Money saving travel schemes
East Sussex lower bus fares Summer 2022
Money saving travel schemes
3i-D card for young people aged 11 to 19
The 3i-D card has been developed by the Youth Cabinet, in partnership with CitizenCard, local bus operators and East Sussex County Council. The card is provided free by CitizenCard and provides:
- Proof of age - PASS national form of proof of age ID for young people under 16 and 16 to 19 years of age.
- Travel discounts - pay reduced fares in East Sussex bus travel discounts. See our bus travel discounts page for details.
How to apply online
- Do you live, study or work in East Sussex? Are you aged 11–19? If yes, then you are eligible to apply for a 3i-D Card. Please note you need to be training, working, studying or living in East Sussex to apply. This ID card is not intended for temporary travel or residency in East Sussex.
- You will need a unique organisation code (UOC) to apply online please see the section below for the codes.
- To apply please visit the 3i-D CitizenCard website.
Unique Organisation Codes (UOC)
If your school doesn’t show in the codes below you will need to complete a paper application form. Once approved by the school verifier applications can take up to 21 days to process, so speak to your bus operator about the best priced ticket in the meantime.
| School/College | Code |
|---|---|
| ARK Alexandra | HEL4A0 |
| Beacon Academy | BEAC6E |
| Bennett Memorial | BEN5C1 |
| Bexhill Academy | BEXE30 |
| Bexhill College | BEXA06 |
| BHASVIC | BRI9C8 |
| Cavendish School | Paper apps |
| Chailey School | CHA2AD |
| Claverham CC | CLAAC5 |
| Didac Eastbourne | DIDA53 |
| Eastbourne Academy | Paper apps |
| East Sussex College | SUS468 |
| Hailsham CC | HAI24D |
| Gildredge House | GIL6E2 |
| Hadlow College | HAD231 |
| Hastings Academy | THEA25 |
| Hazel Court School | HAZ7A6 |
| Heathfield CC | HEA63F |
| Homewood School | HOM62A |
| King’s Academy Ringmer | RINA49 |
| Lewes Old Grammar | LEW054 |
| North Kent College | NOR5FB |
| Owlswick School | OWL9EE |
| Peacehaven CS | PEAEAD |
| Priory School | PRI2E3 |
| Ratton School | RATCBC |
| Robertsbridge CC | ROB9E6 |
| Rye College | Use library |
| Sackville School | SAC4A0 |
| Saxon Mount School | Paper apps |
| Seaford Head School | SEA4FE |
| Seahaven Academy | SEA48F |
| St Catherine’s College | STCFC8 |
| St Leonard’s Academy | THE7B5 |
| St Mary’s School | STM86B |
| The Turing School | TURI74 |
| Uckfield CTC | UCK4C6 |
| Uplands CC | UPL80F |
| Vardean College | VAR3A5 |
| Willingdon CS | WIL39C |
Making a paper application
You should make a paper application if:
- your school/college only accepts paper applications
- you do not attend a listed school/college or you are working/training, then you can apply at an East Sussex library instead.
Download paper application (PDF)
Paper applications can take up to 28 days to process, so speak to your bus operator about the best priced ticket in the meantime.
Replacement 3i-D
To apply for a replacement 3i-D an applicant must pay £10 for a replacement card (no exemptions).
Replacement form (PDF)
Bus travel discounts for young people and students
All information checked 8 April 2022, prices are subject to change.
How do I work out which bus fare scheme is best for me?
The different bus companies in East Sussex each run different discounted fares for young people. The best choice for you will depend on:
- your age
- where you are going
- which buses you need to use.
To find out more information on routes and bus companies, go to Public transport routes and timetables.
The Freedom Ticket and the 3i-D for under 19s
Under 19s can apply for a 3i-D card which gives you proof of ID so you can purchase the Freedom ticket. The Freedom Ticket offers unlimited travel on nearly every bus* in East Sussex for seven days in a row, including weekends. The Freedom ticket is £17.50 per week (valid as of 1 September 2021) and is issued on the bus as a paper ticket only.
*Please contact the bus operator before travelling to ensure they issue and accept the Freedom Ticket.
To find out more about other discounts and applying for the ID card visit the 3i-D card webpage.
Child half fares on all bus services for under 16s
All children (aged under 16) pay half the adult fare on one-way and return journeys. It is recommended that you have ID so visit the 3i-D card web page for more information.
Brighton & Hove Bus fares
- If you are between 5 and 18 travelling with Brighton & Hove Buses and you do not already have a 3i-D card, you can get discounts on one-way and journeys and Saver tickets with a free busID card until the age of 18. See Brighton & Hove Buses - Young People.
- If you are 18+ and you are a student or apprentice, visit Brighton & Hove Buses - Student Travel for details.
Stagecoach offers – updated April 2022
With suitable ID, like the 3i-D card, you can get unlimited travel in your local travel zone for just £3.20 a day with a local dayrider U19 (under 19) ticket, or pay £3.10 when purchased on the Stagecoach Bus App! You can also travel on all Stagecoach buses in East Sussex and Kent with a South East dayrider U19 for just £5.20 a day or £5 with the App – that’s up to 33% cheaper than the adult versions! Find out more about the Dayrider U19 and the app.
Travelling for the whole school year on Stagecoach buses? A Stagecoach studentrider ticket might be better for you. The studentrider ticket is available to students in school, college or university, regardless of age with a valid ID (this can be a 3i-D). It gives you unlimited travel on all Stagecoach buses from September through to July the following year, that’s the whole academic year sorted! There is a choice of the local studentrider at £478 for a specific area or the South East studentrider at £797 which is valid on all Stagecoach buses in East Sussex and Kent. More information from Stagecoach.
