Children aged five to 15 were offered free travel on participating Oxfordshire buses from 1 to 31 August 2026. The announcement below describes that summer offer.
August 2026 offer at a glance — now ended
| Offer | Free bus travel for children aged 5 to 15. |
| When | 1 to 31 August 2026. |
| Where | Participating local bus services in England, including many services across Oxfordshire. |
| How to claim | No registration is needed. Ask the driver for a free child ticket when boarding. |
| Who must travel with an adult? | Accompaniment rules were operator-specific. Carousel’s published offer required children aged 10 and under to travel with someone aged 16 or over. |
| Adult fares | Adults and anyone aged 16 or over still need a valid ticket. The £3 single fare cap continues on most services. |
| Also available | Great British Summer Savings VAT reductions on eligible family attractions, children’s meals and children’s or family tickets. |
| Check routes | Go Thames Valley’s original summer announcement |
Children will be able to travel free on many Oxfordshire buses throughout August as part of the Government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme.
The offer applies to children aged five to 15 and runs from 1 to 31 August. It is designed to help families reduce the cost of summer holiday travel, whether they are heading into Oxford, visiting nearby towns, going shopping, meeting friends or planning a day out.
Go Thames Valley, the new umbrella group for Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Carousel Buses, Pulhams, Pearces Coaches and City Sightseeing Oxford, is taking part through its participating local bus services.
The free travel offer does not cover every service, and parents should check route exclusions before travelling, particularly if using airport coaches, tour buses, school services, demand-responsive services or special routes.
How the free bus travel works
Families do not need to apply in advance, download a special pass or register online.
On Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel services, eligible children should simply ask the driver for a free child ticket when boarding. A new free ticket will be issued each time a child boards, including when changing buses.
The offer can be used for multiple journeys throughout August on participating services, and there is no maximum distance on the routes that are included.
Drivers may ask for proof of age if they are unsure whether a passenger qualifies. Anyone aged 16 or over will need to pay the appropriate fare or use an existing ticket or pass.
What is Great British Summer Savings?
The free bus travel is one part of the wider Great British Summer Savings scheme.
As set out in the Government’s announcement, from 25 June to 1 September 2026 it temporarily reduced VAT from 20% to 5% on selected family activities. The reduced rate covers children’s meals served from children’s menus in restaurants, children’s and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts, shows and exhibitions, and admission tickets to many family attractions.
Attractions that may fall within the scheme include amusement parks, fairs, circuses, museums, zoos, adventure parks, soft play centres, wildlife parks and observation attractions.
The aim is to make days out cheaper during the school holidays. Businesses are expected to pass the VAT saving on to customers where eligible, but prices and participation can vary, so families should check before booking.
Go Thames Valley says scheme will help families get around
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Go Thames Valley, said the group was pleased to take part in the summer scheme.
He said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in this scheme for children during the summer holidays, allowing families to get around for less.
“Families can travel sustainably and visit a range of places from charming villages to city breaks, while youngsters seeking some independence over the summer are able to travel safely across our network.
“For adults looking to keep prices down, we’re also continuing to offer the current £3 fare cap across our services.”
Which local operators are involved?
The Go Thames Valley group includes several familiar operators serving Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.
| Operator | Local relevance | What families should know |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford Bus Company | Oxford city, Park & Ride and wider Oxfordshire local services. | Free travel applies to participating local services, with exclusions including the airline coach and City Sightseeing Oxford. |
| Thames Travel | South Oxfordshire, Didcot, Abingdon, Wallingford, Wantage and surrounding areas. | Many local services are included, but several school and special routes are excluded. |
| Carousel Buses | Buckinghamshire, High Wycombe, Chinnor, Henley links and cross-border services. | Children can travel free on participating local routes, with some route exclusions. |
| Pulhams | Cotswolds, West Oxfordshire links and Gloucestershire routes. | Participating local services are included, but a number of school and special routes are excluded. |
| Stagecoach | Many Oxfordshire services, including routes serving Oxford, Banbury, Witney, Bicester, Chipping Norton and surrounding areas. | Stagecoach is also taking part nationally on most local bus journeys in England, but exclusions apply. Check the operator’s own list before travelling. |
Because Oxfordshire has a multi-operator bus network, passengers should check the website of the operator running their route before travelling.
Important exclusions and accompaniment rules
The August scheme applied to participating local services, with exclusions. Go Thames Valley’s announcement specifically excluded the airline and The Robin. City Sightseeing Oxford and Pearces coach excursions were separate paid products.
Carousel’s published August terms excluded PickMeUp and routes 604, 607, 620, 624, 625, 643, 644, 654 and 681. They required children aged 10 and under to travel with someone aged 16 or over, with older children subject to normal conditions of carriage.
The Oxford Bus Company summer-offer page is no longer available at the link originally used here, so its detailed historic route list has been removed from this archived guide. Pulhams’ published August terms excluded routes 81, 82, 83, 418S, C51, C52, C54, C59/C59X, C60, C63, C64, C65, C67, C68, C69, C71 and C77, and applied the same accompaniment rule as Carousel. For any journey now, check the operator’s current timetable, fares and child-accompaniment rules. Do not use an expired summer-offer list as current travel advice.
