I sometimes wonder 'At what point did my life go wrong?' When did watching a middle-aged man sitting on a bus become Friday night entertainment? ......I watched it all. Thank you. Keep the videos coming
Well thanks Mike, appreciate that. I do get the odd person who likes to comment on how boring they find it. That’s life as a TH-camr 🌞 I’m not forcing anyone to watch them! Hopefully the music fits the mood at certain points in the video. That’s what I try to do anyway. Cheers mate 😊👍
I remember doing this trip for £1 from Leeds to Portsmouth when I was in college some 15 years ago. A bargain of a trip but certainly an experience at the bus stop which just on some random back street bus stop with certainly no staff present & it left several hours late following some accidents on the motorway on its journey up. Still for £1 you can't grumble.
Hi Mark. Looks like a great journey. As for the guy sitting behind you, well as I always say, the problem with public transport is that the public have a tendency to use it.😂
I was on a normal bus one day, and a guy was talking on his mobile phone (cell phone 📱) Behind me , talking loud and swearing I said excuse me could you turn the volume down and the language I have a 3 year old sat with me the guy turned round and said this is a private conversation it's got nothing to do with you I said there is no privacy in public you knob lol it worked I never had nothing after that the guy moved to the back of the bus 🏴
Megabus are great for the price. They allow people to make journeys they maybe couldn't afford otherwise. We have used them many times to London from Manchester to avoid costly rail fares. Used Megabus also in America between NewYork, Philadelphia and Washington. Same bargain prices and good service. Enjoyed watching your trip too!
Exactly Neil. You can get some real super-cheap fares and a stress-free journey providing you’re not on any kind of tight connections at the other end. Great point and thanks for the comment 😊👍
I was very familiar with the A34 and M27 having been born and brought up in Portsmouth and lived for 20+ years in Oxfordshire, but nice to see them from a higher vantage point. The A34 over the downlands, and well as the coastal route, are very pleasant scenically (especially when the sun's out!). Nice to hear the appreciation for my home town.
Really like your videos, perfect mix of commentary, views and music, very relaxing. Loved this as I live near Portsmouth now, that drive down the M275 into the city is always nice, traffic not great at the moment due to a lot of roadworks. Pompey is a brilliant city and so much nearby
Excellent video as always. Great views from the front seat, and as always an affordable way of getting around the country. A great promotion of the coach services available to all, thank you.
Im new to the channel having discovered it quite by accident as a suggestion because I’d watched a similar channel previously . Have to say I’m hooked and particularly like your ferry reviews being a keen sailor myself (dating back to when I was very young ) . Keep them coming mate 👍
Thanks Sheila. Yep it was a great price - I’m always looking out for bargains (mainly so that I can tell everyone else about them). This definitely fits the bill and I’ve got a few more coming up too! Cheers 😊👍
Another great vid. I once took Megabus from Manchester to Newcastle and due to an RTC on the M6 it was 3 hours late and then the driver took a well deserved break. I was the only one who waited it out and had the coach to myself across to Leeds. The coach then turned into a London Service but they held a Newcastle service for me at services so after a quick switch I was able to complete my journey. The last time I went through Coventry on Megabus in 2012 their stop was on a housing estate close to Warwick Uni and certainly not central but the trip to Bristol and back from Manchester was £2:50 so a bargain. Look forward to the next one.
Cheers mate. Yep, this is all part of coach travel isn’t it (including the price). Like you’ve proved here, if you have the time and are fairly chilled about it, can’t go wrong imo. 😊👍
Cheers Paul. Yep, from the midlands (well anywhere Newcastle down I guess) this is a great route covering a long distance where you don't have to go via London. That's a game-changer really for me.
I do not know why I watched this, but I am glad I did. Looks a very good service but the state of the bathroom was a bit of a ‘piss take’ and looks more like planned neglect, this sort of facility is essential and should be cleaned at each stop either by a cleaner based at the bus station or if they cannot being themselves to organise that - then the driver needs to do it. Thank you for doing this video.🤷♂️
So much to see in Pompey. Those of us that come from there don't appreciate it as much. Maybe one day you could visit Fratton Park and take in a game of football.
I have done that. Went to see Shrewsbury a few years back (saw a fox run across the pitch). Town won and I went over to the IoW for a week after that. Great ground Fratton Park - a proper football ground!
