted cannot be amended or refunded.

Find out more information on our flexible travel page.

If your service has been cancelled, our team will be in touch to assist you further. Please visit our service updates page for more information, links to the latest government guidance and information on ticket amendments and refunds.

We have extended the validity of our Multiride Tickets until 30 September so you can use them at a later date. Our drivers will continue to accept your pass when services resume, for as long as you have unused journeys to redeem.

If you are still unable to use your Multride Ticket with extended validity, please follow the process for Season Tickets below.

We are offering pro-rata refunds on the remaining duration of Season Tickets. Please send your Season Ticket via recorded delivery to:

Customer Relations
National Express House,
Mill Lane, Birmingham.
B5 6DD

Please include a covering note, including your name and address. Due to the high value of the product, please ensure this is sent recorded delivery. Refunds will be processed via cheque within 28 days.

We have further extended the validity of Coachcards for our customers who have been unable to use them due to the recent suspension of our services. You can use our coachcard validity checker to obtain your new expiry date if you have been affected.

Please visit our coach stations page for further information. Please note your journey will not be affected if you are due to travel from a coach station that is closed, as coaches will still have access to drop off and pick up at these locations. The latest information on our services is available on our service updates page.

Toilets will be available on coaches for customer use. Please check our coach stations page for details of the facilities in each location.

We have a dedicated team to support customers, you can contact our Assisted Travel Team to talk through any assistance needs on 03717 81 81 81 (lines open 9am - 5pm 7 days a week), or email addl@nationalexpress.com. More details can be found on our Contact Us page.

We also have a selection of journey assistance cards to help customers explain to our staff and drivers that they may need assistance, or are unable to wear a mask, due to medical reasons excluding Covid-19.

Amending your ticket is easy, fast, and best of all, free! Simply log in to My Account and go to 'Manage my Tickets.' From there you'll find alternative dates and times for your journey and can confirm any changes made. An updated ticket will then be sent to your email address.

Amendments to the arrival and/or departure locations are not possible once your ticket has been booked. 

For Heathrow or Gatwick Airports, transfers between terminals is free of charge. Please let our driver know which terminal you require as you board so that your luggage can be put into the correct area of the coach. At both airports, there is also a free train/monorail service that operates between terminals which are clearly signposted.

Please note the National Express Customer Service team is not able to amend destinations.

If your flight has been delayed you can amend the date or time of your ticket online using My Account or call us, prior to your coach departure time.

If you miss the booked departure time, you will be required to purchase a new ticket, unless you have our Change & Go add-on which can be chosen when purchasing Airport journeys online.

Yes, prior to your coach departure time you can...

• amend your ticket time or date online using My Account
• following your arrival, speak to a member of our National Express team at the airport and they will be happy to assist you
• or call us

Changes to the arrival and/or departure locations are not amendable once your ticket has been booked.

*An excess fare may apply to journey amendments. Many of our tickets are not sold at a fixed price and are subject to change. When amending your ticket an excess fare may be charged if there is a difference in price from your original 

Amendment fees may vary, with amendments only available on our Standard and Fully Flexible tickets if requested prior to your scheduled coach departure. Please visit our Flexible travel page for more information.

Changes to the arrival and/or departure locations are not amendable once your ticket has been booked.

Should you need to change your destination at Heathrow or Gatwick Airports, transfers between terminals are free of charge. Please let our driver know which terminal you require as you board the coach, so that your luggage can be put into the correct luggage area. At both locations, there is also a free train/monorail service that operates between terminals which are clearly signposted.

*An excess fare may apply to journey amendments. Many of our tickets are not sold at a fixed price and are subject to change. When amending your ticket an excess fare may be charged if there is a difference in price from your original ticket.

Yes.

Our customer services team will verify the GPS tracking data for your booked service and if the coach failed to arrive then a refund can be provided.

Please get in touch using one of the methods on our contact us page.

Yes, but only if you have purchased a Fully Flexible ticket and only if the refund is requested at least 24 hours before your outward journey. Find out more on our flexible travel page.

Should you wish to cancel and refund your ticket please call us at least 24 hours before you are due to travel on your outward journey.

Refund requests may also be submitted by post to: Customer Relations – Refunds, National Express House, Mill Lane, Digbeth, Birmingham, B56DD.

