Free bus pass

I was sorry to hear this week that the train now only goes as far as Plymouth!

Trains do still go down into deepest, darkest Cornwall.

we live in Wiltshire and travelled to Southampton - paid for the ferry and then our bus pass again around the Island. Return journey the same
Years ago we met a couple who travelled around the whole of England and stayed in B&Bs. the husband had planned the whole journey and booked overnight stays in advance.

I realise that Allira.
It's just that the Cornishman, like the Flying Scotsman are such iconic names and trains.
It always gives me a thrill to see them.
The Cornishman ran daily from Aberdeen to Penzance taking a little over 12 hours.
It was an excellent opportunity to travel the length of our country. excluding Wales and N Ireland, sorry
I only went there and back that once.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c753zzvd6gno

It ran for 100 years until last week.

I have travelled from Durham to Deven bus hopping took a few days and had to do a few odd routes but it was more achievable back then in early 2000's, wouldn't know where to start now.

Grammaretto

I realise that Allira.
It's just that the Cornishman, like the Flying Scotsman are such iconic names and trains.
It always gives me a thrill to see them.
The Cornishman ran daily from Aberdeen to Penzance taking a little over 12 hours.
It was an excellent opportunity to travel the length of our country. excluding Wales and N Ireland, sorry
I only went there and back that once.

I suppose I used to travel on the Cornishman years ago when I was a child, changing in London, going to visit my aunt in Cornwall.
We saw the Flying Scotsman going past Cullompton years ago, a crowd of people were gathered there so we came off the M5 to watch.

I travel on buses almost daily and frequently from just outside Edinburgh to the far north of Scotland, over 200 miles. We often plan a day out going into Edinburgh or Glasgow and then onwards from there. I can travel over the border to Carlisle. Any further south would have to be paid for. I plan to do some island hopping soon which is top of my bucket list, staing in hostels and B&Bs

An old (91) friend and I have had lots of very cheap holidays by travelling free with our bus passes.
Bus services have been much reduced so it takes some planning and takes hours longer than travelling the same distance by car. Some buses are very rattle and noisy.
My friend recently wanted a day out which would have involved 2 1/2 hours there, 3 1/2 back and an open-topped sight seeing bus around the city. I’m afraid I said No!

Belfast to Cork via Dublin.

Belfast to Cork via Dublin

A lady in her 80s who used to come to my Tai Chi group was the world's greatest expert on travelling with a bus pass. There wasn't a bus route she didn't know in the Home Counties and across London. She could work out the most complicated routes with bus numbers and times, and all without spending a penny.

Not really answering this question but I have an appointment next week to apply for my bus pass! 14 days before my 66th birthday. So excited!

lighty

I am lucky that the borough of London that I live in provides a free pass that can be used on buses, tube trains & overground all through London & the far outskirts

but you do not get one if you live outside of a London borough that works in London

Use of bus passes across county boundaries in England seems quite random. I am near to 2 such and can use mine West but not North, and not East a little further, even though I am on the same bus, nor can I use them on park and ride or express buses (useful to get to hospital) or trains

How exciting LadyStardust!

Here in Scotland we get ours at 60. It was honestly my best present.
Not just that it was free but the ease of travel without needing to carry cash it was pre phone payment back then and being able to jump on and off buses and long distance coaches.
I'm sure it must have helped the Scottish economy as we oldies spend money in distant towns and avoid depression and loneliness.
I hope you have many happy years of freedom.

I am 68 and haven’t yet used my bus pass. I’d go to Venice on it like a shot, though!

In Hungary you don’t need a card and brits qualify. Over 60 the bus, tram and metro all free.

One cannot use one's Wales oap bus pass in England,

mokryna

I have never had a free bus pass in France nor a winter fuel allowance moreover there is not a triple lock guarantee on the pension but I do believe the social health service is a tiny bit better off in big towns and of course there are free school places from the age of 3 and sometimes 2 in someplaces.

The downside in France for three different family groups, was the lack of aftercare following back surgery for one family member and finding your own interpreters with appropriate medical terminology proved costly and difficult. The nurses, being mainly from nuns, was apparently very professional and they proved to be exceptionally kind and caring. Perhaps the nuns don’t have the same outside lives to deal with!

Welsh buss pass, so St David’s and Pembroke to the west, Newport and Chepstow to the east. Will try north soon. No south as we are at the coast

Aberdeen to Berwick upon Tweed would be longest single journey for me using my bus pass

Aberdeen to Edinburgh.

Grammaretto, Thank you! I hope so too.

I got my free bus pass at 60 (Scotland) and was looking forward to using it. Unfortunately the buses are so few and far between so I have only managed a couple of journeys. Our local buses are frequently cancelled and are unreliable. The only reliable ones seem to be the ones on the longer routes eg to Glasgow, Carlisle or Edinburgh. If I lived in the central belt I would definitely use my pass regularly as I don't really e jpy driving.

I live in London (it's very expensive nowadays!) but I get free travel with a Freedom Pass since '98. You can apply if you're 66 in the UK, or 60+ for an Oyster card if you live in London