How to save on your travel costs – Money Week 2023

Today’s blog has been penned by our wonderful colleagues in the Sustainability team who know everything about affordable and sustainable travel and transport. Read on for fantastic offers and initiatives you can tap into:  

• Brighton & Hove Buses – purchase discounted student tickets on their app. Maximise the savings by buying more than one day at a time. You will need to verify your student status using your Unicard.
• £2 fare – Until 30th June 2023 you can also by a single bus ticket for £2, a good option if you are making a single journey. 
• East Sussex Day Rider– If you’re travelling from East Sussex, you can also purchase a £5 East Sussex Day Ticket, valid for a days travel starting in East Sussex. 
• Stagecoach in Eastbourne – an annual discounted student bus ticket can be purchased for Stagecoach buses. 
• Unizone discounted train tickets – exclusively available for students, offering  unlimited travel within one of the two Unizone areas – Brighton and Worthing.  The Brighton Unizone ticket costs £19.60 for a weekly ticket, £75.30 monthly, and £225.80 quarterly.  You will need a 16-25 Railcard and a physical plastic TOTUM card to purchase the ticket. 
• Digital railcards – aged between 16 and 25, or over 25 and in full-time study, you’re eligible for a 16-25 railcard. The railcard will give you 1/3 off Standard Anytime, Off-Peak, Standard Advanced and First Class Advanced rail fares in the UK. The railcard costs £30 a year or £70 for 3 years. If you are aged 26-30 the National Rail 26-30 Railcard will save you 1/3 on journeys across Britain for just £30 a year. A Network Railcard gives 1/3 off most rail fares in the Network Railcard area (London and South East) for £30 a year. Buy all Railcards online.  
• Transport for London 18+ Student Oyster Scheme – Students living in a London borough during term time can get 30% of travel cards in London with the Transport for London 18+ Student Oyster scheme, giving you a discount on tube, bus, DLR and trams, for day passes or longer travel cards. Find out more and the application details on our Money Matters Blog.
• Trainsplit – Save money on train travel using the University of Brighton Trainsplit website, which searches for available ‘split tickets’ (separate legs) to a journey, as it is often cheaper to buy multiple tickets than one ‘through’ ticket. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get off the train where you change from one ticket to another, but you must travel on a train that stops at every station where you split tickets. Visit the University of Brighton Trainsplit website, and download the Trainsplit app using your university email address – plus there’s no booking fee.
• Coaches – Full-time students and anyone aged 16-25 can save up to one third on coach fares across Britain with the National Express Young Persons Coachcard.
• TOTEM – Some additional savings can also be made with a TOTEM card, including 15% off National Express tickets and 10% off advance CrossCountry train tickets.
• Cycling – Brighton Bike Hub  Brighton Bike Hub is a community cycle workshop. They sell second hand refurbished bikes from £30, new bike parts and offer D.I.Y. cycle maintenance and refurbishment sessions. The Bike Hub is located at St Martin’s Place (off Lewes Road), Brighton BN2 3LE. Find out more about the Brighton Bike Hub, on their website and Facebook page.

Be rewarded for sustainable travel! 

And finally earn rewards for travelling around Brighton & Hove on foot, by bike or by public transport. Download the free BetterPoints app and join the Move for Change Challenge to start earning points for active and sustainable travel. The BetterPoints you earn are a digital currency that can be spent at participating local businesses, redeemed for high street vouchers, or donated to charity. 

Thanks again to our Sustainability team for this guest blog 🙂 

Today our Money Week roadshow rolls (sustainably, obviously!) into City campus. Come and find us in the main building Atrium gallery between 12pm – 2pm. Money tree, tombola, great advice, handy hints, smiling faces.

Student Advice