The main offputting thing for me with Megabus is that they pick up from roadside bustops. It's not the most pleasant waiting environment. With NX, where they have them (certainly in Birmingham) they use bus stations where there's toilets, refreshments and undercover seating.
@@LetsMakeaTrip No it isn't necessarily money, but who operates or owns the bus and coach stations in towns and cities. Some may be on Council owned land, hence the Council will decide which operators can or cannot use their site. Some may well be owned by the local or region's principal Bus operator, who will invariably disallow potential rivals on same routes or Coach operator's vehicles on either Express services or carrying tour parties. That is the case in Birmingham where the only Coach Station is the NatEx station in Digbeth where only their own services and related vehicles can access the site; it makes sense, as they also have their HQ offices on site too! In contrast, if you pass through Leeds Bus and coach station, Nat Ex have their own segregated section on one side of the site all to themselves, whereas, Megabus has 1 stand to operate from, on the other side of the site, sharing that area with regional buses connecting out to area towns. However, there's no space for Flixbus there, so they have to use a side street stop in a layby about 150 yards away. Thus, it's all about who owns or operates what site and the local protocols that surround it!
I have looked at that one Shaun yes. May be worth doing it the other way around too. Another one is the London - Penzance NX route and of course the Flixbus services across the channel to Paris etc. Lots of opportunities yet providing I've got the time to do it!! Cheers mate.
I spend most days at that bus station as it my local one and do like to see the different coaches on national express and megabus arriving and departing
Great trip report as always, I take the northbound service from Coventry to Newcastle twice a year and find it great value for money. I have booked to travel on this exact service between Newcastle and Coventry in August which I’m pleased has been came back as part of the timetable changes as it saves me changing for another form of transport in Birmingham
Cheers mate yep that is a similar situation to me in so much as if Megabus didn’t do this route, I’d be on the Nat Ex to London and then out of there to Portsmouth. That makes for a long day and tbh, faced with that I’d probably train it. Well done to Megabus for acknowledging not everyone is going to or leaving the capital.
On the trains too. My advice sadly is to not engage with them. I once made the mistake of polite small talk and this guy kept pestering me and even followed me through several carriages when I realised talking to him was not a wise decision. I eventually lost my cool and loudly told him to stop stalking me
Another top video Mark, from my home city too (brum). Never taken a Megabus but looked perfectly adequate from this! Shame they make you board from the back end of nowhere though! Look forward to the next upload!
Cheers Robert. Yep it’s just how it is with Megabus (and Flixbus). National Express own the Digbeth coach station (or whatever it’s called now) and they’re not gonna let these guys use it. Like you said though, perfectly good coach can’t complain for £16 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip It does have it's benefits though, our stop is a lot closer to the actual city centre than Digbeth, and I'd imagine the current roadworks around there for the tram extension can cause headaches at times. It's only a couple minutes walk from New Street station, which is great for onward connections. I have found myself wishing we could use the coach station at times, rather than being outdoors in all conditions, but I can't see that ever happening.
Hi Mark how are you doing mate? Great video as always well edited with good background music nice to see another coach journey video plus another Megabus video its a good thing that Anthea who works with Megabus told you and all the other passengers that the coach would be delayed due to a collision at Stoke On Trent but at least it arrived eventually for you good to see that you had a front row seat for the entire journey to Portsmouth very standard Megabus double decker coach as what you usually get its good that all of the coaches facilities were working and not busted e.g. the reading lights and air condition very good leg room the toilet facilities aren't good at all the Wi-Fi is completely useless as it didn't connect good price of £16.69 for a journey like that I probably wouldn't use that service due to the lack of facilities if I needed them I would go with another company if I have to go there that's a very nice bus station for Portsmouth next to everything you need keep up the great content as always as there so entertaining and professional at the same time plus I hope your having a good day so far Mark 👍
Hi FG, yep I’ve been out filming today - a lovely day for it too. Thanks once more for the comment, much appreciated. For me, going down here it has to be Megabus otherwise Nat Ex would have me connecting through London which is a bit of a pain. Cheers mate 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yep it sure has been a lovely day for the weather yeh for some people they have to use Megabus due to where they get the coach from plus not changing coaches mid ways its alright Mark its always great to see a reply from you as your such a friendly and awesome bloke more people need to know about your channel as you truly deserve it hope your having a good evening so far 👍
Hello Mark amazing video as always thank you for making these amazing video's and hope you enjoyed the journey 👍 Edit:if you keep on seeing the same comment over and over again from me its probably because TH-cam keeps on making me think my coment got deleted 😂
Thanks mate. A pleasure making them when I get comments such as yours 🤔 I haven’t had any repeat comments come through but don’t worry about that. It helps my engagement which promotes my video, which makes me more money, which enables me to go out and do more videos and, hopefully, retire from my normal job so I can do this full time 🤞That’s the plan anyway: do more videos, make people happy. That all I want to do 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip An amazing plan mate and a pleasure joining your channel but can you please shout me out in one of the videos I just want to experience it that's all you don't have to but I would enjoy it😊
For £16 you can't really go wrong! Far cheaper than a single down to Portsmouth which is probably £60 or something, with several changes! Perhaps a bit touch and go if you have an hour or two connection for a ferry, but overall I would take this over a train to be honest! Another well structured entertaining video as always Mark!
