Planning your journey

By train 

Trains in the UK are run by a variety of different train companies that cover different geographic areas or specific railway lines. You can plan your journey and book tickets on the website of the company that operates the train you want to travel on or by using a website that covers all trains run by all train companies, such as thetrainline.com. The National Rail website has a journey planner that will redirect you to the correct train company website after you have chosen the train or trains you want to book. 

Ticket prices can vary depending on: whether you are travelling during ‘peak’ or ‘off-peak’ time; whether you have booked a cheaper Advance ticket; and whether you have a railcard (you must carry your railcard with you on your journey for your discounted ticket to be valid). Peak time is also known as ‘rush hour’ (though it can last several hours), which is the busiest period of the day with the most expensive tickets; peak time is generally several hours before 9am or 9.30am, but can also be for several hours in the late afternoon and early evening in cities such as London. The National Rail website has guides explaining ticket types and railcards. 

It is sometimes possible to make a journey cheaper by doing something called ‘split ticketing’, where you have separate tickets for different sections of your journey that add up to a lower overall price than if you had bought one ticket for the whole journey. There are websites that can help you find these cheaper split ticket journeys – search for ‘split tickets uk’. The Trainline app will show you available cheaper split tickets automatically.

By bus 

Buses in the UK are run by a variety of different bus companies that cover different geographic areas or specific bus routes. How to plan your journey and buy a ticket can be quite a different process depending on the bus you want to catch. 

In London, you cannot use cash on buses; you must either buy a travel card before boarding to show to the driver or ‘tap in’ when you board the bus using a contactless card, smartphone card, or an Oyster card (that has been topped up with money or had a travelcard added). You only need to ‘tap in’ on buses in London, you don’t need to ‘tap out’ as you do on London underground and overground trains. 

Outside of London, you can usually pay with cash, contactless card or smartphone card when boarding a bus, but you should look this up for the exact bus or bus company you plan to use. In some areas and on buses from some companies you can use an app to buy tickets or bus passes in advance; you may also be able to see how many minutes until your bus arrives and/or track the live location of the bus on these apps. 

In other areas there may be less infrastructure, such as mobile apps and digital display boards, and you have to rely on timetables displayed at bus stops and/or online. It is common that buses may not arrive at the exact time the timetable indicates, due to various delays such as traffic or a shortage of drivers. 

Making connections 

Sometimes journeys are not ‘direct’ (using only one train or bus) from the start to the end point, and you must change onto a new train or bus to continue your journey, which is known as making a connection. When planning your journey, it is important to consider how much time you personally need to make a connection, which may include getting yourself to a different platform, station or bus stop. 

Journey planning apps will usually suggest routes that allow enough time to make a connection for the average person, so if you need or want to take more time to make a connection then you should consider whether a later connecting train or bus is better for you. On the National Rail journey planner there is an option to allow extra time to change trains, adding from 30 minutes to 2 hours to the connection times. In major cities, you can use apps such as Citymapper to plan journeys that use multiple modes of transport within the same city. 

If you need to transfer to a different bus stop or train station, it can be helpful to simulate the journey on Google Maps Street View, so you can see what it will look like before you have to do it in real life; though you should be aware that certain landmarks, like shops, may look different or have closed down in the time since the Street View images were taken. Often you can search for a bus stop and street name on Google Maps, but sometimes you may have to compare a bus route map with Google Maps to find the right bus stop on Street View. You could also use Street View to look for nearby parks or benches where you could take a break between sections of your journey. 

Booking free assistance for train journeys 

It is possible to book a free Passenger Assist service for all UK train journeys. You should try to book as far in advance as possible and at least 2 hours before your journey; rail staff will try to assist you if you arrive without a booking, but you may have to wait if they are busy assisting others or completing other tasks. There are no qualifying criteria for booking Passenger Assist; if you feel you would benefit from it, you can book it.

Passenger Assist can help you with:

• navigating stations 
• boarding trains  
• making connections, by meeting you from your train and taking you to your next train or the exit 
• arranging a ramp on or off your train 
• carrying your bag(s) – up to 3 items of luggage 
• getting an Assistance Dog Under Seat card.

