Travel – Fresh Student

LOCAL TRAVEL

Getting around town and to your university will most likely be done on foot, by bus, or via use of a bike on cycle routes that most university towns have. Some towns also have a subway system such as London (Underground), Glasgow (Subway), Newcastle (Tyne and Wear Metro) or Birmingham (Midland Metro). Other cities have a Tram network such as Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield. In these particular cities, you will find that the various modes of transportation are linked under one payment system such as is the case with the Oyster Card which can be used to access the Underground as well as any of the red public buses in London. Click on your city below and find out how to secure your preferred mode of transport.

ABERDEEN

Bike

Where can I buy a bike?

You can find excellent deals on brand new or second-hand bikes online on Gumtree. With Gumtree, you can pay only on collection and in cash. So do not feel the need to advance any money to any seller even if they demand this.

There is also a local shop that sells second-hand bikes at decent prices called Skyline.

Where can I hire a bike?

University of Aberdeen students can hire bikes from the Students’ Union at Elphinstone Road for FREE. You can view the details here.

RGU students can hire bikes from RGU GoGreen BikePad for £20 a semester or £40 for the whole academic year. Your rental comes with a helmet, lights, hi-vis jacket and lock effectively getting you road ready.

Bus

Young Persons’ Travel Scheme: Anyone under the age of 21 can apply for a YPTS card which entitles you to FREE travel on all bus services in Scotland. To qualify, you must meet the age requirement and be resident in Scotland for majority of the year (at least 6 months). You can apply here.

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN STUDENTS: There are two local bus companies that operate in Aberdeen: First Bus and Stagecoach. The most commonly taken route for UoA students is the 9U operated by First Bus which runs between Hillhead (main campus), Old Aberdeen (Sir Duncan Rice Library) and Foresterhill which cover the key areas where you will be spending most of your time. You can download the First Bus app and access a full year’s student discount here.

Stagecoach also runs bus services along the same routes although less frequent than First Bus. You can plan your journey, get timetables and get student discounted tickets here.

RGU STUDENTS: First Bus services 1 & 2 operate between the city centre and the Garthdee Campus, which is the main campus, on a regular basis. You can download the First Bus app and access a full year’s discounted academic pass here.

Stagecoach also runs bus services that a less frequent than First Bus but also run similar routes. You can track the maps, schedules and student discount tickets here .

Taxi

THERE IS NO UBER IN ABERDEEN. Most of you from out of town will be arriving by plane or train and would require a taxi. Aberdeen has no rideshare apps but here are a few local taxi companies you can call:

Train

Stagecoach also runs bus services that a less frequent than First Bus but also run similar routes. You can track the maps, schedules and student discount tickets here .

NATIONAL TRAVEL

The most popular means of transport nationwide is by train although this can also be done by coach (bus), car rental or even by air particularly if you are travelling from the south of England to Scotland or vice-versa.

Select an option below for details:

TRAIN

Before booking a trip, we recommend signing-up for a 16-25 Railcard which costs only £30 per year but saves you 1/3 off every train fare. If you are older than 25, you can apply for a Mature Student Railcard and if you are staying for up to 3 years, you can apply for a 3-year Railcard at the discounted rate of £80.

I HAVE PURCHASED MY RAILCARD. WHERE CAN I NOW BUY TRAIN TICKETS?

We have compiled a list of sites from where you can get the cheapest available tickets:

TRAINLINE

NATIONAL RAIL

WEST MIDLANDS RAILWAY

COACH

There are two main operators that dominate inter-city travel:

CAR RENTAL

CAN I DRIVE IN THE UK WITH A NON-UK DRIVER’S LICENSE?

In theory, yes. Once in the UK, you can drive with your international driver’s license for up to 12 months after your arrival.

WHAT IF I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE DRIVING AFTER 12 MONTHS?

Beyond 12 months, you would need to either convert your international driver’s license into a UK one or apply for a fresh UK license.

EU or EEA license holders – If you are in possession of a license from a country that is a member of the European Union or the European Economic Area, you can drive in the UK for as long as your license if valid.
Converting – If you are in possession of a license from a ‘designated country’, you may exchange it for a UK license for up to 5 years after becoming a resident. The designated countries are: Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, UAE and Zimbabwe.
Applying – If you are in possession of a license from a non-designated country (meaning your country is neither a member of the EU nor listed above) you will need to apply for a provisional UK license before taking the driving test and acquiring for a full UK license.

RENTING A CAR

You have the right driver’s license and are ready to rent a car. Here are some general facts to know about car rentals:

You need to be pre-insured to rent a car in the UK. Rental companies will offer a range of insurance options for you to choose from which will be added to your bill. They usually consist of basic insurance and the added option of reducing your excesses should the car suffer any damage whilst in your care.
If you are under the age of 25, expect to pay a surplus insurance. Rental companies attribute this to the general lack of experience of drivers under the age of 25.
Be careful with speed fines, parking tickets or any type of contravening penalty you may receive whilst in possession of the car. Most rental companies will charge you an administrative fee in addition to the fine you are meant to pay.
Get familiar with the general laws of driving before renting. Using your handset or going above the speed limit – to name just these two – are considered criminal offences for which you can be fined or jailed. In some cases, you may be offered a driver’s awareness course especially if it is your first driving offence but this is by no means guaranteed. Fines are usually accompanied by points on your license (usually three points per offence). Your license can be fined a maximum of twelve points after which you will be suspended from driving for at least a year.

CAR RENTAL OPERATORS

AIR

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INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Europe is blessed with seamless interconnectivity through its road and rail networks. For example, one way of visiting Ireland is flying into Belfast and then driving from Belfast to Dublin (90mins). Same can be done from Amsterdam to Paris or by train from London to Paris (2hrs 15mins) or Berlin to Prague (4hrs 15mins). And then there are of course flights that can get you there much quicker but that is after having to deal with getting to the airport and through airport security.

Select a choice below to view your options:

AIR

Home & European Flights

Long-Haul Flights

BUS