Cheap bus travel

Big thanks to Claire and the team at charity Bus Users UK for lending us their expertise for this guide.

1. Free journey planners for anywhere in the UK

   Journey planners can give you the confidence to use the bus if you're not yet familiar with local routes. They'll help you work out which bus you need, what time it arrives, and which stop to get on and off at.

   • Traveline (see its sites for England, Wales and Scotland) is popular with MoneySavers for its comprehensive coverage of almost every bus route in the UK. (For Northern Ireland, try Translink.)
     
     Traveline's handy when you need a national overview. You could, for example, plot a mammoth cross-country journey purely by bus, say from Birmingham International Station to Newcastle town centre (at least six hours, if you're wondering). Or you could decide where's best to hold your hen do by quickly checking bus journeys between various town centres and budget hotels.

   • Google Maps features most of the UK's bus routes, though be aware some rural and less-served areas may not yet be accounted for. If you use the app (Android/iOS) on your phone, it will use GPS to help you work out where to get on and off the bus – handy when you're in an unfamiliar area.

   For really in-depth and accurate journey planning though, it's worth checking if there's a tool that focuses on your specific area.

   Here are a few major examples:

   Local journey planner tools

   • Citymapper. This free app (Android/iOS) and website is available in many (but not all) cities across the UK and beyond. Its Bus+ filter finds you bus-only routes to your destination.

   • Bustimes.org. Popular with our users, the Bustimes website offers live tracking maps, timetables and catalogues of bus stops and services.

   • Stagecoach. The live bus tracker website and app (Android/iOS) lets you track your bus in real time.

   • Arriva. It offers a journey planner and a live tracking app (Android/iOS).

   • First Bus. See its journey planner and live tracking app (Android/iOS).

   • Gov.uk. Its online tool lists all the bus services for a chosen locale.

   I always use the Stagecoach app for not only bus routes but also for cheaper tickets too – it’s excellent here in Deepest Wiltshire and Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire as well.

   ~ Edison via Facebook

   Bustimes.org for me (unless I'm in an area with a good app from the bus company, such as More, Transdev Go or NCT). Stagecoach app as a last resort because buses randomly disappear just as they are due.

   ~ Colin via X

   CityMapper, TfL's 'Stations, stops & piers' (with 5-digit codes). I also use Google Maps at home to 'visit' unfamiliar routes via Google Streetview. I keep a list on my phone of the 5-digit codes for my most frequently used bus stops, e.g, Bow Church is 56772.

   ~ Jo via X

   Which app do you use to plan your bus journey? Let us know via X (formerly Twitter), Facebook or the MSE Forum.

   Some areas offer a text service for live bus times

   As mentioned by Jo above, in London you can text your bus stop code to 87287 and receive a reply with live bus arrival info. You'll find the code – a black, five-digit number – at the bus stop on a sign above the timetable, or printed on the timetable itself.

   These texts should be free if your mobile plan includes text messages, but if you're on a plan that charges per text (for example, a PAYG plan), you'll be billed at your standard rate. (And if you're on Smarty, texting these 'short code numbers' is not supported, so you won’t be able to use this service.)

   A text service exists in Surrey and West Sussex too, but there's a 25p charge per text on top of your standard rate.

   

   The code for this bus stop is 71045.

2. Check if you're eligible for free bus travel

   Certain demographics can claim free travel on buses (as well as trains and other forms of transport). Details vary by area. Here are the main examples:

   

   • Disabled people. Eligibility and application processes vary depending on whether you live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. In some areas – for example, Portsmouth – a companion can also travel free with you on a Companion Pass.

   • Seniors. In Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and London you can apply for an older person's bus pass for free travel when you reach age 60. In England, you can apply once you reach State Pension age.

   • Children. Across the UK, under-5s travel free on the bus. In general, no pass is needed. Some areas go beyond this – in London, children aged 5-10 get free travel on all transport services but must apply for a Zip Oyster photocard.

