bus travel in leeds

Public Transport

If you are going to use public transport West Yorkshire Metro can give you lots of information including bus and train times, route maps, locations of bus stops and train stations and fares / ticket prices.

West Yorkshire Metro

Leeds has a big network of buses and trains which usually run from around 5am – 11pm, depending on the route. These can be used to get around the city centre or out into other parts of the city.

You can use the Journey Planner to plan your route from start to finish, including walking, trains and buses. It will tell you how long the whole journey will take.

Tickets and passes

If you travel regularly there are bus and train passes that you can use for multiple journeys that may make travel cheaper.

Children under 5 travel for free when accompanied by a fare-paying passenger on most buses, and all trains displaying the Metro symbol in West Yorkshire.

Anyone aged 5 to 10 pays discounted fare on most buses and all trains displaying the Metro symbol in West Yorkshire, including Metro school buses.

No PhotoCard is required (unless the child looks a lot older!)

Young people aged 11-19 can enjoy unlimited travel with cheaper MySingle, MyDay, MyWeek and MyMonth MCard tickets for anywhere, anytime travel on any bus within West Yorkshire:

MCard tickets

Find out more on the West Yorkshire Metro website.

Tickets & Passes

Using the Bus

There are many buses you can use to get in and out of Leeds city centre. Many buses also travel between different areas of Leeds without going into the city centre. You catch a bus from a bus stop which is usually painted red. The bus stop will usually include timetable information.

West Yorkshire Metro has lots of information for bus travel including timetables, route maps, locations of bus stops and ticket prices. It covers bus travel to Leeds, Bradford, Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Wakefield too.

Find out where to catch your bus in the city centre

Leeds City Centre Bus Map

Find out where buses go outside the city centre

Leeds Area Bus Map

If you are not sure of the right bus to catch, you can ask other passengers waiting at the bus stop or the bus driver which bus is going to your destination, before you buy a ticket. You can also ask other passengers or the driver to tell you when you have reached your destination so you know when to get off the bus.

Leeds bus station

Many of the buses that travel to and from Leeds city centre stop at the main station, but not all of them, so it is best to check first. You can also catch buses to other places in Yorkshire, such as Bradford, Huddersfield, Harrogate or the East Yorkshire Coast from the main bus station.

Next to the bus station is the coach station, where you can take a coach to different destinations across Great Britain. These are usually run by National Express. They usually take longer than the train but often work out much cheaper. Find out more on the National Express website.

National Express from Leeds Coach Station

Buying bus tickets

You buy bus tickets from the driver when you get on the bus. Keep your ticket safe for the whole journey because sometimes there will be a conductor on the bus who will want to check you have a ticket.

There are cheaper options for children, students and older people. If you want to make lots of journeys or travel regularly you can buy daily, weekly and monthly passes. These can be purchased on the bus or online, sometimes with a small discount for buying online.

First Bus Tickets and Passes Arriva Bus Tickets and Passes West Yorkshire Metro Tickets and Passes

Using the Train

Leeds Train Station is the main train station in Leeds city centre and has several entrances, including 2 opposite City Square (look for the Queen’s Hotel) and a South entrance next to the River Aire and Leeds to Liverpool Canal. The train station is near to the main shopping area and many Leeds buses stop outside or nearby.

If you are using a bus to get to the train station you can ask the bus driver before you buy your ticket if they will stop at or near the train station and to tell you when you arrive.

Leeds Train Station address: New Station St, Leeds LS1 4DY

Using Leeds Train Station

You can find out more about Leeds Train Station on the Network Rail website, including how to get there, parking and disabled access:

Network Rail – Leeds

The website also includes a useful map of the Leeds Train Station and where to find the facilities and platforms

Leeds Train Station Map

There are also train stations in local areas including: Bramley, Burley Park, Cottingley, Crossgates, Garforth, New Garforth, Headingley, Horsforth, Morley, New Pudsey.

You can find a map of the stations in Leeds and Yorkshire here:

West Yorkshire Network Rail Map

Train tickets and timetables

You can travel all over the country from Leeds Train Station including London, Scotland and Wales. Many of the trains are direct; others may involve one or more changes.