Bus travel discounts for all
Bus company ticket schemes
As well as single tickets, most bus companies offer better value day return and weekly tickets.
Some operators also accept other operators day return tickets. Brighton & Hove Bus Company 1 day adult citySAVER and 1 day adult networkSAVER tickets bought on bus are also available on Compass and Cuckmere Buses services within the area bounded by Seaford, Lewes, Shoreham and Steyning, including Brighton & Hove.
Contact the individual bus operating companies for more details about their ticket schemes.
Combined bus and train tickets
Plusbus – bus and train
Plusbus is an add-on that you can buy with your train ticket. It gives you unlimited bus travel around the origin and/or destination towns of your rail journey. Plusbus is available for 290 rail-served towns and cities across Britain including:
Plusbus is available for 290 rail-served towns and cities across Britain including:
- Bexhill and Hastings
- Brighton & Hove
- Burgess Hill
- Crawley and Gatwick
- Eastbourne and Polegate
- Haywards Heath
- Lewes
- Newhaven and Seaford
- Rye
- Tunbridge Wells
- Worthing
There are many websites offering advice or ways to save money on ticket prices. Some of these are:
Discovery Ticket – your ticket to explore
Discovery fares – one day tickets available from the driver:
- Adult Discovery - £9
- Child Discovery - £7.20
- Family Discovery - £17.50 (for up to 5 people; including at least 1 adult and a maximum of 2 adults)
Discovery tickets are issued and accepted by operators in West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, Brighton & Hove and east Hampshire (subject to exclusions at the bottom), including:
- Abellio Surrey
- Arriva Kent and Surrey Ltd
- ASD Transport
- Autocar Bus & Coach Services Ltd
- Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company Ltd
- Brighton & Hove Community Transport Ltd
- BETC. Ltd. t/a Buses Excetera,
- Chalkwell Garage and Coach Hire Ltd
- Compass Travel (Sussex) Ltd
- Community Transport for The Lewes Area
- Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd
- Emsworth and District Motor Services Ltd
- Go-Coach Hire Ltd
- Farleigh Coaches
- Metrobus Ltd
- North Wealden Community Transport Partnership Ltd
- Nu-Venture Coaches Ltd,
- Invictabus Ltd & Bzee Bus Ltd
- Regent Coaches
- Renown Coaches
- Rye & District Community Transport
- Seaford & District
- Southdown PSV Ltd
- Southern Transit
- Stagecoach South East
- Stagecoach South
- theSussexBus.com
- The Big Lemon
Excluded services: City Sightseeing Brighton, Winchester Park & Ride, Guildford Park & Ride. Also occasional and special services including Ardingly showground specials, Goodwood Racecourse & Motor Racing specials, nightclub services and football services. Other exclusions may apply. Check with the operator before travelling.
For more information about using the Discovery Ticket in the South Downs National Park please see the authority website:
Lewes town tickets
These provide unlimited travel in the Lewes area as far as Nevill Road, Malling Down, Stanley Turner Sports Ground and Hope in the Valley. Valid on Brighton & Hove Bus Company, Compass Travel and CTLA services. £2.80 per day or £10.40 per week. Buy it on the first bus boarded.
Rye Rider weekly tickets
Valid anywhere on services 312, 313, 326 and 342 for £16 per week. Issued by Renown and Rambler and accepted by Renown, Rambler and Rye & District Community Transport. Also valid on Stagecoach services 2, 100 and 101 between Broad Oak/Rye and Hastings for an additional fare of £4.50 per week. This additional payment must be made on the Stagecoach service and on the same day that the Rye Rider weekly ticket is purchased
Train discounts and railcards
All information correct as at June 2020, but subject to change.
Minimum fares and time restrictions apply to some Railcards. Check before you buy the Railcard or any tickets using it. Railcards are usually issued alongside a photocard – both of these must be shown when buying a discounted ticket and when travelling.
16 to 17 saver railcard
The 16 to 17 Saver is a new national railcard for 16 and 17 year-olds. It costs £30.00 per year and gives 50% off standard Anytime, Off-Peak, Advance and Season tickets for travel at any time of the day.
The 16 to 17 Saver is valid for one year or up until your 18th birthday, whichever comes first. However, if you buy a season ticket with a 16 to 17 Saver discount before it expires, you can continue to use it for up to 4 months after the expiry date. The expiry date and the date that you can use your season ticket until are shown on the 16 to 17 Saver.
Find out more and apply at 16 to 17 saver.
16 to 25 railcard
The 16 to 25 railcard offers 33% off a wide range of tickets for those not travelling each day (subject to a minimum fare).
Unizone rail ticket (college and university students)
The Unizone ticket gives unlimited discounted travel for a fixed price for those who study in or around Brighton or Worthing. To qualify for a Unizone ticket, a student will need a valid 16–17 Saver or 16–25 Railcard and valid ID confirming attendance in further or higher education.
Find out more on the Southern website.
Disabled Persons Railcard
This card offers 33% off of adult rail fares for travel on the National Rail network in Great Britain. Companions also get 33% off their rail fare. There are no time restrictions on the Disabled Persons Railcard, so it can be used at any time of the day.
It costs £20 for a one-year card or £54 for a three-year card.
See Transport if you’re disabled – GOV.UK for more information.
You may qualify for a card if you:
- receive disability-related benefits
- are registered as deaf or use a hearing aid
- are registered as visually impaired
- have epilepsy.
Senior Railcard
A Senior Railcard (for people aged 60 and over) costs £30 for one year and £70 for three years (online only).
You may qualify for a card if you:
- are over 60
- have a valid passport or driver’s licence.