Cheers Danny. Yes I have done the train to Portsmouth Harbour. Cheapest I could get it was about double the price of this and yes, like you said, I had to change about three times on the way.
You’re right - Sf Paul’s Square is a bit further back. I used to work round there and obviously my memory is not as good as I thought. Got confused with the two squares! 🙄Thanks for correcting me 😊🙏
I did this journey in reverse a few years ago, £17 departing the hard at 7am, arriving in Newcastle at 18:45, Portsmouth-Southampton-Oxford-Coventry-Birmingham-Manchester-Leeds-Middlesborough-Sunderland-Newcastle.
I have a question. If journeys are delayed is there any form of compensation? In the south (im not sure it applies elsewhere) you can claim compensation if your train journey is late more than 15 minutes. On an Easy jet flight once the plane was delayed 2 hours and passengers received a voucher to spend in the airport shops
As I'm watching this video I'm doing Portsmouth to Liverpool. Portsmouth to London Victoria they a change of bus to Victoria to Liverpool that was half an hour late leaving
Hope you had a good trip mate. I did look at that with NX but yep, requires a connection in London which kinda put me off after I found out Megabus go direct. That is a big advantage with this cross-country route.
There's always one on a coach journey eh Mark! Better or worse than the girls behind you on the Amtrak? :D Oh I'd love a wee visit to Portsmouth, not been there in years.
I was born to late, I would have loved to have done the London to Calcutta coach journey. Having done the overnight from London to Inverness myself, those long journeys can take it out of you. Especially if you get a naff coach. Best jouney I ever did on a double decker coach was from the North of England all the way through to Croatia.
That’s a pretty long journey tbf! Yes the London - India coach would’ve been some experience. I’ve read about it on the internet. Could I do it now? Absolutely no chance 😂😂
@@LetsMakeaTrip I understand, im hitting low 50's the body is less forgiving these days. I'd still give it a go though, one could always bow out and book a hotel at the next stop so to speak. My next trip will be the Aberdeen to Penzance run, has to be done... As for video's i'll leave those to you guys.. Keep em coming I enjoy them. o7
The thing I noticed with the X7 was the wheelchair provision seemed to be fixed in the downstairs area. Not sure how technically correct this is but looked better on the X7. 👍
Brunel Street, my joining point when i take over a coach....yes our staff there are lovely, only issue with the tracker is that some of the third party operators don't always show on it
Oh I didn’t know about that on the tracker Lee, cheers for the heads up. Yes I agree, a friendly member of staff sets you up for the journey too. Our paths will cross again I’m sure 😊
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yep, although it's just a website as opposed to an app, and it can have it's issues, so I'd always recommend arriving for the booked departure time just in case.
As a wrestler I used to use this bus journey once a month from Portsmouth to Sunderland and back. It’s a rough day of travelling especially as we don’t stop at any services the whole time. Cheap but you get your moneys worth
Cheers Northern Enforcer! Yep, that’s a fair trip that. I reckon so long as you bring some food and drink, you’ll be ok. The toilet yeh a bit hit and miss but ok if you need to go. And for the price, just gotta sit back and enjoy the ride, take a book 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip one thing to watch out for is if you depart anywhere between Newcastle Sunderland or Middlesbrough be prepared to change at Leeds. I made that mistake once and woke up on a coach to London Victoria
Thandi used to be based in Smethwick, dont know if they still are. We used to have them for school trips. The driver's were always wild taking corners fast etc😂
Can you do a video reviewing tandi coaches and new bharat please thanks ps another fantastic video your videos are the highlight of my week I always look forward to your videos
Cheers mate - appreciate the support and the comments too. I'm going to read some of the reviews. Not sure where they go tbh but I would be interested. Might be ae bit niche but certainly an experience!
