Kent County Council is backing discounted Stagecoach fares and extra Go Bus journeys across the county from August to early September 2026, targeting festivals, coastal trips and attractions.
Kent County Council is supporting a run of cut-price bus deals this summer — flat fares as low as £2 on routes serving Thanet, Deal and Swale, and a £5 day ticket covering four Folkestone and Hythe routes throughout August. The offers, run in partnership with Stagecoach and Go Bus, are aimed squarely at getting more people onto buses and fewer cars clogging Kent’s roads during the peak holiday period.
Spencer Dixon, KCC’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Summer is a great time to explore Kent, and we want travel to be as affordable and convenient as possible. These discounted fares will help residents and visitors reach festivals, attractions and coastal destinations across the county while supporting our wider ambition to encourage more people to use public transport and reduce congestion on Kent’s roads.”
The Thanet Loop gets a £2 flat single fare on all journeys throughout August. In Folkestone and Hythe, a £5 Day Ticket covers Stagecoach routes 102, 103, 104 and 105 for the whole month — handy if you’re making a proper day of it along the coast.
Two of the deals are tied to specific events. The X3 in Swale drops to a £2 flat fare on 5 and 6 September 2026, lined up with the Hop Festival. The Deal Town Network offers the same £2 flat fare for any journey starting and finishing in Deal between 28 and 30 August 2026, timed to coincide with the Deal Food and Drink Festival.
Go Bus, meanwhile, is adding extra Saturday and Sunday journeys on services 1 and 401 from Sevenoaks and Tonbridge and Malling to Chartwell throughout August and September. The extra services will improve weekend access to the National Trust property.
Key information
- Thanet Loop: £2 flat single fare, all journeys, throughout August
- Folkestone and Hythe (routes 102, 103, 104, 105): £5 Day Ticket, throughout August
- Swale X3: £2 flat fare on 5–6 September 2026 (Hop Festival)
- Deal Town Network: £2 flat fare for journeys starting and finishing in Deal, 28–30 August 2026 (Deal Food and Drink Festival)
- Chartwell (Go Bus services 1 and 401): extra Saturday and Sunday journeys from Sevenoaks and Tonbridge and Malling throughout August and September — visit the GoBus website for timetable details
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