Schools’ out and 5 for £5 is in for Summer

This summer, Southampton City Council, in partnership with Bluestar and First Solent, are again running the 5 for £5 group fare offer that allows up to five people to travel all day, by bus, within Southampton for just £5

From Saturday 20 July to Sunday 1 September 2024, up to five people can buy a group ticket to travel on Bluestar and Unilink services, or First Solent’s X4 & X5 services within the city and pay just £5 for the entire day, with no time restrictions. Each ticket is valid on the bus services provided by the operator it was purchased from within the Southampton Zone.

Last year’s 5 for £5 summer offer saw nearly 21,000 group tickets sold, saving families and friends around £62,000 on their bus travel.

Whether taking part in our Holiday Activities and Food programme, adventuring on the Light the South trail, or exploring Southampton’s many attractions, from marvellous museums to super sports to renowned restaurants, the 5 for £5 offer will make travelling around Southampton much more affordable for families and groups.

The 5 for £5 offer has been funded through the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus allocation to Southampton City Council. Together with the local £1 evening fare offer, national £2 single fare cap, fleet investments by Bluestar and First Solent and new bus priority infrastructure enabled by the Transforming Cities Fund, the council and its partners are making buses a more attractive choice for people, built on reliability, sustainability, and value for money.

Andrew Wickham, Bluestar managing director, said:

“Our close partnership with Southampton City Council means that people living in and visiting the city will enjoy the 5 for £5 offer again this summer.

“With so many special events taking place here - including Light the South which Bluestar is sponsoring – this special ticket offers families and groups the perfect opportunity to enjoy everything Southampton has to offer over the coming weeks.

“It offers great value-for-money and encourages people to leave their cars at home – helping to ease congestion and improve air quality across the city.”

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

“The popularity of the 5 for £5 group fare offer has seen it quickly become a staple of summer in Southampton, making travelling around our city more affordable when families need it the most and in so doing supporting the goals of the Southampton Citizens’ Climate Assembly. There’s lots to enjoy in the city over the holidays and we want everyone to be able to take part, so we hope to beat the 21,000 group tickets sold last summer and help even more people save on their travel over this summer.”