@@LetsMakeaTrip next to New Street, sure the Mega Bus point used to be there way back in 2015'ish. Used to catch the bus from Brum to London. Stopped at Cov Uni I think and MK.
@@lja8187 Yep, it used to be Hill Street, which is the next street over. It got moved due to changes in the road layout in the area, with the Metro extension meaning the way out from Hill Street to Paradise Circus is no longer accessible.
Never went to Portsmouth or anywhere southern than London whilst visiting the UK. Should give it a try. However, my best bargain with Megabus was £7.99 between Manchester and Leeds last year. Its such a great value
There’s loads of travel opportunities from Portsmouth Enrico, I love it down there. I have a Flixbus and a Nat Ex bargain coming up soon. Watch this space!
I don't know what either driver was trying to do at3:57, the yellow bus was in the right-hand lane (i presume it was a one way street), our driver seemed to try to overtake it on the inside and then it cut across in front of us? 🤷♂️
Adding to the above, it may not be available for all services, and not all services are operated by Stagecoach, some use more traditional style coaches.
Oh thanks for spotting that - it’s not supposed to be there! Do you know what, I ‘proof-watched’ this twice and didn’t spot it! I’ll edit it out at some point 👍
I would love to use mega bus but I am disabled and I don’t fancy sitting on a coach for a few hours not being able to use the toilet. I have to stick to National express who have stops. Why don’t mega bus stop for breaks?
@@LetsMakeaTrip I will and let you know what they say. I am sure if I did use them, they would have to make special stops for wheelchair users, especially if you can’t physically get to the toilet.
@@LetsMakeaTrip this is the email I got back today. So, I guess I won’t be travelling with mega bus anytime soon. Dear Ron, Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, comfort stops are not made on our services unless the on board toilet is unavailable, so the coach would not stop for toilet breaks. I do apologise for any inconvenience caused by this. Kind regards, Eilidh Customer Service
@Let’s Make a Trip! used them quite a bit between 2003 and 2011, before I got my driving licence, from Slough to Leeds. Mainly directed at the South asian Community, they used to pick up from Gudwara in Leeds and drop off in Slough. Good memories.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Ops, now I see it, scary indeed and the and the worst of all is that I can visualize them crawling up and down the windscreen. Sorry about that.
I sometimes wonder 'At what point did my life go wrong?' When did watching a middle-aged man sitting on a bus become Friday night entertainment? ......I watched it all. Thank you. Keep the videos coming
Haha, great comment - pinned! Thank you for watching my stuff 🫶😊
Mine too, great video though despite the weather
Ha same. Good content tho and great bloke.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I like the UK based travel stuff. Makes a change from the Asia based vids I usually watch.
Wait till you do it sitting on a bus like I did last night 😁
I find your vids very relaxing and calming...but never boring . Thank you
Well thanks Mike, appreciate that. I do get the odd person who likes to comment on how boring they find it. That’s life as a TH-camr 🌞 I’m not forcing anyone to watch them! Hopefully the music fits the mood at certain points in the video. That’s what I try to do anyway. Cheers mate 😊👍
I remember doing this trip for £1 from Leeds to Portsmouth when I was in college some 15 years ago. A bargain of a trip but certainly an experience at the bus stop which just on some random back street bus stop with certainly no staff present & it left several hours late following some accidents on the motorway on its journey up.
Still for £1 you can't grumble.
