Hi, thanks for the info. Yes, nice guy I seem to remember he was helping everyone out at the end too.

And even better if it’s quiet like that 👍

No problem, absolutely fine to disagree but I would dispute your assertion that train journey estimates are often ‘flights of fancy’. The latest data from Network Rail indicates that train punctuality at station stops within 15 minutes of the given time was 98.9% between the period 7 Feb 21 - 5 Feb 2022. Within that same period, only 3% of trains were cancelled. So it’s completely wrong to suggest that journey times on ‘most rail journeys’ are effectively doubled by late departures, delays and cancellations. In my experience, most trains are adequately cleaned although yes some routes/times are probably more affected than others in this respect. Fare comparisons - yes I get that. For Wolves to London the train costs are comparatively good (even when bought on the day) but other routes, yes there can be more of a significant difference. For balance, I tried another National Express route after this from London to Bristol (see my other video for that) and that was a fantastic trip - great coach, price and, because it didn’t stop anywhere, not a bad time either! Hope you can give that video a watch too as it really was a more positive experience than this one. Thanks for the contribution to the debate. All opinions are welcome 😊 All the best, Mark 👍

@@LetsMakeaTrip Not sure that memo reached the rail provider here in the south east. Cancellations led to a 10 mile journey from Redhill to East Croydon taking an hour on Wednesday. I think the point I was trying to make is yes, road travel in theory will always be slower than rail but the cost saving is huge as our railways are massively overpriced and the level of comfort and cleanliness I found in my most recent experience would challenge any rail service.

@@Mithrasboy Talking about East Croydon, I’ve got a video out this week re: a journey I took from Victoria down to Brighton. I must admit, it was a bloody nightmare as I had to change at East Croydon AND Hove. I thought it would be direct! Mind you, the price was excellent - £5 each way. So I think the value is out there but it does help to book in advance. Another example: Shrewsbury to London, Friday week is £15.40 by Nat Express, takes 4h 45m, train is £14.40 similar time of day but takes 3h 44m.

@@LetsMakeaTrip Grounded during this attrocious weather we are having, my nerd genes have kicked in and I have been playing with a number of different destinations and modes of transport. If the fancy took you, and I am not sure it would take me, there was an Easy Jet flight London to Inverness taking an hour and a half or so for 27 quid. It could be done by coach for a comparable sum but would take 17 hours I think it predicted. I think if you plan for a quiet time and book early the coach doesn't have a price advantage necessarily and relatively speaking is slow. However coaches are generally considerably cheaper most of the time.

@@Mithrasboy I am still considering doing the overnight bus up to Glasgow or Edinburgh. I’m not that keen tbh, but it is cheap and I think I could make a fairly interesting video about it 😬

Thing is Josh, you can do it for the same price (or cheaper) on the train.

Hi Billy, cheers for the info. Yes I’ve seen some really good fares to/from Manchester. I might look into this route a bit more actually - maybe try Megabus or Flixbus 👍

Was you able to sit next to each other on the train? Would appreciate if you could let me know

@@cyril6164 hi Justin. At the time I would say yes if you knew each other (family members etc) and the coach was the same despite signage on he seats. Currently I think you can sit anywhere.

Thanks Geoffrey. Yes apparently I was on one of the older models and, because of that (and the many comments on this video) I almost feel duty-bound to give it another go on a newer coach! How do you think National Express compares with Flixbus and Megabus? I did see some great fares from London to Manchester with Nat Ex for £3.90 which is amazing. But I’ve also seen fares with the other two for 99p! As you said, there must be a market for it at those prices but it’s hard to see where the profit is?

@@LetsMakeaTrip Coach fares can be extremely low on certain routes, even if you book a few days in advance. If travelling from Bristol to London, the train costs at least around £12 each way with a railcard (And that's assuming you book reasonably in advance. If you book just a few days in advance you'll likely end up paying quite a bit more), whereas many National Express coach services are currently going for £2.90 or less each way (And these are prices for roughly a week in advance). As such, I think coach travel is a very reasonable option for a lot of people (myself included) if travelling to London. I tried FlixBus once and it wasn't great. The seats weren't to my liking, the power outlets weren't working and the overall experience felt low quality to me. I have no reasonable knowledge of how coach companies make a profit though I imagine they can make a bit of money through add-on costs such as extra baggage and seat reservations. I also suspect the turn up and go fares are more costly.

@@oscarm2856 Hi Oscar, thanks for the comment. Interesting the route you’ve referred to there because I’ve done that recently the other way round and the video for that is going to be up on the channel next! I do hope you can have a watch of that because it will address a lot of the points you mention - especially the price! I won’t spoil it for people now but let’s just say it’s gonna be a slightly different experience to this one! I’ll post a link to it on here when it’s published anyhow. All the best, Mark

@@LetsMakeaTrip That's great to hear, I look forward to watching it! I hope you tried out the premium seating and found the overall journey at least a reasonably positive experience.

He did have a good idea either the occupied toilet sign .

Hey John, yes this does help and thanks for the info. I did wonder about that because I expected to see something like you’d get on the train (where I don’t think they’ve gone to the bother of doing this). Do you think they’ll be re-installed again anytime soon?

I would pay more for the train and still have a table where I can put my macbook and my cup.

@@lindenbeck I've very recently taken another Nat Ex coach from London to Bristol which had a massive table (I paid extra for that). It was very cheap so look out for a future video which will be coming out on that much improved service. Basically I think it depends which route/coach you're on.

Hey Aqib, thanks for the comment and I appreciate your support. I’ll be doing another coach trip in a few weeks time btw! All the best, Mark

Hey Andrew, cheers mate! It’s fair to say it wasn’t my greatest trip! However, I had a much better experience on my second coach trip - check it out if you have the time, it’s from London out to Bristol on a double decker. A much nicer coach and an amazing price. All the best, Mark 😊

@@LetsMakeaTrip Yes I saw that, seemed pleasant enough and the new trains from Bristol are quite nasty with the seats having all the comfort of a wooden bench, even if they take half the time. I suppose the bus could be competitive if going from Heathrow but they usually don't have those amazing prices.

I'm off to Heathrow this week and I did check the coach prices. Nearly £30 though from Birmingham so I'm going on the train instead.

Certainly cheaper than the train especially when booked in advance 👍

@@LetsMakeaTrip Plus you always get a seat. Unlike travelling via rail.

Yes I’ve been meaning to try this myself. Maybe next trip. Cheers 👍

Not sure I’d fancy Aberdeen to Plymouth tbh! The fare though, as I pointed out to Sven, is not necessarily cheaper on this route. I’ve found fares for £12.80 going from Wolverhampton which is less than I paid and takes half the time. On some routes though, yes it will be more of a factor. Thanks for the comment 👍

@@LetsMakeaTrip 9.30pm 336 Edinburgh to Plymouth Definitely not for the faint heart. It is not express and called regional so stops everywhere imaginable and them powerful white LED lights that get put on at stops is hell especially when you finally get sleepy

@@AndymusThePrime hmm, that might just be too much for me 😂 I’m booked on the Megabus London to Glasgow next month and I’m having second thoughts about that tbh!

@@LetsMakeaTrip That Megabus Glas to London is no easy feat. Sore necks, delays and mental passengers

@@AndymusThePrime I can handle the first two, not sure about the mental passengers though. Bit of a worry 😂

Hi Paul, actually I’ve never tried NX to the airport, it kind of never crosses my mind as I normally just take cabin luggage. But now you’ve mentioned it, yes makes total sense.

​@@LetsMakeaTrip my daughter who lives abroad visited recently and her flights were from London Luton Airport she returned from Brighton so had a train to London Victoria,then coach from the coach station to the airport and it's possibly the closest you can get by transport almost door to door. As she had hand luggage and a case then coach seemed a better option from London than tube , railway and Dart

Next Tuesday (25th) @12:45, Avanti West Coast Wolves - London Euston £12.80. Takes less than two hours too!

Do you want to travel at 12:45 to London? You arrive in London just before three o'clock. You can not do a lot of things in London when you arrive in the middle of the afternoon. When you book a train, you book a train that fits with your plans, so I think that 15/20 pounds is a more realistic budget for a pre booked train.

Depends what you’re going there for really. Either way, I think anything under £20 is good - the £12.80 fare is just to illustrate that you can get there cheaper than the bus and it’s comparable with the 13:05 departure time for the National Express service too 👍

I hope you have a good time. My travels with NX have, generally, been pretty good.

Hey cheers Wayne, thanks for the comment and the kind words. I’ll always try and be 100% honest, I think that’s the most important thing. All the best, Mark 😊👍

Hi Jon, thanks for the comment. Yes, it is (I have found) quite 'route specific'. There's always cheap advance rail fares from Wolves to London whereas London to Bristol (my second trip) the coach was very much the preferred option. If you watch that video, it was a great coach, didn't stop anywhere and was much cheaper than the train (advance or otherwise). I'm going to carry on doing some more coach journeys to get a bit more experience of the different companies and routes. All the best, Mark

Hi Paul, thanks for the comment. Yes, certain routes there seems to be either wildly differing prices or very similar prices (see my Wolves - London video for info on that). I guess people look at both and decide from there. Also, what price do you put on time because the train will normally be quicker.

@@LetsMakeaTrip Never been worried about the time difference between the coach and train. Being very mean I look at price! Lol. Seriously the train companies are missing a trick!! Bet NE are going to do well this week!

