Brighton families get free child travel this August

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-31 14:34 3 min read

Brighton Palace Pier amusement park with a helter skelter and carousel by the sea.

Families in Brighton & Hove can take children aged 5 to 15 on local buses without paying a child fare from Saturday 1 August until Monday 31 August. The temporary offer is funded through the Government’s Great British Summer Savings initiative and applies across the city’s bus operators.

Brighton and Hove City Council published the details on 31 July, one day before the month-long scheme begins.

The practical picture

Dates: Saturday 1 August to Monday 31 August
Eligibility: The announcement describes the offer as covering under-16s; the ministerial eligibility quoted by the council specifies ages 5 to 15
Cost: Free bus travel for eligible children throughout the offer period
Operators named: Brighton & Hove Buses, Compass Travel and Stagecoach
Coverage: Participating services across Brighton & Hove

The announcement does not specify whether families will need to register, request a particular ticket or carry proof of age. It also gives no route-level exclusions, so those details are not established by the council’s published notice.

Three operators are covered across the city

Brighton & Hove Buses, Compass Travel and Stagecoach are all included. The council says the offer is available through every bus operator serving the city, giving families access to services operated by each of the three named companies during August.

Brighton families get free child travel this August

The funding is intended to make summer destinations easier to reach without adding a child fare to the cost of the day. The council highlighted the seafront, parks, leisure facilities, libraries, museums, sports activities and community events among the places families could visit by bus.

The initiative applies across England, with local authorities and operators setting out how it works in their areas. Families travelling elsewhere can compare the arrangements with the August child travel offer in Plymouth.

The scheme targets wider school-holiday costs

Great British Summer Savings is a temporary government programme covering more than transport. The source says it also aims to reduce the cost of children’s meals, theatre and cinema tickets, as well as admission to attractions such as soft-play centres, adventure venues and theme parks.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander presented the bus measure as part of support for families facing school-holiday expenses. She also referred to the separate £2 bus fare cap for passengers, which is distinct from the free August offer for children.

Brighton and Hove City Council expects the travel funding to support visits to independent businesses and cultural venues as well as family activities. Councillor Trevor Muten, the cabinet member responsible for transport and city infrastructure, said buses connect families with beaches, parks and community facilities while providing a cleaner form of transport.

Older teenagers have a separate travel option

Young people aged 16 to 18 are not included in the stated 5-to-15 eligibility band. The council says an existing offer remains available to them when they travel with an adult paying the full fare, although the supplied announcement does not name that arrangement or give its additional conditions.

The free government-funded travel period for eligible children ends on Monday 31 August.

Source: Brighton and Hove City Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

The dates, eligibility wording and participating operators were checked against Brighton and Hove City Council’s announcement published on 31 July 2026.

Checks

Checked the stated travel period of 1 to 31 August 2026.
Preserved both eligibility descriptions: under 16s and the quoted age range of 5 to 15.
Confirmed Brighton & Hove Buses, Compass Travel and Stagecoach as the named operators.
Kept the separate 16-to-18 travel arrangement distinct from the free August scheme.

Brighton and Hove City Council Check wider coverage