12 Travel Hacks for Tyne and Wear Metro
Traffic, city centre car park charges and the cost of fuel... If you’re already using Metro, you’re avoiding those headaches and pay-cheque pinchers, but are you getting the most value out of your Metro journeys?
Metro has been working with some North East content creators to uncover some simple tips and #MetroTravelHacks to help you squeeze extra value out of your journeys, from not waiting on platforms and skipping the queues at ticket machines, to the cheapest ticket options to keep your money in your own pocket:
- Take the kids for free
- Start saving with Pop Pay As You Go
- Pay with your Android phone
- Stop missing the Metro, download the Pop App
- £1.20 for all day park
- Under 22? Get around for a £1 on Metro
- Travel for free to the theatre
- Protect your balance, register your card
- Save with combined bus and Metro tickets
- Commuters can get unlimited Metro travel for £1.74 a day
- Date ideas and inspiration for family days out: find out What’s On
- Need a lift? Skip the queues at the busy stations with this sneaky hack
Take the kids for free
Did you know that up to three children, aged under 11, can travel for free on Metro, as long as they are accompanied by a fare paying adult?
Family content creators, The Calvert Clan, took advantage of this offer as well as the free entry offered at many museums and attractions in Tyne and Wear for a free day out for the kids, saving up to £3.60 (3 x Child DaySaver Tickets) on Child fare tickets.
Start saving with Pop Pay As You Go
Are you still using paper day and single tickets? If you’re aged 22+, you’ll save up to £1.35 a day by switching to a Pop Pay As You Go card (PAYG).
Infrequent Metro user, Karolina (ScranWithSmok) uses a Pop Pay As You Go card, which saves her money compared to paper tickets, but uses a weekly season ticket for even more value when she plans to use the Metro a bit more.
The card itself is free, but has to be purchased with a minimum of £5 credit – which is loaded onto your card to use on your travel when it arrives in the post.
Find out more and order your card on the Nexus website.
Pay with your Android phone
Have you got an Android phone with Google Pay?
You can now add a Pop Pay As You Go card onto your Google Wallet and tap to pay for your journey with your Android phone.
Android using content creator, Gemma (GemmasLittleWorld) shows how easy it is to add your Pop Pay As You Go card onto your Google Wallet, and tap on and off the Metro with your phone.
Stop missing the Metro, download the Pop App
The Pop App for Metro includes loads of features to help you find your nearest station, plan your journey, and check the timetable. But did you know it can also tell you when the next train will be… in real time?
With the real-time updates feature, you can plan your journey and spend your time the way you want to, with your feet up, or grabbing coffee on the way to the station instead of waiting on the platform.
Get the Pop App by searching for 'Metro Pop' in Play Store or the App Store, or visit the Nexus website for more information.
£1.20 for all day parking
Yes, that’s correct. If you’re parking in the city centre, you could be saving a pretty penny by parking at a Metro station, and hopping on Metro instead.
Gemma (GemmasLittleWorld) took to the roads to explore this money-saving travel hack. Parking at Kingston Park for £1.20 all day, she used her Pop Pay As You Go card to travel into Newcastle for £3.85 return. That’s just £5.05, at least half the price of some city centre car parks, plus you avoid the most congested part of your drive.
There is car parking information on the Nexus website and the Pop App.
Under 22? Get around from £1 on Metro
If you’re aged 16-21, a Pop Blue card is your pass to cheaper Metro fares – just £1 for a single journey or £2.20 for unlimited all-day Metro travel.
Mia Williams (MiaWilliams) took to TikTok to share her experience with ordering and using Pop Blue on Metro as a young person in the North East.
Order your card online, check and top up your balance at any ticket machine, and tap your card on the gates and validators at the start and end of your journey to pay as you go.
Find out more and order your card on the Nexus website.
@miawilliamms The best life hack for students in the North East🚊 @Tyne & Wear Metro #ad #metrotravelhack #studentlifehack #moneysavinghacks ♬ original sound - Mia | Student Diary🤍
Travel for free to the theatre
Did you know that if you’re going to the theatre, you can travel for free on Metro?