You must make sure you have a valid ticket for travel. There are automatic barriers to check tickets before you reach the train platforms. Tickets are usually checked on trains as well. If you don’t have a valid ticket you risk being fined.

You can buy train tickets in advance as well as find out times and routes online on the National Rail and Trainline websites:

National Rail The Trainline

You can also buy tickets and get travel advice in the station, although tickets are often cheaper if you buy them in advance.

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Frequently asked questions

When booking your trip to Leeds, you can reserve a seat. Subject to availability, you can choose from a range of categories, including panorama seats for a better view, table seats for added comfort, and bed seats for a more restful journey. Check out our seat reservation price list for more information.

FlixBus offers a variety of secure payment methods for purchasing your ticket to Leeds. You can choose from card payment, Paypal, Google Pay, and many others. In the payment section, you'll see all the available options and can choose your preferred one. If you have any difficulties with payment, check out our help page. If you buy your ticket onboard or at a sales point, you can also pay with cash.

FlixBus offers convenient and affordable bus travel to Leeds. Prices start at just $3.99, depending on your starting location.

Leeds has 1 bus stop(s): Leeds (Kirkgate). Check out the map on this page to find the address of your stop!

FlixBus allows you to bring your bike on board to Leeds, subject to availability. Check out our prices for bike transport here .

Planning a trip to Leeds? FlixBus makes it easy with direct routes from 29 cities. Plus, save money on a hotel by taking an overnight bus . Book on our website or find the best prices on our free app .

You can book your FlixBus ticket starting at just $3.99. The easiest way to purchase your ticket is on Global.flixbus.com or through the app. Book early to get the best price.

It's very easy to buy a bus ticket to Leeds with FlixBus: you can book online on our website by simply selecting your departure and arrival cities, and picking your desired travel date. The best way to find low-priced tickets though is by using the free FlixBus App and keep your ticket always on your phone!

Booking a FlixBus ticket to Leeds is easy and convenient. If you book online, you'll receive a PDF with a QR code that serves as your ticket. If you book through the app, your ticket will be automatically stored there. In either case, there's no need to print your ticket - just show it to the driver digitally and you're ready to board.

Yes, you can track your FlixBus in real-time with our tracker . Just enter your stop in Leeds and check the status of your ride.

There are various options for getting to Leeds, but traveling by bus offers many advantages. With FlixBus, you can save money with our affordable bus tickets and help the environment at the same time, as bus travel is one of the most eco-friendly modes of transportation!

Buses to Leeds

Find the most affordable buses to leeds.

With FlixBus, it’s easy to travel to Leeds, as 29 rides are available starting from only $3.99 depending on the departure city, date and time. Booking a coach ticket to Leeds is effortless: you can book on our website or through the FlixBus App . If you prefer paying cash or if you're a last-minute traveller, you can also get your ticket at our shops or aboard the FlixBus. Booking in advance with our app guarantees the lowest fares, and you get your ticket digitally in the app, so you don't have to print your ticket before hopping onboard, sitting back, relaxing and enjoying a comfortable ride to Leeds!

Why traveling to Leeds with FlixBus

You can get to Leeds from 29 different cities , and when it’s time to move on, there are as many connections from Leeds to other destinations. No matter the journey, bus travel is always a better and more sustainable choice than other means of transportation (on a person/km basis, traveling by bus is more environmental-friendly than driving, flying and, in certain countries, even going by train). Plus, when you ride with FlixBus, you can offset your CO₂ emissions by clicking the CO₂ compensation box when you book your ticket, helping the planet and supporting us towards our sustainability goals! You can get your ticket at one of our service desks and pay cash or with a payment card. You can also book it on our website or our FlixBus app with a credit card, PayPal or Google Pay if you're a more digital person. Then you can look forward to enjoying our onboard services including free Wi-Fi, plenty of legroom, comfortable seats and power outlets .

Onboard services

Reserve a seat when you book your FlixBus ticket to Leeds online or in the app . Whether you want peace and quiet or to sit close to your friends, we've got seat reservation options that suit everyone. Choose a classic seat or a table seat if you need a little extra space to work or relax. You can also go for a panorama seat on the bus front for a great view or book a spare seat next to yours and enjoy that extra space. There's no need to worry about what to pack when you travel with FlixBus, as we offer hand luggage and check-in luggage to every traveller . After stowing your luggage, head to your seat and enjoy our onboard services , including free Wi-Fi on most buses. All our buses have toilets and power outlets.

