My National Express ‘ticket’ for a trip from Mildenhall to Trumpington Park & Ride, Cambridge on the 0950 service 727 on Thursday 14 November 2024. The full service is the 0750 from Great Yarmouth to Stansted Airport. Booking on-line with the ‘ticket’ printed at home on A4 paper.

I made the journey so that I could travel on a Caetano Levante III coach and in order to achieve this I had first to establish what was operating on the journey on the morning by checking the tracker on the Bus Times website. (The previous day it had been the earlier style Caetano Levante II model so that was out!).

Having identified the vehicle I then booked my ticket just after the coach had departed Great Yarmouth. All quite easy really compared with the days one had to go to a booking agent or risk not getting a seat etc.

The coach was Ambassador Travel 304 (BV72 XFA), a Caetano Levante III bodied Scania K410 new in November 2022. I then travelled back on two local buses, the first being Stagecoach East 21234 (AE12 CJV) from Trumpington to Parkside followed by Stephensons 802 (EU24 LWV) from Cambridge to Newmarket then the same bus which continued to Mildenhall.

The coach ride cost £9.70 (£8.20 plus £1.50 booking fee), homeward travel free using my bus pass!

(I wondered why National Express charged a booking fee when I they didn't have to do any work? The answer on their website reads 'National Express charges a booking fee for online tickets to help ensure the security of their website and payment systems, and to invest in new technology for a better customer experience. The booking fee also helps cover the cost of staff in their contact center and coach stations to process phone bookings'. Hmm....what a load of old toffee!)