PlusBus Tickets

[Deerfold]

Anyone know if there's still a Grimsby Plusbus Zone? I'm just buying a ticket to Grimsby and am offered a Plusbus, but wanted to check acceptance and it doesn't seem to exist on the Plusbus website.

EDIT: There is, but searching for Grimsby on the Plusbus website doesn't find the Cleethropes and Grimsby Zone.

 

[Haywain]

Anyone know if there's still a Grimsby Plusbus Zone? I'm just buying a ticket to Grimsby and am offered a Plusbus, but wanted to check acceptance and it doesn't seem to exist on the Plusbus website.

EDIT: There is, but searching for Grimsby on the Plusbus website doesn't find the Cleethropes and Grimsby Zone.

I can find it here via Google.

 

[OscarH]

The site you're buying from should really link to it!

 

[Deerfold]

I can find it here via Google.

That's how I found it. But I'd expected to be able to find it with the search within PlusBus.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

The site you're buying from should really link to it!

LNER linked me to this page: https://www.plusbus.info/ which tells me all about Plusbus e-ticketing but nothing about the local validity of the ticket.

(I've realised that the search did work but gave me 20 results and I didn't see it with Cleethorpes at the start as LNER described it as a Grimsby Plusbus ticket. It didn't help that I was already frustrated with the new LNER booking system).

 

[OscarH]

LNER linked me to this page: https://www.plusbus.info/ which tells me all about Plusbus e-ticketing but nothing about the local validity of the ticket.

That is poor. There is a mapping of location codes to links to the specific scheme pages on that site that they should be using

 

[microrich]

Somewhat puzzled about the PlusBus for Lewes: https://www.plusbus.info/lewes

The PlusBus website states that the only participating operator is Arriva Kent and Surrey. To the best of my knowledge, Arriva do not (and never have) operated any services in this area.

I've sent them an email, since I assume this is an error on their website.

 

[ls2270]

Somewhat puzzled about the PlusBus for Lewes: https://www.plusbus.info/lewes

The PlusBus website states that the only participating operator is Arriva Kent and Surrey. To the best of my knowledge, Arriva do not (and never have) operated any services in this area.

I've sent them an email, since I assume this is an error on their website.

Their Tunbridge Wells Garage did used to operate the 29 jointly with Brighton and Hove but that was a long time ago now! It may even have been before it was renumbered from 729 to 29 thinking about it.

 

[microrich]

Somewhat puzzled about the PlusBus for Lewes: https://www.plusbus.info/lewes

The PlusBus website states that the only participating operator is Arriva Kent and Surrey. To the best of my knowledge, Arriva do not (and never have) operated any services in this area.

I've sent them an email, since I assume this is an error on their website.

To follow up on my posting, very impressed that PlusBus replied within a day and have now fixed the website so that the Lewes PlusBus participating operators has been changed from:

Arriva Kent and Surrey​

to:

Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company, Compass Travel​

They do seem to have left out Cuckmere Buses - which is slightly surprising since the Eastbourne and Newhaven/Seaford PlusBus areas include them (they operate a small number of services from Lewes, including the 25 on Saturdays). I'll email them again to see if this is intentional.

Their Tunbridge Wells Garage did used to operate the 29 jointly with Brighton and Hove but that was a long time ago now! It may even have been before it was renumbered from 729 to 29 thinking about it.

Indeed, I stand corrected! As far as I can see from historic timetables the arrangement ended sometime between 2004 and 2008.

 

[markymark2000]

I've bought a few paper Plusbuses recently and mostly good experiences so hopefully word is getting out again about Plusbuses.

2 notable experiences in Leeds though using a Leeds Plusbus with a railcard discount. Both bad experiences with Arriva drivers. The first claimed that it was a train ticket and not valid (so I informed him it was a plusbus), then tried to tell me it wasn't valid because the ticket said 'from Leeds to Leeds Plusbus' (so I showed my accompanying train ticket and informed him that this is how they are normally printed). When both of those failed, he then started saying that it's not valid because the price is too cheap (so I showed him my railcard but again he wasn't having it). Any excuse and every excuse to try and not accept it. Took a good 2 minutes of standing my ground before he let me on but he insisted it was a one off. A second driver again tried to say that it was a train ticket, then he also went for the 'its too cheap it must be fake' before eventually letting me on.