@@LetsMakeaTrip also book a bit ahead!! Me and my wife had a weekend in London end of April and it was £26 return from Coventry for the two of us to London, total bargain compared to rail!! 👍👍

@@paulshorney3465 yes it is. I don’t think I could get near to that on the train - not even with London Northwestern or whatever they’re called these days. Fair do’s, good price 👏

Just booked again for Basingstoke to Coventry one way July 11th. £8.90, bargain! 👍👍

Hi Karl, I hope you’ve had a great journey today. I’d heard about the tables and drinks holders being removed so hopefully they’ll come back soon. If you watch my latest video, the tables are there in premium and it’s very much an improvement on my earlier trip (and cheaper). Your last point I hadn’t really thought about much but now trains are becoming busy again I think this is an important consideration and a big plus for the coach if you can trade it off against the likelihood of longer journey times. All the best and thanks for the sub 😊👍

Hi just to let you know I'm a driver at national express great vid.. cheers karl

Hello again Karl! Have you heard of Lux Express? I've got a video coming out tomorrow on them and it would be great to hear your opinion as a driver. I'm also doing a Flixbus journey at the same time from Birmingham up to Liverpool. I've heard mixed things on them so I'll be interested to see how they stack up against National Express. Cheers.

Hi I haven't heard of Lux express, I've hears about flixbus I know a few drivers that have worked for them and been messed around over wages when they have left, one of the operators are going to court over it.. I've heard the passengers are different to National customers. I have also noticed Flixbus drivers driving around London with headphones on I find that a bit unprofessional to be honest. National express drivers have Dashcam recording every little thing. it isn't an easy job to do to be honest. if you would like to pop on one of my coaches your welcome anytime I drive from Nottingham to London Victoria and Nottingham to Birmingham every week! things are getting better now and I love my job!

@@karlhenrys Yes Karl, I wonder if Flixbus are to National Express what Ryanair are to British Airways! Well I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Thanks for the invite btw, I must admit that after a slow and not particularly 'fulfilling' introduction to coach travel in the UK, the second Nat Ex experience was much better and now I'm quite enthusiastic about it. It's clear that you love the job and yes, maybe I'll take you up on the Nottingham trip sometime! The other thing is, I'm mainly a train and aircraft person really. I don't know a lot about coach travel and tbh, I wasn't sure whether it would be 'a thing' on my channel in terms of interest. But they've actually been two of the most viewed videos! So I reckon there's definitely a case for making more videos and, as well as tomorrow, I'm hoping to take a trip over to Europe - possibly London to Brussels. I was looking at Regiojet coaches initially? Not sure if National Express venture into Europe tbh but if they do, I guess that's another option. I know Flixbus have quite a network already so there's a few options! Also, I'm thinking about a fairly remote excursion up to Ullapool with the coach from Inverness! Watch this space! All the best, Mark

Hi David, thanks for the kind words, comments like yours keep me motivated to do it! Actually I did a small poll on Twitter and the general consensus was I should it it again, on a better bus! So watch this space, there will be another one at some point😂 All the best, Mark

@@LetsMakeaTrip Great cant wait you do brilliant videos. Theres not a bad one. I do a lot of traveling by train up and down the country but not as much as you. Cant wait to watch your videos when a new one comes out. Keep Making them Trips Mark

@@davidbishop8228 well, there’s a few rubbish ones tbh, mainly early stuff I just did on my phone without much idea of what to do! But yeh, I’ve got lots coming up: some more Scottish trips, the night Riviera sleeper, Portugal, Spain & the US (twice hopefully), a few more domestic flights, branch lines in Cornwall, loads more ideas, not enough time to fit it all in. Think I need to retire from the day job 😂

Hi John, yes I vaguely remember the Rapide services. I do t recall Greyhound UK though, that’s a new one. I went on plenty over in the US when I was younger - that was an endurance test I tell you! I’m going to try Flixbus at some point - probably Cardiff to London which was selling at £2.99 last time I looked. Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed comment - great memories and much appreciated 😊

Hey Ant, thanks for this really informative (and useful) comment. Do you know which routes they are using? I could be swayed into doing another trip and comparing the newer vehicles with what I found so I’d be really interested to find out what they are and where they’re operating. Cheers, Mark.

@@LetsMakeaTrip most routes use the new ones you can recognise them by how many rear wheels they have. The one you went on was a single rear wheel volvo. The levante 2 is a scania and has 2 sets of rear wheels. The older ones are being phased out but a few companies still have them

OK cheers Ant. Now I know what I’m looking for so watch this space! 👍

I think the Mk2 Leventes do have a toilet occupied light, but it's above the driver so you can't see it

Cheers mate. Good luck with the lab stuff, I used to know people who did that, they were on their feet all day! Hope you get to sit down...

