<h1>First Travel Solutions</h1>

We want to deliver better experiences for you&nbsp;and your customers. &nbsp;

We are leading experts in transport management, coach hire and travel and transport strategies for major sporting events, airlines, rail support services, festivals and more!&nbsp;

We offer simple coach hire solutions and major event planning from our team of in house experts.

The weather can be unpredictable and unreliable, which can cause air travel to sometimes be disrupted at a moment’s notice. Strong winds and thick fog can mean planes are grounded, causing severe trouble to both passengers and crew. That’s why it’s important for airlines to have a backup strategy in place should disturbances occur, including air transport solutions.

Airlines have corporate responsibility for the safe transportation of passengers and crew; both in the air and on the road network. Our Safety &amp; Assurance policy is designed to ensure that we only work with transport operators who can work within a clear safety framework; this being essential in the absence of consistent regulation and governance of the private hire/taxi industry. We take your corporate safety responsibility very seriously, and are ready to support you so your commitment to safety extends to your road transport provision.

<h2>Providing Expert Air Transport Services</h2>

At First Travel Solutions, we provide a variety of air transport services to ensure efficient ground travel to both crew and passengers. We liaise perfectly between handling companies and airlines, such as easyJet, Jet2, Titan Airways and Germania Airways, to organise buses and taxis for quick and easy travelling.

When flights are disrupted at short notice, we can provide safety compliant, alternative air transport solutions in an instant for any stranded airline passengers. Our nationwide reach means we are able to offer travel to different UK airports as part of rearranged flights. We have staff working in our round-the-clock control centre who specialise in minimising customer disruption by providing support, timely information and bespoke air transport solutions to any problems that arise.

<h2>Get in Touch for Reliable Air Transport Solutions</h2>

No matter what your requirements are - whether you’re working around planned strike action or it’s the early hours of the morning - we will liaise directly with you every step of the way to create a bespoke action plan. We can also provide you with precise vehicle tracking to keep you up-to-date on vehicle positions at every moment.

For further information on forming an air travel service contingency plan, or to discuss our safety and assurance policy and risk protocols, please call 0345 528 0270 or email <a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstgroup.com">travel.solutions@firstbus.co</a><a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstbus.co.uk">.uk</a>.

Air Transport Solutions

In the event of an incident or disaster, safely evacuating your staff and transporting them as quickly and efficiently as possible to a secondary area should be your top priority. Ensuring that your main operations are resumed as quickly as possible is often an important part of business, and having a business continuity transport plan in place will help with this.

While the provision of an alternative base - also known as a ‘work area recovery’ site - is essential to this, knowing exactly how your employees are going to get there in an emergency is equally as critical. At First Travel Solutions, we specialise in providing business continuity transport by supporting clients who are planning recovery from threats such as fire, flood, terrorist attacks or supplier failure.

<h2 style="font-size:25px">Business Travel Solutions You Can Count On</h2>

We work very closely with you to draw up a bespoke operational plan to account for all aspects of your recovery with business continuity transport. Our unrivalled network of coach and taxi operators gives you the best possible guarantee of a swift transport reponse.

Keep your business running as smoothly as possible with business travel solutions that deliver. We provide you peace of mind and guarantee the best customer service possible. You can relax knowing that, should any incident occur, we will be here for you to move your employees safely and quickly.&nbsp;

Our business travel solutions help Operations Managers have a reliable plan to mobilise their workforce. Stay ahead of your competition with business continuity transport plans that deliver tangible results, increasing productivity and efficiency for your business during difficult times.

<h2 style="font-size:25px">Contact Our Team Today About Business Continuity Transport&nbsp;</h2>

Our control centre operates around the clock; if and when an emergency is triggered, no matter what the hour is, we are able to respond instantly and professionally to provide expert support with business continuity transport to your own crisis management team.

Our network of transport providers cater to individual business needs to ensure that your requirements are met. Expert business continuity transport solutions ensure that your employees get to where they need to be - our team is here to ensure that. For further information on our business travel solutions services, please call 0345 528 0270 or email <a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstgroup.com">travel.solutions@f</a><a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstbus.co.uk">irstbus.co.uk</a>.

Business Travel Solutions

Whatever the occasion, First Travel Solutions is sure to have the right vehicle for you. We are one of the UK’s leading providers of high-quality and hassle-free coach hire, but that’s not all we do. We can also arrange transport by taxi or offer minibus hire for everyone: from individuals to groups, and all at fully inclusive rates.

