Student Travel Tips: Bus
Want to navigate Birmingham by bus? Here are seven tips to keep the wheels going round and round.
1. Ride to the city centre (or back) for £1
The Hop! is a special fare that lets you travel between Selly Oak and the city centre for £1 on the X21 and X22 (for the Vale and north side of campus) and on the 61 and 63, which go along the Bristol Rd. the fare is now available as a mobile ticket--just download the NX bus app (see point 4 below.)
2. Check when your the next bus is due
Use the Swift app or our very own My UoB app to see when the next buses are due at your stop.
3. Get a daysaver for other journeys
If you don't live in the Hop zone, or want to travel somewhere other than the city centre, then get a daysaver to cover your return journey. And if you pay contactless with your debit card, you will never be charged more than the £4 limit. You can get discounts when you buy daysavers in bulk.
4. Download the NX Bus app
A host of other bus tickets are available on the m-tickets app. Buy mobile tickets within the app and activate them when you are ready to travel. Download it to your phone today!
5. Make massive savings by travelling in a group.
WIth the group daysaver, five people can travel all day for £7, which is great if you are heading out with your mates, or if you have friends and family visiting you. Even better is the evening daysaver: £4 for five people to travel unlimtited after 6pm. Get these fares on the m-tickets app.
6. Use the UoB portal to buy monthly, termly and yearly tickets.
National Express set up a dedicated portal for UoB students to buy bus passes. These passes come into their own when you are using the bus on a regular basis. Create an account to see the passes available. For Autumn 2022, National Express are offering 50% off the first month of a monthly subscription.
7. Don't be shy!
If you have any questions about bus travel, don't hesitate to get in touch with Edward, sustainable travel officer at UoB. Just email sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk