5 for £5 is back for Christmas

Southampton City Council, in partnership with Bluestar, First Solent and Unilink are bringing back the popular 5 for £5 group travel offer over the Christmas period thanks to funding from the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus allocation to the council

17/11/2023

A photo of two Bluestar buses at the bus stops on Above Bar Street, with the shops behind them and the edge of the park in the background.

From Saturday 18 November 2023 to Monday 1 January 2024, up to five people can buy a group ticket on Bluestar and Unilink services, or First Solent’s X4/X5 services within the city and pay just £5 to travel by bus for the entire day with no time restrictions.

The offer was very popular throughout the summer, with 21,000 group tickets sold, saving families and friends over £62,000 on their bus travel, and helping them to join in with a jam-packed summer of events in the city.

So, whether you’re taking part in Go! Southampton’s fantastic Countdown to Christmas, exploring the Christmas Market, sampling some festive food, enjoying panto season, watching the light show at the Bargate or celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends and family, the 5 for £5 group offer, working alongside the £1 evening fare offer and the national £2 fare cap, can help make travelling around the city by bus much more affordable.

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said:

“The 5 for £5 group fare offer proved very popular over the summer, with an estimated* 77,000 people spending less on bus travel, and, with the help of the Department for Transport, we’re pleased to be able to bring it back for Christmas and make group travel around the city more affordable when families need it the most.”

*Estimate is based on group ticket survey data from 2022.