Eldon Square Bus Station located opposite the Newcastle central campus is the hub for all regional buses in the city centre with buses going as far as Blyth, Northumberland or Sunderland. The Go North East App is essential for all students, making bus travel easy to navigate. It includes features that allow you to buy mobile tickets before boarding, journey planning and timetabling features as well as advertising for events and things to do in the region. The app offers TNE 21 and Under £1 single or the opportunity to buy bundles of 5, 10 or day tickets which are valid until 3am on the day of activation. Additionally, the 5 to 25 tickets allow students aged up to 25 years old to purchase discounted fares with the presentation of ID with the purchase.
London has the Tube, but Newcastle has the Metro, and like the buses, it has an extensive network of overground and underground stops throughout Tyne and Wear. It is a student favourite with convenient stops between campus and Jesmond. A timetable for the Metro can be found on Google Maps, but since they are so frequent and often don't stick to the timetable, you will rarely need to look this up.
Nexus’ Pop Cards make it easy and cheaper to hop on and off with various options of cards depending on how often you use the Metro and how old you are. Each card is free to apply for on the Nexus website, but it can also be bought with a £5 allowance.
By far the best option for students aged up to 21 is the Pop Blue, which entitles users to £1 single fares or £2.20 all-day travel. Students are also entitled to 30% off the price of an adult season ticket pass, which can purchased every four weeks or annually. This includes Quaylink buses, local rail services between Newcastle and Sunderland as well as the Shields Ferry. This option is great for students living at home but can be quite expensive, with an all-zones ticket (including all stops in Newcastle and Sunderland) coming to almost £500 for the year and £66.50 for 4 weeks.
Pop as you Go is usual for infrequent users of the metro. It can be used on almost all buses, the metro and other transport links across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham, with users topping up the card’s balance online or at any metro station machine whenever they need to travel. Alternatively, day tickets can be purchased without a Pop Card, depending on the number of zones you want to travel through. Zone maps can be found online or on ticket machines at metro stations. An all-zones day ticket costs £5.90 and includes metros running across the whole of Tyne and Wear - necessary for trips to the beach!
Neuron E-Scooters are a relatively new addition to Newcastle, introduced in 2021. They are a fun and sustainable way to get from A to B, but their use radius restricts users to the city centre and into Jesmond. Scooters can be rented via the app and simple pricing works out as a £1 unlock free and £0.18 per minute. Passes are also available for more frequent users, costing £10 for one day. They include 90 minutes of travel for any distance within the Neuron zone. Although they may not be as well known as Lime or Bolt, these scooters certainly provide an alternative, fun and affordable way to explore the Toon!
