Useful information on travelling by bus can be found here.

Planning your bus journey

You can use our handy journey planner to find out what bus travel options are available for your journey. Simply follow the steps below to search for your journey:

1. Click on our journey planner

2. Enter where you are travelling to in the destination box (this can be a street name or place)

3. Click on directions

4. In the 'start location’ either select your current location or enter the nearest street name or place you are travelling from.

5. Click on ‘leave now’ to change this to a future arrival or departure time and date.

6. You will be given some options of the service number(s) you will need to make your journey. The preferred journey option is normally listed as the first option.

Ticketing Options

Ticketing information, including links to individual bus companies can be found on our ticketing page.

For simple, easy, great value and flexible travel in the City area, you can simply Tap on Tap off using your contactless card or phone.

Before you leave - catching your bus

You can check our journey planner before you leave to see how long left until your bus arrives. Once you’ve entered your journey details (covered in the section above):

1. Click on the ‘details’ of the journey and then click on the bus stop. This will show you how many minutes left until your bus departs from the bus stop.

2. If the journey says ‘no real-time available’ this means the bus is not tracking on the system in order to give you an accurate estimate of whether the bus is running to time.

We recommend being at your bus stop 5 minutes earlier than the scheduled or tracked time in order to avoid missing the bus.

Real-time information displays

The majority of bus stops on the Mainline and Greenline network are fitted with real-time information displays. There are also large real time information displays at key sites such as St Margaret’s Bus Station and Haymarket Bus Station. This will show you how long left until your bus arrives at the stop you are waiting for.

The real-time information displays at bus stops will show the next 4 buses that are scheduled to arrive at the stop you are waiting at. Each line will show the service number, destination and time the service is due to arrive. The bus stop name will also be listed on the flag under the real-time information display.

If the display is showing a time next to the service number (e.g. 12:55) this means that the bus is not tracking on the route and the system is unable to give an accurate estimate of the arrival time. If the bus is showing a number in minutes next to the service number (e.g. 5mins), this means the bus is being tracked in service properly by the GPS system. You will notice that the display will count down as the bus gets nearer to your bus stop.

At your bus stop

1. Try to arrive at your bus stop 5 minutes before your bus is due.

2. Wait safely on the pavement near the bus stop pole or in the bus shelter if there is one at your stop.

3. Keep an eye on the real-time information display (if there is one at your stop) if you want to check how far away your bus is from the stop.

4. When your bus is in view, please indicate clearly for the driver to stop by holding out your arm.

5. Once the driver has seen you, he/she will indicate left to show they are stopping. You can lower your arm down at this point if you wish.

Lost property, enquiries or feedback

If you have any enquiries, need help with lost property and would like to give some feedback on your bus journey, please contact the relevant bus company: