We operate the following Bristol Unibus services on behalf of the University of Bristol, with the services available to students, staff and the general public. Please see below for more detailed information on

  • U1 service
  • U2 service
  • University of Bristol staff and student travel offers
  • FAQs

U1: Stoke Bishop Transport Hub – University of Bristol Campus – City Centre

Bristol Unibus U1 is a dedicated Unibus service that links the University of Bristol Stoke Bishop residential campus with the University of Bristol Clifton Campus and the City Centre. The U1 service is available to staff, students and members of the general public. 

Service number

When you can use the service

Where you can travel on the service

Mon-Fri daytime

Saturday daytime

Sunday daytime

U1 (timetable & route map)

term time only. See term dates below.

U1 does not operate on public holidays 

Stoke Bishop Transport Hub - Clifton Down Station - University of Bristol Campus - City Centre

up to every 6 mins

up to every 20 mins

up to every 20 mins

2024/25 term dates

Autumn term: 9 September 2024 - 13 December 2024

Spring term: 6 January 2025 - 4 April 2025

Summer term: 28 April 2025 - 23 May 2025

U1 Student fares from 28 July 2024

Price

U1 Single

£1.80

U1 Uni Year (9 Sep 2024 - 23 May 2025) £244
University of Bristol - Uni Year (Bristol Zone) (8 Sept 2024 - 25 May 2025) £460
University of Bristol - Uni Year (West of England Zone) (8 Sept 2024 - 25 May 2025) £515

The U1 Uni Year pass entitles students to travel on the Bristol Unibus U1 service, giving you frequent services to the University campus.

In addition, your U1 Uni Year pass also allows you to use services 3, 4 & 72 on certain sections of the routes*. These services will be running in holiday periods.

University of Bristol Students living in University-allocated accommodation (except postgraduates in postgraduate-only residences) receive the U1 Uni year pass for free.  Your voucher code for your U1 pass will be on your Accommodation portal.  If your voucher code is not there yet they should continue to check the portal for your U1 voucher code. If your code is still not visible after the 13 September, you should contact the Student Support Centre.  You can use your voucher code to either get the U1 pass for free, or upgrade to the West of England Zone Uni Year ticket for just £189 - see below!

For all other students who are not eligible for the free bus pass, this ticket is perfect for you to buy if you mainly need to travel between Stoke Bishop, Clifton Campus and the city centre.

*Service 3 between Bristol City Centre and Coombe Lane bus stop only. Service 4 between Bristol City Centre and The Avenue bus stop only. Service 72 between Bristol Temple Meads and Zetland Road bus stop only.

To get unlimited travel on all First Bus services in the West of England zone, you can upgrade your U1 bus pass for £189 to the University of Bristol Uni Year West of England ticket (discounted from £515). This ticket gives you unlimited travel in the West of England zone from 8 Sept 2024 - 25 May 2025. Special event and Airport Flyer buses are not included in this offer. To take advantage of this offer before the 31 January 2025, follow the instructions below.

How to download your U1 bus pass: 

  1. Decide which bus pass you want: the Bristol Unibus U1 Uni Year (free) OR upgrade to the West of England Zone Uni Year (for £189) 
  2. Download the First Bus App onto your phone from the App Store or Google Play 
  3. Set your First Bus Region to Bristol, Bath and the West.  
  4. From the m-tickets menu, select Bristol, Bath, and the West and then select Bristol.   
  5. Select Student Travel and add University of Bristol U1 Uni Year (£224) to your basket to get the U1 bus pass, OR select University of Bristol - Uni Year (West of England Zone) (£515) to  upgrade to the West of England Zone bus pass for just £189. 
  6. Checkout and sign up for an account, then enter your unique voucher code to get the U1 bus pass for free, OR the West of England Zone Uni Year for £189. Please note that your voucher code can only be used once, so please think carefully about which option you prefer before using your voucher code.   
  7. Your bus pass will be stored in the purchased area of the ticket wallet. It will automatically move to the active area of the ticket wallet on 9 September 2024 when the U1 service starts. Download it later and it will automatically activate and appear in the active area of your ticket wallet.  
  8. Your bus pass (mTicket) will appear as a QR code. Scan the QR code as you get on the bus, every time. The pass is valid from Monday 9 September 2024.   

