FAQs

This new coach service will improve connections between communities in North Wales and South West Wales. It will make it easier for people to travel for work, education, healthcare, leisure and other essential journeys.

By providing a direct coach service integrated with existing rail and bus services, TaithCymru will help create a more connected Wales.

This forms part of our commitment to improving public transport connectivity across Wales to support everyday journeys by people living, working, studying and travelling here.

This coach service provides a direct public transport connection between North Wales and South West Wales, where there is currently no direct rail route.

Building new railway infrastructure would require significant investment and take many years to deliver. A coach service allows us to improve connectivity now while supporting access to employment, education and key destinations across Wales.

No. The service is being introduced as part of our wider commitment to improving public transport connectivity across Wales.

While visitors are welcome to use the service, it’s designed primarily to support everyday journeys for people living, working, studying and travelling in Wales.

TaithCymru operates between North Wales and South West Wales, calling at the following destinations

• Holyhead*
• Bangor railway station
• Caernarfon
• Porthmadog
• Dolgellau
• Machynlleth
• Aberystwyth University
• Aberystwyth bus station
• Aberaeron
• Carmarthen railway station

*The service will operate nine times daily between Bangor railway station and Carmarthen railway station. One late-night journey each day will extend to Holyhead railway station and port.

The route has been designed to balance providing access to key communities and destinations while maintaining a journey time that’s attractive and practical for longer-distance journeys.

When developing the route, we considered factors including population centres, transport interchanges, accessibility, customer demand and overall journey times.

Journey times will vary depending on traffic conditions and where customers join the service.

The full timetable, including expected journey times between all stops, will be published before the service launches.

The coach service will run from Sunday 25 October.

We’ll continue to monitor customer demand, service performance and customer feedback following launch.

Any future changes to routes, stopping patterns, timetables or ticketing arrangements will be communicated through our public channels.

Eight Volvo coaches have been purchased to operate the service.

Further information about the vehicles, including onboard facilities and accessibility features, will be published before launch.

The service is provided by Transport for Wales and delivered by authorised operating partners on behalf of TfW.

Regardless of which operator is operating your journey, you should contact TfW for bookings, support, feedback and complaints and lost property enquiries.

No. TaithCymru is part of the Transport for Wales family. Please contact us for information, bookings and support.

Services will operate on the days set out in the timetable. However, services are not currently planned to run on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or New Year's Day. If services are introduced on any of these dates in the future, we will let customers know in advance and update our published timetables accordingly.

You can book on our website or by contacting our Customer Contact Centre. 

Bookings can be made up to 14 days before travel, subject to availability. New journeys are released every Monday, giving you a rolling 14-day booking window from the date of release. Availability is limited and bookings are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

As TaithCymru continues to develop and the service becomes established, the booking window may be extended to let you book further in advance. Any changes to the booking window will be communicated through our website and booking platform.

Yes. Subject to availability, bookings can be made up to 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

Tickets cannot be purchased from the driver. 

TaithCymru is designed to provide longer-distance coach travel across Wales.

This means tickets won't be available for some journeys between stops less than 15 miles apart, even if both locations are served by a TaithCymru coach. If your journey is less than 15 miles, you may need to use alternative local bus or rail services.

Ticket prices vary depending on the journey being made.

Current fares, ticket types and any promotional offers are available on our website.

The following fare types are available:

• Adult (16 years and over)
• Child (5 to 15 years)
• Infant (0 to 4 years)

Infants travel free provided they do not require their own seat. If a separate seat is required, a Child ticket must be purchased.

No. Concessionary bus passes are not currently accepted on TaithCymru services.

Bookings cannot be amended or transferred to another customer once purchased.

If you no longer wish to travel, you can cancel your booking and receive a refund up until 23:59 on the day before your scheduled departure date.

After this deadline, bookings become non-refundable.

No. Tickets are only valid for the specific date, departure time, origin and destination shown on your booking confirmation.

