In York and North Yorkshire, the most you’ll pay for a single bus journey is £3. That means you could:
- Have a fish & chip lunch at the seaside.
- Take in some history in Whitby, Fountains Abbey, York Minster or Castle Howard.
- Take a walk in the beautiful scenery of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales national parks.
- Or just go to the shops, cinema, see family and friends.
And this summer, it will cost even less to catch the bus!
If you’re under 19, a single ticket costs £1 across York and North Yorkshire thanks to our funding.
If you’re aged 66 or over and have an older person’s bus pass, it’s free to travel on any bus in York and North Yorkshire, Monday to Friday, after 9am (and on any bus in England after 9.30am), and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. If you have a disabled person’s pass it’s free to travel at any time.
And from 1 to 31 August, children under 16 go FREE as part of UK Government's Great British Summer of Savings campaign.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
"There is no better place for a Great British Summer of Savings than York and North Yorkshire. There’s something for the whole family, from our historic cities to our beautiful beaches, the summer holidays are when families and friends can come together and create lasting memories.
"It’s brilliant that this Yorkshire Day and every day over the summer, families can enjoy free bus travel for children and for teens our £1 under-19s bus fare means they can travel for less too.
"There's so much on offer in God's Own County, so it's great that this support to make days out more affordable starts on Yorkshire Day."
What do I need to do?
Looking for ideas for a day out? Go to the Visit York and Visit North Yorkshire to find places to go and things to do, then plan your journey using the journey planner at traveline.info. You can also find venues offering discounts for families on the government’s Summer Savings website.
When you board the bus, show your pass to the driver or ask for the Under-19 or 5-15 ticket (you will need proof of your age if you look older, such as a valid YOzone Card).
Take your ticket, find a seat, and enjoy the journey for less!
What if I travel outside York and North Yorkshire?
Good news! Under 16s can still travel for FREE during August throughout England with participating bus operators. Anyone aged 66 or over can use their older person’s pass after 9.30am throughout England Monday to Friday (and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays). And the £3 single bus fare cap applies across England as well (it might be even lower in some areas).
Travelling as a group?
You might find that local bus and train operators have special offers of their own, including Dales Rover tickets on DalesBus services. Moorsbus tickets are also discounted for groups and all-day travel.
You can find a list of bus operators in York and bus operators in North Yorkshire on their respective council websites.
Local train operators Northern, TransPennine Express and LNER also have travel offers this August – please visit their websites for the latest.
How do I get a concessionary pass?
If you need an older or disabled person’s concessionary pass, you’ll need to apply through the local authority where you live. You can do this online with City of York Council or North Yorkshire Council.
Are there any exclusions?
Yes:
- There are different fares for the Park and Ride services in York.
- The DalesBus “Dales Jumper” service does not operate the £3 fare cap and is not part of the scheme.
- Open-top sightseeing buses, works services and similar are not part of the scheme.
A full list of operators, the services that are included and those that are excluded from the £3 single fare cap can be found on the Department for Transport website.