£3 bus fare cap extended to March 2027
A single bus journey anywhere costs no more than £3 any day on most routes across England.
Single bus fares (including child and student fares) on most bus services in Derbyshire will be capped at £3 until March 2027.
Passengers will pay a maximum of £3 on single fares when travelling. The fare cap only applies to single fares. The price of all other tickets remain unchanged.
You can view a list of bus companies and bus routes included in the £3 bus fare cap scheme.
Bus fares
We're sorry that we cannot give detailed fares information. Fares are set by the bus companies, and they can change at any time without notice. Enquiries about fares for particular journeys should be made to the company that runs the service.
Some companies' fares can be found online:
You can always buy a single ticket for your journey from the bus driver. But there are cheaper options for regular travellers and concessions are available for some people.
Return tickets
Return tickets are available in most cases, and are usually cheaper than 2 single tickets.
However, they can generally only be used to come back on buses run by the same company.
On journeys operated under contract to us valid day return tickets issued by any operator are accepted.
Children's fares
Children's fares are usually half to 2 thirds of the adult fares up to the age of 16. These fares are currently capped at £1.50 for any bus journeys which start or finish in Derbyshire (including Derby). Children may be required to show their b_line 1 card which proves they are under 16.
In general, under 5s travel free on public transport when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Check with the driver when boarding for eligibility for under 5s.
Concessions for 16 to 18-year-olds
All young people living in Derbyshire (including Derby) are entitled to a b_line2 card which will give them 25% discount on adult fares. b_line 2 cards are valid from the age of 16 to the 19th birthday.
b_line card holders aged from 11 to 19 now only pay a flat £1.50 single fare for any bus journey which starts or finishes in Derbyshire (including Derby).
Cheaper single fares for 19 to 21-year-olds
Young people aged between 19 and 21 can apply for a b_line3 card under a pilot project running to 31 December 2025.
Holders of the b_line3 card are eligible for a flat £1.50 single fare for any bus journey which starts or finishes in Derbyshire (including Derby).
Older people
Residents of England who qualify by age or with certain disabilities, are entitled to free travel at most times.
To obtain this, an English National Concessionary Travel Scheme pass such as the Derbyshire Gold Card is required.
Season tickets
Season tickets and multi-journey tickets are available on many services, offering savings for regular travellers.
For details of the available tickets, contact the appropriate bus company or see their website.
Rover tickets
Rover tickets such as the Derbyshire Wayfarer can often be the cheapest and most flexible option for a day's or week's travel involving a number of journeys. A new bus only version of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket is now available. For more details see the bus only Wayfarer smartcard.
Train fares
There are various types of ticket available on trains, ranging from 'anytime' tickets valid on any train at any time to discounted advance-purchase tickets valid only on specified trains.
The fare for your train journey will often depend on the time of day, and sometimes the day of the week. The route you choose can also affect the fare.
There are various websites such as National Rail, My Train Ticket and The Train Line where you can plan your train journey and see the range of fares available. Many types of ticket are available for advance purchase online through these sites.
Under 5s travel for free on the train when accompanied by a fare paying adult. While they may not need a ticket, they may not be guaranteed a seat, especially during peak times. Tickets for 5 to 15-year-olds are half the price of adult tickets.
Holders of railcards can save a third or more of the cost of most types of train ticket.
b_line 2 card holders can get up to a third off local train travel in Derbyshire and to some other nearby towns and cities.
Derbyshire Wayfarer rover tickets are valid on trains and buses for journeys around Derbyshire.