ukraine free bus travel

Travel Information for Ukrainians

Travel can be expensive in the UK; some areas are helping out by giving free bus passes to Ukrainian refugees. Check with your local council to see if they offer such a scheme. Children and older age people can also usually get free or cheap transport.

On this page

Getting to your initial destination on arrival in the uk, booking travel online, getting around in london, free bus travel in wales, coach travel, money-saving railcards.

• ‘Split and save’ train tickets

Pensioners / older people

Travel discounts on universal credit, train and tube service disruptions.

The Government has instructed travel operators to provide free transport for the first 48 hours , in order to enable you to get to your initial destination in the UK (either to your family member or your host). This means you can use any and all means of public transport (such as bus, train, Underground) to get to your destination.

You just need to show your Ukrainian passport and ticket showing date and time of arrival. Note: there does not appear to be an option to pre-book travel online for free.

See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/welcome-points-and-travelling-to-your-sponsor-homes-for-ukraine for more information.

Sometimes, it can be cheaper to pre-book travel online.

Commercially owned websites such as The Trainline allow you to plan your journey between destinations and they also show you options for coaches, not just trains. You can choose to have your tickets emailed to you as e-tickets, or pick them up from the station at ticket collection points before you travel.

Whilst these websites are convenient, they will charge you a small booking fee for their service, whereas you can book directly with the train or coach service provider to save this. So for example, you can search on the public website National Rail for the same train journey, you will be redirected to the website of the train company to book your ticket and you shouldn’t be charged a booking fee.

If you don’t have a debit card yet, buy an Oyster card (Transport for London card) from any local shop and add some money on it. The card itself will cost £5 but you can get this refunded when you no longer need the card. The disadvantage of this is that you need to have enough money on the card to pay for your journeys, so you need to keep ‘topping it up’ by buying more credit in local shops.

You can also use a contactless debit card to pay for travel; this takes the money direct from your bank account so you don’t need to ‘top up’ and is easier to manage.

The system is clever enough to work out what is the right price to charge you so that it doesn’t charge you more for a day’s travel than a travelcard would cost. Always remember to use the same card to ‘touch out’ when you finally exit at the very end of your journey as the one you used to start with, or you may be charged the wrong (highest) fare, as it assumes the worst case scenario to decide what journey you actually made.

You should register your contactless card on the Transport for London website, using this link: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/contactless-and-oyster-account . You can then see all the journeys you have made using that card. If for some reason, you believe you have been charged the wrong fare (maybe you forgot to ‘touch out’ to complete your journey), you can request up to 3 refunds per month. You can register your card even after you have made the journeys, as it will track the last 12 months of journeys.

Buses are cheaper than the Underground tube, which is in turn cheaper than trains. For the Underground, if you need to change lines to get to your final destination, it is ‘one journey’ as long as you do not exit the barriers.

Transport for London have a journey planner which includes buses, Docklands Light Railway and the Underground.

For refugees in Wales, a free bus ticket called the ‘Welcome Ticket’ is available until 24 July 2023, when it will be reviewed again. For more information, please see https://www.traveline.wales/free-bus-travel-scheme-for-refugees-welcome-ticket/ . A large number of bus and coach companies are signed up to this.

National Express provide comfortable coaches that can be significantly cheaper than trains for travel between different cities.

Coachcards are available for young, senior and disabled people, saving you money on standard coach fares.

If you are a young person, disabled, a family, or over 60, and plan to use trains often to travel between different cities, it may be worth buying a railcard. You pay an annual fee for the railcard, and then use it to get a significant discount on what you would normally pay on the train fare, subject to the conditions of the railcard. Thus, overall, if you travel enough, this may work out to be more economical for you. Rememer to carry your railcard with you when you travel, as you may be asked to show it to the ticket inspector.

See the full range of options available and apply here: https://www.railcard.co.uk/ .

‘Split and Save’ train tickets

Sometimes, if you are travelling from one city to another, you can save money by splitting your journey into segments, where the sum of all the individual segments adds up to less than the whole journey.

You don’t need to change trains, but you will have multiple tickets issued. E.g. if you are travelling from A to B, via C, then you may have a ticket from A to C, and then a separate ticket from C to B, on the same train.

See https://support.thetrainline.com/en/support/solutions/articles/78000000442-splitsave for how it works. It’s not available for all journeys, or on all train booking websites, so it’s worth checking a website that offers the option (like https://www.thetrainline.com/ ).

If you are over 60, you can get free or discounted travel, especially on buses. Check what is available in your local area. For example, in London, you can get free travel on the underground and trains after certain times – 60+ London Oyster photocard – Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) You will need a letter from a bank as a proof of address.

If you are on Universal Credit, you can apply for a Jobcentre Plus travel discount card, for 3 to 9 months (or 18 to 24-year-olds) or 3 to 12 months (over 25s).

You can apply for this through your Job Centre Work Coach and local Jobcentre Plus.

