Student bus pass guide
Looking for a cheap student bus pass? Here's how to get the best deals and save yourself a fair amount of money on your daily commute.
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Buses might not always be the quickest means of getting around town, but they're green, economical and don't leave you dependent on taxis or your mate's car.
Most university cities have local bus operators offering student passes. Depending on where you live, there could be massive savings to be had.
If you're not sure whether you need a bus pass or where to get one, read on for tips and tricks to cutting the cost of your travel.
What's in this guide?
Do you need a student bus pass?
If you take the same bus journey every day and use it on nights out and other short trips, you'll most likely be able to save money by getting a travel pass.
Arm yourself with at least a hazy notion of how much you typically spend on travel each week so you've got something to compare to later in this guide.
Things to consider before getting a bus pass
- Walking, cycling or running instead of getting the bus (if you live close enough, can do it safely and have the necessary equipment) would make your commute free. Try our tips on cheap ways to buy a bike if you don't have one yet.
- It's easier to factor travel costs into your student budget by paying up-front for a bus pass.
- If you have a disability (physical or mental) you may be entitled to DSA travel support or could be eligible for free or reduced fares – talk to your uni or service provider for more info.
- Some local bus services offer return journey fare savers which can save you some cash if you don't travel enough for a pass.
- Check if you could make a cheaper journey on local trams, metro trains or river services (and apply this guide's advice to save money however you get around town).
- If you're a student aged 18 or under, you can probably already get discounted travel – get the details from operators in your area.
How much does a student bus pass cost?
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Buying an annual bus pass can seem pricey, but it does come with the greatest potential for savings and the most flexibility for travelling when you want.
If you pay upfront, you don't have to worry about it again for a whole year, and won't be stuck without a ride when times are lean. It could be worth allocating the cost from your first Maintenance Loan payment.
As an idea of costs, in the North East of England, an annual (academic year) Stagecoach student bus pass will set you back £320. In London, though, you can expect to pay much more – an annual student bus and tram pass from TfL costs £692.
Cheap bus tickets, term bus passes and university discounts
This won't always be possible, but if you can, try to get an academic year pass. It will likely be the most cost-effective choice if you're not sticking around in your uni town or city over the holiday periods.
Alternatively, if there aren't academic year passes available, it's worth looking into the costs of term passes (usually running from September–December and January–April/June). These tend to be the next best options, as they mean you won't be paying for travel over the holidays.
Find out if your uni runs its own bus service as they may offer discounts or pass schemes. Otherwise, remember that there could be more than one student bus operator in the area. Stack up what each company offers to see where you can get the best travel deals and service.
And don't be too quick to assume you're priced out of the pass you'd need. You may just need to adjust your route slightly or start at a different bus stop, depending on the zone boundaries.
You may need to provide a student ID to get your pass, and you might even have to show it each time you travel. Operators all have different policies on replacing lost or stolen passes or refunding you if you want to cash in early. Find out before you get stung.
Best student bus passes
Here are the best bus passes for students:
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Stagecoach UniRiderWhere is Stagecoach available in the UK?
- England
- Scotland
- Wales.
About Stagecoach bus passes
Stagecoach operates services in many university cities across a lot of England, Scotland and South Wales. Its UniRider bus pass is one of the best-value passes for students out there.
Like most bus passes, the cost varies from city to city (related to variations in single ticket prices) and you can book and buy online.
Note that, as well as the cost, the length of time you can get a Stagecoach bus pass for varies across the UK, as well as the geographical size of the area covered by the passes.
As an example, in the South West of England, you can get UniRider bus passes for each uni term. In Warwickshire, for comparison, you can get a student ticket for 28 days, the autumn term, the academic year or as an annual ticket. If you're sticking around, you can also get a summer holiday UniRider.
Have a look at their website to find the prices for your local area.
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First Bus student bus passWhere is First Bus available in the UK?
- England
- Scotland
- Wales.
About First Bus passes
You'll find the pink and white buses of First Group in several university cities across mainland UK.
Annual, monthly and termly passes are generally available.
Again, the prices and types of tickets on offer vary depending on where you're based. But, in some parts of the UK like York, you can get an annual bus pass for around £375. Visit their student site for current prices.