*A £5 cancellation fee per person applies to Standard tickets.

If you have a Holidays by National Express booking and would like to amend your package, you can find further information here.

Please check your spam or junk email folders before contacting us. Your ticket will be delivered from tickets@nationalexpress.com or sales@nationalexpress.com.

You can view and reprint your ticket online by using My Account.

If you do not have access to your ticket number or your email address is not recognised, please get in touch using one of the methods on our contact us page.

In order to try and locate your ticket, we require your full journey details, the date the ticket was purchased, the cost of your ticket and the payment method used.

You can then get in touch with us using one of the methods on our contact us page.

If you've deleted or not received your e-Ticket, but know your ticket number, you can access it using My Account.

If you are unable to print your ticket, you can show your ticket on your smartphone. The full ticket must be shown as pictures/screenshots will not be accepted.

We are unable to change the distribution method of your ticket once your booking has been completed. A small charge will apply for printing tickets at National Express manned locations.

Yes* you can.

However this will be subject to availability as services may be full with pre-booked customers, so it is always advisable to purchase your ticket in advance.

We recommend buying your ticket online, but you can also buy a ticket by visiting one of our coach stations or travel shops, or from your local Post Office branch.

If you would like to purchase a ticket from our drivers, please be aware of the following...

• Drivers can accept cash or card payments. If paying by cash, please ensure you have the correct change to avoid delays.
• Drivers cannot make a reservation for a connecting service. If your journey requires a change of coach you must purchase a ticket from each driver.
• Drivers can only issue single (one way), day return and open dated return tickets. Please ensure you obtain a ticket from the driver which you should carry at all times.
• Drivers should be in a position to sell tickets, although if there are ticketing facilities available, they may refer you to the ticket office to purchase your ticket. It is always advisable to purchase or amend your ticket in advance of travel to avoid unnecessary delays to services.

In addition, you can call the National Express Contact Centre to purchase a ticket.

*Tickets cannot be purchased from a driver on board a coach at Heathrow and must be purchased from the ticket desk, ticket machine or in advance of travel. Tickets cannot be purchased onboard international services and must be purchased online prior to travel.

• Restricted fares - an online-only discount fare. This fare type is not amendable or refundable, so changes to times or dates are not permitted. No further discounts (such as a Coachcard or promotional voucher) can be used in conjunction with a Restricted fare.
• Standard fares - allows for amendments to the date and time to be made with an amendment fee and may be subject to an excess fare. This fare is not refundable.
• Fully Flexible fares - allows for amendments up to the date and time of travel to be made without any fee. This ticket is only refundable when cancelled 24 hours prior to the departure time. Booking and distribution fees remain non-refundable.

All amendments must be made prior to the scheduled departure time of the journey you are wishing to change. No amendment can be made after the current departure time that is on the ticket.

Generally our lowest prices fares are avalible online and when booking in advance.

Our website has exclusive online fares, such as the Restricted fare type, which you will not find when booking in a ticket office.

The website charges a £1 booking fee. The coach station charges a £2 booking fee. 3rd Party agents charges will vary.

Our fares will vary according to demand and how far you book in advance. Generally, the lower the demand and the earlier the booking takes place, the cheaper the fare will be. When demand is higher and the date is closer to the departure date, the ticket is likely to be more expensive.

The best way to guarantee your seat, for the best value fare, is to book in advance online.

Yes. 

Whilst you're always guaranteed a seat on our services, you can also reserve front row seats, extra legroom and premium seats to ensure an experience that meets your needs. To find out more, visit our seat reservation page.

Yes. Customers who were issued voucher codes due to the suspension of our services in March to June 2020 will have their voucher codes automatically extended to 30 September 2021.

If you have another voucher code that has expired and your booking has been impacted by the suspension of our services, please contact us.

You are entitled to two items of luggage to be stowed in the hold and two items of hand luggage free of charge. The overall dimensions must not exceed 200cm in total. The combined weight of both items for the hold must not be more than 20kg.

Fully collapsible wheelchairs and fully collapsible pushchairs may be stowed free of charge in the hold and do not count towards your luggage allowance.