U2: City Centre - University of Bristol Campus - Langford Campus 

Bristol Unibus U2 is a dedicated Unibus service that links Bristol City Centre and the University of Bristol Clifton Campus with the University of Bristol Langford Campus. The service operates all year round with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. The service operates hourly between approximately 7am and 11pm, Monday to Friday, except Public Holidays. The service runs every 2 hours on Saturdays and Sundays between 9am - 11pm. All journeys originate or terminate from Bristol City Centre. The U2 service is available to staff, students and members of the general public.

Service number When you can use the service Where you can travel on the service Mon-Fri daytime Saturday Sunday

U2 timetable & route map

7 days a week throughout the year except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. Bristol City Centre – University of Bristol Campus - Bridgwater Road – Airport Tavern – Langford Campus

hourly 

7am - 11pm

Every 2 hours

9am - 11pm

Every 2 hours

9am - 11pm

U2 Student fares

Price

University of Bristol - U2 Year (1 Sept 2024 - 30 Aug 2025)

£315

University of Bristol - Uni Year (West of England Zone) (8 Sept 2024 - 25 May 2025)

£515

Bristol Veterinary School Students who’s teaching is primarily based at the Langford Campus will receive a free bus pass (mTicket) for unlimited travel on the Unibus U2 service. In addition, the U2 Year pass also allows you to use services 3, 4 & 72 on certain sections of the routes*. Services 3, 4 and 72 will be running in holiday periods.

For all other students who are not eligible for the free U2 bus pass, this ticket is perfect for you to buy if you mainly need to travel between the University’s Langford campus and the Clifton campus. 

Recipients of the free U2 Year pass can upgrade their pass to the Student West of England zone ticket for just £189 - see below!

*Service 3 between Bristol City Centre and Coombe Lane bus stop only. Service 4 between Bristol City Centre and The Avenue bus stop only. Service 72 between Bristol Temple Meads and Zetland Road bus stop only.

To get unlimited travel on all First Bus services in the West of England zone, you can upgrade your U2 bus pass for £189 to the Student West of England FirstYear ticket (discounted from £945). This gives you unlimited travel from the 1 Sept 2024 - 30 Aug 2025. Special event and Airport Flyer buses are not included in this offer. To take advantage of this offer before the 31 January 2025, follow the instructions below.   

How to download your U2 bus pass: 

  1. Decide which bus pass you want: the Bristol Unibus U2 (free) OR upgrade to the West of England Zone (reduced from £945 to £189) 
  2. Download the First Bus App onto your phone from the App Store or Google Play 
  3. Set your First Bus region to Bristol, Bath and the West 
  4. From the mTickets menu select Bristol, Bath and the West and then Bristol 
  5. Select Student Travel and add University of Bristol - U2 Year (£315) to your basket, OR select University of Bristol Annual West of England Zone (£945) to use your voucher code to upgrade to the West of England Zone ticket for just £189.  
  6. Checkout and sign up for an account, then enter your unique voucher code to get your Bristol Unibus U2 pass for free OR the West of England Zone pass for £189. Please note that your voucher code can only be used once, so please think carefully about which option you prefer before using your voucher code.   
  7. Your bus pass will be stored in the purchased area of the ticket wallet. It will automatically move to the active area of the ticket wallet on 1 September 2024. Download it later and it will automatically activate and appear in the active area of your ticket wallet. 
  8. Your bus pass (mTicket) will appear as a QR code. Scan the QR code as you get on the bus, every time. The pass is valid from 1 September 2024.   

Staff and Student Travel Offers

The U1 service is available to staff and the general public as well as University of Bristol students, and serves all regular bus stops along its route. Please see the table below for U1 fares information.

Staff fare

mTicket   

From the driver (contactless payment only)

U1 Single 

N/A

£1.80

The only U1 specific ticket available to University of Bristol staff is the £1.80 single ticket. This can be brought from the driver on production of a valid UOB staff U-card with contactless payment only.

Members of the general public wishing to buy a single ticket need to purchase a Bristol Flat Fare Single Adult ticket.

For all other ticket durations that allow travel on the U1 Service, staff and members of the general public need to purchase a First network ticket such as the Bristol Zone ticket. For further details on the Bristol Zone and other First services, please click here. For details of exclusive University of Bristol staff travel offers, please visit the University of Bristol staff and student travel offers webpage.

The U2 service is available to staff and the general public as well as University of Bristol students, and serves all regular bus stops along its route. Please see the table below for U2 fares information.