We supply all types of vehicles, from four seaters to one hundred person capacity carriers, all across the UK and over to mainland Europe. Our database features more than 1,500 hand-picked coaches and small vehicle operators, and that’s in addition to our combined fleet of 6,300 vehicles (belonging to FirstGroup). This gives you plenty of choice at affordable prices.

<h2>One-off Coach Hire</h2>

Whether you need a wedding bus hire service or a party bus hire service for a festival, a large party <a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/airline-transport-solutions">transfer to the airport</a> or a day at the races, it doesn’t matter where you’re going, First Travel Solutions can offer safe, first-class travel experience each and every time.

All you have to do when it comes to coach hire is take a few moments to think about what factors are most important to you. Is it luxury seating? How about having some extra legroom? What about air conditioning, a kitchen or toilet facilities? Simply tell us what would make your journey perfect and we’ll do the rest to source the best vehicle for your needs.

<h2>Expert Minibus Hire Services</h2>

For occasions when your passenger numbers don’t merit a full-size coach, don’t waste your time and money on something too big. We offer an extensive range of minibus hire solutions across the UK. Having reliable transport services is always vital when travelling, especially when public transportation has irregular patterns.

Your comfort and safety are our utmost priorities; all of our drivers are experienced and fully vetted to provide you only with the best customer service.&nbsp;

<h2>Coach Hire in London</h2>

Much like everything else, driver and coach hire prices are at their highest in the capital. But that doesn’t mean you should have to pay over the odds for your transport. At First Travel Solutions, we are able to source luxury coach hire and negotiate the best prices in London.

Arrive on time and in style to your destination, regardless of where you are going in London. Should you need a party bus hire service to make the most of the capital, make sure to let us know and we will provide you with professional drivers and services.

<h2>Get in Touch for Minibus Hire and Coach Hire Services</h2>

Whether you are travelling in London or in other major UK city, at First Travel Solutions your safety and comfort is a priority. We cater to individual driver and coach hire services, from small to large groups.&nbsp;

For further information on our coach hire service, please call 0345 528 0270 or email <a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstgroup.com">travel.solutions@f</a><a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstbus.co.uk">irstbus.co.uk</a>.

Coach & Minibus Hire

We understand how business owners or senior managers have more important responsibilities but, if you’re a large business, then corporate transport is going to be a huge part of your agenda. So why not let the experts take care of it all for you?

Our team has a specialised network of professionals with years of experience in providing corporate transportation solutions. Whether you need reliable corporate transport for meetings, conferences, or for incidents and disasters, we are here for you in a timely and expert manner.

<h2>Reliable Corporate Transport for Your Business</h2>

Safe and reliable corporate transport services are vital, but especially so when emergencies happen. Knowing how to create the necessary support for recovery in case of threats such as floods, fire, terrorist attacks, supplier failure, or other incidents is critical for your safety and business continuity.

In addition to our round the clock emergency travel services, we also have a control and management centre operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week to guarantee your event goes as smoothly as possible. We liaise with the relevant local authorities, police, Highways Agency, and organisers to make sure that your needs are met and exceeded.

Whether you have a small or a big company, First Travel Solutions provides corporate event travel for all sectors and requirements. Simply let us know about your individual needs and we tailor our services to your business.

<h2>Contact Us About Our Corporate Transport Services</h2>

Here at First Travel Solutions, we take pride in organising a whole variety of corporate transport solutions for business of all shapes and sizes and sectors across the UK. We personalise each one to you and your requirements; every company is different, so your transport should be too.

Get in touch with our friendly team to know more about our corporate travel solutions or find out more about each of the corporate transport services we offer below:

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/business-transport-solutions">Business Continuity</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/meetings-events-transport-solutions">Conferences &amp; Meetings</a> 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Corporate Transport Services

We can make your business even better!

Overall, investing in employee happiness is essential for creating a thriving, successful organisation with a competitive edge in the market. Happy employees are not only more productive and committed, but they also contribute to a positive workplace culture that benefits everyone involved. Transportation is one of the biggest factors in people's choice of place of work! 
We understand the importance of ensuring seamless transportation for your employees. Our Employee Shuttle Services are designed to alleviate the stress and cost of commuting, providing safe, efficient, and comfortable transportation solutions for businesses of all sizes. Wherever your workforce is based, our shuttle services offer a convenient and cost-effective way to enhance employee satisfaction and productivity.

