Tag Archives: bus travel

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For students at our Medway campus, the cheapest way to commute to university is our Arriva Student Annual ticket. This ticket allows travel on any Arriva bus throughout Medway, Kent and East Sussex for the entire year.

The Universities at Medway work with Arriva to provide highly discounted bus tickets for both students and staff. Because of this, the student annual ticket is only £145. This works out as only 39p per day for travel all around the region!

This discount is available for students at both campuses. For information on how to apply, and the exclusive University of Kent promotional codes, please visit our Medway bus webpage

 

Stagecoach student Unirider ticket

The cheapest way for Canterbury students to travel around the local area is the Stagecoach Unirider, which allows unlimited travel across Kent and East Sussex. The Unirider ticket is valid for the academic year and the discount is exclusive to University of Kent students.

For the first two weeks of term, the Unirider will be available to buy from the Unibus parked on the lawn outside the Registry building on the Canterbury Campus between 10:00 and 16:00. It is also available to buy online from the Stagecoach website.

Remember to purchase up to and including 1 October for the early bird discount of £180 for the academic year. This is a saving of 77% on the public price. After the 1 October, the price will change to £255 for the academic year.

This discount is available for students at both campuses. For more information about bus routes, timetables and discounts visit our Canterbury bus webpage 

 

Stagecoach Price Changes

Buying Stagecoach’s dayrider and megarider tickets will soon be cheaper on the app.

From July 29, Stagecoach will be changing their pricing structure. You will be able to save up to 7.5% by buying all dayrider and megarider tickets in advance on the app, rather than in person on the bus. For example the Southeast dayrider will remain £7.00 on the bus, however, it will only be £6.80 through the app.

You can buy tickets up to three months in advance, then simply activate them on the days you wish to travel. Payment can be made securely with card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Android Pay.

For a full list of the new dayrider and megarider tickets, please visit the Stagecoach bus app website, or, to download the app, go to the App store or Google Play.

For staff and students, however, the cheapest option is a bus pass. Students will be able to get the Unirider bus pass from September.

Staff are eligible for either the Canterbury or Southeast Megarider at a reduced rate. Using the Southeast Megarider, staff can travel around Kent and East Sussex for as little as £1.45 a day.

For more information, or to apply for a bus pass, please visit our Bus discount webpages.

Unibuses not serving bus stops along Parkwood Road

Unibuses will not be serving bus stops along Park Wood road from Monday 23 June to Tuesday 24 June. This is due to urgent repairs and cabling works which need to be carried out.

All car parks coming off Park Wood road will still be accessible and the alternative route will be signposted.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Wincheap Park and Pedal

Canterbury City Council have unveiled a new initiative for cyclists in Canterbury. Members of the public will now be able to store their bicycles in a secure cycle compound in Wincheap Park and Ride car park.

The secure compound has keycard entry and is covered by 24/7 CCTV cameras. There’s even a bicycle repair kit in the compound for emergency repairs.

Parking is free for those who use their bicycle to commute around Canterbury. The scheme is available to any member of the public, all you need to pay is a £15 deposit for the keycard.

Using Park and Pedal gives easy access to the scenic bike route into the City Centre, which takes just six minutes. Or commute to campus in just 10 minutes!

Please visit the Security and Transport Centre for a leaflet, or, to apply online, visit: www.canterbury.gov.uk/parkandpedal

 

Summer unibus timetable and Summer Unirider bus ticket

Summer Unibus timetable

The Unibuses run to a different timetable during the summer vacation. The summer timetable can be viewed online (takes you to Stagecoach website) or in reception areas across campus.

Summer Unirider bus ticket

Staying on campus or the local area over the summer vacation? Student Unirider tickets expire 17 June 2018.

The Summer Unirider is valid 18 June to 15 September 2018 and allows unlimited travel on all Stagecoach buses in Kent and East Sussex.

Purchase the Summer Unirider for only £75. The equivalent public price ticket would cost £267.

Purchase the ticket online from the Stagecoach website: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/regionaltickets/south-east/canterbury/unirider

 

Stagecoach winter vacation timetable

Buses serving the University of Kent will run a winter vacation timetable from 17 December 2017 to 13 January 2018.

Uni1 – special timetable.

Uni2 – special timetable between 18 December and 31 December only (no Uni2 buses will run between 1 January and 13 January).

Route 4 – normal timetable except 25 December, 26 December and 1 January.

Triangle – normal timetable except 25 December, 26 December and 1 January.

Christmas Day – no buses.

Boxing Day – no buses.

New Year’s Day – no buses

You can pick up a physical copy of the winter vacation timetable from Security and Transport Centre, reception areas on campus or Canterbury bus station. You can also view the winter vacation timetable at Keynes and Darwin bus stops.

Follow @StagecoachSE on Twitter for regular service updates, or view live bus times on the Stagecoach app for iPhone and android.

Discounted staff bus travel- introduction of smart card tickets

We work with Stagecoach bus company to provide discounted bus travel for staff and students. Staff can purchase a Canterbury Megarider ticket or a South East Megarider ticket.

We have recently moved over to smart card tickets for staff, which are similar to the student Unirider tickets. The smart card is loaded up with your ticket and becomes active the first time you use it. Staff with existing paper tickets will be contacted in the next couple of months to upgrade to the smart cards at no extra cost.

The price of the staff bus tickets has slightly increased to reflect increases in Stagecoach tickets. Kent staff still save up to 55% off the public price for the tickets.