Staff & general fares

Price

Unibus U2 Month

£66

Unibus U2 Week

£18.15

  Buy before you board

Bristol Zone Year 

£672.80*

(20% saving on adult price)

West of England Zone Year

£840*

(20% saving on adult price)

*To receive the discounted rate on the Year mTicket's please contact transport-plan@bristol.ac.uk​ from your Bristol University email account with your name, job title, department and which ticket you wish to purchase and you will be provided with a discount code to use upon checkout. 

University of Bristol is a member of the First West of England Commuter Travel Club, which gives a 10% discount on the price of adult monthly subscription tickets as well as the new 12 in 40 and 20 in 40 Day Ticket Bundles, which are suited to flexible working patterns where you're not commuting every day. 

Prices

Month

12 in 40 Day Bundle

20 in 40 Day Bundle

Bristol Zone

              £75.50              

£53.30 £75.50

West of England

£85.50

£60.50 £85.50

Where to buy? 

The U1 and U2 are now cashless services with drivers unable to take cash payments or give any change. Buy your bus tickets in advance on the free First Bus App. For more information on mTickets click here.

Apple store travel app link Android store travel app link

FAQ

You may have a question or two about the Bristol Unibus services, we hope you can find the answers to common questions below. 

Unibus U1 Uni Year Pass - Travel between 9 September 2024 and 23 May 2025

  • Service U1 - Travel on entire route, term times only
  • 3 - between Bristol City Centre and Coombe Lane bus stop only
  • 4 - between Bristol City Centre and The Avenue bus stop only
  • 72 - between Bristol Temple Meads and Zetland Road bus stop only

Unibus U2 Year Pass - Travel between 1 September 2024 to 30 August 2025

  • Service U2 - Travel on entire route
  • 3 - between Bristol City Centre and Coombe Lane bus stop only
  • 4 - between Bristol City Centre and The Avenue bus stop only
  • 72 - between Bristol Temple Meads and Zetland Road bus stop only

Unibus U1 Uni Year Pass

From 9 September 2024 to 23 May 2025. Please note that the U1 Service runs during term time only. The U1 does not operate on Bank Holidays. 

Unibus U2 Year Pass

From 1 September 2024 to 30 August 2025. Please note that the U2 Service operates on Public Holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Bristol Unibus U1 pass:

  • U1 - Stoke Bishop to City Centre (via University of Bristol Clifton Campus)

University of Bristol Students living in a University-allocated accommodation (except postgraduates in postgraduate-only residences) are eligible for a free bus pass (mTicket) for unlimited travel on the U1 and certain sections of services 3, 4 & 72.

Bristol Unibus U2 pass:

  • U2 - University of Bristol Langford Campus to City Centre (via University of Bristol Clifton Campus)

Bristol Veterinary School Students who’s teaching is primarily based at the Langford Campus will receive a free bus pass (mTicket) for unlimited travel on the Unibus U2 plus certain sections of services 3, 4 & 72.

Tickets can also be purchased for both services by other students, staff and the general public.

  1. Download our app, search "First bus" in your app store – you need an Internet connection to do this.
  2. Set your First Bus region to Bristol, Bath and the West
  3. From the m-tickets menu select Bristol, Bath and the West and then Bristol
  4. Select Student Travel and add University of Bristol U1 Uni Year (£224), or University of Bristol U2 Uni Year (£315) to your basket to get your free pass. OR select University of Bristol - Uni Year (West of England Zone) (£515) to upgrade to the West of England Zone bus pass for just £189.
  5. A small number of students will be entitled to both the U1 and U2 services – see Step 4 above.
  6. Checkout and sign up for an account, then enter the 10 character voucher code from your Accommodation portal to get your Unibus pass FREE*. If you are entitled to both the U1 and U2 bus passes you will have two different 10 character voucher codes issued to you. Your U1 code can be found in your Accommodation portal, your U2 code will be emailed to you.
  7. Download your Unibus Year mTicket before 9 September (1 September for U2) and it will be stored in the purchased area of the ticket wallet then moved automatically into the active area on 9 September (1 September for U2) when the service starts. Download it later and it will automatically activate and appear in your active ticket wallet  
  8. Scan the QR code as you get on the bus, every time you travel

*Your Unibus U1 UniYear mTicket gives you free travel on the U1. You can upgrade to a city-wide First Bus mTicket by selecting University of Bristol - Uni Year – West of England Zone (£515) in the First Bus app and using your voucher code at checkout to buy it for just £189.

If you want to use the wider First Bus network in the West of England with services to Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Wells and more, select University of Bristol – Uni Year - West of England Zone in the app, add the ticket to your wallet and upon checkout enter your voucher code which discounts the ticket to £189. Or you can upgrade until 31 January 2025 at the same price by completing this contact form. 