Find out more by emailing <a href="mailto:sales@firsttravelsolutions.com">sales@firsttravelsolutions.com</a> today!

First Travel Solutions has a network of quality-checked and established vehicles across the UK. Our geographical coverage, combined with our own bus fleet and our compliance regime for subcontractors, gives access to all sizes and types of vehicles.

This allows the team to create bespoke travel arrangements for different employers’ needs. 
Connecting local towns and communities to numerous regional logistics centres with inbound and outbound journeys, timed to feed into and out of local shift patterns, offers maximum flexibility on service timing and new routes.&nbsp;

Each solution is delivered bespoke to the employers using our expert team at FTS and the software systems we have developed in-house.

 
Why Choose First Travel Solutions for Your Employee Shuttle Needs?

Dedicated Account Manager and 24/7 Control Room 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;We work with you to understand your employees' journeys to work, shift patterns, and cost benefits to improve employee satisfaction and retention.

Experienced Nationwide Service 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;With you, we create a bespoke, dedicated, reliable service for employees using a mix of local bus services and private hire from our audited and vetted partners, that works best for you.

Sustainability 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Using buses and coaches reduces daily vehicle use from the road, reducing the environmental impact your business has in your local area. &nbsp;Supporting your overall sustainability plans. 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;We support the move to zero emission vehicles, particularly within our own fleet, delivering sustainability for you at no additional cost.

Comfort &amp; Safety 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;All of our vehicles are well-maintained and equipped with modern amenities to ensure a comfortable, safe ride for your employees.

Technology Integration 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;We leverage innovative solutions to optimise our shuttle service. Advanced tracking systems allow for real-time monitoring of vehicles, enabling efficient route adjustments and timely interventions when necessary.&nbsp; 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Our data sharing means you can understand the service performance and travel patterns&nbsp;

Don’t just take our word for it:

Capita 
First Travel Solutions are invariably efficient and responsive. They understand our business needs and go all-out to help us achieve them.

Bernard Matthews 
Once again, a big ‘thank you’ to you &amp; your teams for everything that you have done for us 
this year. It’s difficult enough moving such a large number of people – especially where we 
suddenly give you minimal notice of additional shifts to cover &amp; changes to working patterns 
(all part of the norm!). However Covid &amp; social distancing has led to a whole different level of complexity and in consideration of this, things have gone remarkably well.

HPC 
With all staff constructing our Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power plant required to travel exclusively by the provided bus service, you’ve fully met our requirements since the contract’s inception in 2017. You’re a valuable member of the team that is successfully delivering HPC

Get Started Today! 
Let us take the wheel. Contact us today at <a href="mailto:sales@firsttravelsolutions.com">sales@firsttravelsolutions.com</a> to learn more about our customisable shuttle solutions and how we can tailor our services to meet your needs.

<img alt="Map" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c549af01-7120-41bc-8875-d28ba7e19da4" src="http://admin.firsttravelsolutions.com/sites/default/files/public/inline-images/fts-fingerprint-map.jpg" width="200" />

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Employee Shuttle Services

Organisers of major events have safe and smooth travel as key priorities while also ensuring that customers enjoy themselves. In events, quick and safe arrivals and departures are important for ensuring everything runs as efficiently as possible. At First Travel Solutions, we believe in providing expert festival travel services for all our clients.

We’ll take festival and event visitors directly where they wish to go, providing festival bus hire to large groups. Make your event pain-free with expert event travel management that offers your event visitors reliable transportation.

<h2>Reliable Festival Travel for any Occasion</h2>

Over the years, we have created bespoke and seamless transport services for music events such as Parklife, Boomtown and Leeds Festival. These events draw thousands of visitors each year from across the country, so it can certainly be a challenge to ensure they are transported safely and without delay. However, it’s a challenge that we’re more than capable of handling. <a href="https://firsttravelsolutions.com/case-studies/leeds-festival-2016">Here’s how we handled Leeds Festival in 2016</a>.

How do we do this? We draw on our extensive network of trusted operators to provide both drivers and vehicles. To help organise the whole operation, our trained coordinators are on the ground to ensure efficient ticket sales, seamless vehicle loading and transfers, and to respond quickly should delays start to arise.

This is all overseen by our round-the-clock control centre, which is able to respond swiftly to any problems and provide precise vehicle tracking. Organisers can focus on their line-up, while festival goers can relax and enjoy the show, knowing they can get home safety when the music stops.