Children usually travel for free or discounted rates. For example, in London, children aged 11 to 15 can get a ZIP card which offers free and discounted travel: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/11-15-zip-oyster-photocard

Always check before travelling that there are no disruptions to the timetables. These could be because of:

• Industrial action / strikes by workers (these can be called at relatively short notice, and then also called off, usually just as you’ve rearranged your plans to avoid travelling!)
• Planned engineering works (these usually take place at weekends, and there may be special ‘rail replacement buses’ laid on by the rail operator between the railway stations that the trains would have serviced, but of course, a bus is much slower than a train so you would need to allow more time)
• Unexpected delays (e.g. fatalities on the railway line)

See the following links for information on train and tube services:

• https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/industrial-action/ for planned strikes on the train network
• https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/status-and-disruptions/ for status updates on train networks, including strikes and planned engineering works, as well as any unexpected delays
• https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/strikes for a list of planned strikes on London tube and train networks
• https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/ for live status updates including strikes and planned engineering works on the London transport network, as well as any unexpected delays (usually rare)

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Ukrainian Arrivals - Free Travel Policy

Choose Your Journey

• Use my current location
• Use our Route Map

Outbound date

Select time, outward journey, return date.

Select a return within 3 months of your outward travel.

Return Journey

Children under 14 years of age are not permitted to travel without being accompanied throughout the journey by a responsible person aged 16 years or over. Children aged 14 - 15 years old may travel unaccompanied, as from 5am, arriving at their booked destination no later than 10pm. Unaccompanied children will be asked for proof of age or a signed letter of permission from their parent/guardian. (sms or chat based messages are not permissible)

One infant aged 0-2 travels free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Additional infants aged 0-2 must be paid for. If you are travelling with more than 1 infant aged 0-2, please book the additional infant as 'Children (3-15).

Do you have a Coachcard?

Claim your free travel

We're offering free travel for Ukrainian arrivals who arrive in the UK to travel to a destination of their choice.

Free travel can be arranged from a UK arrival point to another location currently served on the National Express network. Individuals are encouraged to contact us in advance to guarantee their journey but we will also accept turn up and go travel (subject to availability).

Individuals will have 48 hours to make their onward journey from arrival into the country.

  Step 1

Use the journey planner above to search for your preferred journey.

Fill in the "travel from" and "travel to" fields, select the date of your journey and the number of passengers, and then select the "Find my journey" button to see what services are available.

  Step 2

Come back to this webpage and fill in the form below with your information and preferred journey details.

Please note, you will be requested to demonstrate eligibility for free travel by providing a copy of the following documents for each passenger :

• Travel itinerary, such as a boarding pass or ferry ticket
• A copy of a Ukrainian passport

  Step 3

After submitting the form, you will receive an email from us, asking you to reply back with one of the example documents in Step 2. Once these are verified we’ll send a ticket for travel to your email address within 1 hour. Please note that our customer service team opening hours are 08.00 - 20.00, 7 days a week.

If you are at a National Express departure point and are about to board a coach service you can speak to a member of our team on site, if they are available, or call our customer service team on 03717 81 81 01. (calls charged at local rate)

Ukrainian Arrivals - Free Travel

Your details, journey details, terms of the travel policy.

• Free travel applies to single one-way travel (including airports)
• Individuals will have 48 hours to make their onward journey from arrival into the country
• Travel itinerary, such as a boarding pass or ferry ticket.
• This offer can change or be removed at any time
• Available on all National Express Coach services, subject to availability
• No booking fees apply
• Standard luggage allowance is included per customer
• Customers who have not contacted National Express Customer Services in advance of travel may be subject to delay where seat availability is limited
• All tickets are issued and all passengers are carried subject to National Express' General Conditions of Carriage , available online and at all National Express outlets
• Issued by National Express, National Express House, Birmingham Coach Station, Mill Lane, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6DD

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Open Return Information

Book your return

Your Open Dated Return is valid for 3 months from your outbound journey. To guarantee your seat on your return you need to confirm your ticket before you travel on www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets/open-returns or call 0371 781 8181.

Open Dated Return Information

If your return date is not yet known, open return tickets provide flexibility. When travelling within the UK, the return journey can be made within 3 months of the outward date of travel. To guarantee your seat on your return journey you need to confirm your ticket before you travel by visiting www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets/open-returns or call us on 03717 81 81 81. Lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 8pm (calls to this number are charged at local rate). Valid on any day throughout the year.

Open returns are not available on European journeys.

Wheelchair accessibility

Accessible coaches.

The majority of stops along the routes listed below are accessible to wheelchair users but are subject to change. Please call us to check the latest situation before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

To see a list of accessible coach routes please visit our Accessibility page.

Assisted Travel Helpline

If you are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance, please call our helpline before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

03717 81 81 81 - ( option 3)  (lines open 8am - 8pm 7 days a week). Calls to this number are charged at local rate.

For more information please visit our Disabled travellers page.

Passengers & Wheelchair accessibility

Passenger descriptions.

Our passenger descriptions are designed to help you choose the right ticket for yourself or your fellow travellers.

Adult (16+) and Children (3-15)

Children under 14 cannot travel alone unless accompanied by an adult (16+). Please note, you may be required to show proof of age at any point during your journey. Failure to do so, may result in the full adult fare being charged.

Children (3-15)

Children under 14 cannot travel alone unless accompanied by a responsible adult (16+).

Disabled Children

Should be booked as Children. If they are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance, please call our Assisted Travel Helpline.

