Guide to Stagecoach South East tickets

Tickets for children

Under five

Children under five years old can travel for free when accompanied by a responsible, fare-paying passenger.

These children shouldn't:

•  take a seat that paying passengers might need 
•  stay in a buggy in an unsuitable place on the bus

See our conditions of carriage  for more information about carrying small prams and buggies.

Five – 15 year olds in East Sussex

Single and return tickets

Children aged five to 15 years old* can travel for around half the cost of adult fares at any time up to 22:00.

*If you look older, you need to show proof of age to get child off-peak fares. Please apply for a free   Stagecoach U16 ID card.  With the Stagecoach U16 ID card you can continue to get child off-peak  fares up to the 31st August following your 16th birthday.

Alternatively, an under  16 3i-D card  is available to buy from East Sussex County Council. This costs £12 and entitles you to discounts at a range of shops and leisure providers

Child day tickets

Children under 16 can get discounted:

•  local dayrider tickets  –  can be bought for either the Eastbourne or Hastings ticket zones
• South East dayrider  tickets –  valid on all Stagecoach buses in East Sussex and Kent
•  Discovery tickets – valid on Stagecoach buses plus many other operators in Kent, Sussex, Surrey & Hampshire

You can buy and use dayrider  tickets from 08:45 to 22:00 Mondays to Fridays and anytime until 22:00 at weekends and during school holidays.

Child megarider tickets

Children under 16 can buy a child megarider ticket  for seven days' unlimited travel in Eastbourne and Hailsham. 

They can also buy a Wealden Weekly ticket that includes travel to Heathfield, Tunbridge Wells and Uckfield.

Freedom tickets 

If you’re 18 or under, a Freedom ticket  gives you seven days’ unlimited travel on all our bus routes starting or finishing in East Sussex. 

You can buy a Freedom ticket if you:

•  have an ESCC Choice ID or 3-iD card  
•  have a Stagecoach U16 ID card 

Travel after 22:00 

There are no child fares available after 22:00. After 22:00, children will need to pay the full adult fare. 

Five – 15 year olds in East Kent

Single and return tickets 

Children aged five to 15 years old* can travel for around half the cost of adult fares, except during peak times. Peak times are before 08:45 and between 15:00 and 16:29 on school days. Adult fares will apply at these times.

*If you look older, you need to show proof of age to get child off-peak fares.   Please apply for a free Stagecoach U16 ID card.  With the Stagecoach U16 ID card you can continue to get child off-peak  fares up to the 31st August following your 16th birthday.

Young Person’s Travel Pass  holders can benefit from a £1 cap on single fares if they want to travel during the evening and at weekends.

Child day tickets

Children under 16 can get the following half price day tickets at off-peak times:

• local dayrider tickets  –  can be bought for the Ashford, Canterbury, Deal, Dover, Folkestone or Thanet  ticket zones
• South East dayrider  tickets –  valid on all Stagecoach buses in East Sussex and Kent
• Discovery tickets – valid on Stagecoach buses plus many other operators in Kent, Sussex, Surrey & Hampshire

Council issued bus passes

Children aged 11 to 16 may be able to get a bus pass which allows free travel to and from school.  Check to see if they meet Kent County Council’s criteria for free bus travel.

Those who do not qualify for free travel can apply to the council for a Young Person’s Travel Pass . This costs £280 per year and is valid on weekdays before 19:00.

Stagecoach PLUS tickets (council pass add-on tickets)

Children with a council issued pass can extend its validity with a Stagecoach PLUS ticket.

•  Young Person’s Travel PLUS – the add on ticket for the Young Person’s Travel Pass is valid after 19:00 on weekdays, all day at weekends and throughout August on all Stagecoach buses in Kent
•  Scholar’s PLUS – the add-on ticket for recipients of free travel to school allows unlimited travel on all Stagecoach buses in Kent

Tickets for students & young people

16+ Travel Card 

If you're a student in Kent and are over 16 years old, you could get a 16+ Travel Card    from Kent County Council (KCC).  It’ll give you unlimited travel for a whole year.

Academic megarider tickets

If you’re a full time student in East Sussex, you’ll get great value with our Academic megarider tickets . These tickets will give you unlimited travel in your chosen zones.  They’re also a great option if you live in Kent but can’t get a KCC 16+ Travel Card.  

unirider tickets

If you’re a full time student at the University of Kent, you’ll get great value with our unirider ticket. It’ll give you unlimited travel on all our buses in Kent and East Sussex. 

To buy a unirider ticket, you'll need a University ID Card. The name on your ID card must match the name on your ticket.

Our green Unibus runs between the University campus and Canterbury city centre. There are special daily and weekly tickets available for travel between these two locations.

Tickets for adults

Passengers aged 16 and above pay the full adult fare. We have a wide range of great value tickets available.

Singles and return tickets

Single tickets are perfect if you only want to make one journey a day.

Return tickets offer you a discount when travelling between two places and are only valid on the date printed on the ticket.

dayrider tickets

A local dayrider gives you one day’s unlimited travel in your chosen ticket zone.

A South East dayrider gives you one day's unlimited travel on all Stagecoach buses in Kent and East Sussex.

Kids for 10p special offer

Bring the kids along for only 10p each when you buy an adult South East dayrider ticket at weekends or during school holidays.  You can take up to three children under 16 with you.

megarider tickets

A local megarider gives you unlimited travel in your chosen ticket zone.

A South East megarider  gives you unlimited travel on all Stagecoach buses in Kent and East Sussex.

You can choose how long you want your ticket to last, 7 day and 4 week options are available.

You also have the option of paying for your ticket by a monthly recurring payment with the megarider Xtra, so it never expires. 

Discovery tickets

If you want to transfer onto a bus run by another operator who does not accept explorer tickets, you'll need to buy a Discovery ticket.

You can use these tickets on Stagecoach and participating operator’s buses in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. 

Find out which bus operators will accept your Discovery ticket.

Tickets for family and groups

Family dayrider tickets

Our Family dayrider tickets give you one day's unlimited travel on our buses in Kent and East Sussex for:

• two adults or
• two adults and up to three children or
• one adult and up to four children

local  and South East versions are available. 

Family Discovery tickets

If you want to transfer onto a bus run by another operator, you'll need to buy a Family Discovery ticket.

These tickets are valid for up to two adults and three children.

You can use these tickets on Stagecoach and participating operator’s buses in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. Find out which bus operators will accept your Discovery ticket. 

Concessionary bus pass holders (seniors and disabled)

If you’re of retirement age or have a certain disability, you can apply for a concessionary bus pass  from your local council. It'll let you travel for free on our buses. 

You can normally travel after 09:30 until 23:00 on week days and all day at weekends and on bank holidays. 

Some local councils have different rules on when you can use your pass. Find out more from Kent County Council or East Sussex County Council.

If you need assistance from our driver, you can apply for a journey assistance card. 

Jobseekers

We offer half price single and return tickets to jobseekers.  To qualify you must have a valid Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount card. 

Find out more about our half price discount for jobseekers .

Corporate (staff) travel

We have corporate travel plans available in some areas. Find out how to set up a corporate travel scheme  for your company. 

Animals

Guide dogs and assistance dogs can travel for free at all times.

Other dogs and small, well-behaved animals may travel for free with the driver’s permission.  Animals may not sit on the seats.

See our conditions of carriage  for our full policy on animals.