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Cheap coaches to Leeds

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Do you already know when you will return from Leeds? Then check the return trip straight away and simply select the appropriate date. Are you travelling with other people? Then indicate how many passengers are travelling with you to Leeds and start your search. The search results can be sorted by price, departure and arrival time . They can also be filtered according to stops or companies. Customize everything according to your needs.

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Bus strikes: Full list of more than 50 First Bus services affected in Leeds from Sunday

The full list of bus services affected by strike action from this Sunday (June 18) in Leeds has been announced.

First Bus drivers of the West Yorkshire branch have announced that they will take regular industrial action over the company’s denial of returning the date of new pay rises from October back to April.

The drivers who are members of Unite, a campaigning union that fights for employees in the workplace, agreed during the pandemic to change their anniversary pay date to October to help the company financially.

According to Unite, this move means that workers have been left struggling during the cost of living crisis and will not receive a pay increase until October at the earliest.

The indefinite strikes are set to begin on Sunday.

Now, First Bus has released a list of every affected service.

The list is as follows:

Services affected : 1, 1B, N1, 2, 3. 3A, 4, 4F, 5, 5A, 6, 8, 7, 7A, 7S, 9A, 11A, 12, 13, 13A, 14, 15, 16, 16A, 19, 19A, 27, 28, 33, 34, 38, 39, 40, 42, 46, 47, 47A, 49, 50, 50A, 51, 52, 55, 55C, 56, 62, 64, 65, 74, 75, 86, 91, PR1, PR2, PR3, X84 and Flexi Bus

All other bus operator’s services will operate as normal in Leeds including:

A&A Coach Travel 30

Arriva Yorkshire 21, 22, 110, 118, 140, 140A, 141, 163, 164, 168, 174, 175, 200, 201, 202, 203, 229, 254, 255,425, 444, 446

Connexions Buses 11, 64, 781, 940, 963

First (Bradford) 72, X6, X11

First (Calderdale) 508

Flyer A1, A2 & A3

Harrogate Bus Company 7, 36, X98 & X99

Keighley Bus Company 60, 940

Station Coaches 116, 213

Square Peg 9, 31, 31, 32, 80, 81, 966

TLC Travel 205, 653

Yorkshire Coastliner 840, 843

York Pullman

Yorkshire Buses 9, 29, 29A, 61, 61A

What if you use an MCard?

"We are sorry if the current planned industrial action by Unite members at First Leeds is affecting MCard customers. We are in regular dialogue with First and are encouraging them to establish a resolution to the industrial action as soon as possible.

“Under our normal terms and conditions, customers who have unused or part used monthly tickets may be eligible to claim a refund or part refund.

“Please visit a Bus Station Travel Centre or call MetroLine on 0113 2457676 for tickets purchased via the MCard Mobile App. Visit m-card.co.uk for more information.”

What did FirstBus say?

Andrew Cullen, Managing Director of First North & West Yorkshire, said: “We are disappointed in the decision of UNITE to announce strike action. The current agreement on pay, which was signed by UNITE and its officials, is in place and agreed until October 2023.

“The management team at First North & West Yorkshire have been working hard to find solutions to help our valued drivers during these tough economic times and have made a series of substantial and unconditional offers to satisfy demands. These remain on the table and have yet to be put to our Leeds drivers by the UNITE representatives, therefore the union’s efforts should focus on this and not on industrial action while collective bargaining continues.

“The First North & West Yorkshire team is ready and willing to meet and we encourage Unite to join us so we can finalise a settlement and help our drivers to manage the continuing pressure on the cost of living that everyone is facing as quickly as possible.”

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Tapping Art’s Power to Heal Wounds and Open ‘Spaces of Connectedness’

Artists and community organizations around the world are increasingly turning to art to create positive social change.

By Ginanne Brownell

Reporting from Leeds, England

Using her arms as a makeshift clapboard, a Sudanese woman in a black hijab and black-and-white caftan clapped her hands together, signaling the beginning of the rehearsal. The other amateur Thespians, wearing comic stick-on mustaches, moved to their marks, improvising a scene in a women’s beauty salon where one patron’s hair is accidentally dyed blue.