<h2>Professional Event Travel Management</h2>

Our team is highly experienced in event travel management, delivering solutions and reliable services. Safety is one of our top priorities, which is why we ensure that we provide only the best festival travel. We understand how big event organisers need to rely on high-quality solutions and we’re here to deliver.

Do you want to know more about our festival coach hire service? For further details, please call 0345 528 0270 or email <a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstgroup.com">travel.solutions@</a><a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstbus.co.uk">firstbus.co.uk</a>. Our team is here to help you find the event travel management solution that fits your company’s individual needs.&nbsp;

Festival & Event Transport Solutions

Whether you need an expert service for sponsored events, business hospitality, meetings, or conference travel, we’re here for you. Our comprehensive travel service covers a whole variety of events and corporate clients trust us to provide high-quality solutions. Get to where you need to be, completely hassle-free.

Whether it’s a single taxi for a party of two or a complete train charter for a whole business of people, we can cater to all of your conference travel needs. We will get your delegates, customers or staff to the right destination safely and on time, so you’re free to focus on the event itself and make sure it goes off without a hitch.

<h2>Efficient Meeting Travel Solutions</h2>

Open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, our control and management centre has access to an extensive network of vehicle providers, as well as trained team of customer service specialists. We utilise only the best tools to ensure that your event goes as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

When you first make contact with us, we will deploy a suitable team of consultants and unique management systems. These will work together to suit all your individual requirements for conference travel or for other types of events.

Regardless of the size of your company, you can rely on us to provide the best meeting travel solutions for your business. We understand how important it is to get conference travel right; we deliver a service built with business objectives in mind, making sure that you know you can count on reliable travel solutions.

<h2>Do You Need Expert Conference Travel Services? Get in Touch</h2>

You can find out all about our team <a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/our-team">here</a>. Why not let us do the planning and management for you and be assured of safety and quality to the highest degree? Our meeting travel consultants will ensure that your individual business requirements are met with our reliable solutions.&nbsp;

For further information on conference travel, please call 0345 528 0270 or email <a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstgroup.com">travel.solutions@firstb</a><a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstbus.co.uk">us.co.uk</a>. We’re always happy to answer any questions you might have.

Meeting & Conference Travel Solutions

Disruptions can happen and seriously affect commuter routes. Whether it’s planned works or unforeseen circumstances, the impact can be huge. And when that happens to a national travel system that millions rely upon each day, then there needs to be a plan in place to ensure services remain as smooth as possible.

At First Travel Solutions, we provide expert railway support services and support to train operators up and down the country, offering alternative travel for both passengers and crew. We understand that the transfer from travelling by rail to <a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/coach-hire-solutions">bus or coach</a> isn’t always the most enjoyable, but we strive to make it as efficient and seamless as possible.

<h2>Railway Support Services You Can Rely On</h2>

When something unexpected happens, we can be there in no time through our railway support services. With our 24/7 control and management centre and our carefully selected base of nationwide drivers and vehicles, we can respond quickly to any situation. We also employ a network of over 500 fully trained and uniformed coordinators, who play a major role in customer service and ensuring the smooth running of our rail transport services.

But that’s not all: First Travel Solutions also manages the whole process for you from beginning to end. This involves liaising with local authorities, the Highways Agency and police to ensure we not only meet and exceed your expectations, but that we do so safely and legally. Our professional team will ensure that everything runs smoothly. Our railway support services are here for you, making sure a potential inconvenience has no impact on your daily operations.

<h2>Get in Touch About Our Rail Transport Services</h2>

If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of our team, don’t hesitate to <a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/contact-us">contact us</a>. We tailor our services around your individual requirements to ensure that your business needs are met and exceeded.&nbsp;

For further details about our expert rail transport services, please call 0345 528 0270 or email <a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstgroup.com">travel.solutions@f</a><a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstbus.co.uk">irstbus.co.uk</a>. We’re always happy to discuss what you would like to achieve and how we can work together to get there.

Rail Transport Services

Millions of people from all over the world tune in to watch finely-tuned athletes compete for glory and medals, but what goes on behind the scenes to make these events run smoothly? First Travel Solutions provides sport event travel services for some of the most prestigious and complex tournaments around the globe.

Reliable sport event travel is vital, and we take punctuality very seriously. We want everyone to have the best possible experience and stress-free travelling to sport events. This is why we invest heavily in high-quality solutions that work.

