Bath Bus Routes and Fares: First Bus & Park & Ride

For most visitors, Park & Ride is the easiest way into Bath by First Bus: park free at Lansdown, Newbridge or Odd Down and ride in for £3.70 adult return, with a bus roughly every 15 minutes and a journey of about 10 to 15 minutes into the centre. If you're already in the city and just need to get between neighbourhoods, First Bus's ordinary city routes cover most of Bath, paid by contactless tap on tap off.

How First Bus works in Bath

First Bus runs both the everyday city network and the three Park & Ride services that ring Bath. On any bus you can pay the driver with contactless or cash, or buy ahead on the First Bus app. The simplest way to pay is Tap On, Tap Off: tap your contactless card or phone when you board and tap again when you get off, and the system works out and caps your fare automatically rather than you needing to pick a ticket type in advance.

City routes worth knowing if you're staying a while: the 2 and 13 run out to Foxhill, the 3 and 4 serve the Royal United Hospital (RUH) and continue to Bathford or Odd Down, the 5/5a covers Twerton and Whiteway, and the 6/6a/7 run out to Fairfield Park and Larkhall. These are separate from the Park & Ride numbers below, and useful if you're heading somewhere other than the centre.

One live thing to know: Manvers Street in the city centre is closed until November 2026, which has diverted several routes (including the 2 and 3) away from their usual stop near the bus station. If a route you're relying on looks unfamiliar on the day, that closure is probably why, check firstbus.co.uk for the current diversion before you travel.

The three Park & Ride sites

Bath has three Park & Ride sites, one on each main approach to the city, each with free parking as long as you use the bus and collect your car the same day. Pick whichever sits on the road you're already arriving by.

Odd Down is the largest by far and also sits on an ordinary bus route (the 4), so it can double as a stop for local journeys, not just Park & Ride trips. Lansdown drops you at Milsom Street, Newbridge at Westgate Buildings, and Odd Down at Southgate, all a short walk from the main shopping streets. For a fuller comparison of which site suits which visit, see our guide to Bath's park and ride sites.

What it costs

Park & Ride fares are the same across all three sites. According to First Bus's current published prices:

• Adult return: £3.70
• Group return (2 adults, Monday to Friday after 9.30am): £5.50
• Bath Zone Group Day (unlimited travel for any 5 people on Park & Ride and First buses in the Bath Zone): £13.00
• 10 single journeys (any time, loaded onto a Travelwest smartcard or the First Bus app): £14.80

Up to 5 children under 16 travel free with each adult on Park & Ride services, and English National Concessionary Pass holders travel free except before 9am on weekdays. Parking itself is free, you're only paying for the bus, and it's cheaper than most city-centre pay-and-display for anything more than a couple of hours; our Bath parking guide has the fuller price comparison against central car parks.

For ordinary city bus journeys away from Park & Ride, fares vary by distance and the exact current single, day and week prices are best checked directly on firstbus.co.uk's ticket prices page, since these change more often than the Park & Ride fares and we'd rather send you to the live figure than guess.

Buying tickets

You don't need to plan ahead. Board any bus and pay the driver by contactless or cash, or use Tap On, Tap Off with a bank card or phone. If you'd rather sort tickets before you travel, the First Bus app sells Park & Ride and city tickets, and a free Travelwest smartcard is available if you're going to be a regular. First Day and Week tickets bought on board also work on Park & Ride, so if you're already holding one you don't need a separate ticket for the Park & Ride leg.

Bus into town, or Park & Ride?

If you're driving in, Park & Ride is almost always the better call: free parking, a short hop into the centre, and no city-centre parking fees to think about. If you're already on foot in Bath and need to cross town, the ordinary city routes fill the gaps that walking or the Park & Ride buses don't reach, since Park & Ride services mostly only pick up and set down at their own site and a handful of stops on the way in. For getting around after dark specifically, including how late the buses run, see our guide to getting around Bath at night.

FAQs

Is Park & Ride cheaper than parking in the centre?

Usually, yes, for anything beyond a very short stay. Parking at the three sites is free and you only pay the £3.70 adult return bus fare, which tends to beat central pay-and-display once you're there for more than an hour or two.

Can I use contactless on First Bus?

Yes. Every First Bus service accepts contactless payment, and Tap On, Tap Off lets you tap a card or phone on and off without buying a ticket in advance, with your fare worked out and capped automatically.

Do buses run on Sundays?

Yes, all three Park & Ride services operate 7 days a week including bank holidays, and city routes run a Sunday timetable too, though check the specific route for Sunday frequency since it's usually reduced from the weekday service.

Which Park & Ride site should I use?

Pick the one on the road you're already driving in on: Lansdown from the north, Newbridge from the west off the A4, and Odd Down from the south off the A367. Odd Down has by far the most spaces if you're worried about it filling up.

Can I park at a Park & Ride site without taking the bus?

Yes, but it isn't free. Parking without using the bus, parking overnight, or leaving your car for multiple days all attract a charge, paid through the MiPermit app.

Is the Manvers Street closure affecting buses right now?

Yes. Manvers Street in the city centre is closed until November 2026, and some routes (including the 2 and 3) are running diverted stops as a result. Check firstbus.co.uk for the current diversion on your route before you travel.