Disabled person’s railcards and bus passes

As an autistic person, you may be eligible for a concessionary railcard and/or bus pass if you receive certain types of benefits. This is often linked to mobility components of disability benefits. Check the eligibility criteria and application process for the passes in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales using the links below. Remember that you must carry your railcard with you on your journey to present alongside your discounted ticket; if you can’t show your railcard then the discounted ticket will not be valid. 

If you receive certain benefits, you may be eligible for a Disabled Persons Railcard, which will save you a third of the price of train tickets in England, Scotland and Wales (including when you are travelling in these countries if you live in Northern Ireland); visit the website for the eligibility criteria and application process. 

In England, the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass allows free travel on buses at certain times of day (at any time on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday; from 9:30am to 11pm on any other day); passes are issued by local councils but can be used everywhere in England including outside of your local council area. The UK Government website has a postcode search that will send you to your local council page for the disabled person’s bus pass, which will explain the eligibility criteria and application process. 

In Northern Ireland, half price fares on trains and buses are available with a Half Fare SmartPass for people who meet certain disability and benefits criteria; the eligibility criteria and application process are detailed on the Translink website. 

In Scotland, the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass allows free travel on buses; the eligibility criteria and application process are detailed on the Scottish government website. 

In Wales, the Disabled Person's Welsh Concessionary Travel Card allows free travel on buses and some train lines; the eligibility criteria and application process are detailed on the Transport for Wales website.

Preparing yourself and what to take

Preparing yourself 

Timing 

Work out the timings in advance and add in extra time where you think you might need it. For example, give yourself a comfortable amount of time to get yourself and any luggage ready before you set off on your journey; if you have booked a taxi to take you to a station, add some extra time in case it is late arriving or the traffic is heavier than expected on the way; and give yourself enough time to get to your platform at a train station (in some large stations, certain platforms can be quite far apart and may be on a different level accessed by stairs, escalators or lifts). 

Managing uncertainty 

It can be difficult to predict everything that might happen while you are travelling (because of the complexity of the different elements) and so it can also be difficult to plan to accommodate any changes. Unexpected delays are common: buses can be delayed by traffic, driver shortages, bus break downs and more; trains can be delayed by mechanical issues, things blocking the track, signal failures, waiting for a platform at a station and more. These issues can mean that you have less time to make a connection and you may even miss it. 

While it is impossible to predict the future, it is a good idea to add extra time to your itinerary to accommodate any delays. Think about your personal preference and the approach to risk that feels most comfortable for you: 

• would you be happy to spend longer periods waiting if it allows extra time to accommodate delays? 
• or do you not want to wait for long and so understand that this may mean any delays are more likely to affect your planned journey? 

Think about what you will do if delays interrupt your journey: 

• is there an alternative bus or train you could catch? (You can sometimes get a ‘transfer ticket’ that is valid on another bus if your bus stops mid-route; train journeys can sometimes be continued on different trains and/or routes if there are delays or cancellations.) 
• could you continue your journey by another route, such as by walking (all the way, or to a different train station or bus stop) or taking a taxi? 

If you are using digital tickets (also known as ‘e-tickets') bought through an app, sometimes the app will alert you to delays and cancellations as soon as they are announced. If you have planned your journey in a journey planner app, such as Google or Citymapper, you may be alerted to delays and cancellations during your journey.

 

What to take 

Sensory aids and comfort items 

Trains, buses and stations can be intense sensory environments with lots of people moving quickly, often with luggage, in small spaces, with loud announcements, bright lights, shops, ticket barriers and more. It is a good idea to take things with you that help you to self-regulate, such as: 

• headphones (be aware that wearing headphones may make audio announcements harder to hear) 
• sunglasses 
• stimming toys or other distractions, such as a digital tablet 
• food and drink (many major stations have free water fountains to fill up your bottle) 
• any medications you carry with you – for example, to take if you have a panic attack. 