All other European Services

You may take one medium-sized suitcase or rucksack and one small piece of soft hand luggage per person travelling, free of charge. Your one piece of luggage must not exceed 20kg, with maximum dimensions of 70cm x 30cm x 45cm. Items of luggage in excess of 20kg will be charged.

For more information please visit see our European luggage policy.

We recommend that you purchase your ticket to travel and excess luggage online. You can add excess luggage to your journey on the Add Extras page during the checkout.

You can also purchase excess luggage directly from your driver on the day of travel (subject to availability) or from any of our ticket offices. Find out more about our excess luggage charges and other useful information on our luggage and lost property page.

If you have lost an item whilst travelling on our services or at one of our stations please complete our lost property from.

If your item is found, our team will be in touch to arrange details for the return of your item.

Please note that if your item has been left on board and found by our team there will be a fee to pay.

We have three different Coachcards available, each giving 1/3 off all of our Standard and Fully Flexible coach fares.

• Senior Coachcard £12.50
• Disabled Coachcard £12.50
• Young Person Coachcard £12.50 for 1 year or £30 for 3 years

For more information and to purchase your Coachcard, please visit our Coachcards page. Alternatively, you can purchase a Coachcard over the phone by calling our bookings line, at our coach stations, or at one of our travel agents across the UK. Senior Coachcards can also be purchased from local UK post offices.

When using one of our Journey Planners to search for your journey, you need to tick the "I have a Coachcard" option and add the number of Coachcards. An example of this is option is shown below.

After searching for your journey, the Choose Journey page will display discounted fares. Choose the best option for you and proceed through the checkout.

On the Your Details page you will need to provide your Coachcard number and expiry date. An example of this is shown below.

Don't forget to take your Coachard with you on your journey. The driver will need to see your Coachcard with your ticket before boarding the coach.

Renewing your Coachcard is easy, simply purchase a new one on our Coachcards page.

If you have been sent a renewal email or letter, please refer to the enclosed instructions.

You can also purchase a new card from a National Express Travelshop or selected agents.

Please note: A Coachcard must be purchased at least 1 day before the first travel date. Coachcard numbers expire, so a new card number and expiry date will be issued with a renewal.

We cannot replace a lost Coachcard. If you have lost your Coachcard, please purchase a new one on our Coachcards page.

If your Coachcard has been stolen, please contact us with your crime reference number.

For customers that were unable to use their Coachcard during lockdown, we have extended the expiry date.

To see if you are eligible for an extension, please visit our Coachcard page.

Use our interactive Route Map to see all our stops and how they are connected.

For more information and help with using our Route Map, visit our Route Map guide.

Your email confirmation, e-Ticket, will contain "View on map" links to the locations of your departure and destination stops.

To view all our stop locations, you can use our new Route Map tool. Once you've found your stop, you can click on the "Directions to Stop" link to get the exact location and directions using Google Maps.

Please note: You must read the details on your ticket as the exact location details of some stops may vary depending on your travel date, time or the direction of travel.

‘Hand Luggage Only’ stops are where we discourage customers from boarding or alighting with luggage that requires driver to open the under-floor lockers. The term is shown within the booking process and is stated for locations where a local authority has requested that we keep dwell times to a minimum, or where roadside furniture does not allow lockers to be opened.

Follow the instructions on our using a voucher page.

Still having an issue?

Should you still be experiencing an issue, firstly check the journey you are booking is valid with the conditions of the voucher code. If this isn’t working, clearing your browser's cache can resolve a number of issues. If you're not sure how to do this, a Google search 'how to clear cache' will assist as this can vary based on the browser you are using.

Please get in touch with us using one of the methods on our contact us page.

On the majority of services, no.

We do provide rest breaks on longer journeys, especially overnight services and services between England and Scotland.

All of our coaches are equipped with toilet and washroom facilities.

Yes. Wi-Fi is subject to daily vehicle allocation and its availability cannot be guaranteed.

It is only available on National Express operated services. 

You can access your personal information we hold about you by filling in this personal data access requests (SAR) form or by contacting the Data Protection Officer at sar.nx@nationalexpress.com

If you have any questions about NX Rewards, you can contact the customer service team by email or phone.

Email: customerservice@nxrewards.com

You can view our latest job vacancies and sign up for job alerts on our careers website.