Which bus goes from Fareham to Gosport?

First Bus lists routes 5, 9 and the Eclipse E1 and E2 as Fareham to Gosport. Check the timetable for the day you travel.

Which bus goes to Whiteley?

Routes 28 and 28A are listed by First Bus as Fareham to Whiteley.

Is there still a £3 bus fare cap?

GOV.UK says the £3 cap runs until the end of March 2027, with a £2 cap announced from 1 January 2027 for the rest of that year.

How do I get a bus pass?

At State Pension age you apply through Hampshire County Council. Check its website for the current rules.

Fareham Buses: Routes, Fares, Bus Passes

Which buses serve Fareham?

Most local bus services around Fareham are run by First Bus, whose Portsmouth, Fareham and Gosport network is listed on the First Bus timetables page. The page showed timetables valid from 13 September 2026 until further notice as shown on 5 October 2026. This guide covers the First Bus routes only; Hampshire County Council's transport pages are the place to look for anything else.

Which routes go from Fareham, and where do they go?

Every route below is shown on First Bus's own timetable pages with the description given. The Eclipse busway services are E1 and E2, listed as Fareham to Gosport. First Bus's service notice for 31 August 2025 describes them as running via Brockhurst, and a Solent reliability notice from early 2025 describes Eclipse as the busway service. Check the live timetable for the current frequency, as both notices are older than this guide.

Routes 5 and 9 are both listed as Fareham to Gosport, and the August 2025 notice describes the 9 and 9A as running via Bridgemary and Rowner. Route 11 is listed as Fareham to Alverstoke. Route 3 is listed as Fareham to Southsea, and route X3 as Fareham to Portsmouth. The same timetable pages also list X4 and X5 as Southampton to Portsmouth services, so use the timetable to see exactly where they stop before relying on them from Fareham.

Closer to home, route 21 is listed as Fareham to Hill Head, and routes F1 and F2 as Fareham to Highlands, with F1 ending at Thorni Avenue and F2 at Nashe Way. Routes 28 and 28A are listed as Fareham to Whiteley. The August 2025 notice says they serve Locks Heath and Whiteley and include a loop through the North Whiteley development. The same notice says route 20, Fareham to Wickham, was withdrawn when its funding stopped, and it does not appear in the current list.

Route numbers, stops and timings do change, as the 2025 notices above show. Treat this section as a guide to what exists and look up the live timetable for the day you travel.

How much do bus fares cost in Fareham?

There are two layers: the national single-fare cap and First Bus's own day and weekly prices.

On the national cap, the government announcement on GOV.UK says single fares have been capped at £3 until the end of March 2027, and that the cap will drop to £2 from 1 January 2027 for the rest of that year. The £3 limit applies to single fares on participating local services, so it does not cover every ticket type. Check GOV.UK for the latest position before assuming a fare will fall on a given date.

First Bus's Tap On Tap Off page gives caps by zone. As published in October 2026, the Fareham and Gosport zone has a daily cap of £6.40 and a weekly cap of £24. The Portsmouth zone is £5.40 a day and £21 a week, and the wider Hampshire zone is £8.50 a day and £30 a week. The page also describes monthly caps over 28 days. Prices change, so confirm the figure on the page before you travel.

How do I pay: contactless, app or cash?

With Tap On Tap Off you tap a contactless card or phone on the driver's ticket machine when you board and tap the same card when you leave. First Bus says you must tap off with the same card to get the best fare, and that no paper ticket is issued. Charges are processed at the end of the day and grouped into a single payment, and you can see them through the First Bus payments portal. For how to buy tickets in the First Bus app, see the tickets section of its site.

Can I get a free bus pass in Fareham?

Free off-peak travel for older people is run through your local council. GOV.UK says that in England you can get an older person's bus pass at State Pension age, and you apply through your local council using its postcode lookup. Fareham is in Hampshire, so the application goes to Hampshire County Council. The hours the pass is valid and the documents you need are set by the council, so check Hampshire County Council's transport pages before you apply.

Where can I check for disruption?

First Bus has listed temporary stop closures for road works in the Fareham area, including Beaulieu Avenue on Portchester Road for services 3, X3, X4 and X5 until 9 October 2026, and North Hill on Wickham Road for service SD4 until 19 February 2027. Check the First Bus service updates before you travel. Rail replacement buses are sometimes needed between Fareham and Portsmouth Harbour, and the weekend of 3 and 4 October 2026 was one such case according to National Rail. If you are comparing bus and train, see our train stations guide and Fareham Market Station guide. For driving instead, read the M27 commuting guide and town centre parking guide.

Fareham Buses: Routes, Fares and Bus Passes Explained