Buses

You can find timetables and route maps for bus routes to, from and within Oxford on Oxford Bus Company's website or in the Timetables section of their mobile app. This includes routes run by Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Stagecoach, Carousel, and Redline. If you prefer a paper version, you can also get a hard copy of all the different timetables and maps from the Oxford Bus Company Travel Shops at Gloucester Green and 44 High St.

To find out when the next bus is arriving at any stop in Oxfordshire, use the “Live Times and Buses” tab of the Oxford Bus Company mobile app on your phone. All of the bus routes mentioned above will appear in this feature.

You can also use CityMapper or Google Maps to plan your journey including the time it takes to walk or cycle to the bus.

Don't have a smartphone? Find out when the next bus is coming by texting your bus stop’s unique number to 84637. You can locate your bus stop's number on the pole at the stop. In response to your text, you will be sent information about when the next 5 or 6 buses will be coming to that stop. Just for confirmation, the name of the bus stop and current time will be included.

If a single bus ride doesn’t cover your whole journey, it is often quick and easy to cycle, scoot or walk the first and last bit. Especially as you can now take folding bikes and non-electric scooters on the bus, as long as the driver determines that there is sufficient room for them on board, or lock them up safely at your stop. Folding bikes must be placed in a bag and stowed in the luggage area of the bus.

You can also use Google maps or other route planning apps like CityMapper to find the best way to walk, cycle or scoot to your nearest bus stop at either end of the journey.

Single ride tickets and day passes can be purchased on the bus, from the driver, using cash or contactless payment (credit/bank card or phone app), or on the Oxford Bus Company/Thames Travel or Stagecoach apps/websites. Until further notice, single ride tickets on local buses are capped at £3, however long you’re staying on.

If you pay for your bus ride with contactless payment and tap that same card/phone on the Freeflow ticket machine near the entrance of Oxford Bus Company or Thames Travel buses, your fare will also automatically be capped at the day pass price if you’re taking multiple rides on buses run by those companies that day. Freeflow does not include Stagecoach buses. 

If you need to travel on buses run by different companies for your journey, you can buy SmartZone tickets. These provide unlimited travel on Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach, Thames Travel and Carousel Buses bus routes operating in and around Oxford starting at £5 for a day pass. This will be cheaper than buying separate single tickets on each bus so don’t spend more than you have to!

If you ride the bus frequently, but not every day, multi-journey (known as flexi) tickets may be a good fit for you. With these kinds of tickets, you can either buy a 12 trip ticket, which gives you 12 individual tickets to be used whenever you’d like, or a 5 day ticket, which gives you 5 day passes to be used on whichever individual days you’d like.

The best value way of buying passes or flexi tickets is through the Oxford Bus Company or Stagecoach mobile apps. Alternatively, the Oxford Bus Company allows you to buy a rechargeable “key” card to store your flexi tickets for £10 if you’d prefer not to use the app. However, tickets cost more if using this “key” option. Flexi tickets are also available for the SmartZone, which will allow you to ride buses from any company within Oxford.

Prices:

Oxford Bus Company: £19 for 5 day ticket, £20.50 for 12 ride ticket

Stagecoach: £18.40 for 5 day ticket, £23 for 12 ride ticket

SmartZone: £20.50 for 5 day ticket, £23 for 12 ride ticket

If you ride the bus 5-7 days a week, you can save money by buying passes. Passes (called MegaRider tickets on Stagecoach) cover all of your rides on a particular bus company’s buses for 1, 4, or 13 weeks. A SmartZone pass covers all of your rides within Oxford on any bus company’s bus.

You can also subscribe to an auto-renewing 4 week/28 day pass (called Xtra tickets on Stagecoach) to save additional money using the Oxford Bus Company app, or the Stagecoach website. 

The best value way of buying passes is through the Oxford Bus Company app or Stagecoach mobile app or website (some passes are only available on the website). Alternatively, the Oxford Bus Company allows you to buy a rechargeable “key” card to store your passes for £10 if you’d prefer not to use the app. However, passes cost more if using this “key” option. 

If you are interested in an annual ticket, an annual SmartZone ticket is available for £770 (just £2 per day) through the Stagecoach website or using the Oxford Bus Company key card.

Prices:

Oxford Bus Company: £61 (£56.30 with subscription) for a 4 week pass, £168 for a 13 week pass

Stagecoach: £56 for a 4 week subscription pass

SmartZone: £68 for a 4 week pass, £191 for a 13 week pass

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters

Both Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach's buses are wheelchair accessible, with older buses having space for one wheelchair and new electric buses having space for two wheelchairs. Approved mobility scooters are also able to use the wheelchair space if there is no wheelchair user occupying it. Passengers sitting or standing in the space designated for a wheelchair are obliged to move to make room. Buses also drop down to help passengers board.

Journey assistance cards

Need extra help boarding the bus? You can order journey assistance cards from Stagecoach or Oxford Bus Company. These cards help you alert the driver to assistance you may need, including extra time to sit down, being notified when you reach your stop, or being spoken to more slowly.

Concessionary bus pass

If you’re over 66 or disabled, you could be eligible for a concessionary bus pass that allows you to travel for free on local buses between 9:00 and 23:59 Monday to Friday, or at any time over the weekend and public holidays. Find more information and apply for a pass on the Oxfordshire County Council’s page. Assistance dogs travel for free on all buses.

Group tickets

Group tickets are a great option when you’re travelling with kids, since they allow multiple people to ride together on a single ticket, all day. A group SmartZone ticket costs £10, and lets all of you ride on any bus in Oxford all day. Just ask the driver for one when you board!

Prams and buggies

Prams and buggies are permitted on buses in Oxford so long as the driver deems that there is sufficient space for them to be on board safely, and the space is not needed for a wheelchair user. You may also be asked to fold your pram or buggy when possible and store it in the luggage area. And - good news! - Oxford's new electric buses include more room for prams and buggies.

Young people and student discounts

There are discounts available for students and young people on Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach buses, as well as for SmartZone passes. Young people 18 and under can also apply for a card that lets them buy single fares for £1 on local Oxford bus routes operated by Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel buses.

Disabled or older person’s passes

If you’re over 66 or disabled, you could be eligible for a concessionary bus pass that allows you to travel for free on local buses between 9:00 and 23:59 Monday to Friday, or at any time over the weekend and public holidays. Find more information and apply for a pass on the Oxfordshire County Council’s page.

Do you find it difficult to reach the nearest bus stop due to mobility issues or simply due to having no service nearby? That's where community transport comes in! These services provide rides to those who have difficulty accessing public transport.

One example is the Oxfordshire Comet, which will give a lift to anyone in Oxfordshire who is unable to access existing public transport between 10am and 2pm Monday-Friday for a reasonable fee. You just have to register for £3 and then call to book your ride at least 24 hours in advance.

To find other community transport options that serve your area see Oxfordshire County Council's Community Transport Directory or Live Well Oxfordshire's searchable directory.