Shame that Arriva Yorkshire drivers were so against Plusbus as other operators were perfectly fine with it. Even A Lyles & Sons (a small independent near Dewsbury) accepted it without quibble which is rare for such a small independent.
On almost all of my recent journeys (not just in Leeds but various places), nothing was logged on Ticketer that I got on with a Plusbus so if ops are reimbursed based off tickets accepted, a lot of money is being lost there, and operators are losing out of vital data of actual plusbus usage.

 

[RuddA]

I purchased the Anglia Plus One Day Ranger a couple of weeks ago

Anglia Plus

Explore parts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire with an Anglia Plus ticketThe beauty of these train tickets is that you can 'hop on and hop off' the train - so you can visit more than one destination in a day.You can choose between a One Day Ranger, 'Three Days in Seven' Flexi Rover, or a...

www.greateranglia.co.uk

This offers Plusbus in Norwich, Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds.

Travelling in and out of Norwich City Centre was fine.
Whilst in Ipswich travelling from the station to town centre using Ipswich buses the ticket was accepted but it felt like the driver did so begrudgingly.
Completely different experience with the driver whilst travelling from Norwich station to the city centre. The bus driver didn't want to accept it as "Plusbus" wasn't printed on the ticket so I showed him the page on website and he let us on. Whilst travelling through Castle Meadow and passing the First travel office he stopped in the middle of the road and shouted across to a colleague "Do Plusbus tickets always have it printed on them?", the response was "Yes". He then said to me something along the lines of "My boss over there says they should all have Plusbus on them as I said." I went into the First travel centre a couple of days later and the person at the counter had no idea regarding Anglia Plus and Plusbus inclusion.
Easy to see why people maybe put off using Plusbus.

 

[Adam Williams]

I purchased the Anglia Plus One Day Ranger a couple of weeks ago

Anglia Plus

Explore parts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire with an Anglia Plus ticketThe beauty of these train tickets is that you can 'hop on and hop off' the train - so you can visit more than one destination in a day.You can choose between a One Day Ranger, 'Three Days in Seven' Flexi Rover, or a...

www.greateranglia.co.uk

This offers Plusbus in Norwich, Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds.

Travelling in and out of Norwich City Centre was fine.
Whilst in Ipswich travelling from the station to town centre using Ipswich buses the ticket was accepted but it felt like the driver did so begrudgingly.
Completely different experience with the driver whilst travelling from Norwich station to the city centre. The bus driver didn't want to accept it as "Plusbus" wasn't printed on the ticket so I showed him the page on website and he let us on. Whilst travelling through Castle Meadow and passing the First travel office he stopped in the middle of the road and shouted across to a colleague "Do Plusbus tickets always have it printed on them?", the response was "Yes". He then said to me something along the lines of "My boss over there says they should all have Plusbus on them as I said." I went into the First travel centre a couple of days later and the person at the counter had no idea regarding Anglia Plus and Plusbus inclusion.
Easy to see why people maybe put off using Plusbus.

Why do you suggest that this is a PlusBus ticket? As far as I can see it's a different sort of ranger product that just happens to have bus travel thrown in.

 

[RuddA]

Why do you suggest that this is a PlusBus ticket? As far as I can see it's a different sort of ranger product that just happens to have bus travel thrown in.

Probably I just associated train ticket + bus as Plusbus, which I agree it doesn't state on the Greater Anglia website. Does that make it more confusing for everyone, the bus drivers understanding of what is included and the customers understanding of which services can be used? I wonder whether they are the same routes in Norwich as are included in the Plusbus area or more restrictive?

 

[Buzby]

I had this constantly in Manchester (Bee Network) each time there was a 'discussion' - not helped by the drivers thinking I was trying to use a train ticket for a bus journey. I'm hoping the scannable replacement will take the driver out the loop, but it really is a depressing concept to have these hassles in using it.

 

[Bungle965]

I had this constantly in Manchester (Bee Network) each time there was a 'discussion' - not helped by the drivers thinking I was trying to use a train ticket for a bus journey. I'm hoping the scannable replacement will take the driver out the loop, but it really is a depressing concept to have these hassles in using it.

I've no first had experience but with the Ticketer machines being owned by TfGM there should hopefully be less chance of rejection as if it works for one operator it should work for all.

 

[Buzby]

Ticketer machines being owned by TfGM

My experience dates from earlier this year, a standard rail ticket, nothing for Ticketer to ‘scan’. I assume the change is to include an Aztec code, but I’ve not been back to find out.

