Public buses
Travelling by public bus
Every city and town in Britain has a local bus service. These services are privatised and run by separate companies. The largest bus companies in Britain are First (www.firstgroup.com/bustravel.php), Stagecoach (www.stagecoachbus.com/), and Arriva (www.arrivabus.co.uk/), which run buses in most UK towns.
Outside London, buses usually travel to and from the town centre (the busiest part of town). Most towns have a bus station, where you'll be able to find maps and information about bus routes.
If you can't find a bus station, bus route information is usually posted on bus stops. When you see a bus approaching, its destination will be on the front. If you want to get on the bus, raise your hand to catch the driver's attention when the bus approaches the stop.
Tickets & fares
The cost of a bus ticket normally depends on how far you're travelling. Fares usually cost from £0.80-£1.50. Child fares cost around £0.40-£0.60. Single and return fares are available on some buses, but you normally need to buy a ticket for each individual journey (single tickets only).
You can buy your ticket when you get on board a bus, by telling the driver where you're going. 1-day and weekly travel cards are available in some towns, and these can be bought from the driver or from an information centre at the bus station. Tickets are valid for each separate journey rather than for a period of time, so if you get off the bus you'll need to buy a new ticket when getting on another bus.