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.

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 or scoot 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. And walking to or from the bus stop is a great way to add some movement into your day. Route planning apps like CityMapper or Google Maps can help you find the best way to walk, cycle or scoot to your nearest bus stop at either end of the journey.

You can buy single ride tickets and day passes on the bus, from your driver, using cash or contactless payment (credit/bank card or phone app). Or you can buy them via the Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach apps or websites. 

Until further notice, single ride tickets on local buses are capped at £3, however long you’re staying on. 

For day passes, the cheapest and easiest option is to get a MyBus ticket, which provides unlimited travel on most bus companies’ local buses in Oxfordshire. You can purchase MyBus day passes on the bus from your driver; on the Oxford Bus Company app or at their website; or on the Stagecoach app, for £6.50. 

Weekly MyBus passes can be purchased on the Oxford Bus Company or Stagecoach apps for £25.

If you take the bus frequently, but not every day, then 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. Be aware that tickets cost more if using this option. 

Prices of flexi/multi-journey tickets vary by zone:

To find Oxford Bus Company/Thames Travel’s prices, you will need to find out what zone you need tickets for and then look at that zone’s multi-journey ticket prices. If you are travelling to or from the CountryZone, you will need to buy a combined CountryZone + CityZone/SmartZone flexi ticket if you also need to ride local Oxford buses. Make sure to include the SmartZone if you need to be able to ride buses from other bus companies once inside Oxford. CityZone Extra tickets include CityZone buses.

To find Stagecoach’s prices, you can use the “Plan your journey” tab on their website to see what kinds of tickets cover the journeys you make frequently. Scroll down to the Multi-journey section for the flexi tickets.

If you ride the bus 5-7 days a week, you can save money by buying passes rather than single tickets. 

Passes (called MegaRider tickets on Stagecoach) cover all of your rides on a particular bus company’s buses for 1, 4, or 13 weeks. Make sure your passes include the SmartZone if you need to be able to ride buses from any company once you’re inside Oxford. 

You can also subscribe to an auto-renewing 4 week/28 day pass (called an Xtra ticket on Stagecoach) through the Oxford Bus Company app, or the Stagecoach website, saving you even more money. 

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.

Prices of passes vary by zone:

To find Oxford Bus Company/Thames Travel’s prices, you will need to find out what zone you need tickets for and then look at that zone’s pass prices. If you are travelling in from the CountryZone, you will need to buy a combined CountryZone + CityZone/SmartZone pass if you also need to ride local Oxford buses. CityZone Extra tickets include CityZone buses.

To find Stagecoach’s prices, use the “Plan your journey” tab on their website to see what kinds of MegaRider tickets cover the journeys you make frequently. Scroll down to the section labelled with the length of time you want your pass to be for.

If you’re travelling a bit further, coaches usually cover longer distance and have comfier seats than local buses. Many coaches also have amenities like on-board toilets, wifi and luggage holds. Some will also carry non-folding bikes. 

Coach companies that serve Oxfordshire:

National Express coaches stop in most major UK cities and airports. National Express coaches leave from the Oxford Bus Station in Gloucester Green or Thornhill Park & Ride, as well as Banbury, Lewknor, and Steventon. 

Seniors, young people and disabled people can buy Coachcards for £15 that save 1/3 off the price of tickets. 

Tickets are available from £5 and are cheaper if you book ahead and avoid peak times. You can book online or by phone, and you’ll get a guaranteed seat on the bus.

Megabus also covers most major UK cities and airports. Coaches leave from the Oxford Bus Station in Gloucester Green or Thornhill Park & Ride, as well as Abingdon, Banbury, and Bicester. 

Tickets can be purchased online or from the Oxford Bus Company Travel Shop in Gloucester Green.

The Oxford Tube runs every 10-15 minutes, both ways, between Oxford and London. There are several Oxford Tube stops within the city, including Gloucester Green, High St, St Clements, Headington, and Thornhill Park & Ride, as well as stops in Lewknor, High Wycombe, or Hillingdon. There is also a route that goes from Carterton, Minster Lovell, Witney, Eynsham, and Oxford North to London. 

It is £22 for a return ticket between Oxford and London, with discounted tickets available for children, young people, seniors, students, and groups. You can also save money by buying multi-trip tickets, or week, month, or annual passes, if you’re using the Oxford Tube frequently. See all fare information here. You can buy tickets online, with the Oxford Tube app, or using cash or a credit/bank card on the bus.

The airline

The airline coaches travel between Oxford and Heathrow and Gatwick airports. There are several stops in Oxford, including Gloucester Green, High Street, St Clements, Headington, and Thornhill Park & Ride, as well as stops in High Wycombe and Lewknor. 

You can book tickets online or through the Oxford Bus app, or buy them using cash or a credit/bank card on the bus. 

You can stow up to two pieces of luggage per person in the hold of the bus. 

To avoid expensive airport parking, you can park at the Thornhill or High Wycombe Park & Ride and then take the bus to the airport from there.

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.

National Express, Megabus, the airline and Oxford Tube coaches are also wheelchair accessible, but they advise you to call before booking to ensure that your wheelchair is compatible with their bus and that a space is available for your desired journey.

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. 

Group Ticket Prices:

Oxford Bus Company (up to 5 people): CityZone Extra ticket for £16, CityZone + CountryZone ticket for £21

Stagecoach (up to 4 people): Oxford Plus ticket for £11.50, West Gold ticket for £15.50

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.

Young people and student discounts

There are discounts for students and young people on Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach buses. They can also buy a discounted MyBus ticket that allows them to ride nearly any bus company’s local route in Oxford for only £3.50 for a day or £14.50 for a week.

Disabled or older person’s bus 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.