Many cities around the world have a system of bus tickets.
In many places, you must purchase a ticket before you get on a bus, and it’s almost always non-transferable.
This means that if you manage to get on without being detected by the driver and then exit through the back door, you cannot reuse the same ticket again.
Usually, these tickets are sold in batches of two or five or 10 and expire after a few days.
In the UK, there are no ‘tokens’ or other physical tickets for buses; instead, most operators offer pre-paid electronic cards (often known as ‘passes’) which work across different bus companies as well as trains and other public transport.
You can’t buy one for just one trip: You must either buy seven consecutive days or monthly passes with varying levels of unlimited usage.
These passes are becoming more common in other parts of the world too – but not everywhere is so advanced!
If you only need to take public transportation occasionally – perhaps because you live somewhere where car ownership is impractical – there’s no need to spend money on something so inflexible.
But if you use local buses frequently, it could work out cheaper than buying individual tickets every time…
Where can you buy a weekly bus ticket in the UK?
If you want to buy a weekly bus ticket, you’ll need to check with your local bus operator.
In some places, you can buy a regular ticket and then request a refund (or exchange it for a different ticket) at the end of the week.
But the best way to get the most flexibility out of your money is to buy an electronic ‘pass’ which is valid for the entire week.
Generally, these passes are only available to residents of a particular city.
If you live near a major city, it’s best to check out the website of the local bus operator – they’ll often have a section on ‘weekly tickets’ or ‘monthly passes.
If you’re not near a major city, you may need to travel to one to buy the pass.
It’s not uncommon for a company to offer passes for neighbouring cities or even far-off places like London or Edinburgh.
Which UK cities have Weekly Bus Tickets?
There are no UK-wide weekly bus tickets.
Instead, you’ll find that each city has its own system of passes.
In London, there are a handful of different passes that offer unlimited travel; but these only last for a month, not a week.
Many other major cities only offer weekly passes for use on their buses:
- Aberdeen
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- Derby
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
- Newcastle
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Sheffield
- Southampton
If you’re not near any of these places, don’t worry.
Many bus companies offer passes for more than just their own buses.
These are often cheaper than local passes because they can be purchased by anyone.
Is there an unlimited Weekly Bus Pass?
Many cities offer unlimited passes, but this is not the same as a ‘weekly ticket’.
There are several kinds of passes for multiple days in a row.
You might be able to use the same pass for seven consecutive days, one week, or even a month.
For example, London offers weekly passes that can be used for seven consecutive days, or you can use a monthly pass.
These are valid for travel on buses as well as trains within the boundaries of the London transport area.
The problem with unlimited passes in the UK
Unfortunately, unlimited passes don’t always work for big cities.
In London, for example, many people go on vacation in August, or they’re off work on bank holidays in the spring and autumn.
If you’re planning to travel a lot during the month, the monthly pass might be a better deal than the weekly pass – but only if you don’t travel during the peak periods.
The other problem with unlimited passes is that they’re inflexible.
They’re often only sold to residents of a particular city and can’t be used by people who pass through the city.
You may need to pay for a regular ticket at the beginning of your journey, and then try to get a refund at the end.
If you need to travel outside your city, or you want to buy a pass for less than a month, you’re out of luck.
The best way to buy a bus ticket in the UK is to buy a pass.
These are available in many cities and are nearly always cheaper than the regular fare.
Many passes now come with unlimited travel during their duration, which makes them a particularly good value.
If you only need to take a few buses, however, it’s probably cheaper to purchase a single ticket each time.
And if you’re visiting the UK, you’ll probably find it easier to use pay-as-you-go.
Just ensure that you have enough credit on your card to cover the cost of the journey!