We strongly recommend that you bring a car seat appropriate to your child's age, but ask you to take responsibility to fit the seat.

Booster Seats

Children aged between approximately 4-11 years old, or up to 150cm tall, may use booster seats. We carry a limited number onboard most coaches.

If travelling with a child, you may be required to show proof of age when buying tickets or at any point during your journey. Failure to do so may result in the child being required to pay the full fare for the journey on that day.

Booster seats

Children aged between approximately 4 years and 11 years or up to 150cm tall may use booster seats, we carry a limited number onboard most coaches along with our comfort fit seat belts.

Disabled children should be booked as children rather than 'Disabled'. If they are travelling in a wheelchair or you wish to book assistance with travel please call our Assisted Travel Helpline before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

You can find a list of accessible coach stops on our Accessibility page .

Please call us 36 hours prior to travelling to check the latest status.

If you are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance we recommend that you contact us on the following local rate telephone number: 03717 81 81 81 (lines open 8am - 8pm 7 days a week) 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

Adult (26 - 59)

Adult fares are applicable to all passengers aged between of 26 and 59 inclusive.

Child 0 - 12 inclusive

Children aged 12 or under travelling on any European service must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Unaccompanied children will not be carried

Young persons (13 - 25)

Children under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Young persons aged 16 or 17 years can travel alone on European services but only if they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

Senior (60 and over)

Passengers aged 60 and over are entitled to receive a small discount on European journeys. On European journeys a 50% discount is given to carers, please call us on 08717 818177 to book.

Please select your passenger type first and then add your coachcards.

We have three different Coachcards available, each offering savings of 1/3 on all of our Standard and Fully Flexible coach fares all year round.

Prices shown include your coachcard discount, your coachcard number will be required during the booking process.

Adult fares are applicable to all passengers aged 2+. Adults under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel alone on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over or they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

Infants 0-1 Inclusive

Children aged under the age of 2, must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over. Unaccompanied children will not be carried.

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Ukrainian Travel Scheme

Free travel scheme for ukrainian arrivals..

First Bus is supporting the DfT initiative and is offering free onward bus travel to all Ukrainian refugees for the first 48hrs they're in the country, helping them travel for free to their sponsor's home. This will enable refugees to reach their final destination safely and at no cost.

The scheme is being communicated to host families welcoming refugees and will be visible (in Ukrainian and Russian communications) at ports of entry to the country.  This complements the offer being made by rail services in the UK and across Europe to provide safe and free passage for Ukrainians.

Refugees from Ukraine who have entered the UK will be able to our bus services for onward travel by showing the driver their Ukrainian passport and a rail/flight ticket or boarding pass, from within the previous 48hrs.

Some public transport services available for free for Ukrainian refugees

It is estimated that around 100,000 refugees will arrive in ireland in the weeks ahead.

Irish Rail’s decision to make the service free for Ukrainian refugees is in line with the company’s European counterparts. Photograph: Eric Luke

Some public transport operators are allowing Ukrainian refugees arriving into Ireland to use their service for free to reach their end destination.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago, many Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have fled their home country to neighbouring countries, such as Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

While some of those people are staying in those countries, many others are travelling to other areas in Europe, including Ireland.

It is estimated that between 80,000 and 100,000 Ukrainian refugees could arrive in Ireland in the weeks ahead.

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To assist those on their journey, Bus Éireann said people arriving into the country having fled the war can travel to their "final destination for free on Expressway and Bus Éireann services".

To avail of the offer, the refugees must show the driver their Ukrainian ID, evidence of arrival in Ireland within the previous seven days, such as an airline booking email, or confirmation from a co-ordinating group or charity.

Irish Rail has also said it is helping refugees fleeing the crisis with their rail travel upon arrival into Ireland, for transfer from arrival point to relatives, host families or other facilities within the country.

The decision to make the service free for these refugees is in line with European rail counterparts, many of whom have a similar offering.

A spokeswomen said station staff have been advised that refugees need to present a Ukrainian passport and proof of recent travel to avail of the service for free.

“We will continue to liaise with the Red Cross to make sure we are making the process as easy as possible,” she said.

Stena Line, a ferry operator, said it has been providing free travel to Ukrainians across all routes since the beginning of the conflict.

They now get free meals onboard too, the company said in a tweet.

Asked if Dublin Bus was operating a similar scheme for these refugees, a spokeswoman said the National Transport Authority is "responsible for the determination of fares on bus services across the greater Dublin area".

As such, the query should be directed to them, the spokeswoman added. However, the spokeswoman said Dublin Bus is supporting any employee who is affected directly or indirectly by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Community Development said there are a “lot of questions” the Government cannot answer with regard to accommodating Ukrainian refugees.

It is estimated that around 100,000 refugees will arrive in Ireland in the weeks ahead.

Minister of State Joe O’Brien said we are only in the “very initial stage” of the humanitarian crisis.

“We’re 17 days into the war and our initial priority was to get people shelter. The quickest way we could do that is to book places in hotels. We are also planning in the medium term as well,” he said on RTE Radio One’s Saturday with Katie Hannon.

“A lot of the integration supports that will happen will need to happen in the medium to long term. We’re looking at everything accommodation wise, both temporary, medium and long term. There are a lot of questions that we cannot answer 100 per cent right now in terms of where people are going to be living.”

