Travel the Season
Journey planner
There's plenty of festive fun to be had with First Bus!
Whether you're looking for the best hot chocolates in town, searching the city for Christmas presents or heading to your local theatre to enjoy a classic panto with family..."He's behind you!!"... you can do it all and more with a £2 Single bus ticket.
Simply download the First Bus App to plan your festive adventure, track your bus live on a map and buy your £2 ticket before you travel - what are you waiting for?
Click here to go to our dedicated web page, to find out when we're operating over Christmas and New Years.
Discover Christmas in Essex
Watch a festive show at Chelmsford Theatre
Jack and the Beanstalk, the GIANT spectacular family pantomime, roars into Chelmsford Theatre in association with One From The Heart from Friday 1 December 2023 until Sunday 7 January 2024.
Other festive shows to check out include Andre Rieu's White Christmas, A Christmas Carol, The Night Before Christmas and The Nutcracker.
All Chelmsford services stop just down the road at the bus station.
Discover Colchester Zoo's Enchanted Trail of Light
Join in for a magical journey after hours…
Enchanted Trail of Light is a limited ticket, pre-bookable event. Arrival time slots are staggered offering you the chance to leisurely experience the wonder of the lights and magical atmosphere! With a host of illuminations along a designated route, dancing fountains and fairies spreading their magic, the light trail event will leave you feeling enchanted.
Service 75 gets you to the magical light trail at the zoo.
Have a wobbly skate at Christmas Wonderland Lakeside
From 16th November - 3rd January, experience the wonder of skating on real ice undercover in a giant igloo, whatever the weather!
Set in the Quay, Lakeside‘s new outdoor events and leisure space, Christmas Wonderland is a Christmas Market, Winter Wonderland and Ice Rink. The Christmas Market is the perfect place to grab a mulled wine or draft lager from the Après-Ski Bar, feast on German Sausages from the Swing Grill or demolish a Yorkshire Pudding Wrap. Indulge in sweets and treats from candy floss to crepes and grab them last-minute gift ideas on offer such as hand-painted custom Christmas decorations.
Entry to Christmas Wonderland is free - please pre-book ice skating.
Service 100 from Basildon gets you to Lakeside for your Christmas Wonderland experience.
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Download our FREE First Bus App
Have everything you need to travel at your fingertips:
- Plan your festive journey
- Buy your tickets on the app
- Track the bus to your stop
Win a £25 ONE4ALL gift card in time for Christmas!
This December, as a thank you to our passengers, First Essex are giving away £500 worth of One4All gift cards! These can be spent at over 55000 stores nationwide including a diverse range of shopping, dining and entertainment venues.
For more details, and to enter, please click here.
