The new coach from Carmarthen to Bangor starts running today, and you can’t just turn up and get on.
TaithCymru is booking-only, and seats cannot be bought from the driver. Every journey has to be booked online or by phone at least 15 minutes before the coach leaves your stop.
Today’s launch runs on a limited timetable. From Monday, Transport for Wales says, there will be 10 services a day, from the early hours until late evening.
That is one more than the nine a day it announced in September.
Carmarthen to Bangor for £10 on TaithCymru, until January
An adult single from Carmarthen to Bangor costs £10, and the hour and 45 minutes from Aberystwyth to Carmarthen costs £4.50, TfW says.
The £10 is an introductory fare and rises to £14 in January 2027. The full run from Carmarthen to Holyhead costs £12.50 for now.
Bus passes are not accepted, TfW said when tickets went on sale. The TrawsCymru T1 between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth does take them.
Every TaithCymru stop from Carmarthen to Bangor, and the late coach to Holyhead
From Carmarthen the coach calls at Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Dolgellau, Porthmadog and Caernarfon before Bangor. TfW says it cuts more than an hour off the journey.
One late-night journey a day carries on from Bangor to Holyhead railway station and port, for onward trains and ferries.
Sundays have a similar timetable to the rest of the week, with some coaches at slightly different times. Both timetables are on TfW’s website.
Wi-Fi, reclining seats and a toilet on TaithCymru, but not an accessible one
The new coaches have Wi-Fi, reclining seats, air conditioning and a toilet, TfW says, with a few bike spaces that can be booked online.
Each coach has one wheelchair space, which can be reserved. But the onboard toilet is not accessible, and neither is the Aberaeron stop.
TfW points wheelchair users to the TrawsCymru T1, T5 and T2 buses as accessible alternatives along the route. A live tracker for the coaches is in the Traws Cymru app.
Mark Hooper, Plaid Cymru MS for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg and Deputy Minister for Transport, called TaithCymru “a significant step forward in connecting communities across the North and South West of Wales”.
He said: “I’d encourage anyone travelling between the North and the South West of Wales to book their tickets now and try out this brand new service.”
Lee Robinson, TfW’s executive director for regional transport and integration, said: “By making it easier for people to leave the car at home, TaithCymru will open up access to jobs, education, services and visitor destinations.”
The Welsh Government’s £2m covers the service’s first year, with funding beyond that depending on demand.
Tickets and timetables are at tfw.wales/taithcymru, and the booking helpline is 03333 211 202.
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