Around 15,000 pledges of accommodation have been made by Irish people to house Ukrainians, according to the Irish Red Cross.

Mr O’Brien said utilising vacant houses will be prioritised, before shared housing will be brought on stream.

When Ukrainian refugees arrive in Dublin Airport, they can get their PPS number processed on site, assuming they are able to stay for several hours, Mr O’Brien said.

They also receive a letter granting them temporary protection, and for those who want accommodation, which is currently about one third of arrivals, they are being referred directly to that service, he added.

The refugees are supported when completing their medical card application, however Mr O’Brien said they have immediate access to the free service through their letter.

Shauna Bowers

Shauna Bowers is Health Correspondent of The Irish Times

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News | London

Transport for London offers free travel to Ukrainian refugees

Transport for London ( TfL ) is offering Ukrainian refugees free travel on all of its services.

The offer allows any Ukrainian national free travel on the Tube, bus and other services for up to 48 hours after arriving in the UK.

People will have to show a Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing their arrival into the UK in order to be eligible.

Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner said the scheme was being introduced to “support those fleeing this terrible conflict”.

He said: “The shocking scenes and stories from the continued war in Ukraine are truly heart-breaking and, along with the Mayor, we want to do what we can to support those fleeing this terrible conflict.

“Along with the Department for Transport and other train operating companies, we are helping Ukrainian nationals travelling to the UK reach their final destination by enabling them to travel for free across London using our bus, tram, Tube or rail services so they can get to their hosts as quickly as possible.”

Under the scheme, which is running for three months, Ukrainain evacuees will be offered a single-one way journey from their port of entry to a final destination.

It is part of a nationwide effort starting on March 20, aimed at helping Ukrainian refugees reach their final destination in the UK.

The scheme complements European operators such as the Eurostar who are also taking a similar approach.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the scheme was “hugely welcome”.

“The UK stands with the Ukrainian people and those fleeing Putin’s brutal invasion,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of London has announced a “ London stands with Ukraine” peace march taking place on Saturday, March 26.

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Sadiq Khan said the march will “give everyone who wants to show their solidarity a chance to stand together with the people of Ukraine.”

The march will begin from Park Lane at 2pm, with Yoko Ono’s ‘Imagine Peace’ message displayed on Piccadilly Lights.

A vigil will take place later in the afternoon in Trafalgar Square.

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Guests travelling to and within the UK: Homes for Ukraine

Information about free travel schemes available for Ukrainians travelling to and onward within the UK.

Onward travel

The Department for Transport (DfT) announced that Ukrainian arrivals can access free onward travel for 48 hours. They are working closely with the Rail Delivery Group (the group that brings together all passenger and freight rail companies in the UK) to roll out the offer of a free single one-way journey from a port of entry to a final destination for incoming people from Ukraine.

Train Operating Companies will brief frontline staff to grant free access to the network to those holding a Ukrainian passport, with accompanying boarding pass dated within the last 48 hours.

Guests arriving in the country are eligible for a single onward journey via national rail, bus, light rail, and coach. This will be free of charge to anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales.

To make use of this scheme, guests will need to show their Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing their arrival into the UK. The offer is valid across all train operators in England, Scotland and Wales, and guests will have 48 hours from arrival in the UK to complete their journey.

Travel in Wales

In Wales, guests can travel on bus or rail services for free for the first 6 months after their arrival. They will need to show transport staff their passport or UK government permission to travel letter.

Travel in London

Guests will also be able to travel for free across London using TfL’s London Underground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), and bus and tram services, so they can reach their destination as quickly as possible.

To find out more about rail travel schemes go to National Rail .

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Homes for Ukraine temporary bus pass scheme

Surrey County Council has worked with bus companies in Surrey to set up this scheme. It offers Homes for Ukraine nationals a bus pass for free travel on their most used bus route.

New extended offer

Our new extended offer is for temporary bus passes which are valid for one chosen bus company. The bus pass scheme will continue until 31 March 2025.

For Ukrainian nationals who have already had a Homes for Ukraine temporary bus pass, you may be eligible for a further bus pass valid until 31 March 2025. You will need to reapply when your current bus pass runs out, at which point you will be issued a new bus pass for up to six months, depending on what is offered by your chosen bus operator. When this pass runs out you can reapply to get a free bus pass valid until 31 March 2025.

For new applicants applying now or up to 31 December 2024, you will be issued a new bus pass for up to six months, depending on what is offered by your chosen bus operator. When this pass runs out you can reapply to get a free bus pass valid until 31 March 2025.

For new applicants applying in January, February or March in 2025, a pass will be offered for your chosen bus operator for three months from when your approved application is processed.

Information and services

About the scheme.

If you're on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, you can get temporary free travel on your most-used bus route

Apply for the scheme

Find the bus company for your route, apply online and get help with your application

If you're not on the Homes for Ukraine scheme

Metrobus's four weeks free travel to all new Ukrainian refugee arrivals in Surrey

• Reviewed: 18 Mar 2024
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TfL is offering free bus travel for Ukrainian passport holders

The new scheme is helping Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK

Any local news that helps to mitigate the awful sense that we are not doing enough to help those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine is really welcome at the moment.