Valid theatre tickets qualify for free travel on Metro up to two hours before and after your show, as long as you’re going to Theatre Royal, The Glasshouse, The Customs House, Playhouse Whitley Bay, or the Sunderland Empire.
Olivia Giles (aaandeat) hopped on Metro for free when she went to the Theatre Royal, showing her valid theatre ticket to the Customer Service Advisors at the Metro gateline. Without driving, she was able to let her hair down and had a cheeky drink at the interval.
The offer is also valid on the Shields Ferry, and means you can make the most of your night and not have to worry about parking. Bravo!
You can find more Metro offers and terms and conditions on the ‘offers’ section of the Nexus website.
Protect your balance, register your card
In the words of Olivia (aaandeat), if you ordered a Pop card online, then this #TravelHack is not for you - your card is registered to your account and your balance is secure.
If your card is registered online, then it is linked to your account. That means if you lose your card, you can request a new one, and any existing balance will be transferred to your new card.
Register your card online on the Nexus website to protect your balance in case you lose your card.
Once your card is registered, you can also top up your card online and avoid queuing up at the ticket machines. Smart!
Save with combined bus and Metro tickets
Do you use the bus and Metro on your journey? If so, you could save money by purchasing a multi-modal ticket.
You can purchase the multi-modal tickets at Metro ticket machines, and save on your fares.
The Network One Day Rover Ticket allows you to hop on and off Tyne and Wear buses, Metro and the Shields Ferry for just £6 a day. For £6.80, you can get buses across the whole of Country Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, plus Metro, Shields Ferry and Northern train services between Blaydon and Sunderland.
Mia (MiaWilliams) used the Under 21 DaySaver, which gives a full day pass to use on the buses, Metro and Shields Ferry for just £3 in the North East.
@miawilliamms #ad @Tyne & Wear Metro Under 21 Day Saver travel hack changed my life! #northeast #newcastle #newcastlestudent #MetroTravelHack ♬ Lil Boo Thang - Paul Russell
Commuters can get unlimited Metro travel for £1.74 a day
That’s how much it works out for a Corporate Metro card.
The Corporate Metro card is an annual season ticket, which gives you unlimited Metro travel for the year. The card is purchased by your employer and then they can deduct if from your salary each month before tax.
The corporate Metro card is valid every day, including weekends, so it works out as a really cost effective way to travel if you use the Metro a lot.
Find out more about the Corporate Metro card on the Nexus website and ask your employer if they offer the Corporate card scheme.
Karolina (ScranWithSmok) explored the benefits of the Corporate card for regular commuters on TikTok and Instagram.
@scranwithsmok 📍 Nexus Metro, Tyne and Wear {AD} If you get the metro to work, you might want to look at getting a Corporate Pop Card which works out so much cheaper than any other tickets! You can save up to 60% per day which this card which is amazing. Your employer would need to purchase the ticket for you and it can then come off your salary before tax. 🚊 . . . #metrotravelhack #metro #nexus #ad #corporatepopcard #worktravel #northeasttravel #newcastleblogger #northeastblogger #tyneandwear #tyneandweartravel #traveltiktok #fyp ♬ Glowing Sea - Muspace Lofi
Date ideas and inspiration for family days out: find out What's On
TheCalvertClan, shared the hack for parents who struggle to keep coming up with fun and exciting things to keep the family entertained. Metro’s 'What’s On' weekly newsletter shares inspiration and things to do for the whole family across Tyne and Wear, all accessible by Metro.
It’s not just for families with children, there are also great ideas for adults, including cultural experiences and date inspiration.
Sign up to the mailing list at nexus.org.uk/metro/newsletter
Need a lift? Skip the queues at the busy stations with this sneaky hack
If you’re travelling into Newcastle city centre with a pram, Monument station can get really busy and you might find yourself queueing for a lift.
You can avoid the congestion and queues by getting off Metro at Haymarket. This station is a lot less crowded and is just 500m away from Grey’s Monument.
Motherhood content creators, TaleOfTwoMummys, shared their journey to Haymarket, which is ideal for nipping into the city for some Northumberland Street shopping.