No. If you leave the coach at an intermediate stop, you cannot continue later using the same ticket.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.

The coach cannot wait if you’re late. 

If you miss your booked coach, your ticket will no longer be valid. Unfortunately we won’t be able to provide a refund if this happens.

Your ticket will be delivered electronically to the email address provided at the time of booking. If you book by phone and are unable to provide an email address, our Customer Support team will provide your booking reference number verbally.

It’s your responsibility to record and retain your booking reference number when it’s provided. We cannot accept responsibility for lost, forgotten or incorrectly recorded booking reference numbers.

You must provide your ticket/booking reference number when requested. Failure to do so may result in travel being refused.

Please contact our Customer Contact Centre before travelling. Please ensure you provide the correct email address when making your booking.

While we can often provide assistance on the day, we strongly recommend contacting us at least 36 hours before you travel to ensure suitable arrangements can be made.

Yes. Recognised assistance dogs and accredited assistance animals are welcome to travel on TaithCymru services free of charge.

To help us provide any necessary support and have appropriate arrangements in place, please notify us if you’re travelling with an assistance animal when booking your ticket.

We can only permit 1 assistance or accredited animal per service.

Yes, wheelchair users are welcome. To be carried on the coach, the wheelchair must not exceed:

• 70cm wide
• 120cm long
• 135cm high

Our wheelchair lifts have a maximum safe working load of 300kg, including the combined weight of the customer and wheelchair.

For the safety of everyone onboard and to ensure the wheelchair lift can operate correctly, mobility equipment must be within these dimensions. If you're unsure, please contact us before travelling. We'll be happy to help.

Yes. When booking, you’ll confirm your wheelchair complies with our accessibility requirements.

No. Not all pick-up and drop-off locations are fully wheelchair accessible.

For example, Aberaeron is currently not an accessible stop.

Alternative journey options are available via TrawsCymru services T1 (Carmarthen - Aberystwyth), T5 (Aberaeron - Aberystwyth) and T2 (Aberystwyth - Bangor). Please note these services do not operate overnight.

Small, lightweight mobility scooters may be accepted where they can be folded or dismantled and safely stored in the luggage area. Customers travelling independently, or with the assistance of a companion, are responsible for folding, dismantling and storing the scooter. Drivers are unable to undertake this task on behalf of customers but can assist with storing in the luggage area.

You cannot remain seated in a mobility scooter while travelling.

While onboard toilet facilities are available, they are not wheelchair accessible.

Details of planned comfort stops and accessible facilities will be published where applicable.

For health and safety reasons, our colleagues cannot:

• Lift or carry customers.
• Transfer customers into seats.
• Assist with eating or drinking.
• Provide personal care or hygiene support (such as help using the toilet).
• Administer medication or medical treatment.
• Operate, dismantle or reassemble mobility aids.
• Provide continuous supervision throughout the journey.

If you may require this type of support, please travel with a companion or carer.

• One large suitcase (maximum 75cm × 50cm × 32cm and 20kg)
• One small item of hand luggage

No. Additional luggage beyond the published allowance is not permitted.

Yes. One pushchair (including a double) per child may be carried free of charge in addition to your luggage allowance.

You must fold the pushchair before it’s stored on the coach.

Yes. Folding bicycles can be carried as part of your luggage allowance.

Non-folding bicycles and e-bikes must be stored in a suitable bicycle bag supplied by you.

All bicycles and e-bikes are subject to available storage space. Batteries must be disconnected and stored separately to the bike.

No. You must provide your own bicycle bag or protective case.

No. Electric scooters and electric unicycles are prohibited on all TaithCymru services.

Prohibited items include:

• Weapons, ammunition and explosives.
• Fireworks.
• Illegal drugs.
• Hazardous materials.
• Electric scooters and electric unicycles.
• Mobility aids that do not meet accessibility requirements.
• Items weighing more than 20kg.
• Leaking, damaged or unsafe items.
• Any item that could create a safety risk to our customers or colleagues. 

