Free bus travel for children in August 2026: Last chance to claim free rides before scheme ends

Parents in England have just a few days to take advantage of the free bus travel for children that has been running over the summer holidays.

The scheme allows kids aged 5 to 15 to travel without paying for a ticket throughout August 2026.

Every child can travel free on participating local buses - there is no registration required or fares to pay and claim back.

The government committed more than £100 million to fund the scheme.

And the coming Bank Holiday is a great opportunity to head on a day out and make some savings before the offer finishes on 31 August.

Where can children get free bus travel?

Children aged 5 to 15 can travel free on eligible local bus services across England until 31 August 2026 as part of the Government's Summer Bus Fare Offer.

But not every bus route is included, so definitely check before you set off.

The Department for Transport has published a region-by-region list of participating bus companies and routes, covering:

• East Midlands

• East of England

• North East

• North West

• South East

• South West

• West Midlands

• Yorkshire and the Humber

You can check the official list to see whether your local bus route is included. The list also shows routes that are excluded from the scheme.

How does the free bus travel scheme work?

Children aged 5 to 15 can simply get on any participating bus without paying a fare, with no bus pass, no app and no prior registration needed.

Under-5s do not need a fare on most bus services, so the scheme is most relevant for children aged 5 to 15.

So if you have very young children they will also travel for free.

The scheme is part of the government's Great British Summer Savings initiative, which is a package of measures to help households manage the cost of living pressures over the summer holidays.

A family heading on a day out could save a decent whack depending on how far they are travelling through the scheme.

Other Great British Summer Savings you can use before 1 September

The free bus travel offer isn't the only way families can save money over the August Bank Holiday.

You can team it up and head to a venue taking part in the Government's Great British Summer Savings scheme also temporarily cut VAT on children's meals and a range of family days out until 1 September.

It means that ticket prices at attractions are cheaper and feeding kids also comes at a discount.

As a result, a family of four could save £20 on a theme park ticket, £17 on a wildlife park visit, £11 on an aquarium trip or £9 on a family trip to the circus.

Kids eat free deals to use before September

There are also plenty of kids eat free deals running until the end of the summer holidays, with some offers available until 1 September and over the August bank holiday weekend.

For example, at ASK Italian children can eat free at participating restaurants when an adult buys a main course, with the offer running until 6 September 2026 through the ASK Perks app.

And Tesco has also extended its Kids Eat Free deal to weekends over the summer holidays so you can use it during the August Bank Holiday

As part of the deal, children can choose from a free breakfast, hot meal classics such as chicken nuggets or the Pick 'n' Mix deal which includes a variety of sandwiches to choose from.

An adult just need to buys a full-price item from the menu and scans a Clubcard, this can be something as small as a piece of fruit for 60p.

The Bella Italia Kids Eat Free offer runs every day until 1 September 2026.

Children can tuck into a three-course meal and a drink, choosing from the kids' menu, when an adult orders a main.