Journey planner

You probably already know that Bath is a great city to be a student in - so why not make the most of this beautiful city by jumping on our buses and exploring it? 

U5 is the Bath Spa Unibus, and your dedicated service. The U5 will get you from the city centre to Bath Spa Uni Locksbrook campus and continues on to the library at the centre of Bath Spa University’s Newton Park campus. We also have a network of buses that go pretty much everywhere else you'll need to go.

U5 holiday timetable

Access to the Bath Spa University Sion Hill Campus is provided by Bath Park & Ride 31 Lansdown service, which is just a short walk to Sion Hill Campus. Bath Zone and West of England Zone tickets can be used on this service. 

Tickets

We've got a fantastic range of student tickets meaning there is something to suit your needs however often you use the bus. All students get up to 10% off our adult season ticket prices with valid student photo ID but we've got some even better deals specifically for Bath Spa University students.

And remember you can only buy your bus ticket on your smartphone, just download our free First Bus App from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Tap On, Tap Off

If you're not sure which ticket to buy, you can Tap On, Tap Off on the U5 (and the U1/U2!) and only pay the student fares. Just tap your contactless card when you board the bus, and tap the same card/ device when you leave, we'll work out the fare for you! Please note, if you use Tap On, Tap Off on any of our regular services in Bath, this will incur the full adult fares.

Bath Zone  

Allows unlimited travel on any First Bus* within the Bath Zone. 

Bath Fare Zone (click here for map) Student fares from 28 July 2024
Single £2.00
Day £5.40                       
Week £21.15
Month £75.42
Year £756.90
Semester 1 (21 Sept 2024 - 9 Feb 2025)

£285.00

Semester 2 (15 Feb 2025 - 15 June 2025) £250.00
Uni Year (21 Sept 2024 - 15 June 2025) £460.00

West of England Zone 

Allows unlimited travel on any First Bus within the West of England Zone*.

West of England Zone (click here for map) Student fares from 28 July 2024
Single £2.00
Day £6.30                     
Week £27.00
Month £85.50
Year £945.00
Uni Year (21 Sept 2024 - 15 June 2025) £515.00

*excluding special event and Airport Flyer services 

Where to buy?

Via mTickets on the free First Bus App, allowing your bus ticket to be purchased and used on your smartphone.

  • Search for ‘First Bus’ in your app store and download the First Bus app
  • Select ‘Bristol, Bath & the West’ area
  • Press mTickets from the bottom menu, then Bristol, Bath and the West and then Bath
  • Click on Buy at the top and then select Day, Week, Month or Month+. Choose the Student ticket you need.
  • You will be asked to set up an account, please complete the requested details.
  • click Continue and you will be asked to confirm you are a student. 
  • Select a payment method to purchase your ticket 
  • You can either use it straight away or move to the wallet to use later
  • When you want to travel, activate your ticket and then scan the QR code on the bus.

Apple store travel app link Android store travel app link