Bath Travel Forum

I am planning to visit Bath when I visit London this year, and I am thinking of saving a bit by using the National Express instead of trains.

I want to book the Funfair ticket, but as of today when I checked their website, they don't have that ticket choice. So, for the Funfair tickets, are they only available a certain time before a date? (ie, maybe 2 months before the travel date?) I am thinking about traveling around the last week of May, so will they become available as that date approaches?

Secondly, do I have to book in advance, or will I be fine just showing up at the station and buying the ticket?

And lastly, I have read on several forums that some train and coach companies do not allow oversea customers from purchasing because they don't have a UK address. Is National Express one of them?
Thank you!

Funfare tickets do not work like that, I'm afraid. They are not automatically available on all/particular routes at specific times/weeks in advance; it's just a matter of keeping an eye on the website and seeing what happens. To be honest, if they are not showing now it is unlikely that they will be available later on the routes you want, although this is not certain. But, unlke budget airlines, the fare does not rise as you get nearer your date of departure; it's a standard fare. So you can wait a while before making your decision, and keep checking the website.

You really should book in advance, to be certain. Mostly there are plenty of seats available on most routes, but this is not the case on all (specially those to more 'touristy' places). However, booking in advance does not mean booking online: you can simply visit London Victoria coach station whilst you are in London. There are other agents for National Express tickets, but I thnk going to Victoria would be simplest. There have been problems for some VT-ers with cards/addresses, although mostly relating to the trains. I suggest you try to book online before you come but don't worry if you can't, just make a visit to Victoria coach station.

If you are paying cash, in person, no train or coach company cares what your address is. If trying to buy online, however, then if the company concerned wants to post it to you, then I can understand why they might limit this service to UK addresses.
National Express explicitly indicates on its website that you can collect your ticket in one of 4 ways, including printing your own e-ticket or having it sent by post to an address anywhere in the world, provided you are booking far enough in advance. Don't know about other train and coach companies.
FunFARES can be booked anything up to 3 months in advance to a day before departure, subject to availability of course. There is also an APEX (advance purchase) fare to all destinations if you book at least 7 days in advance.

It's not the posting side (I know about e-tickets, and you can get a similar 'fast-ticket' for trains), it's just that some VT-ers find that train and coach websites just don't 'like' them when they try to book online. Don't know why, but it does happen.

But, as I said, buying a ticket beforehand at Vicctoria (or a National Express agency, if you come across one) is easy enough if online purchase doesn't work.