Hi Iain, many thanks for taking the time to write a detailed comment like this. I found it both useful and interesting. Yes, I’m still pretty new to the coach thing. Don’t know if you’ve seen any of my other videos but the one I did from London to Bristol was fantastic. I gather it was operated by Edwards(?) and was a double decker. It had Premier seating at the front with a very large table. It didn’t stop anywhere, just went straight through to Bristol. That has been, up til now, the best coach I’ve travelled on and a decent price as well even when booking the premier seat. In complete contrast though, I booked the Megabus service from London to Glasgow that didn’t stop anywhere either and that was horrendous from start to finish. That was operated by a third-party (wasn’t even in Megabus livery) and just a terrible experience. The coach stopping at the departures area in Victoria- is that normal then? I guess the driver knows where he’s heading in advance and this area is used at busy times (I might be completely wrong on that tbh). On the subject of delays, I would presume that, to try and pre-empt traffic build-up journey times are ‘pessimistic’ i.e. it’s better to under promise and over deliver. Most of my subsequent journeys have been early as well tbf. I guess the coaches are all tracked these days and as you say, operations centre can factor it all into connecting services. Have a look at my other videos if you have time, I would love to get your thoughts on those and again, many thanks for sharing your experience on this channel. It’s much appreciated 😊👍

To answer your kind response, let me reply again in turn. Yes, I have viewed your London to Bristol video and you were lucky to have travelled in the double deck vehicle supplied by the operator which works Nat Ex services. As I have explained to another correspondent on one of your other videos, all the major Express Coach Route companies in the UK will only have a token fleet of their own within their licence, so instead, they use hired in vehicles from other major operators. Those who work for N E will usually have their vehicle in that well known livery and in general, there are just a few standard types and styles of vehicle used across the UK. However, some operators will use a different type of coach to meet the needs of particular routes. The London - Bristol route has always been a busy one, so the operator probably decided that a high volume capacity vehicle was necessary. To put N E operations in perspective, and as far as I can tell, though I welcome thoughts from otherts, they use partner operators on 'First' and 'Second' Choice levels. They are contracted to operate on longer distance or high demand volume routes, but on these routes, if the services can be operated within the legal driving time before the driver has to take a break, then the service uses one driver. On longer routes, the operator has the service double manned, or it might be that the en-route stops in cities are planned for a driver changeover. However, by arrangement with some operators, there is a third tier of Service level, which means that the even if the vehicle is in N E livery and to the standard that N E expects, the vehicle will be single manned and there will be a legal Driver's break of 45 minutes en-route. That aspect doesn't necessarily mean the coach will be late at its destination, as services starting, finishing and connecting at N E operated coach stations usually have a 1 hour buffer between services to allow for this. You mentioned about your Megabus experience. They are the same as N E by hiring in other operators vehicles. Megabus used to have a very large fleet, but being Stagecoach owned, the latter has transferred a portion of the fleet into other operational regions across the UK, where high capacity coaches are necessary to meet passenger demand. It has to be said too, that Stagecoach / Megabus alongside the other major Groups (Arriva, First, Go-Ahead) plus other operators are struggling with driver shortages, hence why Megabus hires in vehicles from other operators, but these don't have to be in Megabus livery. Equally, the specifications both internally and externally may vary from the usual Megabus fleet, but this variance is built into their ticketing and operational Terms and Conditions. Megabus too only operate single manned services, hence why they tend to stop en-route more often, incorporating pick-up or drop-off points, so that drivers can be changed to meet legal driving hours regulations. You asked about the coach that arrived into the Departures Section of Victoria Coach Station. It could have been the driver didn't know there is a separate ARRIVALS part nearby, or it could have been an arrangement to suit operations on that service. But in my experience of coach travel since the mid 70's, when then Victoria Coach Station handled both Arrivals and Departures, when the volumes of passengers exploded, an Arrivals area was adopted in a nearby Garage belonging to a now defunct coach company, and remains as such to this day. Lastly, a tongue in cheek request to stop calling Victoria Coach Station as a BUS Station. It's a COACH Station as depicted on the outside of the building. There is a difference between Buses and Coaches! Happy travelling.

@@iainjones5002 Cheers Iain. If you don’t mind, I’m going to screen shot some of your replies so that I can just refer to them in the future. I will make more bus/coach videos (they do seem to do well on here) and I think people (most anyway 😂) seem to enjoy the ‘casual traveller’ type experience because they can relate to it. That’s the style of my content tbh but I do like to improve my knowledge and people like yourself commenting on here really help in that respect. Thanks again 😊👍

Hi rtg, thanks for the info. Yes I think someone mentioned that, it was my first trip for ages on Nat Ex too so I didn’t really know what to expect and tbh, I wasn’t that keen on it. That said, I then took the superb double-decker from London to Bristol and that was a great experience.

Hi AFUK, I don’t think I’ll be taking the coach again anytime soon but never say never l guess! The only thing really that I’m going to post-up will include some open top bus action! I’ve got. Ore flight reviews to post-up, a few more trains and a ferry. Plenty of variety I hope 👍

Yes it’s weighing up that cost vs time I.e. did it go straight from Manchester to London or wander off round Birmingham, Coventry etc on the way. I suppose if you can get a reasonably full coach at your departure point it doesn’t have to do all that and it cuts down on journey time?