 

[David Goddard]

Probably I just associated train ticket + bus as Plusbus, which I agree it doesn't state on the Greater Anglia website. Does that make it more confusing for everyone, the bus drivers understanding of what is included and the customers understanding of which services can be used? I wonder whether they are the same routes in Norwich as are included in the Plusbus area or more restrictive?

There are some differences in Norwich. This is taken from the respective websites

Plusbus: First Norfolk & Suffolk and Konectbus, in the area shown here
Anglia Plus (from GA site): On any First Norfolk & Suffolk bus in Norwich, except Park & Ride services

So the Anglia plus facility is a bit more restrictive by excluding Konectbus and the P&R, but the First serves areas are implies to be the same.
I used and Anglia Plus in Norwich a couple of weeks ago and got an odd look, but advised the driver what I knew from the website (had it on the phone in case) and was let on.

Ipswich is rather different as Anglia Plus its only valid on buses between the station and the town centre, not all over the town as per PlusBus, and likewise in Bury its just on one route (Breeze- an off peak town loop service) and its unclear from other sources if that still runs. Plusbus gets you most of the town.

 

[RuddA]

I used and Anglia Plus in Norwich a couple of weeks ago and got an odd look, but advised the driver what I knew from the website (had it on the phone in case) and was let on.

I even showed the driver the website but he was adamant that Plusbus needed to be printed on the ticket, as was his manager.
When it works, and you're confident there won't be any problems with acceptance, it is good value for money.

 

[markymark2000]

My experience dates from earlier this year, a standard rail ticket, nothing for Ticketer to ‘scan’. I assume the change is to include a Aztec code, but I’ve not been back to find out.

The 'scan' thing is for the e-ticket Plusbuses which are now available through a few train ticket retailers.

 

[purple-Azumas]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in St Albans this morning. In all cases the Ticketer machines rejected the e-Ticket.

Uno: Driver knew exactly what it was (though made me scan it anyway) and waved me on when it wasn't working.

Red Eagle: Driver hadn't a clue what PlusBus was but seemed to accept my explanation of the scheme and waved me on.

Arriva: Driver was having absolutely none of it. Pointed at his machine which showed 'Rejected', accused me of printing out my own barcode, refused to accept that PlusBus was a thing and concluded that it hadn't worked on his machine so wouldn't be letting me on. He also decided to stick his middle finger up at me as he passed which didn't seem particularly sensible on his part.

I'm generally alright with orange CCSTs as there's nothing for them to try and scan ... training definitely lacking across the board though.

 

[Hophead]

I've used CCST PlusBus tickets for many years in various towns & cities, but had my first (almost) refusal last week. This was in the Nottingham suburbs and the self-styled "really good bus company". The trentbarton driver didn't know what the ticket was and had never seen one before. He did, however, let me travel and hopefully took up my suggestion to enquire back at base.

 

[Vexed]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in St Albans this morning. In all cases the Ticketer machines rejected the e-Ticket.

Uno: Driver knew exactly what it was (though made me scan it anyway) and waved me on when it wasn't working.

Red Eagle: Driver hadn't a clue what PlusBus was but seemed to accept my explanation of the scheme and waved me on.

Arriva: Driver was having absolutely none of it. Pointed at his machine which showed 'Rejected', accused me of printing out my own barcode, refused to accept that PlusBus was a thing and concluded that it hadn't worked on his machine so wouldn't be letting me on. He also decided to stick his middle finger up at me as he passed which didn't seem particularly sensible on his part.

I'm generally alright with orange CCSTs as there's nothing for them to try and scan ... training definitely lacking across the board though.

Each operator reacted broadly how I'd expect then!

I rarely get positive experiences from Arriva - whether that's drivers speeding, using their phone in the cab while issuing tickets (not while moving... Yet), and unachievable timetables. Remarkably they did accept a paper PlusBus ticket the last time I tried! Then the driver was chatting away to a passenger leaning next to the cab door...

Disappointing it didn't scan on Uno - I think I mentioned upthread that a driver took a photo of my eTicket PlusBus to send to the garage to get them sorted. I'd explained at the time that eTickets had only been a thing for PlusBus for literally a couple days so they probably hadn't set the machines up yet.

 

[Merseysider]

Well, for the first time in many years I risked using PlusBus (having been put off it for the best part of 10 years thanks to Manchester drivers frequently being a**eholes about it!)

3 days using it in Inverness, neither my mum nor I had any issues whatsoever using it.