Awareness identification 

If you want public transport workers, such as bus drivers and ticket inspectors, and your fellow passengers to know that you may need extra help, more time to process information or, for example, that you may be stimming to self-regulate, it is a good idea to wear something that indicates this, such as: 

• a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard 
• a badge, such as the TFL ‘please offer me a seat’ badge 
• an information card, such as our ‘I am autistic’ card. 

If you don’t want to wear one of these items all the time, you could carry one with you in case a situation arises when you think it might be useful and put it on then. However, if you think you might forget to put it on in a stressful or overwhelming situation, it may be a good idea to wear it for your full journey. 

Itinerary 

It’s important to have all the information you need for your journey accessible to you, either digitally, printed out or written down. If you use a smartphone, there are a variety of apps that can help you on your journey, such as: 

• apps that contain your digital tickets, such as the National Rail Smartcard Manager and the Trainline app for trains, and some bus company apps (check their website for information) 
• map and journey planner apps, such as Google Maps 
• journey planner apps, just as Citymapper (for travelling within cities).

At the station or stop

Train stations 

Layouts and facilities 

Many of the largest and busiest stations are run by National Rail, which has dedicated web pages with information about station layouts and facilities, such as where the toilets and ticket machines are and the opening hours of Help and Information Points. It’s a good idea to look up this information in advance, so you know what to expect. 

Buying or collecting your tickets 

If you need to buy a ticket or collect pre-bought tickets at the station, you can do so at a ticket machine or, at some stations, at a staffed ticket counter. To collect tickets, you need your ticket collection reference (a code with letters and numbers) and the card you used to buy the tickets. National Rail’s Autism friendly guide to travelling by train has an image of a ticket machine screen and a description of what to do. 

If you have bought digital e-tickets, you don’t need to collect tickets at the station; you can present the ticket on your phone at ticket barriers and to ticket inspectors. Note that not every ticket bought online is a digital e-ticket; some tickets bought online do need to be collected at the station – your booking confirmation will include this information. 

Toilets 

Toilets are now free to use at all the major city train stations operated by National Rail. Many smaller station toilets are also free. There may still be charges at some stations; charges are usually up to 50p and the turnstile barriers usually accept 10p, 20p and 50p coins. Toilets may be locked at smaller stations and you need to ask a member of staff to unlock it for you. 

Departure and arrival boards 

Train times are usually displayed on large digital screens (known as ‘boards’). There are boards for departures and arrivals, so make sure you are looking at the correct one. Departure boards often display the trains in the order they will depart, with the next train first (at the top of a vertical list; furthest to the left of a horizontal list); alternatively, the departure board may be arranged alphabetically by destination. You can also use the National Rail website to find online live updating departure and arrival boards for all UK stations. Be aware that at larger stations the platform may be announced close to the departure of the train, so you must check the boards regularly and move to the platform as soon as it is announced. 

Seating 

Seating in train stations can be confusing. Often there are lots of seats in a station, but some of them are reserved for the customers of food and drink businesses within the station; these seats may be branded or fenced off in a small area outside the front of the business. Public seating is usually multi-seat benches that are fixed to the ground; there may be several rows of these, or individual blocks of around 3-5 seats. 

Ticket barriers 

To get to your platform, you will sometimes be required to go through a ticket barrier, which is a gate that opens when you present your ticket. Modern ticket barriers usually have slots to accept paper tickets and screens to read e-tickets on phone screens. There will usually be wider gates, often at the edges of the ticket barrier, for wheelchair users and wide luggage; there is often a ticket inspector positioned at the wider gate who may be able to assist you. If you have vestibular or spatial awareness issues it may be a good idea to use these wider gates. 

Sometimes ticket barrier gates are open because there aren’t enough staff to supervise their use. The train company you are travelling with will be aware of this and you can go straight through as if your ticket had been checked. However, open gates don’t mean you don’t need a ticket; your ticket may be checked on the train or by a person or ticket barrier when you get off the train. If you ‘tapped in’ with a contactless card, smartphone card or Oyster card rather than buying a specific train ticket, you should tap out even if the barriers are open so that you pay the correct fare for your journey. 