With that in mind, there’s an update from Transport for London who has just announced a scheme providing free onward travel for Ukrainian nationals navigating the capital. This is part of a nationally coordinated effort with other UK travel providers such as Network Rail to ensure that tired and probably disorientated refugees can just focus on getting to their final destination rather than having to deal with the arcane complexities of Oyster cards versus cashless on top of their ordeal.

The offer is already up and running with TfL and will stay in place for the next 12 weeks, available to any Ukrainian national for up to 48 hours after they arrive in this country. All that is required to be eligible is a Ukrainian passport and their boarding pass or ticket from the journey into the UK to keep things as simple as possible. The idea is to help to get everyone to be reunited with their loved ones and settled into their new lodgings as quickly as possible. It’s something that various travel networks across Europe put in place back in February, and the idea has mobilised our own transport industry in a rare but significant example of working together to achieve something we can all get behind.

L et’s hope their journey involves some of the swish new bus network that TfL recently unveiled. Spread the word.

How Londoners can help the people of Ukraine

What you should know about the  controversial Silvertown tunnel

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Free bus travel on arrival in England for Ukraine refugees

Operators of scheduled coach and bus services in England are delivering a country-wide scheme to offer refugees arriving from Ukraine free travel from their port of entry to their sponsor’s home.

The offer began on Sunday 20 March and it builds on existing provisions already made by some operators to support arriving Ukrainian people. Those that take up the free travel need to show their Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket that shows arrival in the UK within the last 48 hours, in line with an equivalent scheme in the rail industry.

Agreement for the provision of free travel was reached between the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT). DfT is keeping a list of participating operators and the scheme will run for an initial period of three months.

CPT Cymru and CPT Scotland are involved in discussions around the same offer in Wales and Scotland. The Confederation has encouraged applicable operators in those nations to make the same provision as in England.

Commenting on the free travel scheme for refugees from Ukraine, CPT CEO Graham Vidler says: “At this incredibly difficult time for the Ukrainian people, we are happy to help give them a warm welcome and make their arrival as straightforward as possible.

“Many coach and bus operators have already offered to provide free transport to help Ukrainians travel safely on arrival in the UK. I encourage all who can to participate in this scheme so we can help everyone to get to safety.”

Adds Stagecoach Chief Executive Martin Griffiths: “We are proud to be playing our part in helping people who have been forced to flee from the war in Ukraine by working with DfT to give free travel across our services in England. We have been shaken to see the events occurring in Ukraine and our teams rightly want to play their part in making sure that people can get to safety as quickly as possible.”

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Free bus and train travel advice for refugees

Free bus and train travel advice across Wales for refugees.

• Buses and concessionary travel (Sub-topic) ,
• Community cohesion (Sub-topic) and
• Ukraine (Sub-topic)

The Welcome Ticket scheme ended on 1 April 2024 and is no longer available. You will now need to pay for travel on bus and train services in Wales.

You may be eligible for one of the free or discounted travel schemes also available if you are: 

• 60 years or over 
• a disabled passenger
• a child or young person 

For further information on these and other discounted travel tickets please see  Traveline Cymru or contact your local bus operator.

For learner transport, further information is available on accessing transport for  statutory school age and  post-16 learners.

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New schemes to help refugees and people from Ukraine integrate into Wales

Cynlluniau newydd i helpu ffoaduriaid a phobl o wcráin i integreiddio yng nghymru.

A new Welcome Ticket will provide refugees and people from Ukraine with free bus travel and they will also receive free entry to Cadw sites across Wales.

The two schemes, which are announced today, underline Wales’ commitment to be a Nation of Sanctuary to people fleeing conflict and abuse around the world.

The Welcome Ticket, which will be available to refugees and people arriving from Ukraine, will cover the majority of bus services running in Wales and builds on the free six-month rail travel pilot, which was announced a few weeks ago.

It provides all eligible people free, unlimited travel on local bus services, including those operating into England where the journey starts or finishes in Wales. The Welcome Ticket scheme will run for six months ending on 30 September 2022

Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters said:

“This free bus scheme – called Welcome Ticket – will be available to all refugees who are already here or are arriving in Wales and will allow unlimited free travel on the majority of local bus services across Wales and those operating to England, if they start or finish in Wales. “This is a major step forward in ensuring refugees and people from Ukraine can travel freely across Wales – it will help them to integrate into Wales and make a positive contribution to our nation. “I want to pay tribute to all those bus companies across Wales for taking part in this scheme – it demonstrates their commitment to making Wales a real nation of sanctuary.”

The Welcome Ticket is a voluntary scheme in which bus companies across Wales can choose to take part in. People will need to show evidence of their eligibility for the scheme, which maybe their passport, visa or biometric residence permit when boarding. They will then be given a Welcome Ticket by the bus driver.

Cadw have also announced their scheme to offer free individual or family entry to all Cadw sites for refugees and those seeking sanctuary in Wales. Visitors to Cadw sites who are refugees, asylum seekers or people from Ukraine will need to show appropriate documentation from the Home Office.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport Dawn Bowden said:

“I’m delighted to see Cadw playing its part in showing what being a Nation of Sanctuary means. “This offer will be in place until 25 October, ensuring all those who come to Wales seeking sanctuary will have the opportunity to view and visit Welsh cultural and heritage sites across the country free of charge.”

Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said:

“We’ve made great strides in delivering on our promise to be a Nation of Sanctuary in Wales. These announcements show this commitment in action. “Being a Nation of Sanctuary means welcoming people to Wales and providing them with help and support to settle into their lives in Wales. We’re very proud we can extend these fantastic schemes to people from Ukraine.” “We firmly believe the skills, experience and resilience of refugees and asylum seekers are an asset to Wales - that’s why we’re proud to extend the welcome and support their ambitions to thrive in Wales. This is what being a Nation of Sanctuary is all about. “We want to ensure that these individuals are supported to rebuild their lives and make a full contribution to Welsh society.”

Notes to editors

Welcome Ticket info:

• The Welcome Ticket is available to refugees and people from Ukraine. For further information about the terms and conditions of the Welcome Ticket scheme, the link is here: https://www.traveline.cymru/uploads/T%26Cs%20Eng.pdf
• To be eligible for a Welcome Ticket, people will need to show evidence of

- A valid passport (Ukrainian refugees only) until processed through the Home Office

- Letter issued by the Home Office

- Biometric British Residence Permit (BRP) marked that someone is a refugee or has HP or Humanitarian Protection

- Anyone else who can present a BRP which does not include those phrases but accompanied by a letter or email which says they have been granted refugee status or Humanitarian protection.

The full list of participating bus operators is here:

Cadw information

• Visitors to Cadw sites that are refugees, asylum seekers or people from Ukraine will need to show their Home Office documentation which could include:

- A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) stating refugee or humanitarian protection status, which may include the words Ukraine or Afghan/Afghanistan

- An asylum registration card

- A Ukraine scheme visa or a Ukrainian passport

- A Home Office letter or email which states the visitor has been granted some form of Leave to Enter or Remain or is awaiting the outcome of their asylum application.

Free entry to charging Cadw sites is available to qualifying Wales and UK residents via the long standing Cadw self-led visits offer, which supports learners, people with complex needs and people who support their local communities through time giving.

Cadw also provides free entry for disabled people and their companions and discounted entry for children, students, members of the armed forces, veterans and older people.

A Border Runs Through Their Families. Now It’s a Front Line.

In northeastern Ukraine, and in the part of Russia it touches, the war strains the emotions of people with relatives, and family histories, that span both sides.

Emergency responders evacuated a woman who had multiple shrapnel wounds, in the center of the Russian town of Shebekino. She died several days later from her injuries. Credit...

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By Valerie Hopkins

Photographs by Nanna Heitmann

Valerie Hopkins and Nanna Heitmann reported from Shebekino and Grayvoron, Russian towns just a few miles from the border with Ukraine.

• May 29, 2024

When Valentina’s small town in Russia came under heavy bombardment in March by Ukrainian forces, her daughter Alla, who lives a short distance across the border near Kharkiv, would text her mother to make sure she was all right.

Now that Kharkiv and its surrounding region are under heavy attack by Russia, it’s Valentina who is checking with her daughter to make sure that everything is fine. The regular check-ins have continued as fighting intensified across the new front Russia opened this month.

“So she’s calling me asking, ‘Mom, how is it there? It’s so loud here. I think there’s something heading your way from our direction. Mom, be careful!’” said Valentina, a dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen who did not want to give her full name out of fear of repercussions for both herself and her daughter in Ukraine.

“I say ‘OK, daughter, OK, it’s all right. How are you doing?’”

Similar conversations are taking place all along the border region now caught up in Russia’s advance on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Life in these areas is not just physically dangerous, it can be emotionally jarring, as sympathies are tested by family bonds that reach across the border.

Like many living in the border regions, Valentina grew up in Ukraine before moving to the Russian town of Grayvoron, six miles over the border, in 1989 to do business. The opposite holds true as well; people who grew up on the Russian side of the border moved to Kharkiv to study, work and marry.

With relatives in both Moscow and Ukraine, Valentina is one of many locals who feels pain for the civilian casualties on both sides; she said she wants the war to end as soon as possible, sparing lives and also Kharkiv, which she said was a “stunning, beautiful city.”

Across Russia’s vast expanses, the war its army is waging in Ukraine is an abstraction for most people. But in border towns like Grayvoron and Shebekino farther to the east, it is painfully intimate.

“I have the impression that this war is not some broader war, but a war that is happening in the border zones,” said Valentina, who hid in a storage closet near her stall in a local market during the attack in March, even as explosions blew the metal door off its hinges.

From the southern part of Shebekino, you can hear the constant thuds of outgoing artillery, and see the smoke rising across the border in the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk, 10 miles away.

“Everyone has people they care about there,” said a woman named Tamara, 66, with a slight tilt of the head toward Ukraine. “All of my childhood friends and neighbors live in Volchansk,” she said, using the Russian name for the town. Like Valentina and others interviewed, she agreed to talk using only her first name, for fear of retribution.

In the past, she said, she went to Vovchansk every weekend, to buy cheaper goods, especially sausages, at the markets there and visit friends.

“Before, we all lived like one family.”

For many residents of Shebekino, this is the second time in a year they are dealing with regular bombardment. Late last May, the town and its prewar population of 40,000 were pelted with artillery for weeks, and when it was evacuated in early June, many homes and apartment complexes had been severely damaged.

