Student bus travel guide

Get uni-ready with National Express West Mids

It can be a daunting prospect, starting a university course with new people and places, possibly in a completely new city!

And while we can’t make studying any easier, we can help you get around the West Midlands for less and make your student experience more enjoyable.

Check out these simple tips below to start saving and exploring today.

1 - Get your bus pass

First thing’s first, if you’re travelling regularly, the best value way to do this is with a bus pass. Luckily, this is really easy. Simply, choose the right pass for your needs, buy or subscribe online and receive your shiny new pass in the post or straight to your phone.

You can buy a Student bus pass for easy, daily travel. Available for 4 weeks, a monthly subscription or by term.

The choice is yours.

2 - mTickets & contactless payments

Back in the day, people used to scramble for change behind the sofa to pay for bus tickets. Luckily, some clever people came along and put a stop to that with mTickets.

mTickets are online bus tickets you can use on your phone with our mTicket app. Simply download the app, purchase your ticket in seconds for any of our bus services and show the driver the activated screen as you get onboard.

If you’re unable to do this, however, you can always pay for your ticket from the driver using contactless card payments.

3 - Tap and cap

This is our way of giving our customers a fair price for frequent travel. Tap and cap allows you to make as many bus journeys as you like using the same contactless card or device and have your fare capped so you don't pay more than you should.

You can find out about tap and cap at our contactless webpage, for cap prices, how it works and more!

4 - Plan your journey online

If you’re new to Birmingham or university means going to areas of the West Mids you’re unfamiliar with, don’t worry. Our online journey planner can help you find the best bus route to get you from A to B (and back again!)

Go to our Plan your journey page and enter where you need to get to and from and it’ll do the rest. Or you can also use our timetable finder and discover all our different services in your local area and beyond.

5 - What to bring onboard

Now that you’re travelling, it’s time for a couple of tips on what to bring with you.

Firstly, it is still National Express West Midlands policy to wear a face covering onboard our buses, so please have one handy to keep yourself and others safe while travelling.

If you’re planning on listening to some music or the latest true crime podcast, headphones are going to make you everybody’s friend. Worried about your battery? No problem, many of our buses are equipped with USB charger sockets, so keep a cable handy too.

Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water too, hydration is key if you want to learn something. (Sorry, starting to sound like your Auntie now).

6 - Libraries in the West Mids - how to get there

The Library of Birmingham is a huge learning and studying space that’s perfect for students all over the West Mids. Conveniently located at Centenary Square, shadowed by plenty of bars, restaurants and more, there are a host of travel options by bus.

Further afield in Walsall and Wolverhampton you can also travel to their main libraries by bus, with plenty of facilities to keep you on track with your studies.

You can reach the Library of Birmingham, the ICC and Broad St on the following services:

• 9 Platinum
• 10
• 12 & 12A
• 13 & 13A
• 23 Platinum
• 24 Platinum
• 126
• X8 Platinum
• X10 Platinum

You can reach Lichfield Street Hub Library on the following services:

• 6
• 7
• 9
• 9A & 9S
• 10

You can also reach Wolverhampton Central Library on the following services:

• 1
• 2
• 8 Platinum
• 16
• 25
• 27 & 27A
• 61
• X8 Platinum

7 - Shopping on a budget, markets, stops outside supermarkets etc.

Every student finds they need to shop on a budget to make ends meet. You can do this pretty easily by visiting local markets, shopping at cost-effective supermarkets or general bargain hunting.

Supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are every student’s friend and you’ll find plenty of stores across the West Mids with bus stops sat right outside. Forget lugging your bags full of food home, the bus will get you back with ease.

Not only that, you can pick up great fresh produce for less from Moseley Farmers Market, the City of Wolverhampton Market, or just outside the Bullring at the indoor market. And that’s just to name a few!

Finally, when it comes to a few treats just for you, check out independent shopping plazas like Red Brick Markets or vintage stores like COW. You’ll be able to support local businesses, find exclusive or rare items, save a little money and help the environment too!

However you choose to spend your time at university we hope these tips give you a good starting point. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for our latest updates and more travel ideas and things to do.