281 bus timetable
Looking for the number 281 bus? 10 different bus routes are numbered 281 across the UK and Ireland, run by 9 operators in 8 areas. They are separate services that happen to share a number — pick yours below for its timetable, stops, live map and fares.
No 281 bus here matches “”. Search the whole site for it, or clear the box to see every 281.
281 bus in London
1 route
- London — Hounslow to Tolworth via Kingston Upon Thames, Surbiton London United · runs 24 hours · 243 buses a weekday
281 bus in South East England
2 routes
- Crawley — Crawley to Lingfield via Copthorne, East Grinstead Metrobus · 06:15–19:58 · 28 buses a weekday
- Tunbridge Wells — Rusthall to High Brooms via Tunbridge Wells, Showfields Arriva Kent and Surrey · 05:46–22:30 · 86 buses a weekday
281 bus in Yorkshire & the Humber
1 route
- Batley — Birstall Retail Park to Dewsbury via Howden Clough, Batley Arriva Yorkshire · 05:00–18:03 · 50 buses a weekday
281 bus in North West England
1 route
- Sale — Sale to Altrincham via Brooklands, Timperley Bee Network · not Sundays · 06:33–18:40 · 25 buses a weekday
281 bus in Greater Manchester
1 route
- Newton le Willows — Newton le Willows to Culcheth via Pennington, Leigh Derek Hilton Travel · weekdays only · 07:15–15:10 · 2 buses a weekday
281 bus in Scotland
2 routes
- Thurso — Thurso to Dounreay via Pennyland, Forss Stagecoach Bluebird · weekdays only · 07:24–16:25 · 2 buses a weekday
- Wick — Wick to Thurso via Reiss, Keiss Stagecoach Bluebird · weekdays only · 06:33–16:44 · 2 buses a weekday
281 bus in Wales
1 route
- Carmarthen — Carmarthen to Llandovery via Caledfwlch Morris Travel · not Sundays · 06:05–17:50 · 8 buses a weekday
281 bus in Ireland
1 route
- Kenmare — Waterville to Kenmare TFI Local Link Kerry · 06:15–18:45 · 8 buses a weekday
Frequently asked questions
Where does the number 281 bus run?
10 buses are numbered 281, in Sale, Carmarthen, Crawley, London, Thurso, Newton le Willows, Wick, Tunbridge Wells, Kenmare & Batley. Each one is listed above by area, with its timetable, stops and live map.
Why are there so many different 281 buses?
Route numbers in the UK are chosen locally — by the operator, or by the local transport authority that tenders the service — not from any national list. Nothing stops two towns hundreds of miles apart both running a 281, and 10 of them do. The 281 in Sale has no connection to the 281 in Carmarthen: different operator, different road, different timetable.
How do I find the right 281 bus timetable?
Find your part of the country in the list above and open the 281 that starts or finishes near you — each one links to its full timetable, every stop, a live map and its fares. If you know the stop you'll be waiting at, searching for the stop name instead gives you the next departures from that exact stop, which is more reliable than any timetable.
Is the 281 bus the same route in every town?
No. These are 10 unrelated services that happen to share a number, run by 9 different operators. Fares, timetables and accessibility differ on each one, so always open the specific 281 for your area.
Looking for the next bus rather than a timetable? Stops near you shows live departures. Browse all bus routes, every operator or timetables by town. Data from operators via the DfT Bus Open Data Service — see all sources.