Travelling around the UK

Getting around your local area every day is a big part of student life. Every major city in the UK offers a variety of transport options, including: 

Buses 

As the most common form of public transport, you’ll almost always have bus travel as an option. You’ll find bus routes going to different parts of the city or out into the surrounding areas. In many cases, there’ll be bus routes connecting your accommodation to university campuses or the city centre. 

Each city’s local bus networks are separate, so you won’t be able to use a bus ticket from one city in another city. 

Note: In some cities, multiple companies manage different parts of the bus network. Many cities have a ‘metro’ or ‘day pass’ ticket that allows you to travel with all providers, but make sure to check this in advance. 

In many larger cities, you can just tap a contactless bank card or smartphone and be charged accordingly. 

There’s a variety of ticket types depending on how many times you’re travelling: 

• Single journey ticket 
• Return journey ticket 
• Weekly, monthly or annual pass (unlimited journeys) 

In some cases, you can get passes that last for the academic term or year. You might be asked what your destination is when you buy a bus ticket, as the price is sometimes set according to the distance of your journey. 

Local trains 

Many of the UK’s major cities have their own local train networks. In smaller cities, there’ll often only be one or two stations which connect the city to other parts of the region or the UK, so you won’t be able to use trains to travel within the city.  Some universities in the UK even have their own train station, or one close by. 

Some cities – London, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle – also have underground train systems that link to overground trains. 

You can buy a variety of ticket types depending on how many times you’re travelling: 

• Single journey ticket 
• Return journey ticket 
• Weekly, monthly or annual pass (unlimited journeys) 

In some cases, you can get passes that last for the academic term or year 

Note: Some routes are served by more than one train operator. If you buy a train ticket, check to see if it specifies a certain operator, or says ‘any permitted’. Ask a member of train station staff if you aren’t sure. Some also require you to go via a certain route. Remember to always check your ticket before you travel. 

Advance vs. open tickets

You can buy a train ticket that’s for a specific departure time (an ‘advance ticket’) or an ‘open’ ticket, which means you can get on a valid train at any time. 

If you buy an advance ticket, you must board the train you paid for or buy a new ticket. If you’re on a different train than the one you paid for, you may be charged for a new ticket or fined. If you buy an open ticket, you must make sure you travel within the time windows permitted by the ticket. 

Train tickets often have higher prices during particularly busy periods (‘peak times’), which are usually: 

• Between 06:30 and 09:30 in the morning 
• Between 16:30 and 19:30 in the evening 

If you book a ticket for a particular time (often called an ‘advance ticket’) you’ll automatically be charged the correct rate, so you don’t need to think about this. If you buy an open ticket, it’ll often be one of several types: 

• Peak, (often called ‘Anytime’): this means you can travel at any time of day. This is normally the most expensive 
• Off-Peak: this means you can travel anytime except peak times, and is cheaper 
• Super Off-Peak: this ticket may be available in some cases and is the cheapest. They are usually only valid during the middle of the day and later at night 

Wherever you decide to study in the UK, you’ll have endless places to explore, from stunning natural landscapes to famous cultural sites and buzzing cities. Planning your journey in advance is the best way to make sure everything goes smoothly. 

You can travel internationally from the UK by plane, coach, train, as well as car. You may need to travel to a specific part of the UK to access international travel routes and begin your journey overseas.