<h2>Sport Event Travel Services You Can Rely On</h2>

We are incredibly proud to have played an important part in the success of famous events such as the 2012 London Olympic Games, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and the 2015 England Rugby World Cup.

We accomplish this by working extremely closely with organisers of these events to meticulously plan every single detail of the operation. Not only do we think of all the things that we know will likely happen, but we also have contingency plans in place that allow us to respond swiftly to unforeseeable changes. This helps us ensure that competitors, spectators, VIPs and the media are transported to and from events safely and efficiently.

Sport event travel in famous and major events can seem hectic, which is why our team is trained and experienced when providing the best travel solutions that you can rely on.

<h2>Get in Touch for Expert Sport Event Travel Solutions</h2>

We take pride in safe travel and excellent customer service for every event, from start to finish. Thanks to the expertise of our team, who have worked on countless sporting events, we are able to deliver seamless sport event travel for all of our clients.&nbsp;

To find out more about how these events unfolded - and the part we played in their success - take a look at our <a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/case-studies">case studies</a> and see how we did it. Make sure to <a href="https://www.firsttravelsolutions.com/contact-us">get in touch</a> with us to enquire about our sport event travel solutions. 
&nbsp;

Sport & Games Transport Solutions

Our newest solution but not our newest service – Taxi Online is now live.

If you need to book taxi/s for your team across the UK with ease, confidence and choose from a variety of cars (VIP, minibuses, accessible vehicles and more) then our new solution is for you.

<h2>Why Taxi Online?</h2>

If you’re an employer then you’ll automatically have responsibility for your employees when they are outside of the workplace, such as at a conference or meeting. &nbsp;

You’ll know how important it is to provide duty of care and make sure that they arrive/leave safely.

<h2>Safety First</h2>

Our extensive list of suppliers across the UK are audited and vetted according to our stringent standards. &nbsp;With our ISO accreditations and the backing of our parent company FirstGroup plc, this means we’re guaranteed to provide safe and reliable transport for you and your employees.

<h2>There When You Need It</h2>

Taxi Online is the no fuss, easy to use taxi booking system for all your taxi needs.

Simply click <a href="https://register.firsttravelsolutions.com/">here</a> to go straight through to our secure booking portal and create your account today. &nbsp;By setting up an account you can access:

<ul>
	<li>Quick bookings to get vehicles when and where you need them</li>
	<li>GPS tracking/text updates on your journeys</li>
	<li>View previous journeys, reconcile accounts</li>
	<li>Payment by account</li>
</ul>

If you want to know more before setting up your account, email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:Paul.Upton@firsttravelsolutions.com">Paul.Upton@firsttravelsolutions.com</a> and we’ll be happy to help.

<a class="btn" href="https://register.firsttravelsolutions.com/">Sign Up for Taxi Online</a>

Taxi Online

As a leading travel management company in the UK, at First Travel Solutions we place an extremely strong focus on safety, reliability, affordability and, of course, tremendously high quality. From FTSE100 businesses and SMEs and brand new start-ups, to government agencies and schools, clients trust us to deliver time-sensitive, critical passenger journeys for a whole range of situations.

<h2> 
Transport Management Solutions from Our Experienced Team</h2>

Working with our team includes a wide range of unique offerings, which benefits your business operations. We combine our in-house expertise in planning and delivery with an unrivalled supplier network of more than 1,200 bus and coach operators, as well as over 300 taxi operators across the country.

You will also benefit from:

<ul>
	<li>Convenience - when you start planning with us you will be assigned a dedicated account manager who will act as your single point of contact throughout your journey.</li>
	<li>Flexibility - whether you're organising a single trip to a conference or a major event such as a music festival, we can help with all your needs.</li>
	<li>Planning - we will be with you every step of the way, from making the initial plans (catering to your unique requirements), to the final day of delivery.</li>
	<li>Fast response - even if an emergency arises, our round-the-clock control centre will be there whenever you need it.</li>
</ul>

 
Additionally, we also work extremely hard to make your experience as enjoyable and smooth as possible through:

<ul>
	<li>Regular review meetings with your account manager and the wider team (if needs be)</li>
	<li>Scheduled management information reports to give you eyes on what's happening at all times</li>
	<li>Review and governance overview by senior directors</li>
</ul>

 
We will take the time to get to know your business, see how you prefer to operate, and then we will create a bespoke travel management solution that meets your every need.

