Arrival and transport

Local transport: city cards and fare systems

Each destination has its own way to pay. This page says what the local operator offers, quotes the operator's own wording, and links to the fares page. We give no prices.

Facts last checked Oct 25, 2026. Britlens is independent: see our editorial policy.

Maroon and white Lothian double-decker bus on the North Bridge in Edinburgh
Photo: Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fares change. We state an amount only where the operator's page showed it on the date we checked, and then with that date. Otherwise we link the fares page.

London

Transport for London (Oyster and contactless)

  • TfL says you can "use contactless or an Oyster card to pay as you go".1
  • Pay-as-you-go peak fares apply Monday to Friday (not on public holidays) between 06:30 and 09:30 and between 16:00 and 19:00; off-peak fares apply at all other times. Heathrow journeys that start, end or pass through Zone 1 are charged peak fares on the Tube and Elizabeth line. TfL states this on its tube and rail fares page.2
  • The daily and weekly caps, and Travelcard prices, are published in TfL's fare documents (labeled "2026 prices" at fetch time). We do not copy amounts here because they change: open the fares page for the current figures.2

Bath

First Bus (Bristol, Bath and the West)

  • Bath uses the same First Bus region as Bristol. On Oct 25, 2026 First's update page said Manvers Street in the city center was closed until November 2026, affecting routes 2, 3, 4, 13, D1, U1 and U3. Check the update page for current diversions.3

Bristol

First Bus (Bristol, Bath and the West)

  • First Bus lists contactless payment, the First Bus app and "tap on tap off" among its ways to pay, and publishes daily service updates for the Bristol, Bath and West area. On Oct 25, 2026 the update page reported city-center roadworks causing delays on several Bristol routes.4,3

Cambridge

Stagecoach Park & Ride

  • Stagecoach lists five Park & Ride sites (Babraham Road, Madingley, Milton Road, Newmarket Road and Trumpington), with buses up to every 10 to 15 minutes depending on the site, and free parking for up to 18 hours.5
  • Ticket types include an Adult Return, a Short Hop Return and a DayRider. Since a fare update effective Feb 22, 2026 a return is valid only to and from the site where it was bought. Tap-and-go contactless payment and the Stagecoach Bus app are available.5

Cornwall

Transport for Cornwall

  • Transport for Cornwall lists adult, child (5 to 15 and 16 to 18) and young person (19 to 25) day tickets valid until the end of service (02:59) on the day of activation, multi-day tickets, Truro Park and Ride bundles, and family and group day tickets. Child and young person tickets need verification before use, which it says can take up to 48 hours. Tickets are bought in the Transport for Cornwall app.6

Edinburgh

Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams

  • Lothian lists contactless on bus with "TapTapCap", described as "contactless payments with daily and weekly capping", Ridacards (valid on all services), the M-Ticket app, and cash with exact fares.7
  • Lothian describes Airlink as "24/7 departures between Edinburgh Airport and the City Centre" with a "30-minute journey" and contactless payments available.7
  • Lothian’s fares page (read Nov 1, 2026) says TapTapCap works out the cheapest adult daily or weekly fare when you use the same contactless card or device, that up to three children under 5 travel free with a fare-paying passenger, and that standard Lothian day tickets and caps are not valid on Airlink to the airport.8

Glasgow

SPT (Subway, ZoneCard) and bus operators

  • SPT runs the Glasgow Subway. It lists Subway tickets by contactless, smartcard and paper, a ZoneCard offering "unlimited* travel", day tickets, and concession tickets. No prices are stated on the page.9

Liverpool

Merseytravel (Walrus card, now MetroCard)

  • Merseytravel's website and the MetroSmart site both refused automated access, so we have not read them. A Merseytravel news item shown in search results describes a MetroCard replacing the Walrus card; treat that as unconfirmed and check which card and tickets are current before you buy.10,11

Manchester

Bee Network

  • The Bee Network's tickets and passes page lists bus tickets, tram fare zones, contactless tap and go, the Bee Network app, a smart card, and cash and card payment. It also links a ticket finder tool.12
  • On Nov 1, 2026 the Bee Network’s contactless page said that if you keep tapping the same card or device on buses and trams you pay no more than the capped fares: £9.50 a day or £41 a week for unlimited bus and tram travel. On trams you tap in before boarding and tap out at your final stop; on buses you tap once when you board.13