You may be asked to remove, dispose of or make alternative arrangements for the item before boarding.

The coach will not be delayed or held while alternative arrangements are made.

We cannot provide a refund if you’re refused travel due to a prohibited item.

No. Pets are not permitted on TaithCymru services.

If your journey is cancelled before your date of travel, you’ll receive a full refund and can make a new booking on any available service that best suits your travel needs.

If your journey is cancelled on the day of travel, you’ll be able to rebook onto an alternative scheduled service. The fare paid for your original journey will be refunded.

If your journey is cancelled while you’re already travelling, we’ll work with you to ensure you can complete your journey. This may include arranging alternative transport or providing suitable onward travel options, where available.

Our priority is to minimise disruption and support you in reaching your destination as safely and conveniently as possible.

If your journey is significantly disrupted, we'll always look to help you complete your journey and will review compensation fairly based on the circumstances.

No. Delay Repay does not apply to TaithCymru services.

Compensation will not normally be provided where disruption is caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including:

• severe weather
• road traffic incidents
• road closures
• emergency service activity
• security incidents
• public events
• other unforeseen circumstances outside our control

Compensation may be considered where disruption results from circumstances within our control, including:

• vehicle breakdowns
• driver availability issues
• operational failures

Yes. Every coach is fitted with an onboard toilet.

Please note that the onboard toilets are not wheelchair accessible.

There will be no comfort breaks offered on route.

Wi-Fi is available on our TaithCymru coaches. Connectivity and availability cannot be guaranteed.

USB charging points are available on TaithCymru coaches. Power sockets are not available.

Yes, provided it does not cause discomfort, nuisance or disruption to other customers. Please take away any rubbish when leaving the coach to keep it clean and tidy for other customers.

No. The consumption of alcohol or other intoxicating substances is prohibited on TaithCymru services.

No. Smoking and vaping are prohibited on all TaithCymru services.

Please behave respectfully and follow instructions given by the driver or our colleagues.

Abusive, threatening, discriminatory, disruptive (including noise) or unsafe behaviour will not be tolerated. It may result in travel being refused or removal from the service.

Conditions of Carriage

You may be refused travel or asked to leave the service if you’re not appropriately dressed. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Travelling without a shirt or top.
• Travelling barefoot.
• Wearing beachwear or swimwear that’s not appropriately covered.
• Wearing clothing that is offensive, obscene or likely to cause distress to other passengers.
• Wearing clothing that may present a safety risk to yourself or others.

Please contact our Customer Contact Centre on 03333 211 202 as soon as possible with details of your journey and the item lost.

No. While we’ll make every effort to return lost property, this cannot be guaranteed.

We accept no responsibility for items that are lost, stolen or damaged.

Please contact us by

phone - 03333 211 202
email - taithcymrusupport@tfw.wales
social media - Facebook Messenger - https://m.me/@TfWTrafnidiaethCymru

Our customer support opening hours for TaithCymru are shown below. They can also be found on the TaithCymru website.

Tuesday 06 October - Sunday 25 October

07:00 - 19:00 - Monday to Saturday

09:00 - 17:00 Sunday

After Sunday 25 October  

24-hour customer support service.

Please submit any refund requests, complaints, compliments or feedback to our Customer Support team.

We welcome feedback about our services and colleagues. Compliments can be submitted through any of our customer support channels.

If you no longer wish to travel, you can cancel your journey using the self-service cancellation link included in your booking confirmation email. Simply select the cancellation link and follow the on-screen instructions to cancel your booking.

If you’re unable to find the cancellation link, experience issues cancelling your booking or require additional assistance, please contact our Customer Support team on 03333 211 202.

Yes. If you’re unable to use the self-service cancellation link, our Customer Support team can help you over the phone on 03333 211 202.

Once your cancellation has been processed, you’ll receive confirmation that your booking has been cancelled. Any applicable refunds will be processed in accordance with our Refunds and Cancellations Policy.