Save Money On Travel With A Student Train Ticket & Bus Pass
- Camila Karalyte
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
You don't need another excuse for missing your morning lecture…
Travelling is the bane of most of our lives. Whether it's commuting to work or your uni lecture, travelling, especially on public transport, can be costly as well as unpredictable and long.
As a student, you're going to want to save money wherever possible. And in the UK, with rail fares increasing by a whopping 5.1%, you're going to need all the savings you can get.
While trains and buses aren't always the more affordable option, they are the greener choices — at least compared to using a car or jumping in a taxi. Bustling cities like London and Manchester have excellent public transport services that will give you practically no need for a car if you have one.
Not everyone is in-the-know about how to save money on travel, so we're here to help and tell you all about student bus and train passes. Aren't we kind?
Saving money on your student travel
Students need to travel. Whether that's travelling to uni campus for your lectures, trekking across town for your doctor's appointment, or nipping back to your parents' house for the holidays, public transport is a huge factor in many students' lives.
Owning a car and maintaining its upkeep is a spenny venture so even if you do have a car, you might be looking at transport alternatives to keep more of your student budget.
Luckily, there are ways to make your travel cheaper as a student, such as student bus passes and student train tickets. See, it does pay off being a student sometimes!
Student bus cards
First Bus have annual, monthly, and termly passes available and you'll find them in several uni towns and cities across the UK.
Prices depend on where you're based, but for example, if you're a Leeds University student, a student annual bus pass will cost £460 for unlimited travel on First Buses across West Yorkshire.
Locations available:
England
Scotland
Wales
Stagecoach offers students amazing savings on bus tickets, even saving up to 40% on standard fares, and unlimited travel around the city you're in.
If you're a student in Liverpool you can get an autumn/spring term UniRider student ticket for £299 — this means unlimited travel on Stagecoach buses in Liverpool/Merseyside.
Locations available:
England
Scotland
Wales
P.S. Use your student bus pass to check out the best charity and vintage shops in Liverpool.
Arriva is the town fave when it comes to bus operators, and thankfully, they have your back when it comes to saving money on student bus passes.
Their student tickets get you discounted fares, unlimited travel on Arriva services in the specified zones all day, every day, and a choice of Day, Weekly, and specific term/academic year tickets. These tickets are available to individuals post-16 in full-time education with a valid student ID (like your Student Beans iD).
If you're a student in Durham for example, you can get a Student Week Durham Uni Zone ticket for £8.50 (£1.21/day) or if you opt for an annual ticket, it will cost you just £0.60 per day (£220 for an annual ticket). Bargain!
Locations available:
England
Wales
If you're aged 16-23 and in Northern Ireland, you can apply for a freeyLink card where you can enjoy 50% off travel on bus and rail services within Northern Ireland. Plus, you don't have to be a student, so you can use this even after you graduate!
If you're 24 or over and a student, you can apply for a freeStudent Translink 24 Plus Travelcard. It's valid for the academic year (Sept to Aug) and can get you ⅓ off day, weekly and monthly tickets.
Locations available:
Northern Ireland
In Scotland, if you're between the ages of 5 and 21, you have access to a Young Persons' Free Bus Travel card. You must be a resident in Scotland for most of the year — at least six months. You don't need to be a student.
You can apply for it online.
Locations available:
Scotland
London is a bustling hub of tube lines, buses, and railways, making it an amazing city for getting about.
London is pretty much cashless, and that includes the buses. You'll need to either get an Oyster Card, or tap in/out with a contactless debit/credit card.
If you're 18+, a student, and living in London, you can get an 18+ Student Oyster card. It can save you up to 30% on adult-rate tickets. You can also apply for a 16-25 Railcard which can help you save even more on fares.
Available locations:
London
Check out our National Rail and 16-25 railcard student discounts.
Student train tickets
A 16-25 railcard is suitable for people aged between 16 and 25. This includes students, non-students, teenagers, and young professionals.
The 16-25 railcard grants ⅓ off train tickets, so it's great for students who travel regularly using the train.
You can purchase a 1-year 16-25 railcard for £35. Or, purchase a 3-year 16-25 railcard and save £25, meaning you only pay £80 for 3 years.
Use our 16-25 Railcard student discount to make it even cheaper.
If you're an older student, have already graduated, or are a young professional, you can grab a 26-30 railcard and enjoy ⅓ off train tickets.
You can purchase a 26-30 railcard right up until your 30th birthday. Like a 16-25 railcard, this one is also £35 per year.
We've also got student discounts on 26-30 Railcards to check out.
If you're in the Merseyside area (Liverpool, St Helens, Birkenhead, Wirral kind of area) you can get a Merseyrail Railpass that gives you unlimited travel in the zones you purchased.
They have weekly, monthly, annual, and term time tickets (valid Mon-Fri till 8pm, term times only).
A weekly ticket for all zones will cost £40 for the week, but if you're just commuting to and from your university, then a term time ticket (including travel on the City Line) will cost you from £148.20.
How to save money on travel
Transport is, unfortunately, an expensive thing for many of us. Whether it be driving a car, using the train or bus, or even cycling (hey, bikes cost money too!), commuting costs a bit, and as a student, it can amount to a decent chunk of your monthly budget.
Here are some tips and tricks that might help you save a few extra quid on your travel — every little helps!
Avoid travelling during peak-times (like rush-hour periods), tickets tend to be pricier at these times.
Don't buy tickets last minute if you're travelling further afield — just like buying flights, train tickets can cost more last minute.
If you travel via train or bus a lot, buy monthly or annual tickets as it can save you some cash compared to buying each journey as you go.
Check if you're entitled to free or discounted travel (like over 60s or apprentices).
Fancy seeing more of the world during your uni holidays, but on a budget? Find out what is interrailing and how much it costs.
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