Terms and conditions apply. Please see leaflet and salary deduction agreement for more details, or contact the transport team.

Using the Bus around Medway – things to do!

Places to shop

Here are some great places you could spend that student loan or just spend a chilled day looking round the shops.

Nearby…

To start with, your Student Saver bus pass can take you around Chatham, so you can easily get to:

Dockside Outlet Centre

which has some interesting has some to mill around, the Cadbury’s outlet shop is an absolute must for chocolate lovers out there! It also has some pretty decent shops for your University needs such as Denby if you are still in need for cutlery, plates and other kitchen/dining essentials and the Range for any stationary needs.

The Pentagon shopping centre

in Chatham too if you haven’t been yet has some of your classic high street stores such as Boots, Foot Locker, JD Sports and more.

Or further afield…

Our academic discounted bus passes aren’t just for use in only Chatham, they’re valid for our whole south east region so we’ve taken the liberty to find some great places around Kent you can get to with your pass to do a bit of shopping:

Bluewater

has most shops you could really want, with Topshop/Topman, River Island, Footasylum, Fred Perry, H&M, JD Sports, Missguided, New Look, The North Face and loads more!

Simply get on the Arriva Sapphire 700 bus which features eco-leather seats, USB charging points and free wi-fi!

Hempstead Valley

has some pretty cool stores such as JD, select and New Look as well as places to eat like Friendly Phil’s Diner, Nando’s and Subway. The 132 bus will take you there.

Fremlin Walk

in Maidstone is home to all your high street essentially such as Topshop/Topman, H&M, Office, New Look/New Look Men and River Island to name but a few. You could also grab a few bits in Maidstone’s shopping centre The Mall, too! Hop on the Arriva Sapphire 101 bus for Maidstone.

Nights out

Whether you’re into casual drinks or clubbing into the early hours there’s no need to fret as Arriva have you covered. Our specially discounted bus pass for the academic year not only takes you from your accommodation into University but is also valid throughout our whole South East region too. We’ve done our research (thank us later!) and found the best routes for you to enjoy the nightlife that Kent has to offer you.

Maidstone

boasts a cracking weekend nightlife, with clubs such as:

There are also great pubs and bars if you don’t fancy the club.

The last bus home from Maidstone back to Chatham is at 23:10 on a Friday and 00:10 on Saturday night. Anyone looking to stay out all night the first bus back on a Saturday morning is as 06:46 from Maidstone East Train station, with Source bar open until 5am.

Chatham

has some cool clubs too, such as:

Rochester

What’s more, Rochester has a selection of clubs like:

The last bus back to Chatham from Rochester is 23:13 from Star Hill.

Great places to eat

You’ll never be spoilt for choice for food!

Bluewater

Take the Arriva Sapphire 700 bus to Bluewater where there are some really great places you can go to eat and if you have an NUS card there are these exclusive discounts you can get, though we recommend verifying this discount with the restaurant before ordering!

Ed's Easy Diner Pizza Hut Ask Italian  Zizzi Pizza Express Giraffe World Kitchen

Frankie & BEnny's Bella Italia Nando's Friendly Phil's Diner

Hempstead Valley also has plenty of coffee shops too!

Maidstone

Jump on the Arriva Sapphire 101 – Chatham to Maidstone bus to Maidstone and discover great places to grab a bite to eat with some places such as:

Pizza Hut Chopstix Noodle Bar Nando's Wagamama Bill's Cafe Rouge

Gillingham

The bus will take you into Gillingham where there are some cool places to grab some food with pals such as

Harvester Chimachanga Frankie & Benny's Chiquito

Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells has a wealth of restuarants to try, including Wagamama. Catch the 7 – Maidstone to Tunbridge Wells bus.

 

Aylesford

Hop on the 155 – Chatham to Aylesford bus where you’ll find Nando’s amongst other independent restaurants.

Using the Bus around Canterbury – things to do!

The University of Kent unirider is valid on all Stagecoach buses in Kent and East Sussex, not just the bus you need to get to Uni. That means you can use it for days out too. Whether you fancy a bit of shopping, a day at the coast or a bit of local history – if there’s a Stagecoach bus there then you can use your unirider!

Here’s just a few ideas of some journeys you could make with your unirider…

  • Heading to Dreamland amusement park or Westwood Cross for a bit of retail therapy? Route 8 buses run between Canterbury to Margate throughout the day. The buses have free WIFI and USB charging points too!
  • For a day at the beach why not try the Triangle! Triangle buses run from Canterbury to Whitstable or Herne Bay. Triangle buses towards Herne Bay stop right outside Wildwood Animal Park too! Triangle buses also have free WIFI and USB charging points.
  • If it’s history you’re after take a visit to the famous Dover Castle on a route 15 bus – relive the courtly days of King Henry II, and venture deep underground in the Secret Wartime Tunnels. Jump off at Pencester Road and walk up the hill or catch a route 80/81 bus to take you up there.
  • Travel in style on a Stagecoach Gold route 16 bus to Folkestone. Visit Folkestone’s Harbour Arm, the food, drink and entertainment destination for the town. The gold buses have free WIFI and luxury leather seats too.

To buy or use a University of Kent unirider ticket, you’ll need a valid university student ID card. The student number on your university ID card must match the student number on your ticket. You are required to present your student ID card to the driver each time you use your unirider.