If you want to use the wider First Bus network across the West of England area not just service U2, you can upgrade to the area-wide West of England Zone First Bus mTicket for just £189 by selecting University of Bristol Annual West of England Zone (£945) in the app, add the ticket to your wallet and upon checkout enter your voucher code which discounts the ticket.The upgrade offer is available until 31 January 2025.

If you have already used your code to claim your free U1 ticket, the code will not work to upgrade.

To upgrade your ticket please contact us here.

Signing up for an account will make future purchases quicker and makes it easier for us to help you with any queries about your mTicket. It also means we can contact you with service updates and special offers (unless you uncheck the box). Your information will only be used by First Bus and will not be passed onto a third party for them to use or used for any other reason. Payment card details only need to be added if you wish to purchase any other tickets in the future. 

You are able to purchase other student tickets with a discount on adult fares for First West of England services through the First Bus App.

We want to ensure that student tickets are being used by students only. You have 30 days from the date you purchased/obtained your Unibus mTicket to provide your University email address.

The University of Bristol issues the unique voucher codes for your U1 and/or U2 bus pass. 

If your U1 voucher code is not working, please contact your Student Support Centre , and they will look into this for you. 

If your U2 voucher code is not working, please contact svs-reception@bristol.ac.uk, and they will look into this for you. 

No, If you download your Unibus pass before 9 September when the U1 service begins (1 September for U2), it will be stored in the ‘purchased’ area of the mTicket wallet then move automatically into the ‘active’ area on 9 September (1 September for U2) ready for your first Unibus journey. Download it later and it will activate automatically. 

The University of Bristol issues the unique voucher codes for your U1 and/or U2 bus pass. 

U1:  Please check your Accommodation portal for your code. If your voucher code is not there yet you should continue to check the portal. If your code is still not visible after the 13 September, you should contact the Student Support Centre.

U2: If you believe you should have received a unique voucher code for the U2 bus pass, please contact svs-reception@bristol.ac.uk

Every time you travel, go to your First Bust App ticket wallet and bring up the activated ticket to scan on the ticket machine when you board the bus. You won’t be issued with a paper ticket for your journey.

If your enquiry relates to your U1 voucher code/bus pass, please contact your Student Support Centre

If your enquiry relates to your U2 voucher code/bus pass, please contact svs-reception@bristol.ac.uk

If your enquiry relates to the U1 or U2 bus services, or any other transport enquiry, please contact transport-plan@bristol.ac.uk 

You need an internet/data connection to purchase an mTicket. A weak phone signal when you board your bus should not be a problem. However, the First Bus App does need to communicate with our system on a regular basis to keep itself up to date when you're out and about, so long periods without connection may cause an issue.

Please note the app is not designed to work with Wi-Fi only devices such as tablets and iPods.

Nothing, have a good day at uni!

It is your responsibility to ensure that your phone has enough battery power to be able to show a valid mTicket to the driver. If you cannot do this, you will need to buy a ticket from the driver - please note Unibus services are now cashless.

Missing tickets are generally caused by your mTicket account becoming logged out, or a prolonged loss of internet connection. To restore your tickets, please make sure you have a good network connection and refresh from the Options button (iPhone) or Menu button (Android). All tickets in your account should reappear after a few seconds.

The First Bus App currently requires Android 10 or above. Please check if your phone is able to have a software update. We are looking to allow older versions of Android to use the app later in the year. If you're needing to use a University of Bristol-supplied voucher code please contact  transport-plan@bristol.ac.uk for assistance.

You need to contact our mTickets Customer Support Team on 03300 947 577 or complete the contact form, so they can put a temporary block on your ticket if required. We can then transfer your ticket to your new phone once you have it up and running.

For more general questions and answers about mTickets on the First Bus App please click here.

The First Bus App is only designed to work with one device per account. However should you purchase a new handset, or lose or damage their current device, you will be able to transfer your tickets over.

1. Log off from your mTicket account on your old phone (if possible).

2. Download the app and login to your mTicket account on your new phone

3. Check the Ticket Wallet screen. You should find a green panel containing a button to start the transfer process.

If the button is not visible, please ensure you have a data connection and refresh the app (on an iPhone tap the screen three times, or on Android select Refresh from the menu button).

You are able to complete the above process twice a month but further requests are subject to approval by a member of our Customer Service team. Please don’t attempt to share your ticket with anyone else.