Travel and get discounts on the cost of travel

The UK is well connected by various forms of transport, including buses, train lines, airports, cycle paths, underground subways and road.

Buses

Travelling by bus is usually great value, especially as a student. You can get lots of discounts with your weekly, monthly or annual passes, which will save you money throughout the year. The routes of the bus are often posted at every bus stop within the town. Alternatively, you can use a travel app like CityMapper. You may also get useful advice from your institution.

In some cities, you can pay a ticket to travel on a bus from the driver when you board, in others you may have to buy a ticket in advance from a machine before you board the bus or use a contactless debit or credit card. If you pay on the bus, some companies will ask you to have the exact fare, others won’t.

Most university cities have local bus companies offering student passes and, depending on where you live, you could save yourself a fair amount of money on your daily commute. If you go on the same bus journey every day, then you'll most likely be able to save money by getting a travel pass. Some local bus services offer return journey fare savers which can save you some cash if you don't travel enough for a pass.

If you're a student aged 18 or under you can probably already get discounted travel – check with the operators in your area for details.

Buying an annual bus pass comes with the greatest potential for savings and most flexibility for travelling whenever you want.

You may be required to provide student ID to get your pass, and you might even have to show it each time you travel. Operators have different policies on replacing lost or stolen passes, or refunding you if you want to cash-in early.

Coaches

Coaches are one of the cheapest ways for long-distance travel and offer students a discount.  The two main providers in England are National Express, where comfortable seating and free Wi-Fi are the norm, and Megabus, which is usually a slightly more basic service but offers students incredibly cheap tickets for long distances. If you are studying in Scotland, the main coach provider is CityLink, and in Northern Ireland, it’s Translink .

Trams

Trams are fast, frequent and reliable form of transportation. Many cities including Manchester, Sheffield and Edinburgh, Birmingham, London, and Nottingham operate trams.

You can get a 28-day Travelcard and pay by credit or debit card (including contactless up to £45) or by cash (change given). You may also be able to get student travel cards that cover trams. You cannot pay for a journey on the tram. You must have a ticket before you get on.

Cycling

Cycling can be a cheap and effective way to travel. There are bike shops in most towns that sell and repair bikes.

You’ll need to stay off the pavements, and adhere to all road signs and traffic lights. Wearing a helmet is recommended, but not compulsory. A full set of safety rules can be found in the Highway Code.

Trains

There’s a really efficient rail network across Britain; you can see the full list of stations at the Trainline website.  Your education provider should be able to provide you with information about the nearest train station. You can look at National Rail or Translink to plan your journey.

16-25 year old’ and anyone in full-time study qualifies for a 16-25 Railcard, which gives you a third off most journeys throughout Great Britain. It costs £30 a year so after just a few trips; the card will have paid for itself. If you are over 25, you will be required to provide a proof of study confirming you are a full-time student. You can buy the 16-25 Railcard online, from National Rail-licensed Travel Agent or at any staffed ticket office.

Underground

If you are coming to study in London, the cheapest and most efficient option for travel would be the bus or underground. To use ‘the Tube’ you can buy an ‘Oyster card’ which lets you tap in and tap out by placing it on a reader to open gates to enter and exit stations.  The Oyster card could is a pre-paid card that costs £5 and you can top it up with money. You can apply for 18+ Student Oyster card which gives you 30% discount.