In some cities in the UK, First Bus offers special deals. If you decide against a bus pass, or you're visiting a new city for a couple of days, have a look at their website to see if you can get cheap tickets with them.
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Arriva Student Saver ticketsWhere is Arriva available in the UK?
- England
- Wales.
About Arriva bus passes
Arriva is another major bus operator in many university cities across England and Wales. They offer a student bus pass called Student Saver.
Daily, weekly, monthly, termly and yearly passes are available, though not for all areas.
As an example of prices, a 15-week student pass for Durham University costs £80 – £120 (depending on the zone).
A 4-week student pass for Greater Manchester, however, costs £50.
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Translink yLink and 24+ travel cardsWhere is Translink available in the UK?
- Northern Ireland.
Key facts about Translink bus passes
For people aged 16–23, the yLink travel card from Translink gets you 50% off the cost of train and bus journeys in Northern Ireland. And best of all, you can get this card for free.
You don't have to be a student to use this card, so you can keep getting the discount even after leaving uni.
And if you're 24 or older, you can apply for the 24+ Student Railcard. This card gives you a third off on single, day return, weekly and monthly NI Railways tickets and up to 50% off Enterprise fares.
Just note, however, that if you're planning to use a yLink card for rail travel, the one-third-off discount doesn't apply to off-peak NI Railways Day Return tickets.
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Oyster cardsWhere is Oyster available in the UK?
- London.
Key facts about Oyster passes and travelcards
Buses in London are cash-free: to travel on one, you'll need to get yourself an Oyster Card from Transport for London, use a payment app on your phone or tap in and out with a contactless bank card.
Oyster cards can be loaded up with travelcards and passes (daily, weekly or longer). They can also be loaded with cash and used to pay as you go.
Bus journeys in London have fare caps to help you save money on travel.
A single bus journey costs a flat rate of £1.75, no matter how far you're travelling. And, if your balance or travel card runs out, you can make one extra trip without adding funds so you won't get stranded somewhere.
If you need to switch to a different bus on your journey, as long as it's within an hour from when you first tapped on the bus, you won't get charged another £1.75.
You can get 30% off travel cards and bus/tram passes with an 18+ Student Oyster Card. It costs £20 and you'll need a London address, proof of student status and a recent photo to get one.
If you've got a 16–25 Railcard, you can link it to your Oyster card, and combine discounts to get a third off some off-peak fares and daily caps.
Check out our London student city guide for more information on getting the most out of the capital.
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Young Persons' Free Bus TravelWhere is Young Persons' Free Bus Travel available in the UK?
- Scotland.
Key facts about Young Persons' Free Bus Travel
In Scotland, anybody aged 5–21 can apply for a card to use busses free of charge. Similarly to the Translink yLink, you don't need to be a student for this. All you need is a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC with the valid free travel entitlement (bring this on the bus journey with you!).
You can apply for this online. If you already have an NEC or Young Scot NEC, you can download free bus travel on the Transport Scot Pass Collect app.
10 ways to save money on bus tickets without a pass
If you only use the bus every now and then, you might not want to splash out on a bus pass, but it still pays to be fare-savvy. Here are the best ways to save money on bus journeys:
- Use free inner-city buses for all or part of your journey if there are local ones available.
- Research the price zones nearby and find the cheapest bus route (even if it takes a bit longer).
- Avoid travelling during peak times when tickets are pricier.
- See if you're eligible for discounted tickets, like for being a young person, in full-time education or registered as disabled.
- Similarly, look out for special deals (e.g. First Bus sometimes offers reduced ticket prices to students in some parts of the UK).
- Compare prices of local bus companies and travel with the cheapest, even if the route's slightly more awkward.
- Check for university night bus services as these should be affordable and safe.
- Find out if a local bus service caps their fares. In London, for example, bus prices are capped at £5.25 per day (individual journeys cost £1.75) and the TfL Hopper fare means you can make unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour for £1.75.
- If you need to pay for each individual bus journey in a day, see if you can take one direct bus and walk the rest of the way.
- Don't use the bus. This might sound obvious, but it's easy to fall into the routine of following the same bus journey each day, even when you could spare the time to walk. Whenever possible, avoid getting the bus as this is the ultimate way to save money on bus journeys.
Once you've sorted bus travel, find out how you can make real savings on your train tickets when you head back home.