<h2> 
Contact Us for an Expert Travel Management Service</h2>

Do you want to know more about our travel management solutions? Our team is always happy to answer any questions you might have about our services. We take pride in providing excellent customer service and delivering high-quality solutions focused on safety.

For further information on our services, please call 0345 528 0270 or email <a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstgroup.com">travel.solutions@f</a><a href="mailto:travel.solutions@firstbus.co.uk">irstbus.co.uk</a>.

Transport Management Solutions

Arranging travel for meetings, conferences, and events can be challenging without expert transport planning. Our transport planning consultants can identify opportunities to your transport or travel plans for any event.&nbsp;

A wider view of how successful transport planning can be achieved is often absent and resources to execute plans can be limited. At First Travel Solutions, our goal is to always ensure your timely and safe arrival at your destination

<h2>Professional Transport Planning Solutions</h2>

Attending events and meetings can be stressful without the added worry of planning how to get there on time. Navigating bigger cities can be difficult when you have to plan for any eventuality - and this is how we can help you. We understand how vital your business is for you and we always have contingency plans in place so you never miss your appointments.

With experience in most sectors and contacts throughout, our transport planning professionals can deliver a transport planning consultancy solution alongside your existing suppliers and partners, taking all the planning stress away.

We know our clients are always on the go, and we ensure our consultancy provides you with the punctuality you need so that you can focus on what’s important to you. Free up valuable time that can be used to grow your business and expand your contracts. We assure you reliable and professional transport planning for any occasion.

<h2>Let Us Know About Your Travel Planning Consultancy Needs</h2>

Visit our <a href="https://firsttravelsolutions.com/our-team">team page</a> to find out more about the experts behind our solutions and get in touch today for support and guidance with your transport and travel planning across the UK and Europe. Our professional team is highly experienced in providing a transport planning service that can be relied on and that delivers on-time.

No matter how big a conference is, we can provide you with reliable transportation planning that is sure to get you, your employees, or your investors to where you need to go, when you need to be there. 
&nbsp;

Transport Planning Consultancy

British Educational Travel Association

English UK

European tourism association

Business Travel Association

Team Work

We love a festival - but we don’t go for the music - we go to move people safely and efficiently - adding to their great weekend of fun without them even realising.&nbsp;

We are proud of our ongoing work with Love Supreme, Leeds Festival, and Boardmasters, all of these festivals we have been supporting for over 6 years now!&nbsp;

We highlighted just three of our festivals here!

&nbsp;

The Solutions

Love Supreme 
One of the country’s premier jazz festivals takes place at Glynde Place near Brighton in early July and is attended by around 5,000 fans. FirstTravel Solutions (FTS) has provided transport solutions for six years, comprising shuttle and timetabled bus services between Brighton and Glynde rail stations and the festival site.

Many of the festival goers camp at the site and attend the full weekend festivities, meaning that the transport provision also had to accommodate the movement of tents, bags, and equipment alongside people.

FTS, planned routes, procured vehicles, set up city centre locations to support those arriving in Brighton by rail, coordinated queuing and boarding, provided pop-up sales points, and managed the onsite temporary bus station.

Customers could book onto time-specific shuttles from Brighton rail station to the site, which helped manage crowds, but FTS employed sufficient flexibility in the operation to account for late arrivals and peak time surges.

&nbsp;

Leeds Festival 
FTS have supported this massive event for several years and used their experience and expertise to deliver a comprehensive travel solution that was much more than the standard shuttle service.

Recognising the complexities of moving tens of thousands of festival-goers, planning for the event starts months in advance and involves the entire FTS team.

As many attendees initially travel by rail into Leeds city centre, the team identified suitable pick-up and drop-off points within the station's easy reach.

On the ground, coordinators are in constant radio contact with the buses' staging site and can call in the fleet as and when needed. Over the course of six days, FTS successfully transferred more than 20,000 music fans via 500 bus journeys.

&nbsp;

Boardmasters 
Boardmasters is one of Cornwall’s biggest festivals, mixing top-end music entertainment, beach and surfing activities and sports. It attracts around 50,000 festival-goers over a five-day early August period to the usually much quieterWatergate Bay and Fistral Beach near Newquay.

Parking on-site is extremely limited, and FTS were asked to develop and operate bus shuttles that would transport 45,000 fans to and from Newquay town centre and the festival sites.

