Brighton and Hove feels like a huge place when you first move there, so knowing how to get around is very important. Whether you’re up in Falmer, over in Kemptown or in Hove, here’s a comprehensive guide to public transport in Brighton. For a guide to the rest of the city, check out the student city guide here!
Buses
The different bus providers
In Brighton, there are several bus providers available to help you get from A to B. The most common being Brighton and Hove Buses, whose buses will take you from Falmer to Devil’s Dyke, through Kemptown, all the way over to Portslade and Southwick. To use these buses, you can tap on, tap off using a contactless card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Alternatively, download the Brighton and Hove Bus App which you can find at the bottom of their website.
Prices on these buses vary, with singles being as low as £2.20, or you can get 60-minute tickets, 24hr tickets, 2-day tickets, 3-day tickets, 4 tickets, 7-day tickets, 28-day tickets or 90-day tickets available on the app. Anything above 24hrs also has the option of a student discount, which will save you a lot of money (i.e £70 on a 90-day CitySaver). Just be sure to have your student ID on you at all times. Additionally, if you’re going to be using buses late at night or early in the morning, you may need to opt for a networkSaver rather than a city ticket. This will allow you to travel on the night buses, too. If you’d like to buy a year-long ticket, visit the bus shop on North Street.
Another bus provider in the city is The Big Lemon. These buses are hard to miss, as they are literally bright yellow. They offer 4 services across the city. The 16 from Portslade to Hangleton, 47 from West Hove Sainsbury’s to Saltdean, 52 from Patcham to Woodingdean and the 57 on Sundays from the station to Saltdean. The fares on these buses are the same as Brighton and Hove buses, and likewise if you buy a ticket on these it will be valid on B&H buses too. You can also use PlusBus tickets, Discovery Tickets, Carer’s Cards and Staff Passes on these buses.
In addition to these, Stagecoach operates some services in the city. They offer the 700 and N700, which connects Brighton to Worthing and the 17 which connects Brighton to Horsham. You cannot use other provider’s tickets on Stagecoach buses, and will need to purchase a ticket on the app or pay on the bus by card or cash. Prices for tickets depends on whether you pay on the app or on the bus/for your smart card. A megarider, which will allow you to travel for 7 days, will cost £11 – £25 depending on your location and age, day riders will cost you between £5 and £10, and singles will depend on the city.
The most useful routes
It is likely, as a student, you will need to use the following routes. All of which belong to Brighton and Hove Buses.
25, 25X, N25 – These routes go from the city centre up to Falmer, stopping at both the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton campuses. The 25 stops at every stop, including those like Coombe Road (Aldi), Mouslecoombe Campus, and Stanmer Park. The 25x doesn’t stop at the Falmer University of Brighton campus or several other stops, and the N25 is the night bus.
49 – The 49 goes from Mouslecoombe to Portslade, and stops everywhere throughout the town. It also stops at Aldi, the Old Steine, and The Level. It is ideal for anyone living near the city centre who doesn’t want to carry their shopping home.
1, 1a – If, god forbid, there’s an emergency or you need to access the Royal Sussex County Hospital, the 1 and the 1a stop at St James’ Street, throughout town, and at the hospital.
12, 12a, 12x – If you fancy a trip out to the cat cafe in Eastbourne, or maybe one of the cliffside restaurants in Newhaven, the 12s will take you there. They also stop at the Seven Sisters Country Park, if you’re looking to do some wild swimming. The 12a stops at every stop, the 12x is the quickest, and the 12 stops at the majority of stops along the way.
50U – This bus goes from Churchill Square to Sussex University, so is ideal for any students living on campus there.
5a, 5b – These buses venture up to Hangleton and back, and stop at the recommended GP surgery for University of Brighton students.
Trains
Stations
There are 4 main stations in Brighton, and 2 others which are not often used by students. The 4 most important are: Brighton Station, Falmer Station, London Road Station, and Mouslecoombe Road. There is also, however, Aldrington Station, Hove Station and Portslade Station.
Students studying at Mouslecoombe campus may benefit from the Mouslecoombe station to get back into town (Brighton Station) or to their halls (Falmer Station). It is also likely that when travelling to or from Brighton to back home, you will come into the main station, so anyone who lives on London Road, in Mouslecoombe or on campus can benefit from the Southern Rail services between these stations.
Bikes
If you’d like to work out whilst you get around, why not try the Brighton BikeShare. These are bikes dotted around the city available for you to rent on command and use for as long as you’d like. You can pay 3p per minute (plus a £1 unlock fee) or £72 per year to use these bikes.
