Bus Route 38A — Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton: Times, Stops & Fares (2026)
The 38A bus service runs from Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton, operated by First Eastern Counties. This complete 2026 guide covers the stops in order for each direction, first and last buses, frequency, journey times, fares and answers to common questions — all worked out from the registered open timetable data.
🧭 Route 38A at a Glance
| Route | 38A — Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton |
|---|---|
| Operator | First Eastern Counties |
| Direction | Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton · Mulbarton to Norwich International Airport |
| Stops listed | 81 stops across 2 direction(s) |
| Typical journey | Around 53 minutes end to end (Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton) |
| Runs | Monday to Saturday |
🚌 Route 38A: Stops from Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton
First bus from Norwich International Airport: 07:06 · last bus 18:18 · 16 departures.
- Passenger Terminal, Norwich International Airport
- Anson Road, Norwich
- Heatrae Sadia, Norwich
- Old Q8 Garage, Norwich
- Anovo, Norwich
- Concorde Road, Norwich
- KFC, Norwich
- Dalrymple Way, Mile Cross
- Fletcher Way, Norwich
- Gateley Gardens, Mile Cross
- Mecca Bingo, Norwich
- Half Mile Road, Norwich
- Penn Grove, Norwich
- Drayton Road, Norwich
- Wingfield Road, Norwich
- Edward Street, Norwich
- Anglia Square, Norwich
- Upper King Street, Norwich
- Castle Meadow, Norwich City Centre
- St Stephens Street, Norwich City Centre
- Rowington Road, Norwich
- Sigismund Road, Norwich
- Lady Mary Road, Norwich
- Lady Betty Road, Norwich
- Hewett School, Norwich
- Latimer Road, Norwich
- Abbot Road, Norwich
- Sandy Lane, Tuckswood
- Robin Hood Road, Tuckswood
- Bessemer Road, Tuckswood
- Hall Road, Tuckswood
- Fountains Road, Tuckswood
- Ipswich Road junction, South Tuckswood
- Low Road, Keswick
- Short Lane, Swardeston
- Bus Shelter, Swardeston
- Worlds End, Mulbarton
- Rectory Lane, Mulbarton
- Bluebell Road, Mulbarton
- Birchfield Lane, Mulbarton
- Lark Rise, Mulbarton
- Roundabout, Mulbarton
🚌 Route 38A: Stops from Mulbarton to Norwich International Airport
First bus from Mulbarton: 06:34 · last bus 18:18 · 17 departures.
- Roundabout, Mulbarton
- Lark Rise, Mulbarton
- Birchfield Lane, Mulbarton
- Birchfield Gardens, Mulbarton
- The Common, Mulbarton
- Worlds End, Mulbarton
- Bus Shelter, Swardeston
- Short Lane, Swardeston
- Low Road, Keswick
- Marsh Harrier Inn, South Tuckswood
- Fountains Road, Tuckswood
- Bessemer Road, Tuckswood
- Robin Hood Road, Tuckswood
- Sandy Lane, Tuckswood
- Abbot Road, Norwich
- Latimer Road, Norwich
- Hewett School, Norwich
- Lady Betty Road, Norwich
- Lady Mary Road, Norwich
- Sigismund Road, Norwich
- St Stephens Street, Norwich City Centre
- Castle Meadow, Norwich City Centre
- Tombland, Norwich
- Anglia Square, Norwich
- Wingfield Road, Norwich
- Drayton Road, Norwich
- Penn Grove, Norwich
- Half Mile Road, Norwich
- Mecca Bingo, Norwich
- Gateley Gardens, Norwich
- Fletcher Way, Norwich
- Dalrymple Way, Mile Cross
- KFC, Norwich
- Concorde Road, Norwich
- Anovo, Norwich
- Old Q8 Garage, Norwich
- Heatrae Sadia, Norwich
- Anson Road, Norwich
- Passenger Terminal, Norwich International Airport
Some journeys on this direction run a shorter working — Tuckswood to Norwich International Airport.