As the scene ended, all the women were in hysterics, ribbing each other over how they could better play their parts next time. Scenes like this are common at the Kuluhenna Creative Workshop , which is held at a community clubhouse on the outskirts of this Yorkshire city. The workshop is open to all local women, but with a focus on immigrant communities, including refugees and asylum seekers.

The 90-minute class, which the Mafwa Theater has held since 2019, is a happy space. Each week, some 15 women gather to tell stories, dance, act and gossip. They are provided with bus passes, a play area for their young children and an on-site health worker in case any of the women want to talk.

Eman Elsayed, a mother of three originally from Egypt, said before she joined the workshop in 2020, she was “depressed, isolated and fed up” with her life in Leeds. But eventually, especially after joining Mafwa Theater’s associate artists program in 2021, she felt her life change.

“Art, it’s a magic wand,” said Elsayed, who now has a paid job doing community outreach for the program. “But you need to believe, and you need to take the time to see what it will do.”

Mafwa’s project is just one example of a larger trend — as more and more groups and individuals worldwide are using the arts to empower, unite and even help heal people who have suffered trauma, from war and natural disaster, or discrimination, poverty and displacement.

The idea of healing through the arts is an overarching theme of this year’s Art for Tomorrow conference, an annual event convened by the Democracy & Culture Foundation with panels moderated by New York Times journalists.

At this year’s event, this week in Venice, the panel “Arts as the Ultimate Mediator” will examine how people and groups are using the arts in community and international development and in peace-building programs.

“What I observed is that the arts allow you to create a space of truth,” said Adama Sanneh, a conference panelist and the co-founder and chief executive of the Moleskine Foundation. Through its Creativity Pioneers Fund , the foundation gives grants to small community-based programs using the arts to inspire social change, including Mafwa, which received one last year.

“It’s neutralizing, and before the public, the political, there is that space that goes straight to the personal,” Sanneh said. “When you’re able to create that type of environment, even for a second, then things can really happen.”

Creative people have long understood the arts’ power to teach critical thinking and give people a sense of agency. Toni Shapiro-Phim , the director of Brandeis University’s Peacebuilding and the Arts program, noted that “communities the world over have long recognized the potency of the arts” to create constructive societal change.

For instance, she said, over a century ago in what is now Myanmar, the tales told through traditional puppetry were “sometimes the only stories that made fun of authorities or offered alternative ways to imagine what is possible, how to be a good person in the world.” Around the same time, in Russia, artists like Marc Chagall taught Jewish orphans art as a way of helping them work through their trauma.

More recently, projects rooted in this idea have emerged in places like Bosnia , Kyrgyzstan , South Sudan and Israel .

“In a creative setting there is the encounter of the self, an awakening to your own unconscious, your own experiences,” said Tammy Federman, a filmmaker whose new documentary “ Memory Game ” is focused on a theater troupe of Holocaust survivors in Israel run by AMCHA, an Israeli social support services organization. “But there is also an encounter of the group because one person speaks about this very traumatic experience and another person can relate to it. It gives courage to open up, share their own experience, and there’s also joy in it, there’s humor in it, there is movement and creativity.”

And while research by Brandeis University and IMPACT , a nonprofit organization that grew out of a Brandeis initiative, found that creative sector efforts that address difficult challenges “are inadequately understood, under-resourced, and/or funded,” there is a growing understanding that through art, individuals and communities — including those who “have been suppressed or repressed” — can make themselves heard.

Recognizing this, mainstream institutions and donors have, according to Tiffany Fairey , a visual sociologist at King’s College London’s Department of War Studies, started taking the arts seriously as a “viable kind of soft power” peace-building tool. “The main critique of liberal peace is its neglect of people who are directly affected by conflict, the fact that communities themselves don’t get to have a say in peacebuilding policy and programing,” she said. Now, she said “people are relying on the arts for their capacity to engage communities.”

Ronen Berger , an Israeli drama therapist who will also be a panelist in Venice, said one reason the arts could be so successful in helping people deal with collective trauma was that creative practices like dance, storytelling and song go back to infancy.

“As babies, when we start our communication with the world it is through play, through voices, through songs, through rocking, which is dance,” he said. “So this way of working is very primal and very universal.”