Belfast and Northern Ireland

Translink (Metro, Glider, iLink)

  • Translink says iLink offers "unlimited bus and rail travel for a day, week or month" in selected areas, across 5 zones, on Metro, Glider, Ulsterbus, Goldliner and NI Railways services. On the Glider you "simply tap your card at the validator before boarding".14
  • You cannot top up iLink online. Translink lists main bus and train stations, Visit Belfast on Donegall Square North, the Belfast International Airport Welcome Centre, PayPoint agents (top-ups only) and Glider stop machines as places to buy or top up.14
  • Translink's home page also lists contactless payment, a Belfast Visitor Pass and Ulsterbus smartcards under its ticket links.15

Oxford

Oxford Bus Company and Park & Ride

  • The Oxford Bus Company lists contactless journeys, ticket and fare pages, an app, and airport coaches to Heathrow and Gatwick. Its home page announced a combined Park & Ride parking and bus ticket from Aug 17, 2026.16

St Andrews and Fife

Stagecoach East Scotland buses and ScotRail trains

  • Stagecoach says contactless "is now available on all our buses outside of London": tap your card or device on the reader (page read Nov 3, 2026; it does not mention fare capping).17
  • St Andrews has no railway station: use Leuchars and the bus, or Stagecoach buses from Edinburgh and Dundee. Plan bus and train journeys in Fife with Traveline Scotland.18

The Cotswolds

Rural buses, rail and a combined rail-and-bus ticket

  • Cotswolds Tourism says a combined rail-and-bus ticket covers trips to Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton, that the main coach route from London is National Express from Victoria Coach Station, and that the main bus stations in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds are at Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud.19

Jurassic Coast (Dorset and East Devon)

Morebus, First and the Jurassic Coaster

  • Visit Dorset says you can buy local bus tickets from the driver on the day without needing the exact money, while National Express coach tickets must be bought in advance. It names a Getting About Ticket for a day of travel across Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole, and says the Jurassic Coaster and Purbeck Breezer buses suit walkers on the South West Coast Path, who can ride one way and walk the other.20
  • Morebus, which runs many routes around Poole, Bournemouth and Purbeck, promotes its mobile app for tickets.21

The Lake District

Stagecoach buses, boats and trains

  • The Lake District National Park Authority says Stagecoach runs the main bus network and that "all bus fares are currently capped to £3 per single journey" (as on its page on Oct 25, 2026). It lists day tickets for unlimited bus journeys within one day, combined bus and boat tickets for Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston and Derwentwater, and a Cumbria Travel Pass covering Northern, TransPennine and Avanti trains, Stagecoach buses and Windermere Cruises.22
  • It adds that Northern runs a direct train from Manchester to Windermere, and that mainline stations such as Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle connect with the rest of the UK.22

The Peak District

Regional buses and trains

  • Visit Peak District & Derbyshire says the area is easy to reach by rail and bus and recommends public transport for car-free days out, but the page we read names no tickets or fares. The National Park Authority’s travel page did not respond to our fetch tool, so check it and Derbyshire County Council’s Wayfarer ticket page directly.23,24,25

The Scottish Highlands

Regional coaches, buses, trains and ferries

  • Scottish Citylink's website refused automated access, so we have not read its ticket or pass pages. Check it for coach routes and any pass or concession that applies to you. See the ports page for CalMac and NorthLink ferries, and the airports page for Inverness Airport buses and trains.26

Wales (Cardiff)

Cardiff Bus and Transport for Wales

  • Cardiff Bus lists "Tap On, Tap Off" for single and day tickets, cash and contactless on the bus, mobile tickets in its app, a Family Travel ticket for up to five people (at least one child and no more than two adults), a Network Rider ticket for several operators in south-east Wales, and PlusBus for rail plus bus.28
  • Traveline Cymru, part of Transport for Wales, plans trips by bus, train, walking or cycling and shows disruption.29

York

First York Park & Ride

  • First York lists Park & Ride sites at Rawcliffe Bar, Poppleton, Askham Bar, Designer Outlet, Grimston Bar and Monks Cross. You can buy in the First Bus app or pay the driver by cash or contactless card. Ticket types include day return, week, month and annual, and a York by bus smart card for regular users. On Oct 25, 2026 First reported Monks Cross (service 9) not running because a stop was closed.31

