Great West Way Train and Bus Ticket | Great Western Railway

The Great West Way is a 125-mile touring route between London, Bath and Bristol, based on ancient routes, roaming through idyllic countryside, quaint villages and elegant towns.

The best and most relaxing way to explore the route is by rail, and the Great West Way Discoverer pass allows you unlimited off-peak train and bus travel between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads, with options to branch off in the Thames Valley, Cotswolds and Wiltshire – all with just a single ticket.

East, West or Global routes

There are three Great West Way Discoverer routes available, giving you the opportunity to explore the area in one-day instalments or over the duration of a week.

The East route covers the railway line from London Paddington and London Waterloo to Swindon, Pewsey and Salisbury, and is available as a one-day or seven-day pass.

The West route covers the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Swindon, Pewsey and Salisbury and is available as a one-day or seven-day pass.

The Global route combines both the East and West passes and covers the entire route between London, Bath and Bristol, available as a seven-day pass only.

Table of prices for travel passes
	1 day	7 days
Name	Great West Way 1 day	Great West Way 7 days
East	£71	£163
West	£24.50	£71
Global	-	£245

Discounts available:

0 to 5 years old - free of charge
5 to 15 years old - 50%
Railcard holders - 10% discount

If visiting the UK from abroad, discounted international Discoverer passes can be purchased through our rail partners ACP Rail through their website ACPrail.com

Get inspired

With a Great West Way Discoverer pass, there are plenty of attractions you can visit, including some of the country’s most treasured landmarks. See the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, the Roman Baths in Bath, or explore the beautiful market towns of Bradford-on-Avon, Henley and Windsor along the way. Visit GreatWestWay.co.uk to plan your adventure.

The latest edition of the Great West Way Travel Magazine is now available online and features 98 pages of informative articles and stunning photography brimming with inspiration to explore further, delve deeper and uncover the essence of this unique part of England. Download now.

Download PDF version

Great West Way Discoverer routes - EAST
Train routes:
- London Paddington – Swindon via Didcot, and Westbury via Pewsey
- London Waterloo – Westbury via Salisbury using South Western Railway or Great Western Railway services
- Thames Valley branch lines east of Reading, except services to Greenford
Bus routes:
- X2 and X32 between Oxford and Wantage via Didcot Parkway – Thames Travel, Connector service
- X38/X39 & X40, Reading, Henley, Wallingford, Oxford – Thames Travel, River Rapids service
- X5 Salisbury, Amesbury, Pewsey, Marlborough, Swindon – Salisbury Reds service
- Green Line services 702 and 703 between Heathrow, Windsor and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
- Reading Buses services, excluding Greenwave, Kennections, football and special event services
Discounts on the following services:
- Open Top Oxford
- Reading – Heathrow Rail Air
Great West Way Discoverer routes - WEST
Train routes:
- Bristol Temple Meads – Swindon via Chippenham
- Bristol Temple Meads – Salisbury via Westbury
- Chippenham – Trowbridge via Melksham
- Westbury – Pewsey
- Westbury – Frome
Bus routes:
- All First West of England services, except the Bristol Airport flyer services at present
- X5 Salisbury, Amesbury, Pewsey, Marlborough, Swindon - Salisbury Reds service
- 49 Trans-Wilts-Express, Swindon, Trowbridge – Stagecoach West service
- 55 Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett, Chippenham – Stagecoach West GOLD service
- S6 Swindon, Faringdon, Oxford – Stagecoach West GOLD service
- 80/81 Swindon – Marlborough – Stagecoach West service
Great West Way Discoverer - Global

All routes included in East and West regions.
Terms and conditions
Pass Validity

Passes are valid from 09:20 - 00:00 on a chosen day of travel, except for departures from Paddington 16:40 - 19:16 inclusive Monday – Friday (not public holidays).

