What you need to know
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.
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.
Where to go
If you travel regularly there are bus and train passes that you can use for multiple journeys that may make the travel cheaper. Find out more:
West Yorkshire Metro
Tickets & Passes
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 including timetables, route maps, locations of bus stops and fares / ticket prices. It covers bus travel to Leeds, Bradford, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Wakefield.
Find out where to catch your bus in the city centre:
Map of City Centre Bus Stops
Find out where buses go outside the city centre:
Map of Where Buses Go Outside of the City Centre
If you are not sure of the right bus to catch, you can check with other passengers waiting at the bus stop or with the driver that the 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.
To stop a bus you must stand with your hand out to show the driver you want them to stop.
Leeds bus station
The main bus station is on York Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 7HU.
Many of the buses that travel to and from Leeds city centre stop at the main station, but not all of them do, 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.
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.
Bus tickets
You buy bus tickets from the driver when you get on board the bus. Keep your ticket safe for the entire journey as sometimes there will be a conductor on board who will want to check you have a ticket.
There are cheaper options for children, students and older people. If you will be making lots of journeys or travelling 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.
Train
Leeds Train Station is the main train station in Leeds city centre is on New Station St, Leeds LS1 4DY and has several entrances, including 2 opposite City Square (look for the Queen’s Hotel). It is a few minutes walk from the main shopping area. 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.
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:
The website also includes a useful map of the Leeds Train Station and where to find the facilities and platforms:
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:
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 and 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 a find out times and routes online on the National Rail and Trainline websites.
Train tickets are much cheaper if you buy them in advance
If you know when you want to travel it is much cheaper to buy tickets before you need them or “in advance”.
For example if you buy a ticket to London from Leeds that you use today, and which you can use to return at any time in the next month, it will cost you £254.
If you are careful about the days and times you want to travel, and book them in advance you can get this price down to £44 (by buying two single fares of £22).
However, you can only use these tickets on very specific trains, and if your journey plans change, you will have to buy full price tickets.
You can also buy tickets and get travel advice in the station.