Other destinations

We have not yet written a fare guide for these places. Use Traveline (opens in new tab) and the getting-there page of each guide:

Metrolink tram at St Peter’s Square in Manchester on a wet day
Photo: G-13114, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

National cards and planners

Railcards

The official railcard site lists nine cards: 16-17 Saver, 16-25, 26-30, Disabled Persons, Family & Friends, Network, Senior, Two Together and Veterans. It says a Railcard gives "up to 1/3 off train tickets for journeys across Great Britain", Each card has its own page with its own terms, so check the card you want before you buy.32

Traveline journey planner

Traveline plans journeys by bus, train, tram, coach and ferry, shows live departures by stop, and links PlusBus for combined rail and bus tickets.33

ScotRail (Scotland’s trains)

ScotRail runs most trains within Scotland. Its tickets page refused automated access, so check ticket types and any Scotland-only offers on its site.34

Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales Rail lists Advance, season, single, return, flexible and off-peak tickets, sold online, in its app or at stations, with no booking fees. Its site also promoted a £1 bus fare for children and young people (as shown on Nov 1, 2026).35

Translink (Northern Ireland’s buses and trains)

Translink runs buses and trains in Northern Ireland. It says contactless payment is available on board its buses, and that on Glider services you buy a ticket from the machine at the halt before boarding (cash or card).36

Trains between our destinations are on getting between regions. Airports are on the airports page and ferries on ports and ferries. For live disruption, use travel status.

Great Orme Tramway track climbing a street past a pub in Llandudno
Photo: Ian1000 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Pages we opened and read on Oct 25, 2026, and sites we could not read. Schedules, fares and rules change: check the source before you travel.

  1. TfL: ways to pay (opens in new tab), Transport for London.
  2. TfL: tube and rail fares (opens in new tab), Transport for London.
  3. First Bus: Bristol, Bath and the West (opens in new tab), First Bus.
  4. First Bus (opens in new tab), First Bus.
  5. Cambridge Park and Ride (opens in new tab), Stagecoach.
  6. Transport for Cornwall: tickets (opens in new tab), Transport for Cornwall.
  7. Lothian Buses (opens in new tab), Lothian Buses.
  8. Lothian Buses: fares and tickets (opens in new tab), Lothian Buses.
  9. SPT: Glasgow Subway and tickets (opens in new tab), Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.
  10. Merseytravel (opens in new tab), Merseytravel. The site refused automated access, so we link it but state nothing from it.
  11. MetroSmart (opens in new tab), Merseytravel. The site refused automated access, so we link it but state nothing from it.
  12. Bee Network: tickets and passes (opens in new tab), Transport for Greater Manchester.
  13. Bee Network: contactless tap and go (opens in new tab), Transport for Greater Manchester.
  14. Oxford Bus Company (opens in new tab), Oxford Bus Company.
  15. Stagecoach: contactless payments (opens in new tab), Stagecoach.
  16. Traveline Scotland journey planner (opens in new tab), Traveline Scotland.
  17. Cotswolds.com: getting to the Cotswolds by train and bus (opens in new tab), Cotswolds Tourism.
  18. Getting around Dorset (opens in new tab), Visit Dorset.
  19. morebus (opens in new tab), Go South Coast.
  20. Getting to and around the Lake District (opens in new tab), Lake District National Park Authority.
  21. Getting here (opens in new tab), Visit Peak District & Derbyshire.
  22. Peak District National Park: getting around (opens in new tab), Peak District National Park Authority. The site refused automated access, so we link it but state nothing from it.
  23. Derbyshire Wayfarer (opens in new tab), Derbyshire County Council. Only part of the page was readable to us.
  24. Traveline Scotland (opens in new tab), Traveline Scotland. The site refused automated access, so we link it but state nothing from it.
  25. Cardiff Bus: fares and tickets (opens in new tab), Cardiff Bus.
  26. Traveline Cymru (opens in new tab), Transport for Wales.
  27. Transport for Wales (opens in new tab), Transport for Wales.
  28. First York: Park & Ride (opens in new tab), First Bus.
  29. Railcards (opens in new tab), Railcard.co.uk.
  30. Traveline (opens in new tab), Traveline.
  31. ScotRail: tickets (opens in new tab), ScotRail. The site refused automated access, so we link it but state nothing from it.
  32. Transport for Wales: rail ticket types (opens in new tab), Transport for Wales.