   • Young people. For example, in Scotland, all people aged 5-21 can apply for a card to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.

   • Veterans. In London, you can get a Veterans Oyster Card if you're a veteran receiving certain payments. It gets you free travel on bus, tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and the Elizabeth line, free travel on most National Rail services in London and discounts on Rivers Services.

   • Schoolchildren (in certain circumstances). See the Government's Free school transport page to see if your children are eligible.

   A few other specific criteria for free travel we've spotted:

   • Ukrainian nationals on the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Surrey County Council offers a free temporary bus pass, valid for one chosen bus company. The scheme runs until 31 March 2026.

   • Individuals escaping domestic abuse. In Northern Ireland, free travel via Ulsterbus or train is available to those fleeing abuse.

   See our MoneySaving tips for disabled people and the Over 50s MoneySaving MSE Forum board for more cash-savvy schemes.

3. Check if you're eligible for discounted bus travel

   If free travel isn't an option, you might still be able to bag a concession. Eligibility and other terms may vary depending on your location. Here are some of the criteria:

   • Students. Stagecoach, for instance, offers up to 40% off the standard fare for students in England, Wales and Scotland.

   • Young people. For example, the Surrey LINK card can be used by anyone aged 20 or under living in Surrey. It gets you 50% off single or return bus journeys starting or finishing in Surrey.

   • Care leavers. Transport for London (TfL)'s 18-25 Care Leaver Oyster photocard is one such example – it gets London-based care leavers 50% off bus and tram fares.

   • Apprentices. Mersey Travel's Apprentice Travelcard gets half-price bus travel for 19 to 24-year-olds in the Liverpool City area who are enrolled on approved apprenticeships. You must buy a weekly or four-weekly ticket to take advantage of the discount.

   • Jobseekers. TfL's Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount gets 50% off pay as you go fares on the bus (and other forms of transport).

   

   
   See our guides on Student budget planning and Degree apprenticeships for ways to save in other areas of life.

4. In England, a single bus journey is capped at £3, with some exceptions

   For most of England, a single bus journey is capped at £3 (recently increased from £2). The Government says this cap will last until the end of 2025.

   It's a voluntary scheme, so some services and routes aren't included and could be more expensive. On the flip side, some local areas have their own, lower, cap. For example, a single bus journey won't cost more than £1.75 in London, £2 in Greater Manchester and £2 in West Yorkshire. See more on the Government's £3 national bus fare cap page.

   Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do not have a daily cap in place for bus journeys. There may be a daily cap on certain buses depending on the area and bus operator.

5. In London or Manchester? Get unlimited bus travel within an hour

   

   Both London and Manchester offer a 'hopper' fare which gets you unlimited journeys within an hour of boarding your first bus.

   London. TfL's hopper fare gets you all the bus and tram travel you can manage within an hour for £1.75. TfL confirmed for us there's a two-minute grace period built in, so you'll still get the hopper fare even if you run slightly over the hour.

   Manchester. The Bee Bus single hopper ticket gets you one hour of unlimited bus travel and costs £2 for adults and £1 for children. You can only buy this paper ticket aboard the bus and must keep hold of it so you can scan the QR code on your next bus.

   We've asked Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) if there's a grace period beyond the one-hour window and we'll update this guide if we get a response.

6. Ride the bus all day for no more than the daily capped rate

   In most areas, bus journeys are capped at a daily rate, so you can make unlimited journeys for a fixed price. When you pay using contactless or a smartcard (such as an Oyster card in London), this price will be charged automatically.

   Rates vary across the UK, but here are a few examples from major cities:

   Area	Daily bus cap
   Cornwall	£8 (adult), £6 (child)
   London	£5.25 (includes trams)
   Manchester	£5 (adult), £2.50 (child)
   North Wales (1)	£7
   South East Wales (1)	£10 (adult), £7 (child)
   Oxford	£5

   Prices checked on 10 March 2025.
   (1) Applies to most bus operators in the area

   These rates might be irrelevant if you're eligible for free travel or concessions.

