Buying PlusBus addon after buying train ticket

[Hejaz]

Hi there,

I have a super off-peak return between Grays (GRY) and Bristol Temple Meads (BRI), The outward portion is valid on 8 July. The return portion is valid from 8 July to 7 August.

What I'd like to know is, is it possible to present my train ticket at a ticket office and get a Bristol PlusBus ticket for 9 July?

I know that, had I had more foresight, I could've bought this addon for the desired date at the same time as buying the train ticket:


My question is specifically regarding whether it can be bought now that I'm already in possession of the train tickets; whether I need anything in addition to the train tickets to buy the PlusBus e.g. if need to present an itinerary which shows my intended return date or the like. If so, can it be any ticket office or does it have to be GWR? Does it have to be on the day that I plan to travel or can I do it in advance?

Thanks for your time.

 

[alistairlees]

You can buy it at any time, from any station. Just show your train tickets.

 

[Hejaz]

You can buy it at any time, from any station. Just show your train tickets.

Thank you for the quick reply.

And there won't be any concern about the date of the PlusBus addon when the return portion has a month of validity?

Is there any documentation online I can point to if I have any trouble? I haven't always had the greatest experience at ticket offices when buying train tickets.

 

[stadler]

I have certainly bought plusbus at another ticket offices after already buying my ticket. Sometimes i buy my ticket at the origin and then only remember to buy a plusbus ticket when i get to my destination. So it is certainly allowed and i have never been refused. You can also buy plusbus from a guard onboard the train which i have also done multiple times.

 

[alistairlees]

Thank you for the quick reply.

And there won't be any concern about the date of the PlusBus addon when the return portion has a month of validity?

Is there any documentation online I can point to if I have any trouble? I haven't always had the greatest experience at ticket offices when buying train tickets.

There will be no concerns about the date. There isn't any public documentation that I know of; the Plusbus website does not mention this scenario.

 

[Hadders]

To maximise your chances of success you could try and obtain the Plusbus from the ticket offices at Grays, Fenchurch Street or Paddington on your outward journey. No need to wait until you get to Bristol.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have done this at Weymouth, there wasn't any argument or debate, they just issued it. I seem to recall they marked the ticket that it had had a Plusbus issued so I couldn't get more than one.

 

[Haywain]

I will second the advice to buy it at the first opportunity. You can only get this at a ticket office so you don’t want to risk the last available ticket office being closed when you get there!

 

[redreni]

I've never been refused when I've tried this. I only buy Plusbus tickets for days when I am intending to travel by train, but I don't ever recall being asked to confirm this when presenting a single-use ticket that has a month's validity. To some extent it's something they have to take on trust, I think.

I've never had my ticket endorsed to show it's had a PlusBus ticket issued against it, either, so interested to discover some ticket offices do this. I almost never get asked to show my Railcard either, though, so I've obviously got a trustworthy-looking face.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

I managed to get a Stoke-on-Trent Plusbus added to my West Midlands Day Ranger at Northampton ticket office without any quibbling.

When I go somewhere with my little boy and can use our Family & Friends Railcard, a days PlusBus is often cheaper than a single bus ticket (for example, Stoke was £2.30 adult and £1.80 for the boy).

 

[redreni]

I will second the advice to buy it at the first opportunity. You can only get this at a ticket office so you don’t want to risk the last available ticket office being closed when you get there!

I've bought PlusBuses from guards as well, though your mileage may vary. SWR were fine about it, but the one time I tried it on Northern they said it was impossible (though I got the feeling the bloke just didn't know how).

 

[htwestern]

I’ve managed to get a Weston + Bus issued from WsM ticket office after arriving on a GWR PayG Smartcard — is this technically compliant? They never scanned the card

 

[Haywain]

I've bought PlusBuses from guards as well, though your mileage may vary.

So have I, but I have also been refused. My advice is based on travelling to Bournemouth and finding the ticket office closed so I couldn't buy one!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jun 2025 ==

I’ve managed to get a Weston + Bus issued from WsM ticket office after arriving on a GWR PayG Smartcard — is this technically compliant?

Yes, you had a travel ticket.

 

[Hejaz]

Thanks all. I will try to buy a PlusBus ticket ahead of time. Appreciate the help.

 

[Hejaz]

Just to update this thread, I got a PlusBus ticket for my desired date at Grays with no issues. Thanks all for the help.