Much of the damage has been repaired, and a significant portion of the population returned home. Many are determined to stay this time, especially because the closest city, Belgorod, has become increasingly dangerous.

On a recent Sunday, parishioners of the Saint Nicholas Ratnoy Orthodox church in Shebekino, several miles from the border, shared cake and coffee as explosions cracked in the distance.

“Here in the border regions, we are just so strongly mixed up, inextricably tied together,” said Father Vyacheslav, the leader of the church. His wife had almost half of her family in Ukraine, he said.

“Moscow has a special prayer for victory,” said Father Vyacheslav. “Our prayers are more about peace. For us, it’s more important.”

While some of Father Vyacheslav’s parishioners have died fighting in the Russian army, and one is in a coma, some others oppose the war.

“It’s actually so painful for me, because my niece lives in Kharkiv,” said one parishioner, Mikhail, 63. “We text each other and ask, ‘Are you all right today after the shelling?’ We understand one another.”

Mikhail, an ethnic Russian, grew up in Chechnya, the Caucasus region that descended into brutal wars in the 1990s and 2000s. His parents moved to Kharkiv, while he settled in Shebekino. They were a simple car or commuter train ride apart.

His background, he said, made him deeply against the war in Ukraine.

“Many relatives here have become enemies,” he said. “Over there, a relative will say, ‘You are shooting at us,’ and the same thing is happening on this side. There’s a deep lack of mutual understanding.”

Still, others are actively cheering on the Russian soldiers.

“I hope our boys take Kharkiv, so we can have some peace around here,” said Elena Lutseva, 60, who lives across the street from the church. She was among 1,500 or so residents who never evacuated last year, determined to take care of her goats and cats, and help more infirm residents.

Ms. Lutseva, whose mother came from Ukraine, parroted the Kremlin’s false narrative that Ukraine was run by Nazis and needed regime change. But she acknowledged that among her acquaintances in Shebekino, opinions on the war were split about evenly between pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine.

At a concrete-reinforced bus stop near the city’s market, mostly shuttered except for stalls selling military equipment, Tatiana vaped outside with some colleagues. She wore a camouflage military-style jacket and said she had many friends among the Russian soldiers. And she said that she stopped communicating with her aunt in Kharkiv, who opposed the Russian invasion.

“My uncle, who is there, was wounded,” Tatiana, 19, said, referring to the Kharkiv region. “Later, we started collecting help for our fighters and my aunt started writing nasty things about them.”

They exchanged bitter messages, and they no longer speak, she said. Tatiana expressed confidence that Russian soldiers don’t attack innocent civilians — despite ample evidence to the contrary provided by humanitarian groups, foreign news outlets and independent Russian media. “No, I’ll never believe it. I would never believe ours would do that,” she said.

Later that day, several loud booms reverberated through Shebekino. Many locals sitting in a cafe off the central square barely batted an eyelash, having grown accustomed to the regular intrusions of air-raid sirens, and drone and artillery attacks.

In the span of a few minutes, the windows of a hospital, a dormitory, and a Soviet-era apartment building had been shattered. Once the air alarm had passed, emergency responders were evacuating a woman with multiple shrapnel wounds as her relatives looked on in horror. She later died from her injuries. Residents gaped at cars whose windows had been blown out or gashed by shrapnel.

Still, the damage to Shebekino pales in comparison with that of Vovchansk, which had a prewar population of 17,000 but has now come to resemble other towns utterly destroyed by Russian assaults. Kharkiv itself has been pounded by glide bombs that can deliver hundreds of kilograms of explosives — most recently, a strike at a hardware superstore that killed at least 12 people.

Back in Grayvoron, Valentina was reminiscing about how she could visit her daughter and grandkids in Ukraine in exactly an hour by car. That was before the borders closed due to Covid and then the war. She still speaks fondly of her friends and neighbors there.

But while she has soured on President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine — she initially supported him because of his promises to repair Kyiv’s relationship with Moscow — she can’t shake the feeling that her relatives in Ukraine understand the war in a way the ones in Moscow don’t.

She mentioned the brutal attack by followers of the Islamic State at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow on March 22 that killed more than 140 people. Her relatives in Moscow called her, expressing shock and horror. But it occurred while Grayvoron was under heavy fire, shortly after the local market was hit.

“When they called me in so much pain about Crocus, I said ‘Forgive me, but we have Crocus here every single day.’” she said. “I feel sorry for people, but I can’t tell you that I’m really devastated, because I live here.”

Valerie Hopkins covers the war in Ukraine and how the conflict is changing Russia, Ukraine, Europe and the United States. She is based in Moscow. More about Valerie Hopkins

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

President Biden observed the 80th anniversary of D-Day on the beaches of Normandy by asserting that the allied effort to stand up to Russia  is a direct extension of the battle for freedom that raged across Europe during World War II.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia warned that Western nations supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles and allowing them to be used to attack inside Russia could prompt Moscow to reciprocate against Western targets .

The decision by the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia  with American-made weapons fulfills a long-held wish by officials in Kyiv  that they claimed was essential to level the playing field.