Hi Chris, yep I do agree with this to an extent, but the Wolves - London just didn’t stack up when I compared ‘on the day’ fares with the train they were very similar. My other trip (London to Bristol) however was much cheaper by coach and I’d definitely use that one again. So I think it’s very route specific really. Cheers for the comment, all the best, Mark

Hi Cicero, thanks for the comment. Yes you can do this with the coach which is a good way of getting there if you don’t want to negotiate the underground and other train connections on your first time here. If you want an insight into London Victoria Coach Station btw, I’ve got another coach video coming out this week with some footage of that location. Have a great time in the UK, I hope you enjoy it 👍😊

@@LetsMakeaTrip I will check it! Thanks, mate

Pleasure 😊

Tell you what would be better, the ones with tables on and bunks in the back. Maybe also a free bar and a lounge area with pacman and/or a pinball machine. Maybe squeeze in a hot tub too and I could be persuaded! I don’t know Superalbs but I have heard of him - maybe the company you keep makes a difference 😂

@@LetsMakeaTrip I'd settle for a free bar 😅

Cheers Paul, appreciate that😊

Thanks CoG. Do you know which routes these double deckers run on?

@@LetsMakeaTrip they run on the 040 Bristol to London run by Edwards coaches.

Yes 040

Hers how to find the service take the train to London victoria and the 040 will take you to Bristol!

Nice one, thanks. Now I’m thinking train to Victoria, coach to Bristol and EasyJet to er, somewhere else, Edinburgh? That would be a good day out 😊

I guess at least the ferry gave some respite. I presume it was via Holyhead?

Ah yes, that makes perfect sense. Cheers Charlie 👍

Hi Ron cheers for the comment. Wouldn’t it be great if that came back. I honestly believe there’s a market for luxury coach travel in this country - especially considering the price you can pay for first class travel on the rail network. Less seats, tables, food and drink on a service such as London to Edinburgh/Glasgow. Sure it’s not as quick but would people pay more money for onboard catering and more room? I think so.

@@LetsMakeaTrip I worked as a driver and steward for National Express 1986-2004. The Whitehaven London National Express Rapide service 350 miles left Whitehaven at 7am and arrived in London at 2.20pm

@@ronmccullock1407 bet you’ve got some great memories Ron. I’ve seen some old footage of the Rapide coaches and it just looks like a different world back then. Maybe travel’s not as relaxing or even appreciated as much as it was?

@@LetsMakeaTrip I do

Hi Tom, appreciate the engagement (it all helps 👍) but instead of just posting a rolling eyes emoji and making a sarcastic comment, why don’t you add something to the debate and let me (and others) know what your opinion is? FWIW, my other National Express video is really positive so, you know, its not a massive hate on NX just for the sake of it. All the best, Mark.

@@LetsMakeaTrip I saw it as a dig at covid controls, insulting people's suitcases and a generally downbeat video, then I see you've taken another trip on National Express after your closing statement saying you won't be travelling with them again 🤣🤦‍♂️ Still keep up the good work boss, you're doing a grand job 👏 👍

@@tomedwards5840 er yeh, like I said if you read some of the comments and replies I thought it was only fair to give them another go. Appreciate the support mate 🤣

I've not had the pleasure of the arrivals coach station yet so I'll bow to your greater knowledge! For this specific route I would take the train but yes, £14 on the coach is much more preferable from Manchester. The booking fee btw, just register on the app and you'll never have to pay that extra £1. Cheers, Mark

Ah yes I vaguely remember the Rapide, how long ago was that? Like you said, times change - I had to buy a double espresso from Costa outside Wolverhampton bus station to keep me going!

@@LetsMakeaTrip Rapide service from Bradford/Leeds to London mid 80's, used to be able to buy sandwiches and pot noodles from hostess as well as coffee and tea fizzy pop etc etc. State-of-the-art coaches, bombing down the motorway on a flashy coach with Rapide wrote across the front end felt pretty good for a council kid out on trip with dad.

Some great recollections there Mabelode, i would have been just out of school then. I bet there’s a few videos on youtube of all that kind of stuff which I must seek out! Just to add, I put a poll on Twitter on whether I should take another trip on a ‘better bus’ and the majority of people seemed to want that!?! So I’m going to be doing one from London to Bristol at some point and apparently that’s a double-decker which I guess is probably as flashy as they get these days. Wish me luck!

That’s quite a journey! Did you enjoy it would be my question? Tbh, if I’d got down to London to find I had to wait another 5 hours for another bus, I’d have been straight round to Victoria and on the train pronto!

@@LetsMakeaTrip Yes I did, it was amazing, i have done it 4 times, well 2 there 2 back also ill do it again in 1 month when I got to Edinburgh again (i love it there) and ill make a vid on it, if you want you should check out my video on the Edinburgh tour (Green tour).

@@LetsMakeaTrip What me and my mum normally do when we have to wait 5 hours is we go to like McDonalds, seen as it's normally either night or morning and we would not of eaten seen as its 12 hours to Edinburgh or back its also 12 hours.

I probably have been on the longest coach trip in this chat like it was 17 hours and 45 mins, and I'm only 12 years old and ive spent like 6092894189489 hours on coaches (Not literally of course but I've been on so many coaches in my lifetime).

