Fares

Note: all bus fares increasing again from 12 April 2026, see fare increases. This page reflects the new fare structure.

Fares became cheaper after the start of Bus Fares Pilot negotiated between Cornwall Council and the bus operators and funded by a large subsidy of £23 million from central government and implemented in 2022; secondly, in 2023 the government funded a £2 maximum single fare. However, the money from the Bus Fares Pilot has now all gone and the government funded single fare cap price increased to £3 from 1 January 2025. By 2026, all fares (except for very long journeys) are now more expensive than they were before the Bus Fares Pilot.

All tickets can be used on any operator’s buses across Cornwall (except St Ives Buses).

Tickets can be purchased in a number of ways:
From the driver by cash or by contactless card or smartphone
Using one of the bus operator’s apps - mobile tickets or m-tickets
Tap on and tap off (also known as tap and cap)
Note however that not all options for paying are available for all tickets. Details are below.

Adults or under 19
Adult fares are charged for persons 19 years and older. Under 19 fares are generally charged for persons up to and including 18 years of age (exception 4 week passes for 16-18 years old). You may be asked for proof of age if requesting an under 19 fare. Prior to the Bus Fares Pilot, child fares were half of the equivalent adult fare. However, now they are close to the adult fare.

Single or return
Single fares: you can purchase a single ticket from the driver using cash, contactless or by using tap and cap. See the page about tap and cap. The maximum single fare cap of £3 applies to all journeys. For “short” journeys (not clearly defined) the single fare has been £2.50. From 12 April 2026, there will be “short” journeys (up to about 2 miles) at £2.50 and “medium” journeys (about 2-4 miles) at £2.80. The equivalent fares for under 19s will be £2.00 or £2.50.

Return fares: as from 1 January 2025, all return fares are double the single fare. There is absolutely no point in buying a return fare rather than buying two singles.

Multi-journey tickets
As an alternative to paying for single tickets each time that you travel, there is a selection of multi-journey tickets, although the selection has been much reduced from 29 September 2024. Gone are the 5-day bundle for all-Cornwall, or town zones or for under-19s; gone also are most of the monthly tickets, although now being resurrected as 4 week subscriptions; also the family all-week ticket has gone.

What we are left with is:

Cornwall All Day: this ticket enables the passenger to travel on an unlimited number of journeys with any operator(s) across Cornwall for one day. From 12 April 2026, the price will be: Adult £10, child (under 19) £6, young person (19-25) £8 (if purchased through the young person scheme).

Cornwall All Week: this ticket enables the passenger to travel on an unlimited number of journeys with any operator(s) across Cornwall for one week, i.e. 7 consecutive days. The prices from 12 April 2026 will be: Adult £40, child (under 19) £24, young person (19-25) £32.

Cornwall All Day family tickets: a family ticket entitles 2 adults plus an unlimited number of children (in this case, children are classified as under 16) to travel on one ticket across Cornwall. These tickets can be purchased from the driver or through a bus operator app. The price from 12 April 2026 will be £20.

Cornwall 4 week subscription: replacing what were monthly tickets will be a 4 week subscription model from 12 April 2026. The prices will be: Adult £140, child (under 16s) £70 rising to £75 from 26 July 2026, 16-18 year olds £75 rising to £85 from 26 July 2026.

Town Zones
For passengers travelling within one town only, there are town zone prices. Although they are called town zones, they include villages in the vicinity of each town. The towns, and the areas around them, covered by this scheme are:
Bodmin including Bodmin community hospital, Dunmere, Carminnow Cross, Bodmin Parkway station
Bude including Stratton, Poughill, Flexbury, Kings Hill, Lynstone, Upton
Camborne including Tuckingmill, Tolvaddon, Pool, Pengeggon, Beacon, Troon, Baripper, Treswithian
Falmouth-Penryn including Budock Water, Swanpool, Mabe Burnthouse, Penryn campus, Flushing
Hayle including Connor Downs, Gwithian, St Erth station, Lelant
Helston including Porthleven, Culdrose, Trewednack, Wendron, Crowntown, Sithney
Launceston including Stourscombe, Dutson, St Stephen, Pennygillam
Liskeard including Liskeard hospital, Morrisons, Liskeard station, Trembraze, Gipsy Lane
Newquay including Quintrell Downs, St Columb Minor, Porth, Trevemper, Treloggan
Penzance including Newlyn, Mousehole, Heamoor, Madron, Gulval, Ludgvan, Long Rock, Crowlas, Marazion, Goldsithney, Roseudgeon, St Hilary
Redruth including Illogan, Lanner, Four Lanes
St Austell including Duporth, Charlestown, Penwithick, Trewoon, Sticker, Polgooth, London Apprentice
St Ives including Lelant, St Erth station, Halsetown, Carbis Bay
Truro including Tresillian, Playing Place, Carnon Downs, Chacewater, Threemilestone, Trispen, St Erme

Town All Day: this ticket enables the passenger to travel on an unlimited number of journeys within the town for one day. Prices from 12 April 2026 will be £7.00 for an adult; £4.50 for U19. The ticket can be purchased from the driver or through a bus operator app.

Town All Week: this ticket enables the passenger to travel on an unlimited number of journeys within the town for one week (7 consecutive days). Prices from 12 April 2026 will be £28.00 for an adult; £18.00 for U19. The ticket can be purchased from the driver or through a bus operator app.

Recommendations
For the very occasional adult passenger, taking a single journey, the simplest is to tap on and tap off for your one journey. You will be charged the single fare for the journey. However, see my latest advice on tap and cap. For persons under 19 years, on short journeys, you should purchase your ticket from the driver, but for longer journeys you will pay the same as an adult and can use tap and cap if more convenient.

Prior to the introduction, then extension, of the maximum single fare and then the increases in prices for the all Cornwall bundle ticket prices, the ticket bundle prices were great value versus paying for each journey individually. Now, however, generally the bundle ticket prices do not stack up unless you are sure that you will be making at least three journeys a day, or if you have a large number of children and purchase the family bundle ticket. For anyone thinking of taking out a 4 week subscription ticket, I would advise being very careful that you monitor the auto renew feature of this ticket and do not get caught out by it renewing when you do not need it. If you do purchase one of these tickets, you are advised to plan ahead and time the 4 weeks for when you will definitely use it most days, then cancel the subscription and start it again when you are again confident that you will again use it most days.

For under 19s, it is probably not worth considering any of the bundle prices. Many under-19s may have a Truro and Penwith College or Callywith College pass making the purchase of these bundle options unnecessary.

For 19-25 year olds who travel on buses at least occasionally, it may be worth looking at the Young Persons option where prices for all day and all week tickets could show savings versus the normal single/return fares. 

For information about how to buy and how to use m-tickets, see Apps.

Concessionary passes
Finally, there are those passengers who have a concessionary pass. For them, all travel on buses wholly within Cornwall is free at all times (excludes Truro park and ride).

Park and ride
Truro park and ride is not included in the all Cornwall ticketing structure. Day tickets for the service can be purchased on the buses or individual day tickets can be purchased through the TfC app. The cost, as from 1 April 2026, is £2.70 for unlimited travel on the park and ride service for one day.

Multi-day ticket bundles can be purchased through the First Bus app. However, be aware of the expiry dates that apply on these bundles. For further information, see park and ride.