Zelensky Interview: In an interview with The New York Times, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine challenged the West  over its reluctance to take bolder action.

Tug of War:  Fueled in part by the Ukraine war, tensions have been mounting in former Soviet states like Georgia and Moldova , pitting those favoring closer relations with Russia against those orientated more toward Europe.

Fleeing a War Zone: A 98-year-old Ukrainian grandmother stumbled past corpses and bomb craters  to escape Russia’s attacks.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

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Biden calls for solidarity with ukraine at d-day anniversary ceremony near the beaches of normandy.

Zeke Miller And Chris Megerian

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

French President Emmanuel Macron, 2nd left, his wife Brigitte Macron, left, and US President Joe Biden, center right, and first lady Jill Biden attend a ceremony together with World War II veterans at an US cemetery near Colleville-sur-Mer Normandy, Thursday, June 6, 2024. World War II veterans from across the United States as well as Britain and Canada are in Normandy this week to mark 80 years since the D-Day landings that helped lead to Hitler's defeat. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER – President Joe Biden marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday by pledging “we will not walk away” from Ukraine, drawing a direct line from the fight to liberate Europe from Nazi domination to today's war against Russian aggression.

“To surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators, is simply unthinkable,” he said during a ceremony at the American cemetery in Normandy. "If we were to do that, it means we'd be forgetting what happened here on these hallowed beaches."

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D-Day was the largest amphibious assault in history, and Biden called it a “powerful illustration of how alliances, real alliances make us stronger.” He said that was “a lesson that I pray we Americans never forget."

The comment by the Democratic president was a reminder that American commitments around the globe hang in the balance during this year's U.S. election. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has said he would not defend European allies that are “delinquent” in their own security spending.

The possibility of Trump's return to the White House has left many of the continent's leaders fearful that transatlantic unity, which was sealed in blood on D-Day and strengthened in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, could fray or even rupture.

Trump has expressed little enthusiasm for Ukraine's defense, criticizing the “endless flow of American treasure" and calling for Europe to shoulder more of the burden. He has also voiced admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump shared his own D-Day anniversary message on social media, praising U.S. soldiers as “immortal heroes.” He was silent on the country's alliances.

Concerns about American reliability extend beyond Trump. Biden struggled to secure bipartisan congressional approval for U.S. military assistance for Ukraine, and months of delay contributed to Russian advances on the battlefield.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenkyy was in Normandy for anniversary events on Thursday and is expected to sit down with Biden in Paris on Friday. It will be their first meeting since Biden signed legislation with new money for Ukraine's defense, and Zelenskyy has continued to push for faster and more aggressive U.S. support.

One such step took place recently, when Biden eased limitations on how Ukraine can use American weapons, allowing for some strikes into Russia in order to defend Kharkiv, a city near the border between the two countries.

Putin reacted angrily , saying he is prepared to use nuclear weapons to protect Russian sovereignty and suggesting that he could provide Russian weapons to those willing to strike Western targets.

The war and persistent threats of escalation were an ominous backdrop to the D-Day ceremony, and Biden warned that "democracy is more at risk across the world than any point since the end of World War II.”

While paying tribute to the American troops that stormed Normandy's beaches on June 6, 1944, Biden said “let us be worthy of their sacrifice.”

“We must remember that the fact that they were heroes here that day does not absolve us of what we have to do today," he said. "Democracy is never guaranteed. Every generation must preserve it, defend it and fight for it. That’s the test of the ages.”

Biden also highlighted "hundreds of thousands of people of color and women who courageously served despite unjust limitation on what they could do for their nation."

Before the ceremony, Biden and first lady Jill Biden met with more than two dozen American veterans near Omaha Beach, where the fiercest D-Day fighting took place. Those who could stand were helped out of wheelchairs to pose for photos. Most shook hands with Biden or saluted; one hugged him.

Biden told a veteran that “you saved the world.” The president led the audience in singing happy birthday to another. Steve Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the Hollywood heavyweights behind movies and television shows about World War II, were nearby.

When Army veteran Robert Gibson approached, the first lady clutched his arm to help him stand next to the president as they shook hands.

“Don’t get old,” the 100-year-old man from New Jersey joked to the 81-year-old president, who was a toddler on D-Day.

This anniversary of the invasion is a particularly somber one because it will be among the last with living veterans. The youngest survivors are in their late 90s. Biden met one veteran who is 104.

In an interview with The Associated Press a few days ago, Gibson described himself as “living on borrowed time.”

He was part of the second wave of troops that landed on Utah Beach. Gibson said he expected this year would be the last anniversary ceremony that he could attend, but he was pleased to be back one more time.

“I want to see the beach again,” he said.

At the end of his visit to the American cemetery, Biden paused in front of the grave of John S. Greenfield , an Army private first class from Delaware. Greenfield landed at Omaha Beach with the 115th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division.

As his regiment fought inland, Greenfield was killed during a German ambush, 10 days after D-Day. Greenfield’s family learned of his death when a package of cigarettes that has been mailed to him as a gift was returned undelivered, according to the Wilmington Morning News. The word “deceased” had been written over his name.

Standing at Greenfield's grave, Biden made the sign of the cross and touched the letters engraved on the white marble headstone.

Megerian reported from Paris.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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