@@TraineePilotJess if I told you I spent 48 hours travelling from Toronto, Canada down to St Pete’s, Florida on the Greyhound bus then got bored and decided to go back again the same way, you’d really feel sorry for me! That was a while ago when I was younger and I had more stamina! It was certainly an experience I wouldn’t wish to repeat now! I’m impressed by you and your mums endurance though - it takes some doing 👏👏👍

Hmm, how long does that take?

@@LetsMakeaTrip too long!

Back as a student I took the Nat Ex to Paris overnight once, from Norwich, spent the day in Paris, and overnight back ;) ugh! Back in 1999 was the cheapest way to go.

@@TravelSignal did you ever go ‘coach camping’ to the South of France in the 80’s? That must have been over 24 hours and the one I remember going on had no air conditioning either!

@@LetsMakeaTrip no, as a kid we never went abroad - the annual family holiday was always to Jersey (flying from NWI on AirUK!)

Did you take the National Express like me? I think this is one of the best scheduled coaches in the U.K. tbh 👍

Yeah I've taken National Express as well

Hi, thanks for the question. I didn't take any luggage with me tbh but I don't reckon there's much of an issue with suitcases atm as the seating is restricted on the coach and as such, there's more room underneath. You may be able to see when I'm getting off the coach at the end there's loads of stuff coming out of the hold and there wasn't that many people on it. Having said all that, it would be prudent to check on the website because it says 2 x medium suitcases and it gives you some dimensions and weight. Here's the link: www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/luggage-lost-property Cheers, Mark

@@LetsMakeaTrip Thank you so much mate for the great detailed answer!

Hi, thanks for the comment. I’ll give you a bit more insight into this, I tried searching for networks several times and from what I remember the nx only came up once which took me to this page. Most of the time I couldn’t get the nx id at all. So presumably there should be a choice of connecting to something called nx coach wifi or should it do it automatically? I am going to do another nx video on another route in the near future as I have been convinced enough to give it another go. So I really appreciate the info and I’ll look out for the coach WiFi and feedback via the content. All the best, Mark.

@@LetsMakeaTrip if you ever need help with any photography for any of your videos give me a shout. I cant remember what the wifi name was exactly but ill have a look for you next time i am on the coach june 4th 23:00 1 hour before my birthday facebook.com/chrischallenorsphotos/

Hey Chris, apologies for not getting back sooner, your comment was 'held for review' by KZfaq for some reason (don't know why?). Anyway, hope the coach trip went well and thanks for the offer of photography. I'm actually taking another trip next week from London to Bristol which I've been promised is a better coach!? Hopefully the wifi will work this time but I will be posting another review of this so something to look for in the future. Happy birthday for the 5th btw, hope you had a good one. Cheers, Marc

😮of course I couldn’t possibly comment on that 🤔😂

Yep, a much shorter day journey I wouldn’t mind trying that one myself tbh.

Agree, the best UK coach company in my experience so far.

When I was a lot younger, I did 48 hours on various Greyhound buses from Toronto down to Florida. Then I went back the same way. Well, it was a loooong trip that and certainly an ‘experience’. These days I’m about the same as you I reckon with 2-3 hours unless it was a double-decker and I could have the front seat upstairs! Other than that, I may be tempted by one of those sleeper buses you get in some parts of the world but even then, there’s probably a train alternative. Cheers Conor, thanks for the comment 😊

@@LetsMakeaTrip 48 hours!? Jesus, that would be way too much for me. 😳😂 The most I spent on a bus was 6 hours going from Alice Springs to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Oz and the same going back that night. Going there was grand in daylight and the driver kept us interested with a guide to outback life. Going back was a real trial, at night so nothing to see apart from a dvd of the movie Australia which kept us occupied. Shortly after that finished up, I just couldn't wait to get back to Alice Springs. No way am I doing a bus journey that long again. 😂

@@conormcshane1656 yes but what an amazing experience I’ll bet!

@@LetsMakeaTrip Sure was, I (and my sister) had a brilliant time, long journey was well worth it, not least to watch Uluru gradually changing colour with the sunset.

Cheers Jen, wish it was still a thing tbh.

I’m allowed to change my mind 🤔😂

Edson, I may do another one or two with NX but I’m going to have a bash at Megabus next as I’m missing a review on them. Stay tuned for more coach videos though - I’ve just travelled on Estrella de Oro from Mexico City to Acapulco. Cheers.

Yes so I’m led to believe. Quick question for a man with your knowledge HC: how long do NX keep their coaches for before they get swapped out for new?

@@LetsMakeaTrip approximately 4 _5 years when I worked there

3:32 onwards gives you the information regarding charging ports. Cheers.

How the fares are made up, the infrastructure etc but you can still get cheap fares. London to Shrewsbury for £12.50 normal adult single is pretty decent for example. Just have to look around a bit.

