Fares and discounts
East Sussex bus fares
Reduced fares offered under our Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) came to an end on 1 February 2026. We will continue working with local bus companies to keep fares low.
To find the best fare for your journey, contact the bus company.
£3 fare cap
Most single bus journeys will cost no more than £3 until 31 March 2027 under the Government’s Help for Households fare cap: GOV.UK - £3 national bus fare cap – South East operators and routes.
Multi-operator day ticket
South Downs Discovery ticket
Unlimited day travel across the South Downs National Park and beyond. See South Downs National Park - Discovery ticket.
Bus company discount fares and offers
Adult, student, child and family tickets available to buy online or on the bus, in East Sussex.
- Brighton & Hove buses networkSAVER
Unlimited travel on Brighton & Hove Buses for up to 90 days. - Stagecoach – Rider tickets
Unlimited travel on Stagecoach buses, for up to 28 days with DayRider and MegaRider tickets. Save on DayRider fares with a Flexi bundle.
StudentRider available as an annual ticket. - Compass Travel
Weekly Rover tickets and Lewes Saver tickets (daily or weekly) - Metrobus
Unlimited travel on Metrobus services with Metrovoyager tickets. Save with ticket bundles. - Cuckmere Buses
Save with weekly tickets on Cuckmere Bus services
Young people and students
Which bus ticket do I need?
This will depend on your age, where you are going and how often you travel. See bus routes, services and timetables on the East Sussex bus map.
Check with the bus company before you travel.
East Sussex Freedom weekly ticket
The Freedom weekly ticket costs £20 and provides unlimited bus travel on all bus services in East Sussex for under 19s. Buy from the bus driver with proof of age.
Bus company offers
Bus companies in East Sussex have their own fare offers, check which is best for you:
Proof of age
3i-D card and Yoti digital ID (11-19 year olds)
3i-D gives you:
- proof of age as part of the PASS national proof of age scheme.
- discounts on some bus fares in East Sussex.
- digital ID on your phone, via the Yoti mobile app.
Who can use a 3i-D card?
Young people aged 11-19 who who live, study, train or work in East Sussex.
How to apply
School and college students can apply online, if their school code is listed here. Schools not listed will accept paper applications.
If you are not a student, you can apply using a paper application at any East Sussex library.
Find out more and apply: 3i-D card - CitizenCard.
| School or college | Code | School or college | Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARK Alexandra | HEL4A0 | Lewes Old Grammar | LEW054 | |
| Beacon Academy | BEAC6E | Owlswick School | OWL9EE | |
| Bennett Memorial | BEN5C1 | Peacehaven CS | PEAEAD | |
| Bexhill Academy | BEXE30 | Priory School | PRI2E3 | |
| Bexhill College | BEXA06 | Ratton School | RATCBC | |
| BHASVIC | BRI9C8 | Robertsbridge CC | ROB9E6 | |
| Cavendish School | Paper apps | Rye College | Use library | |
| Chailey School | CHA2AD | Sackville School | SAC4A0 | |
| Claverham CC | CLAAC5 | Saxon Mount School | Paper apps | |
| Didac Eastbourne | DIDA53 | Seaford Head School | SEA4FE | |
| Eastbourne Academy | Paper apps | Seahaven Academy | SEA48F | |
| East Sussex College | SUS468 | St Catherine’s College | STCFC8 | |
| Hailsham CC | HAI24D | St Leonard’s Academy | THE7B5 | |
| Gildredge House | GIL6E2 | St Mary’s School | STM86B | |
| Hadlow College | HAD231 | The Turing School | TURI74 | |
| Hastings Academy | THEA25 | Uckfield CTC | UCK4C6 | |
| Hazel Court School | HAZ7A6 | Uplands CC | UPL80F | |
| Heathfield CC | HEA63F | Vardean College | VAR3A5 | |
| Homewood School | HOM62A | Willingdon CS | WIL39C | |
| King’s Academy Ringmer | RINA49 |
Information for 3i-D card verifiers
East Sussex Age Verification app
The East Sussex Age Verification app will cease being supported after 30 April 2026.
After this date, please uninstall the app and use the alternative methods detailed above to verify your age for bus travel.
Contact the team:
Other bus discounts
PlusBus
PlusBus lets you add a discounted bus ticket to a train ticket, saving money at either or both ends of your journey at multiple locations in the UK. See the PlusBus website.
keyGo
keyGo can be added to the Southern Railway Key Smartcard. As well as trains, it can be used on Brighton & Hove and Metro buses that start and finish in the keyGo area - keyGo - Brighton & Hove Buses.
How bus fares are set
Bus fares are set by a combination of:
- central government policy
- commercial bus companies
- local council transport authorities.
