Bristol Unibus U1

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. 

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

Student Travel

U1 Uni Year pass

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. Students will receive a voucher code for their U1 pass by email from the University in the second or third week of September. You can use your voucher code to either get the U1 pass for free, or upgrade to the Bristol Zone Uni Year ticket for just £99 - 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.

Upgrade to First West of England Zone ticket – available to students who receive the U1 Uni Year pass for free

To get unlimited travel on all First Bus services in the West of England zone, you can upgrade your U1 bus pass for £189 (discounted from £515). 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.   

Staff and General Public Travel

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.

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.

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. With the app you can purchase and use your bus ticket on your smartphone with no need for cash or a paper ticket. For more information on mTickets click here.