   Make the most of the daily rate

   We worked out that, in most places, the cap is reached after three journeys. If you're only making two journeys, you're usually (though do check) better off with two single fares. This is handy to know if you're proactively buying a one-day pass ahead of time; if you're paying with contactless or a smart card, you'll get the lower rate without having to plan ahead.

   Add unlimited bus travel to your rail ticket in certain areas

   With PlusBus, you can add unlimited bus and tram travel to your train ticket. It's available in over 200 towns and cities across England, Wales and Scotland (it doesn't include London). See all PlusBus locations.

   The add-on can be purchased in train stations, or via rail ticketing apps. Fares vary by area but start at £2.50 for the day.

   

   Get unlimited daily travel for much of South East England for a tenner

   The Discovery ticket gets you unlimited daily travel across the South Downs and much of South East England, spanning multiple bus operators. It costs £10 per adult, £8 per child or £20 for a group of up to five.

7. See if you can save on travel as a family

   Certain bus companies offer discounts when you travel together as a family; below are just a few. For prices, you'll need to visit the links below and navigate to your area.

   • Arriva (excludes Arriva-TfL buses). Family Saver for up to two adults and three children aged between 5-15

   • Metrobus. Family Day Metrorider/Metrovoyager or Discovery Family Day ticket for up to five people, including a maximum of two adults

   • Stagecoach. Family Bus Ticket varies in price depending on location, number of people and ages

   It's also worth checking your local public transport authority, such as TfGM or National Express West Midlands.

   Some also offer deals for two people travelling together. One example is the Duo Metrorider from Metrobus – for £9.40, two people can travel together on one ticket for up to 24 hours..

8. Where to find free bus routes

   Some places offer a free bus service. These often cover a limited route within the town centre, or in shopping precincts. Anyone can use them, without paying a fee.

   Area	Free bus service
   Dewsbury	Freetownbus. One free bus route around the city centre, Mon-Sat
   Hereford	Zipper. One free bus route around the city centre, Mon-Sun
   Leicester	Hop! One free bus route around the city centre, Mon-Sat
   Manchester	TfGM. Two free bus routes around the city centre, Mon-Sun

   Milton Keynes used to run a free bus route – the MK City Hopper – between Central Rail Station and Theatre District, but it stopped being free in August 2024. The fare is now 50p, which is still very cheap.

   

   Above: A bus on one of Manchester's free routes

   Three London bus routes are currently free for a year

   As of April 2025, with the opening of the new Silvertown tunnel in east London, the following bus routes are totally free to use for at least 12 months:

   • Superloop SL4 – A new express route which runs between Canary Wharf and Grove Park

   • 129 – A newly extended route between North Greenwich Station and Molesworth Street

   • 108 – An existing route between Stratford International Station and Lewisham Station

   Passengers still need to tap their Oyster, contactless card or photocard when they get on the bus, but no money will be taken. See more on TfL's website.

9. Can you bag a month of free birthday bus travel?

   

   If you live within the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority or North Somerset, you could bag free bus travel for your entire birthday month. What's more, under-21s get a total of two months free. The birthday bus scheme runs until November 2025.

   You'll need to complete the online form and upload a passport-style photo to apply. You'll be sent your pass in the post. To use it, scan it on the bus's card reader.

   The birthday bus pass gets you other local discounts too, such as 25% off entrance to museum ship Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

10. Look out for limited-time offers

    In the past, we've spotted a number of regions offering free travel for a limited time. Keep an eye on your council website or contact your local bus operator to find out if any such offers are headed your way.

    For example, during the Easter holidays this year, bus travel was free across Swansea for nine days. Meanwhile, Stagecoach gifted 5,000 free bus rides throughout April on a first come, first served basis to those who entered a code on its app.