Parents and carers should make sure children know their route, destination, return plan and what to do if a bus is delayed or they miss a connection.
What about under-fives and older teenagers?
The August free travel scheme covers children aged five to 15.
Under-fives already travel free with many main bus operators, although families should check individual operator rules.
Young people aged 16 to 18 are not covered by the national free August scheme. In Oxford, however, some can still use other discounted products.
Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel’s Get Around Card lets under-19s travel for £1 per journey within Oxford’s CityZone. The card has a one-off £15 application fee and is valid for up to three years, or until the end of the month of the holder’s 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
For journeys across different operators, the countywide MyBus ticket remains available. From 1 August, MyBus young person tickets for ages five to 18 will cost £5.50 for a day ticket and £24 for a weekly ticket.
How families can combine the bus offer with summer savings
The bus offer is most useful when combined with the wider Great British Summer Savings scheme.
For example, a family could use free child bus travel on a participating route to reach Oxford, Bicester, Wallingford, Abingdon, Witney, Banbury, Didcot or another local destination, while also checking whether any planned attraction, children’s meal, cinema trip or family ticket is covered by the VAT reduction.
Families should not assume every activity is discounted. Some museums, galleries, theatres or cultural attractions may already be VAT-exempt, and the reduced rate may not apply. Season tickets and repeat-entry tickets can also have special rules.
The safest approach is to check the attraction, restaurant, theatre or cinema website before booking.
Other Oxford summer travel offers
There are also other local offers and activities running alongside the national free bus travel scheme.
City Sightseeing Oxford is excluded from the free local bus travel offer, but the open-top tour operator is running its own family activity this summer. Its Oxford Explorer’s Passport Trail ran from 18 July to 30 September 2026, with children collecting stamps at six city locations and earning a certificate. The operator is also offering a family ticket at £49 for up to two adults and three children, as advertised in Go Thames Valley’s summer announcement. This was a limited-time offer.
Pearces Coaches, which is part of Go Thames Valley, is also promoting summer day trips, including a Cotswolds mystery tour and family trips in August. These are separate paid coach trips rather than part of the free local bus travel scheme, so families should check prices and pick-up points before booking.
Park & Ride update: the partnership’s July announcement gave 15 August as an end date. Its later notice, dated 14 August, said the free-bus offer would end from Monday 17 August 2026, when a £3 combined ticket began. That replacement includes parking for up to 16 hours and return bus travel for up to five people of any age, with the offer confirmed until the end of March 2027.
Practical tips before travelling
Before you board
| Check the operator | Different operators have different exclusions, so check the route before travelling. |
| Ask for the free ticket | Eligible children should ask the driver for a free child ticket each time they board. |
| Bring proof if needed | Drivers may ask for proof of age if they are unsure whether a child qualifies. |
| Plan return journeys | Check last buses, Sunday services and school-holiday timetables before setting off. |
| Allow extra time | Summer events, roadworks and busy shopping days can affect journey times. |
| Adults still pay | Adults and anyone aged 16 or over need a valid ticket, pass or contactless payment. |
| Check attractions | Great British Summer Savings does not apply everywhere, so confirm prices before booking a day out. |
Why it matters locally
Summer holiday costs can add up quickly, especially when families are paying for transport, food and entry fees on the same day.
Free bus travel for children does not remove every cost, but it can make local days out easier to manage, particularly for families without a car or those trying to reduce fuel and parking costs.
It may also help young people travel more independently during the holidays, where appropriate, helping them reach friends, activities, shops and leisure facilities.
For Oxfordshire’s bus operators, the scheme is also a chance to encourage more families to try local buses and see whether they work for everyday journeys once the summer holidays end.
FAQs
Who can travel free on buses in August?
Children aged five to 15 can travel free on participating local bus services in England from 1 to 31 August 2026.
Does the free bus travel apply in Oxfordshire?
Yes. Families across Oxfordshire can use the scheme on participating local bus services, including many routes run by Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and other local operators. Some services are excluded.
Do children need to register or apply?
No. On Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel services, eligible children simply ask the driver for a free child ticket when boarding.
Can children make more than one journey?
Yes. Eligible children can make multiple journeys during August on participating services. A free ticket is issued each time they board.
Do children need ID?
Children are not normally required to show identification, but drivers may ask for proof of age if they are unsure whether a passenger is eligible.
Can children travel alone?
Rules vary by operator. Carousel’s August terms required children aged 10 and under to be accompanied by someone aged 16 or over. For a journey now, check the current conditions of the operator running the bus.
Are all routes included?
No. The free travel applies to participating local bus services. Airport coaches, City Sightseeing Oxford, some school routes, special services and some demand-responsive services are excluded.
Do adults travel free too?
No. Adults and anyone aged 16 or over need a valid ticket, although the £3 single fare cap continues on most services.
What is Great British Summer Savings?
It is a temporary Government scheme that includes free August bus travel for children aged five to 15 in England, alongside a VAT cut from 20% to 5% on eligible children’s meals, children’s and family tickets, and admission to many family attractions between 25 June and 1 September.
Where were the original summer rules published?
The summer announcement and surviving offer information are available through Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel, Carousel Buses, the Oxfordshire Bus Enhanced Partnership’s July notice. These describe the expired offer. Current fares should be checked using the links at the top of this page.
