Bus Eireann is the national bus and coach firm in Eire. They run both local services, coach services and inter-city services. The Company maintains a Web site at http://www.buseireann.ie/

You can buy Internet 'tickets' online before travelling on a Bus Eireann service, but be aware that a 'ticket' is not delivered to you, say by email. Instead a email confirmation is sent to you, with a 'MAC' address, which the driver is supposed to input to redeem a ticket for you.

You can get a 10% on tickets using the site. Unfortunately it doesn't always work - Bus Eireann drivers will not recognise such email confirmations, when printed-out with a valid MAC address.

The problem is particular to Return Tickets, including the Adult Return. This ticket allows the traveller to use the 'ticket' on a predetermined outbound leg on the designated service, say from Dublin Airport to Galway on the 26th June. The traveller can redeem the ticket for any scheduled departure on that service (say the X20 or 20 coach) on that day.

Being an Adult Return, Bus Eireann stipulates that the Adult Return can be used upto one month from the date of outward travel, for the return journey;

Adult Rtn: Adult Return Tickets are valid for one outward journey on date of issue and for return journey for up to one month from date of outward travel. These tickets are not valid for two journeys in the same direction.

https://194.106.151.95/asp/NationalDetailView.asp?TICKET_ID=16

Except they don't, in my experience work. The first journey will, say from Dublin Airport, but try returning on your Adult Ticket a few days or weeks later and the Bus Eireann driver will invariably refuse carriage. Why? Because he will point to the 'Date of Departure' on the email confirmation, which will say in this case '26 June 2011' and will tell you that the return journey has to be performed on that day, and only that day. Explaining the nature of the ticket with the driver comes to no good, they won't even attempt to input the MAC address. If you don't want to miss your coach/bus you will have to buy a new single ticket, and try to get compensation for your unuseable Adult Return 'ticket' which only worked as an expensive single.

I complainted about this to a bus inspector and a driver at Dublin Airport, who told me the Adult Return emails are 'optional' - that is the Bus Eireann drivers may or may not accept them (!) depending on their own personal preferences.

I can't say how many people are being impacted by this Internet 'scam' by Bus Eireann - I know of one other person, but she only saw it with a group of Japanese tourists who were initially refused carriage. Certainly after speaking with Bus Eireann staff, they are fully aware of it - but I guess if most people don't try to get refunds it is a lucrative scam to perpetuate.

If you are visiting Eire though, and intend to book bus/coach tickets in advance with Bus Eireann, I strongly suggest only booking single tickets.

I haven't heard of any similar problems with CityLink - one of Bus Eireanns private competitors.