Has it improved or got worse! And how come you weren't taking the train?

Hi Steve, I’ve only used Flixbus once so far tbh and the driver didn’t know the way to the bus station (see my other video for that!). Individual experiences I guess. I haven’t come across any locked toilets yet but agree, that would be a concern.

@@LetsMakeaTrip Continued success and yes a driver not knowing the way is a bad thing. I once experienced it with a taxi driver in Istambul right before he doubled my fare. But I happily paid the $6 USD. Cheers.

Hi John thanks for the comment. £13 was one way yes. The train journey from Wolverhampton to London is much less than £100. Just out of interest, i had a look just now and if you wanted to go this afternoon, it would cost you £26.60 on the train with Avanti West Coast and take approx 1h and 50m. The bus is priced at £20.10 and will take 4h and 5m. Personally, I’d pay the extra £6.50, take the train and get there two hours earlier. Also, advance train tickets from Wolves to London can be purchased for under £10 if you’re lucky. Hope this helps, all the best. Mark

Depends on the line too. We got stuck in Mallaig a couple of years back when the landslide happened further down the line. The bus replacement was good as Scotrail put a small van on with it to get down all the narrow lanes where the coach couldn’t get. Properly organised that.

Hi KatieSim, yes USB and conventional power between the seats (see 3:35). Cheers.

Hi Michael, yes you can sit together if you’re a couple. Quite a few were on this coach.

Is that the 'on the day price' for the train Daniel? Does seem really steep doesn't it! I can get a return from Shrewsbury to Euston for about £35 if I look around and that's a good 3 hours each way which isn't bad imo. All the best, Mark

@@LetsMakeaTrip Booking several weeks in advance it is £90.90 on the train compared to £40 on the bus return. Booking on the day, I have seen prices for standard class on the train at over £140 return. (That's from Newton Abbot to Paddington). As you are probably aware, the transport infrastructure in the South West is very poor compared to most of the rest of the country, and very vulnerable to the elements (Thinking Dawlish sea wall in particular along with Cowley Junction in Exeter). If the price difference was £10-20, then yes, the train could be considered as an attractive alternative, but at more than double the price... I think not - especially when travelling on a tight budget.

@@LetsMakeaTrip Just looked again and an 'Anytime return' within 1 month on the train is £281.80 standard class according to 'Trainline'. Whichever way you look at it the cost of a train journey of under 3 hours is very expensive compared to elsewhere.

@@sgthree blimey, that’s just crazy isn’t it! Don’t blame you at those prices like you said it certainly seems to be different depending on where you are and the corresponding toc as well. I’ve got another trip on Nat Ex I’m posting-up next week which is from London to Bristol for an amazing price so I hope you can tune in for that one. Let’s just say it’s an improvement on this one! Cheers 👍

@@LetsMakeaTrip I will be travelling to London on the coach in a few weeks (then the train to Peterborough, as I couldn't find any coaches on Sundays). Splitting the journey like that cut the cost of travel in half compared to just taking the train. Mind you, it is just over 5 hours on the bus, which is a journey I have not made since the 1980s. I hope the seats don't still have the itchy seat fabric they had back in those days!

Yes

Hi Dave, yes things have improved a lot since this trip. Tbh, this was my first coach trip and I wasn’t much looking forward to it which, in comparison to the train, wasn’t particularly attractive either. Maybe it was that and the route and the coach. But to be fair to NX I tried them again and since then they’ve really won me over. So it’s all credit to them really from turning me from a miserable old …….. to an advocate for the brand.

Hi Uma, I must try the Flixbus service then and see what it’s like. Watch this space!

@@LetsMakeaTrip thx

Yep, I did a couple of other national Express trips after this and they were very good, especially the exceptional London to Bristol coach - that was fantastic and no stops en route either. Cheers Lee 👍

I would do a search on the National Express website to see if they call at Cromer.

Hi Stephen, I liked the coach, even if the journey was a bit 😐 I’ve grown to like NX over the past 12 months and one thing I would also say is the drivers (the ones I’ve met anyway) are great - especially my recent London to Shrewsbury trip. Tbh, I think NX and Flixbus/Megabus are worlds apart in terms of service. I would much rather pay a few extra quid and travel NX in the future (see my London - Glasgow ‘experience’)! Cheers 👍

Where from Sam?

Yep, I’m not in much of a rush to do it again. I’ve had a couple of brief excursions on double-decker buses recently though. Watch this space!

Hi Spark, yep that’s quite a long time. Depends on the coach though really because, tbf, I did my second journey with Nat Ex from London to Bristol (see other video)and that was great!