Discounts

Children (aged 5-15 inclusive) – 50%, Railcard Holders – 10% (applies to 16-25, Family, HM Forces, Senior, Disabled Persons and Two Together Railcards – where Child discounts apply under a Railcard scheme the Child receives a 55% discount off the Adult fare). No further discounts apply, including for holders of PRIV / FIP / TADA facilities – these customers should buy an appropriate discount rail ticket and pay separately for bus travel.

Upgrading

Holders of Adult / Child Standard Class passes or tickets may travel in First Class accommodation on payment of the difference between the First Class and Standard Class full fare of the journey being made.

Seat Reservations

Reservations for particular journeys are not compulsory, but for busy trains are advisable (i.e. mainlines in peak hours). It is not necessary to validate a pass in order to reserve a seat in advance. Normal fees are payable (where charged).

First Class and Standard Class

Many local trains have Standard Class accommodation only. This has been accounted for in price of the First Class Passes.

Purchase Restrictions

The Great West Way ticket is non-transferable and must only be used by the person or persons specified on the ticket.

Exclusions

The Great West Way pass is not valid on CrossCountry Trains services, special excursions, privately owned railways, steam services, London Underground trains, buses (other than those listed), nor any other services not mentioned.

Prices

The partners reserve the right to change prices without notice whether such changes are related or not to alterations in the rates of exchange.

Refunds will be granted if:

Full refunds are permitted (minus a £10 admin fee per booking, not per ticket) until 23:59 the day before the start date of the ticket. No refunds are permitted on or after the start date of the ticket. Customers are advised to ensure that they have appropriate Travel Insurance to cover the cost of unused tickets, where they are unable to use the ticket or claim a refund on unused or partially used tickets.

Where a Pass forms part of an inclusive Tour Package, it is not separately refundable. Where no other cancellation charges are specified by travel agent, the cancellation charge will be a minimum of 15%. Special offers are not refundable. Neither the Participating Operators nor their Agents can accept any responsibility for any failure in the provision of any special offers included. Refunds should not be returned to the Freepost address listed on this ticket cover but to the agent you originally purchased it through. Seat and Sleeper reservations are non-refundable.

Lost tickets

GWR is not responsible for tickets or vouchers, which are lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed. Refunds cannot be authorised in such cases. Therefore, travel insurance is recommended.

Routes

The Great West Way Discoverer pass is valid on the following train and bus routes, subject to change or alteration.

Great West Way Discoverer routes – Global

All routes included in East and West regions

Great West Way Discoverer routes – East

Train routes:
- London Paddington – Swindon via Didcot Parkway and Westbury via Pewsey
- London Waterloo – Westbury via Salisbury using GWR or SWR services
- Thames Valley branch lines east of Reading, except services to Greenford
Bus routes:
- X2 and X32 Oxford and Wantage via Didcot Parkway – Thames Travel, Connector service
- X38/X39 & X40, Reading, Henley, Wallingford, Oxford – Thames Travel, River Rapids service
- X5 Salisbury, Amesbury, Pewsey, Marlborough, Swindon – Salisbury Reds service
- Green Line services 702 and 703 between Heathrow, Windsor and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
- Reading Buses services, excluding Greenwave, Kennections, football and special event services
Discounts on the following services:
- Open Top Oxford
Great West Way Discoverer routes – West

Train routes:
- Bristol Temple Meads – Swindon via Chippenham
- Bristol Temple Meads – Salisbury via Westbury
- Chippenham – Trowbridge via Melksham
- Westbury – Pewsey
- Westbury – Frome
Bus routes:
- X5 Salisbury, Amesbury, Pewsey, Marlborough, Swindon – Salisbury Reds service
- 49 Trans-Wilts-Express, Swindon, Trowbridge – Stagecoach West service
- 55 Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett, Chippenham – Stagecoach West GOLD service
- S6 Swindon, Faringdon, Oxford – Stagecoach West GOLD service
- 80/81 Swindon – Marlborough – Stagecoach West service
- All First West of England services, except the Bristol Flyer services at present
Local bus routes are subject to amendment, please check online for latest information.