 

Bus stations and stops 

Layouts and facilities 

It may be possible to find a bus station map and list of facilities online for large bus stations; they may have toilets and some seating. However, most bus stops are simply marked points at the side of the road, with no facilities. Some bus stops may have a bus shelter, sometimes with very basic seating such as a bench. 

At a bus stop, check you are on the correct side of the road for your intended direction of travel; there are often bus stops on both sides of the road for the same number bus but travelling in opposite directions, so look at the bus destination as well as its number before getting on. 

Departure and arrival boards 

Some larger bus stations with multiple stops may have departure and arrivals boards, or a digital display of the next buses to depart; sometimes each stop has a digital display showing the next bus or next few buses to depart; however, most bus stops have a permanent, static sign listing the bus numbers that arrive and depart from that stop (if a bus only stops for people to get off and not on, the sign may say something like ‘alight only’ or ‘alighting point’ with the relevant bus number). 

There is often a bus timetable displayed at the bus stop; this information will also be provided online on the relevant bus company website and may be accessible when planning your journey using Google Maps or, in cities, using Citymapper; it may also be available in a printed leaflet (you could ask or look for this at local bus stations, train stations and information centres).

 

On the train or bus

Buying bus tickets 

The most common way to buy a bus ticket is to pay the driver when you get on the bus. In London, you cannot use cash to buy tickets, you have to pay by contactless card, smartphone card or Oyster card. Outside of London, you can usually pay by cash, contactless card or smartphone card. Some bus companies have an app that allows you to buy tickets before you board and you can show your digital ticket to the driver when you get on. 

If you are going to travel regularly on the same bus route or in the same area, it may be cheaper to buy a bus pass or travelcard that covers all travel in a set period, such as a day, week, month or longer. 

Check the destination displayed on the front of the bus to make sure it isn’t terminating before your stop on the route or speak to the driver about getting a transfer ticket to continue your journey if the bus isn’t completing its route. 

Where to sit or stand 

Train 

It is often possible to book a seat on a train when booking your tickets. It is also possible to specify your preferences, including whether you would like a seat next to a window or next to the aisle (the walkway between the left and right sets of seats); forward or backward facing seats (in relation to the direction the train is travelling); seats with access to a plug; in the quiet carriage; near a toilet; near a luggage rack. Note that, because some seats may already be booked, it may not be possible for the train company to meet all your preferences in your seat reservation. 

There are positives and negatives to particular train seats and you should consider what is best for you. A seat at a table may help you to feel less enclosed and give you a wider field of vision, but other people are more likely to sit next to and opposite you and to use a laptop or eat food on the table. An ‘airline style’ seat (with no table, facing the back of the seats in front) may feel more enclosed and therefore more private, and people may be less likely to sit next to you unless the train is very busy. 

If you have reserved a specific seat and find that someone else is sitting in it, it is acceptable to ask them to move to another seat. It is considered polite to say to the person, ‘Excuse me, I think you are in my seat’ – even when you know that this is the case. You can also show them your seat reservation ticket. It would be unusual and potentially confrontational for someone to refuse to move, so if this happens try to remain calm. You could find the train manager and ask them to help resolve the situation, or you could choose to sit somewhere else (this may be disappointing but potentially less stressful than a confrontation). 

If you don’t have a seat reservation, you can find an unreserved seat to sit in. On most trains there are carriages of unreserved seating; sometimes these carriages are noted on the departure board for the train; you can also ask a train company worker. Note that trains often carry more people than there are seats at busy times and unreserved carriages can fill up quickly; you are not guaranteed an unreserved seat. 

Some train carriages have a mixture of reserved and unreserved seating. Seats sometimes have a digital display on the wall behind or above them that will indicate whether they are ‘Reserved’ or ‘Available’. Trains without digital displays may indicate reserved seats with paper notes attached to the top of the seat. The seat will often not be reserved for the entire route, and it may be possible to sit in it for the sections of the route not covered by the reservation. Note that, on occasion, it is possible for the reservation display system to fail; this should be announced on the train. 

Buses 

There is no reserved seating on buses, but there are priority seats for people who are more in need of a seat, which may include you. Buses have seating on either one (single-deck) or two (double-deck) levels. On a ‘double-decker’ bus you can choose to stay downstairs or walk up steps to seating on the upper deck. 