FTS developed a plan that provided bus connections between Newquay’s bus and rail stations and the Watergate and Fistral beaches.&nbsp;

The shuttles were in operation each day between 0700-0400 and carried festival goers and tonnes of camping equipment and personal belongings.

Cash handling was managed safely and securely, but FTS introduced advance ticketing and m-tickets via the FirstGroup app to ease queuing and transaction times.

25 staff were rostered across the various sites and were on hand to manage queues, bus loadings, ticketing operations and temporary bus stations at festival sites.

Vehicles were tracked, and onsite management control was able to flex the services as needed and respond to additional requirements, such as staff buses to assist with beach cleaning.

The operation was a tremendous success and delivered against several key indicators. Nearly 1,500 bus journeys were completed, and 56,000 attendees used the shuttle services.

This reduced car movement in and around Newquay and the festival by over a third and meant residents and event goers all got to where they needed to be when needed.

&nbsp;

The Result

Another successful FTS operation carried thousands of festival goers, their equipment and supplies and a fair few saxophones and guitars.

These successful services are supporting organisers in demonstrating to local authorities their commitment to staging a transport-considered event.

All buses provided were fully accessible and tracked by FTS in Event Control.

ftsmanager

Festival Travel Support

Case Study

The challenge

Internet-based retailers and large retail and grocery warehouse facilities have found it challenging to support employees with their travel to work.

Public transport services are often not operating near enough to sites or at times that suit the shift work of many organisations.

There is a need to provide bespoke journeys for employees of many of these businesses.

&nbsp;

The solution

First Travel Solutions have a network of vehicles across the UK, that are quality checked and established.&nbsp; Our geographical coverage with our own bus fleet and our compliance regime for sub-contractors gives access to all sizes and types of vehicles.

This allows the team to create bespoke travel arrangements for the different employers' needs.

Connecting local towns and communities to numerous regional logistics centres with inbound and outbound journeys to feed into and out of local shift patterns.

This offers maximum flexibility on service timing and new routes.

Each solution is delivered bespoke to the employers using our expert team at FTS and the software systems we have developed in-house.

We can and do operate staff services across most cities and counties of the UK.

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The result

A bespoke transport solution providing access to employment for non-car users in areas traditionally unserved by public transport.

They are delivered on both free-to-user (fully employer subsidised) and passenger contribution (employer subsidised) models.

We have worked with household names such as Lidl, Waitrose, Royal Mail, Pertemps, and Tesco, to name a few.

Bespoke Employee Shuttle Buses

The challenge

The NBA and the NFL have previously hosted games in the UK, but in the summer of 2019, the London Stadium in the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park pitched up to be the first venue in Europe to stage Major League Baseball (MLB).

First Travel Solutions were contracted to provide team, VIP and spectator transport for the London Series.&nbsp;

This was more than just providing coaches and park and ride solutions and involved the procurement and management of all sorts of vehicles from minibuses, to MPVs to executive cars. The operation was not just for event days but encompassed the proceeding build and after event takedown periods.

The games (June 29 and 30th) themselves were extremely high profile as it was between two of the biggest rivals in American baseball and two of the most iconic teams in world sport in the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

The eyes of the world were on London and the UK to see if it could successfully host such a famous American sporting tradition.

The organisers had very specific and high-end vehicle specifications and FTS had to fulfil these requirements in the peak holiday season in the UK.

The solution

Recognising the high-profile nature of the operation and the worldwide eyes on the event, and indeed the organisers want to prove the viability of future MLB matches, FTS deployed senior management teams who worked intensely with the client for months in advance of the games and throughout the series.

Over the 8 days of event operation, FTS successfully delivered nearly 400 different ‘transport’ journeys. This involved procuring and managing 87 different vehicles from team coaches, to MPVs to executive coaches and saloon cars.

FTS onsite control team monitored and tracked every vehicle, trained 22 drivers and staff to the highest standard, deployed co-ordinators at the main venue and auxiliary locations and adapted the operation in terms of time management as one of the games turned out to be the second longest in MLB history.

The result

FTS smashed the baseball contract out of the park. Every specified journey requirement was met with 100% of journeys being completed to programme. There was not a single late journey and organisers reported their satisfaction both with the service provisions and the standard of vehicles procured.

A second London Series will take place in 2020.

First Travel Solutions

What we do

How we do it

Festival Travel Support

Bespoke Employee Shuttle Buses

Major League Baseball

Who we work with

Associations