    MSE James spotted a number of deals in 2024, for Earth Day (22 April) and World Car-Free Day (22 September):

    Worth checking to see if your local bus company is offering any Earth Day promotions. For example, I have family in Bournemouth, and Morebus is offering their zone ABC Dayrider (valid across a big chunk of southern England) for just £4 instead of £10.50. You don't have to travel today - you can activate the ticket any time within the next year.
    
    ~ MSE James

    It's World Car-Free Day on Sunday – worth seeing if your local bus company is doing any promotions. Morebus/Southern Vectis/Bluestar/Swindon's Bus Company/Salisbury Reds all have promo codes on their website.

    ~ MSE James

11. Don't pay for a tour – make your own

    When it comes to exploring, the bus is your best option. Get yourself a good seat (front of top deck, if there is one) and take in the sights.

    Tourists across the UK can pay in the region of £40 for a guided bus tour, but you can easily take a non-guided scenic tour of your own for a fraction of the price.

    For instance, the 840 Coastliner bus runs from Leeds to Whitby and, in 2018, was voted the 'most scenic' bus route in Britain. It traverses historic York and the North York Moors National Park before hitting the coast. The full route lasts over three hours and a single ticket will continue to cost £3 until December 2025.

    See more eye-pleasing bus routes over on the Great Scenic Journeys website.

    If you're the sort of person who enjoys making the most of journeys by public transport, and seeking out scenic/obscure/interesting routes etc, then the blog of Roger French (former boss of Brighton & Hove buses, who now spends his retirement roaming the country sampling innovations in bus and train travel) is worth following: Bus and Train User

    ~ MSE James

    Over on Reddit, many praise the number 27 Lothian bus. It charts a trip past some of Edinburgh's grand sights, such as the Royal Botanic Garden, the Mound and Edinburgh Castle.

    

    The 26 jumps to mind largely due to its rampant dissection of the city, taking you on a fairly direct route from coast on the east to city limits on the west, with a regularity rarely seen from a bus route. The 5 is a bit of a wonder bus, going from Morningside to Newington via the luscious Grange in a route no other buses dare to tread.

    ~ Callum, Edinburgh resident

    My top tip for a scenic bus route is the Purbeck Breezer 50 between Bournemouth and Swanage. It runs with open top buses all year round. It used to be promoted with the slogan ‘Go to sea on an open-top bus’ because it crosses the entrance to Poole Harbour on the Sandbanks chain ferry. Sometimes you have to wait for a cross-channel ferry to go past. The views of the Purbeck hills are stunning and it’s a bargain with the £3 fare cap.

    ~ MSE James

    Buses going north from London Waterloo station cross Waterloo Bridge and give a wonderful view of the south bank of the River Thames, Blackfriars, the various piers, and the London Eye. I used to commute through this route on Saturday nights, and that area looked magical from the top deck of a bus when it was all lit up under the night’s sky. Various buses cross this bridge, but the number 76 goes from Waterloo Bridge and South Bank onto the Strand and passes the Aldwych and Drury Lane theatre areas, Australia House, the Royal Courts of Justice, St Paul’s Cathedral and London Wall.

    ~ MSE Chris

    MSE Stace recommends the 118 Swansea to Rhossili, which takes passengers to "one of the best beaches in South Wales". Her flatmate, meanwhile, likes the "ridiculously scenic" 1-1A (formerly known as 'Land's End Coaster') route with its craggy coastlines and mining heritage sites.

    We asked bus riders of MSE HQ for their most scenic picks...

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    Download/print your own bus map

    The Bus Atlas Project is an ongoing attempt to provide bus route maps of all parts of the UK. So far, 28 maps are available. They can be downloaded in PDF and JPEG format.

    London bus trippers might find TfL's Bus leisure routes collection inspiring – find printable maps for routes notable for 'heritage and pubs', 'antiques and curios' and more. TfL's bus spider maps may also be useful – just search for an area and print out a PDF of the relevant bus route map.

    

    An illustrated map of 'bus leisure route' 17: 'Heritage & Pubs'. Credit: TfL

12. Take part in 'Catch the Bus Month' in September

    

    Launched by charity Bus Users UK, Catch the Bus Month takes place throughout September. Its aim is to raise awareness of the benefits of bus travel and improve access to bus services.