One driver did want to inspect it closely but had no problem with it, another driver asked us if he could take a photo as he'd never seen them before (!) and another essentially interviewed me about how they work and how to get them as he knew they were accepted but, again, had never seen one before!

No issues using it in Brum before / after the trip either.

Fun times when things actually go right.

 

[Fiyero]

I had my first fail in a while last week. Bought tickets for me and mum and plus bus and added it all to my google wallet. a setting must have changed to NFC turned back on so as soon as I tried to scan the barcode the debit card 'woke up' (as on the Ticketer machine barcode scanner is right above card reader). I realised what had happened and tried to try again / explain but the machine kept saying card already used and the driver insisted the debit card hadn't scanned (but it had!). He let us on but I ended up being charged a £3 maximum fare on top of the already bought plus-buses. Can't see how to get the card number used to log in to the Bus company's portal so guess I have to chalk it up to experience (and revert to paper plus buses!)

 

[Edvid]

Sounds like the bus operator in question has Tap On Tap Off enabled.

@Fiyero, which bus operator was it? It's usually possible to look up transactions on mytrips.littlepay.com/[operator-related suffix] if the operator uses Ticketers.

If it helps, on Android phones the NFC switch is usually positioned alongside push notifications when you drag them from the top of the screen.

 

[Fiyero]

Sounds like the bus operator in question has Tap On Tap Off enabled.

@Fiyero, which bus operator was it? It's usually possible to look up transactions on mytrips.littlepay.com/[operator-related suffix] if the operator uses Ticketers.

If it helps, on Android phones the NFC switch is usually positioned alongside push notifications when you drag them from the top of the screen.

They do, and I use it with my physical card sometimes. I had turned NFC off but it had turned back on!

I need the card number - not sure how to get that out of my google wallet to use their portal.

 

[Edvid]

I need the card number - not sure how to get that out of my google wallet to use their portal.

Enter your physical card number and transactions made with your linked virtual card will also be available to review.

 

[Vexed]

I had my first fail in a while last week. Bought tickets for me and mum and plus bus and added it all to my google wallet. a setting must have changed to NFC turned back on so as soon as I tried to scan the barcode the debit card 'woke up' (as on the Ticketer machine barcode scanner is right above card reader). I realised what had happened and tried to try again / explain but the machine kept saying card already used and the driver insisted the debit card hadn't scanned (but it had!). He let us on but I ended up being charged a £3 maximum fare on top of the already bought plus-buses. Can't see how to get the card number used to log in to the Bus company's portal so guess I have to chalk it up to experience (and revert to paper plus buses!)

I once had Google Wallet decide to activate while scanning a ticket in the bus companies own app for some reason. It took about 15 seconds for the driver to find my accidental tap on and "anul" (undo/refund) it on a Ticketer machine, so not much of an excuse there except poor training.

I see others have answered that using the physical bank card should show all virtual ones as well.

 

[Fiyero]

Enter your physical card number and transactions made with your linked virtual card will also be available to review.

Good to know, but the card number has rubbed off the physical card too!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Sep 2025 ==

I once had Google Wallet decide to activate while scanning a ticket in the bus companies own app for some reason. It took about 15 seconds for the driver to find my accidental tap on and "anul" (undo/refund) it on a Ticketer machine, so not much of an excuse there except poor training.

I see others have answered that using the physical bank card should show all virtual ones as well.

Yes, I have seen them remove taps before (and even accidentally removed mine too!) He insisted there wasn't a tap! (and I was holding up the bus!!!)

 

[Edvid]

Good to know, but the card number has rubbed off the physical card too!

If you check your recent banking statements or use internet/mobile banking the card number should be listed somewhere. The latter may also be an option if it's actually the CVV/CVV2 that's rubbed off.

 

[MrJeeves]

I had my first fail in a while last week. Bought tickets for me and mum and plus bus and added it all to my google wallet. a setting must have changed to NFC turned back on so as soon as I tried to scan the barcode the debit card 'woke up' (as on the Ticketer machine barcode scanner is right above card reader).

I once had Google Wallet decide to activate while scanning a ticket in the bus companies own app for some reason. It took about 15 seconds for the driver to find my accidental tap on and "anul" (undo/refund) it on a Ticketer machine, so not much of an excuse there except poor training.

When setting up a Google Wallet pass, developers can set flags to tell the app to disable NFC automatically. I've made sure to set that up for tickets bought through TrainSplit/Raileasy/the forum, but evidently other retailers are not as customer experience focused!