⏱️ Times & Frequency — Route 38A
Summary from the main timetable (Monday to Friday), aggregating every journey pattern of each direction:
| Direction | First | Last | Frequency | End-to-end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton | 07:06 | 18:18 | every 38 minutes | around 53 min |
| Mulbarton to Norwich International Airport | 06:34 | 18:18 | every 35 minutes | around 53 min |
Departures from Passenger Terminal, Norwich International Airport (Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton, fullest pattern): 07:06, 07:36, 08:00, 08:30, 09:08, 10:08, 11:08, 12:08, 13:08, 14:08, 15:08, 16:13, 16:43, 17:13, 17:48, 18:18
Departures from Roundabout, Mulbarton (Mulbarton to Norwich International Airport, fullest pattern): 06:34, 07:04, 07:33, 08:08, 09:13, 10:13, 11:13, 12:13, 13:13, 14:13, 15:13, 15:43, 16:13, 16:48, 17:18, 17:48, 18:18
Day-by-day running — Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton
| Days | First | Last | Buses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 07:06 | 18:18 | 16 |
| Saturdays | 08:08 | 18:08 | 11 |
First bus times — Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton
The first bus on the fullest pattern calls at its stops at these times (Monday to Friday):
| Stop | First bus |
|---|---|
| Passenger Terminal, Norwich International Airport | 07:06 |
| Anson Road, Norwich | 07:08 |
| Heatrae Sadia, Norwich | 07:08 |
| Old Q8 Garage, Norwich | 07:09 |
| Anovo, Norwich | 07:10 |
| Concorde Road, Norwich | 07:10 |
| KFC, Norwich | 07:11 |
| Dalrymple Way, Mile Cross | 07:12 |
| Fletcher Way, Norwich | 07:13 |
| Gateley Gardens, Mile Cross | 07:14 |
| Mecca Bingo, Norwich | 07:16 |
| Half Mile Road, Norwich | 07:17 |
| Penn Grove, Norwich | 07:19 |
| Drayton Road, Norwich | 07:21 |
| Wingfield Road, Norwich | 07:22 |
| Edward Street, Norwich | 07:25 |
| Anglia Square, Norwich | 07:26 |
| Upper King Street, Norwich | 07:29 |
| Castle Meadow, Norwich City Centre | 07:32 |
| St Stephens Street, Norwich City Centre | 07:36 |
| Rowington Road, Norwich | 07:39 |
| Sigismund Road, Norwich | 07:39 |
| Lady Mary Road, Norwich | 07:40 |
| Lady Betty Road, Norwich | 07:41 |
| Hewett School, Norwich | 07:42 |
| Latimer Road, Norwich | 07:42 |
| Abbot Road, Norwich | 07:43 |
| Sandy Lane, Tuckswood | 07:44 |
| Robin Hood Road, Tuckswood | 07:45 |
| Bessemer Road, Tuckswood | 07:46 |
| Hall Road, Tuckswood | 07:46 |
| Fountains Road, Tuckswood | 07:47 |
| Ipswich Road junction, South Tuckswood | 07:49 |
| Low Road, Keswick | 07:51 |
| Short Lane, Swardeston | 07:54 |
| Bus Shelter, Swardeston | 07:55 |
| Worlds End, Mulbarton | 07:57 |
| Rectory Lane, Mulbarton | 07:58 |
| Bluebell Road, Mulbarton | 07:59 |
| Birchfield Lane, Mulbarton | 08:00 |
📍 Areas Served
Within the Norwich area this service calls at stops in Norwich, Norwich City Centre, Tuckswood, Mile Cross, South Tuckswood, Norwich International Airport.
🔀 Interchanges on this Route
At Upper King Street, Norwich you can change to 34 other services, including route 10, route 10A, route 11, route 11A, route 12.
At Anglia Square, Norwich you can change to 32 other services, including route 10, route 10A, route 11, route 11A, route 12.
At Edward Street, Norwich you can change to 29 other services, including route 10, route 10A, route 11, route 11A, route 12.
At Castle Meadow, Norwich City Centre you can change to 22 other services, including route 132, route 32, route 36, route 36A, route 36B.
🔀 Connections & the Operator
Route 38A is operated by First Eastern Counties — see the full First Eastern Counties operator page for the rest of its Norwich-area network. More Norwich routes are listed on the Norwich bus guide, or browse the Norfolk bus hub.
🎫 Fares & Payment
- Fare cap: single fares on this service are capped at £3 under the England national fare cap — the cap falls to £2 from 1 January 2027. See BusUpdate’s fare cap guide.
- Paying: most operators in this area accept contactless bank cards and mobile payment as well as cash; smaller community operators may differ — check with First Eastern Counties for this route.
- Day tickets: if you make several journeys, ask the driver about First Eastern Counties day tickets, which can beat paying capped singles.
❓ Route 38A — FAQs
How long does the 38A take from Norwich International Airport to Mulbarton?
Around 53 minutes end to end on the main timetable, varying with traffic, time of day and how many stops are requested.
How often does the 38A run?
Every 38 minutes on the main weekday timetable, with first bus 07:06 and last bus 18:18 from Norwich International Airport. Services on other days of the week (Monday to Friday, Saturdays) can differ.
How much is the fare on route 38A?
Single fares are capped at £3 under the England fare cap (£2 from 1 January 2027). First Eastern Counties day tickets may be cheaper if you make several journeys.
What days does the 38A run?
Monday to Saturday — calendars in the registered timetable: Monday to Friday, Saturdays.
Sources: Timetable data from First Eastern Counties / Bus Open Data Service (BODS), 21 October 2026; stop locations from NaPTAN. Open data (OGL v3.0), independently compiled by BusUpdate — check the operator before travelling for any short-notice changes.