How to get to your COVID-19 vaccination appointment

Whether your vaccine appointment is at one of the region's vaccination centres, hospital hubs or local vaccination clinics, getting there couldn't be easier with us.

We run a wide range of frequent buses across the region, including three shuttle bus services which have improved access to the Nightingale Hospital vaccination centre. We've introduced a dedicated bus stop outside the Centre for Life vaccination centre in Newcastle.

If you're a concessionary pass holder in Tyne and Wear or County Durham, you can also travel free before 9.30am if you have an appointment – all you need to do is show your letter, e-mail or text message with your pass when you board the bus.

How to get to the Nightingale Hospital North East vaccination centre

We have three vaccination centre shuttle buses operating to Nightingale Hospital vaccination centre in Washington, providing great connections with local buses and the Tyne & Wear Metro.

These shuttle bus services are all free to use, but if you're an existing ticket holder please just scan your ticket as you usually would.

• ConnectorShuttle – this service runs up to every 15 minutes from Concord, seven days a week, and connects with our Cityrider 56 and many other services, offering frequent connections from across the region. View our map below.
• MetroShuttle – this service runs up to every 15 minutes from Heworth Interchange, seven days a week, and provides a connection from the Tyne & Wear Metro, and other local bus services.
• SunderlandShuttle – this service runs up to every 20 minutes, providing a direct link from Sunderland, Pallion, Hylton Retail Park and Castletown, seven days a week.

Our 50 service also stops at Nightingale Hospital on its route between Durham and South Shields. The hospital is the stop after the Nissan factory if you're heading towards South Shields, or the stop before Nissan if you're heading towards Durham.

How to get to the Centre for Life vaccination centre

To improve access even further, we've introduced a dedicated bus stop right outside Centre for Life. The following services serve Clayton Street West when heading into Newcastle and the new dedicated bus stop when leaving Newcastle.

• Services 6 & 6A – which serve Stanley, Annfield Plain, Dipton, Burnopfield, Flint Hill, Sunniside, Whickham, Metrocentre and Newcastle City Centre.
• Tyne Valley Ten 10, 10A & 10B – which serve Hexham, Corbridge, Prudhoe, Blackhall Mill, Crawcrook, Ryton, Blaydon, Metrocentre and Newcastle City Centre.
• Services 12 & 12A – which serve Winlaton, Blaydon and Newcastle City Centre.
• X-lines X30 – which serves Consett, Greencroft, Catchgate, Annfield Plain, Stanley, Sunniside, Whickham, Dunston and Newcastle City Centre.
• X-lines X45 & X47 – which serve Consett, Blackhill, Shotley Bridge, Ebchester, Blackhall Mill, Chopwell, High Spen, Rowlands Gill, Swalwell, Metocentre and Newcastle City Centre.
• Voltra 53 & 54 – which serve areas across Gateshead including Coatsworth Road, Saltwell Park and Saltwell Road, as well as Newcastle City Centre.
• Green Arrow 97 – which serves Gateshead, Lobley Hill, Whickham, Swalwell Estate, Metrocentre and Newcastle City Centre.

Our Quaylink Q1 and Q2 services also stop at Central Station, which is just a short walk away.

Hospital hubs and local vaccination clinics

Across the region, there are also a number of hospital hubs and local vaccination clinics that are accessible with us.

Once you have your appointment, simply use our journey planner and you will be on your way in no time at all.

Journey planner

If you're still unsure how to get to your appointment you can use our handy journey planner – just select the relevant link below.

• Plan your journey to Nightingale Hospital vaccination centre
• Plan your journey to Centre for Life vaccination centre
• Plan your journey to your hospital hub or local vaccination clinic

Capacity checking tools

You can also check how quiet your bus is going to be with our capacity checking tools.

• When2Travel – this is our dynamic predication engine that forecasts which journeys will be quieter, or busier, when and where, up to two weeks in advance.
• How many seats – you can then use this tool on the day to check live data whilst you're at the bus stop or waiting to set off from home to see how many seats are left on your bus in real-time. It'll also show if the bus is a single or double-decker, what colour it is, and what features it has, such as free Wi-Fi and USB charging.