Berger said when he worked in big groups, the easiest way to connect was through rhythms like clapping. “This way it bypasses language, cultural and age barriers,” he said, adding that performance is important because it not only can raise awareness of an issue, but it also allows participants to feel seen and a part of a wider community. “We can get to know each other and feel we are doing something together.”

That idea, of connecting around something simple, led Michael Lessac to found Global Arts Corps, which has produced plays in post-conflict areas including Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Cambodia. It started with “Truth in Translation,” a play that debuted in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2006 and told the story of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission through the translators’ eyes.

The play traveled to a number of post-conflict zones, creating broader dialogue and debate. “I used to have people come up to me in rehearsal and say ‘Well, I don’t think I can join your project because I don’t believe in forgiveness,’” said Lessac, whose TV directing credits include “Taxi,” “Newhart” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

“And at the time we weren’t talking about forgiveness. I said, ‘I am not asking you to believe it, I am asking you to rehearse it.’” Lessac said he has often asked actors to play the opposite emotion of what they feel.

“So if it’s hate, you play love, and they pick up a lot of things as a result of jumping to the opposite,” he said. “In that sense, you’re going through the process that you can never go through if you’ve got three lawyers and the oppressor standing in the way.”

The arts can also draw attention to issues. “ No Direction Home ,” a London program providing workshops and gigs to empower people from refugee and migrant backgrounds to perform stand-up comedy, has presented shows that have entertained thousands.

Almir Koldzic, the director and co-founder of Counterpoints , which organizes both “No Direction Home” and Refugee Week in Britain, noted that art has “the capacity to improve our well-being, to help with our mental health, to enable people to use creativity to come to terms with loss.”

“On a wider level,” he said, “the arts have a huge potential to open up the spaces of connectedness, to invite people to develop empathy.”

Inside the World of Comedy

Crowd work has grown more common, with some comedians now focusing their acts on it and sharing clips of their exchanges with audience members. But some comics say it takes away from the craft .

After he hit superstar status for his 2021 musical comedy, “Inside,” Bo Burnham has been conspicuously quiet. But he's managed to turn his supposed absence into a performance .

Netflix is giving comedy the live treatment . Sometimes that’s a good thing, as with John Mulaney’s variety show “Everybody’s in L.A.” But the Katt Williams special and Tom Brady roast were more uneven.

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has occasionally featured some great stand-up comedy. Colin Jost’s set will not join that list .

The pandemic dealt a major blow to improv in New York, but a new energy can be seen in performances throughout the city .

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First Bus Announces Sponsorship of Essex Pride 2024

12th Jun 2024

First Bus Essex is thrilled to announce its official sponsorship of Essex Pride 2024, taking place on Saturday 22nd June in Chelmsford, celebrating the event's 20th anniversary.

As an organisation that values diversity and inclusivity, First Bus Essex is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community and join the festivities at one of Essex's most vibrant events.

"At First Bus, pride means embracing diversity and inclusivity," said Piers Marlow, Managing Director of First Bus East of England. "Our rainbow bus is more than just transportation; it symbolises our support for LGBTQ+ communities."

This year’s Essex Pride promises to be a fun-filled day out for the whole family. Visitors can look forward to enjoying a variety of activities in the Family Zone, featuring the iconic Pride Bus. The zone will offer engaging activities including story time sessions and craft workshops, ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy.

“First Bus is proud to be an official sponsor for the 20th anniversary celebration of Pride in Essex,” added Piers. “We are committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community and promoting a message of love, acceptance, and equality.”

Attendees of Essex Pride are invited to join us for story time sessions on First’s colourful Pride Bus and then get crafty in our Family Zone. It's the perfect opportunity for families to celebrate, learn, and enjoy the inclusive spirit of Pride together.

Garry Ormes, Essex Pride Chair, said: “Essex Pride is proud to be returning for its 20th year, to celebrate equality and acceptance. Pride is a time for everyone to join together in love and friendship, to show how far LGBTQ+ rights have come, and how in some places there's still work to be done.

“Pride is for everyone, and however you identify, I hope you can take some time this June to join us at Essex Pride to celebrate diversity and the ability to be yourself, and to experience the richness and comfort these two qualities bring to our lives."