    There are heaps of special offers from bus operators, local companies and local authorities, available for the duration. Keep your eye on social media in the run up and during, or contact your local bus operator to see if it's running any deals.

    TfL tells us it's too early to say whether it'll be participating this year – we'll update here once we know more.

    Lydia of Bus Users UK told us:

    Catch the Bus Month is all about making bus travel more accessible, affordable, and appealing to everyone. Across the country, passengers can take advantage of a huge range of offers—from free travel days and discounted fares to group deals and special promotions with local attractions. Whether it’s saving on commuting costs, enjoying a budget-friendly day out with family and friends, or discovering new places in a sustainable way, there’s never been a better time to hop on board.

    ~ Lydia Horbury, Bus Users UK Director for England

    You can sign up to receive info about this year's Catch the Bus Month by filling out an online form.

    

13. You'll often need to pay by card, or have exact change

    Cash fare payments have been phased out in many areas, but it's still possible to use up your coins in others

    • First Bus says, "We encourage all of our customers to buy tickets using the First Bus App or to pay by contactless card on board. If you are paying with cash, please try to use the exact fare".

    • Stagecoach says, "Please do pay contactless if you can".

    • Arriva says that bus drivers can accept cash but asks, "Please try to have the correct fare".

    On the other hand, some places are fully cashless, such as all Transport for London services.

14. Know your bus rights

    Don't assume you have the same rights as you do when travelling by train. Here's what you're entitled to:

    Delays and cancellations

    • In the UK, you're not legally entitled to a refund or compensation if your bus is delayed or cancelled. (The exception is 250km+ journeys which cross into or from an EU member state, but this doesn't apply to the vast majority of UK bus routes.)

    • However, some bus operators may compensate at their own discretion. West Yorkshire buses, for example, offers free travel vouchers and taxi reimbursements under certain circumstances.

    • You have the right to be informed about any disruptions to the service.

    Information and announcements

    • By 2026 it will be mandatory for most local buses to provide passengers with accessible onboard information screens and onboard announcements.

    Access for disabled passengers

    • The majority of UK buses must be accessible, according to the Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers (Amendment) Regulations 1990 and the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000.
      
      Some buses are exempt from these regulations. These are buses that can only carry 22 or fewer passengers, and private or hired buses that don't follow a timetable. Home-to-school and rail replacement services aren't obliged to follow all the rules until 1 August 2026.

    • The bus driver must give reasonable assistance to disabled passengers. This includes helping them get on and off the bus if needed, such as by deploying ramps.

    • If a passenger needs information in an accessible format ahead of their trip, bus operators must make a reasonable effort to supply it.

    

    See how to get a disabled person's bus pass above.

    Full info on your bus rights can be found on the Bus Users UK website. For more like this, see our guides on Train delays and Tube delays.

15. How to complain

    If you have a complaint about your bus experience, contact the bus operator directly.

    If you don't get a satisfactory resolution, contact Bus Users UK, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Body for the bus and coach industry.

    There are a couple of exceptions. For complaints about journeys in London, contact London TravelWatch; for Northern Ireland contact the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.

16. Londoners: mobile out of juice? How to tell if the next bus might have charging ports

    

    TfL first introduced in-seat charging ports on some of its buses in 2016. Since then, more and more buses include this feature, and TfL told us all new additions to its fleet from now on will too. It's also working to retrofit older buses with them.

    You can check the London Vehicle Finder to see the registration number of the next bus due along to your bus stop. Although it's no guarantee, in general the newer it is, the more likely it is to be kitted out with charging ports.

    How to tell the age of a bus

    Look at the first two numbers of the registration to find out the year the bus was registered. For example, 'XX24 XXX' was registered between March and August 2024, while 'XX74 XXX' was registered between September 2024 and February 2025 – both are very new buses.