@@LetsMakeaTrip Hello ! You're right !! It's too long for my mom ! So, I am reconsidering trains !! So ~ expensive ,though !! 😫😅 But ,you said of the seat , it was stiff & started hurting your back ? I said " That's no no ,then !" Lol. And the plastic foot rest was shocking ! Lol. And no tray on the back of the seat !!? Which I saw in many other videos of National Express !! And many praise National Express ,yet I hear / watch people complaining like you did in this video !! So ,like you said ,it really depends on the route ? That's a shame !! Why not treating them all the same by using the same features & qualities so that they'll have very good reviews & business !!? I will if I owned one !! Lol.Thank you so much for your reply ! 💜 🥁🐉🎤🎶💞

@@spark_6710 I think a lot of the coaches are owner operated tbh I haven’t been on enough routes to know whether they’re generally good or not. Big advantage with the train - you can get up and move about which I would imagine might be useful. Have a search on KZfaq for the route you’re thinking of - worth a try?

Hey Ricardo, I didn’t see anyone weighing anything. I didn’t take one and I was the only person to get on at Wolverhampton. According to their website though, it says 20kg max weight. Hope this helps, cheers, Mark

@@LetsMakeaTrip Thanks!

I wonder if half the time they just forget to turn it on?

Coach or train really Daryl. Depends where you’re arriving and where you’re going to?

No, went there specifically for this journey.

I feel like this is my calling in life! If you’ve got any suggestions or any trips you’d like to see Yusuf, please let me know. Cheers pal

@@LetsMakeaTrip can you do London to Aberdeen national express ,that would be great

Do you want to see me suffer?!🤣 I had a quick look there seems to be a direct Megabus but no direct Nat Ex atm. I’ll do a bit more research...

Hi Nick, thanks again for the comment. Fortunately we don’t experience 40 deg heat in Wolverhampton 😂 but yes it’s still important to be comfortable isn’t it and working air con is a must really. There are plenty of trains between wolves and London and that was my point really. For me, it can’t compete with the train time-wise and there’s not much in it cost-wise either. That’s why I wouldn’t take the coach on this route again. All the best, Mark

Hi Ed, yes for this particular route I agree. Having said that, when I took my second trip from London to Bristol (see my other video for that) I thought the coach was excellent. Still no tea or coffee on board though - if you want that, you need to try something like Lux Express (see another video I made on them) they have an onboard drinks machine AND it's free!!

Could be, but with a bit of effort it’s not hard to find some reasonably comparable fares.

Hi Simon, well generally speaking the train is a little more expensive for this particular journey but, when you can book in advance, I think you can get train fares equally as good if not slightly better. Like I said at the end, the trade off is time and I would rather pay a bit extra to get there faster on the train. Having said all that, if you need to book last minute, I think the Coach is likely to be a bit cheaper. So it all depends on your own individual circumstances I think and when/where you need to go. My later journey to Bristol (see other video) was a complete contrast to this one. Cheers for the comment.

I’ve seen similar prices Wolves to Euston. See my ‘Cheap Train Tickets’ video with London NorthWestern. 👍

I only took hand luggage. I think you’ll be ok but check their website, all the details are on that 👍

@@LetsMakeaTripThanks a lot for your reply sir...... Do you happen to know if I have more Luggage than I am supposed to, can I just pay for that? Coz this information is not there on the website

@@smile93 I don’t mate. I would ring or dm them on Twitter if I were you 😊

I’ve found fares for a similar price in the past. Have to shop about a bit but they’re there and it takes less time of course.

Richard, I have a treat for you next week as my latest National Express ‘review’ includes a tour of the toilet! I do hope you’ll still tune in 😂

Craig that's way too expensive for the train! Wolves to London you can easily do for under £20, but a lot depends on when you're going (time/date) and the toc.

You can get the train for about the same price (booking in advance). Short notice though yep, the coach is likely to be cheaper. I’ve seen Nat Ex fares for £6 in advance - can’t go wrong for that.

Ah but it's not. Research train fares between Wolverhampton and London....

Hi Simon and thanks for the comment. I was at London Victoria coach station the other day actually and there was one going up to Glasgow, Megabus I think which seemed to take ages and then one down to Plymouth too. There again, it was a good price compared to the ‘turn up on the day’ train fare which just goes to show you should plan in advance and take the train imo.

You must be rich

I’ve actually been on another recently which was really good value for money. Watch this space as it’ll be coming out in the next few weeks 👍

Is it though? What do you class as expensive? If I told you a super-comfy Avanti West Coast Pendolino could whisk you up from London Euston to Glasgow in less than 5 hours for £19 more than the overnight Megabus, would you pay it? Genuinely interested. Also, as stated in the video, train fares between Wolves and London are comparable to the coach - not even particularly in advance either.

@@LetsMakeaTrip Yes but i found train fares for £119 pus to cambridge London etc how you find these ones?

I also got bus for fiver once but mosty its about 15-23 & £70 to europe (i did have catd to get a third off though it was loong time ago. I think i even saw yrain for £200 maybe it was at covid. I wish england had free camping id cycle or yomp over couple of days.

@@gissie391 best thing to do Gissie (if you are able to) is book in advance. I would implore everyone to do that. Honestly you can get some real good deals if you can plan in advance. Check out some of my earlier videos and you’ll get an idea. Cheers 😊👍