Tag Archives: bus

#GettingHomeForChristmas

There are only three weeks left of term (!) which means that it is time to start thinking about your journey home for the holidays. Whether you’re flying, driving, or taking a sleigh home, we’re here to offer some handy tips.

1. By bus:

Stagecoach express

Stagecoach, in partnership with Megabus, is now providing a new Stagecoach Express service along the M2. Running from Canterbury Bus Station, the service stops at Medway (Chatham and Gillingham) before terminating at North Greenwich Underground Station in London. North Greenwich is just a short tube journey from central London and its many National Rail train stations.

Unirider bus passes cannot be used on this service, however, students are entitled to a discount on walk on tickets, or you can book in advance and receive further discounts.

National Express

The National Express 022 from Canterbury to London Victoria stops at the Keynes bus stop six times a day. From London Victoria, you are able travel to many other UK destinations.

If you need to catch a flight, fear not, National Express provides cheap transfers to many airports, including; Gatwick, Heathrow, Stanstead, and Luton. For more information, check out their dedicated Airport Transfers page.

Students are entitled to the Young Persons Coach card, which offers a third off journeys for just £12.50 a year. This means that a single from Canterbury to London can cost as little as £5!

National Express also offer other discounts to their customers; please see their offers and cheap ticket pages for more details.

2. By train

National Rail

For Canterbury students, the South Eastern rail high speed from Canterbury West takes under an hour to transport you to St Pancras International in central London.

For Medway students, there are two train stations near the campus: Chatham and Gillingham. Both of these run the high speed service, and will get you to St Pancras in around 40 minutes.

From St Pancras, you can catch a train to hundreds of destinations throughout the UK, or catch a tube to one of the other stations serving National Rail across London.

St Pancras has a direct line to Gatwick and Luton airports, via the ThamesLink service. For all other airports, take a look at the TFL guide to London airports.

All full time students, regardless of age, are entitled to a 16-25 railcard from National Rail. The railcard costs just £30 for the year and saves you a third on all journeys.

Eurostar

We are very lucky to have quick links to Europe from our campus. From Ashford International, Ebbsfleet International (both on the high speed line to St Pancras) and St Pancras International, you can take the Eurostar to destinations in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

3. By car 

Car Share

Car share is not just for commuting, but can be used for single journeys, like getting home for Christmas. Why not see if you can find someone travelling the same way as you and share the costs with another student. You not only save money, but also the environment.

The University of Kent has worked alongside the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church to create a Liftshare page dedicated to university staff and students: Unishare South East. Unishare allows you the peace of mind to travel with other university staff and students. Simply follow the link to create an account.

Taxis

Travelling to a London airport from Canterbury or Medway campuses, costs in the region of £75 – £125. The cost will vary depending on which London airport you need to travel too. Try and find other students going to the airport, by using the car share database, so that you can split the cost.

If you need to get a taxi, remember to book in advance. Speak to a couple of taxi firms for quotes so you can get the best deal.

The University uses the services of the following taxi companies:

Canterbury: Cab Co, Cab Line 6 Ltd, Canterbury Galaxy Taxis, Canterbury Taxis, Croft Cars, Longley’s Private Hire, Longport Taxis, Wilkinson Taxis Ltd

Medway: ABC Taxis, Computer Cabs, Express Travel, HWS Taxis, Vokes Taxis

Planning your journey for adverse weather

With evenings getting darker, adverse weather on the horizon, and temporary road closures, knowing the best way to travel can be tricky. Whatever the situation, the Transport Team’s Planning your Journey page has been developed to help plan your commute.

Travel Advisors update the page regularly with new apps, webpages, and social media links that give up to date information on road, rail, bus, and bicycle travel.

Now that winter is looming, we are updating the Transport web pages with the latest adverse weather information, and we will also endeavor to update you on our twitter page if there are any travel disruptions on or around our campuses.

Remember that weather can change at any time. Be prepared for this before you start your journey, no matter the mode of transport.

Driving
Ensure that you and your vehicle are prepared for driving in adverse weather conditions. Read some top tips to prepare for driving during the winter and don’t forget to plan your journey before you leave so you are aware of any disruptions.

Public transport, cycling and walking

  • Plan your journey, check if there are problems on public transport or local roads
  • Delay your journey, if possible, to allow temperatures to rise and ice or snow to melt
  • Avoid footways in the shade. It takes longer for ice or snow to melt in the shade
  • Always wear appropriate footwear and reflective/bright clothing
  • Ensure that you have a torch or lights so motorists and others can see you when walking or cycling. Think Be Bright Be Seen.

 

 

Link

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.

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.

Arriva discounted bus tickets

We work with Arriva bus company to provide highly discounted bus tickets for students and staff.

The annual student and staff tickets allow travel on any Arriva bus all over Medway, Kent and East Sussex. The student annual ticket is £140 which works out as only 39p per day!

You can purchase the tickets online using the promotional code found on our website or from the Arriva bus on campus today (20 September 2017) outside the Student Hub.

Pick up timetables, ask any questions and purchase your ticket from the Arriva bus on campus next to the fresher’s fair.

See Arriva buses for more information.

Stagecoach Spring and Summer term bus ticket

If you regret not purchasing the academic year ticket in September, don’t worry as there is another chance to purchase the ticket which will take you through till the end of the academic year.

The Stagecoach Unirider ticket allows travel on any Stagecoach bus in Kent and East Sussex. The cost of the ticket is £170 and it is valid until 18 June 2017. The Unirider ticket is heavily discounted, gives you the freedom to explore Kent easily, and means you no longer need to have change ready to catch the bus.

Visit our transport webpage for more information about why we recommend the ticket, or go straight to the Stagecoach website where you can purchase the ticket online.

Arriva January- December 2017 discounted bus pass

Missed out on the Arriva discounted bus ticket at the start of the year? You have another opportunity to purchase the discounted bus ticket which is valid until 31 December 2017.

The ticket allows travel on any Arriva bus all over Medway, Kent and East Sussex. This includes the 191 trial service which operates to and from Liberty Quays- Campus- Chatham- Isle of Grain, which stops on Pembroke campus and at Western Avenue and Dock Road for access to the Historic Dockyard Chatham.

The student annual ticket is £140 which works out at around 39p per day. The staff annual ticket is £280 which works out at around 78p per day. To get access to these huge discounts you will need to enter the relevant promotional code found at www.kent.ac.uk/transport/arriva. Once you have entered the code, the price will drop down from £900 to £140 or £280 accordingly.

Transport Team

01227 82 3609   transport@kent.ac.uk   @unikent_travel   www.kent.ac.uk/transport

Estates Department, University of Kent, Park Wood Road, Canterbury, CT2 7NN