Sitting downstairs, you are closer to the doors and it may be more likely that there is a digital display showing the stop names; it might feel busier because of people using the doors to get on and off at stops. Sitting upstairs may mean there is less movement as people get on and off and can give you a better view to distract yourself or help manage travel sickness. If you struggle with travel sickness, sitting in a seat that allows you to see where the bus is going may help. 

If you want or need to stand, there are usually rails to hold onto at positions throughout the bus: upright rails from the floor to the ceiling and sometimes additional horizontal rails at or just above head height. The upright rails often house the button you press to tell the driver you want to get off at the next stop, so try not to press it by accident. 

Luggage 

Train 

On trains there are often luggage racks overhead above the seating (for smaller items) and storage spaces at intervals along the carriage (for larger items). You should try not to block the walkway with your luggage or put your luggage on a seat that another passenger may want to sit in. On very busy trains where the luggage racks become full, it may be necessary to put your luggage on the floor; in this instance, you should aim to keep the walkway as clear as possible. 

Bus 

On buses there may be an area for luggage near the front of the bus opposite the driver. If there isn’t a luggage area or it is full, try to keep your luggage with you but without blocking the walkway as much as possible. You may need to move your luggage to allow people to get past you. It may be possible to stand with or store your luggage in the wider area of the bus reserved for wheelchair users, prams and pushchairs if there is space, but you must move if someone gets on who needs to use the space for its intended purpose as they have priority. 

Getting off at your stop 

On longer journeys, it may be a good idea to set an alarm to go off before your bus or train is due to arrive at the station or stop where you want to get off. Think about how much time you need to get yourself and your belongings ready to leave the train or bus – might 5, 10 or 15 minutes work for you? On short bus journeys, it may be easier to follow the route on Google Maps so you can see when you are approaching your stop. 

Trains will stop at every station indicated on their route; any unexpected changes to the route will be announced. On a bus, you need to press a stop button to tell the driver you want to get off at the next stop. Buses may not stop at every stop on their route if no one presses the stop button on the bus and there is no one waiting to get on at the stop.  

When you get on a bus, you can ask the driver to tell you when you have reached the stop you want to get off at (but be aware that they could forget). This may also be possible on the train if you have booked Passenger Assist or are able to speak to the train manager. If you planned your journey into a map app, like Google maps, you can see when you are approaching your stop based on your location 'dot' and the route lines. 

If you are meeting someone at the end of your journey, it’s a good idea to plan where to meet them in advance, especially if you are getting off at a busy station. Some stations have meeting points literally called ‘Meeting Point’. Note that the person you are meeting may not be able to access certain parts of station (such as the platforms) if they do not have a ticket for travel as there may be barriers. 

What to do if something goes wrong 

If something goes wrong and/or you feel yourself starting to have a meltdown, shutdown or panic attack, try to stay calm using your usual techniques, which may include: 

• breathing and/or grounding techniques 
• distraction, such as reading or listening to something on your headphones 
• stimming or using a stim toy 
• calling a friend or family member who can help you 
• if you are having a panic attack and you carry medication to manage this, consider taking it. 

If you have a sunflower lanyard or autism card, it may be a good idea to wear it if you aren’t already, so people are aware that you may need extra help or processing time. 

Look for someone to help you. If you are on a bus, you could press the stop button and talk to the driver at the next stop to explain the problem. If you are on a train, you could find the train manager or ask the people around you for help if it seems safe to do so. 

If you have missed your stop, you can usually get off at the next stop and travel back to where you had intended to get off. On a bus journey, you often only need to cross the road to find the bus stop for your route travelling in the opposite direction. On a train journey you may need to change platform to travel back to where you intended to get off. You may need to buy a ticket for the additional journey. 

If you have lost something while travelling, you can report it to the bus or train company you were travelling with and they will usually let you know if the item has been handed in to their lost property facility. 

If you have witnessed or been the victim of a crime or anti-social behaviour, you can report it discretely to the British Transport Police by texting 61016 or using the Railway Guardian app.

Links and resources