Hi Mark. Looks like a great journey. As for the guy sitting behind you, well as I always say, the problem with public transport is that the public have a tendency to use it.😂
Cheers David. Yep I normally say that to myself when I’m on the train 😂
I was on a normal bus one day, and a guy was talking on his mobile phone (cell phone 📱)
Behind me , talking loud and swearing I said excuse me could you turn the volume down and the language I have a 3 year old sat with me the guy turned round and said this is a private conversation it's got nothing to do with you
I said there is no privacy in public you knob lol it worked I never had nothing after that the guy moved to the back of the bus 🏴
For 16 quid I would happily chill on the bus all day watching the world go by. Great video again
Thanks 👍
Megabus are great for the price. They allow people to make journeys they maybe couldn't afford otherwise. We have used them many times to London from Manchester to avoid costly rail fares. Used Megabus also in America between NewYork, Philadelphia and Washington. Same bargain prices and good service. Enjoyed watching your trip too!
Exactly Neil. You can get some real super-cheap fares and a stress-free journey providing you’re not on any kind of tight connections at the other end. Great point and thanks for the comment 😊👍
Great trip, really enjoyed it. Become a quite a fan. Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks Marian, glad you enjoyed it 😊
I was very familiar with the A34 and M27 having been born and brought up in Portsmouth and lived for 20+ years in Oxfordshire, but nice to see them from a higher vantage point. The A34 over the downlands, and well as the coastal route, are very pleasant scenically (especially when the sun's out!). Nice to hear the appreciation for my home town.
Cheers Ian, oh yes, one of my favourite places because it’s always the start of a new adventure! 😊👍
Really interesting video. I know the harbour from working on the railway for 21 years, now retired. Keep up the good work. 😊
Cheers Neil, thanks for the comment 😊👍
I am now utterly relaxed. Thanks!
Good to hear 😊👍
Another great video, well done, keep it up
Cheers Steve and thanks for the comment 😊👍
Really like your videos, perfect mix of commentary, views and music, very relaxing. Loved this as I live near Portsmouth now, that drive down the M275 into the city is always nice, traffic not great at the moment due to a lot of roadworks. Pompey is a brilliant city and so much nearby
There’s always an interesting character to be found when travelling! A great watch as always, keep up the great work mate.
Cheers Tim and the same to yourself sir!
I'm actually enjoying this, thank you for sharing 😊
Thanks for commenting - much appreciated.
Another great upload. Many thanks and safe travels.
Cheers Patrick, glad you enjoyed it 😊
Excellent video as always. Great views from the front seat, and as always an affordable way of getting around the country. A great promotion of the coach services available to all, thank you.
Cheers Keith, thanks for the comment. Front seat definitely worth a few extra quid especially on a longer journey 👍
Not too bad bus trip! Great price.
I love watch your videos!
Thank you .
Thanks for the support mate - appreciated 😊👍
Im new to the channel having discovered it quite by accident as a suggestion because I’d watched a similar channel previously . Have to say I’m hooked and particularly like your ferry reviews being a keen sailor myself (dating back to when I was very young ) . Keep them coming mate 👍
Cheers Andrew, couple of ferry reviews coming up in the next month or so 😊👍
Wow, what a great price you paid. Great vlog as always, Mark😊
Thanks Sheila. Yep it was a great price - I’m always looking out for bargains (mainly so that I can tell everyone else about them). This definitely fits the bill and I’ve got a few more coming up too! Cheers 😊👍
Great video Mark, it does look a lot nicer being sat at the front.
Cheers. Yes, definitely worth the few extra quid.
Another great vid. I once took Megabus from Manchester to Newcastle and due to an RTC on the M6 it was 3 hours late and then the driver took a well deserved break. I was the only one who waited it out and had the coach to myself across to Leeds. The coach then turned into a London Service but they held a Newcastle service for me at services so after a quick switch I was able to complete my journey. The last time I went through Coventry on Megabus in 2012 their stop was on a housing estate close to Warwick Uni and certainly not central but the trip to Bristol and back from Manchester was £2:50 so a bargain. Look forward to the next one.
Cheers mate. Yep, this is all part of coach travel isn’t it (including the price). Like you’ve proved here, if you have the time and are fairly chilled about it, can’t go wrong imo. 😊👍
Thanks for the review. Thats a route I have wanted to take for some time.
Cheers Paul. Yep, from the midlands (well anywhere Newcastle down I guess) this is a great route covering a long distance where you don't have to go via London. That's a game-changer really for me.
Another great video mate, top work 😊 keep it up! cheers for now 😉
Cheers Gareth, always appreciate your support mate 😊👍
Great to see your vids again
Cheers John 😊👍
I loved this video , where were you going guess well find out soon I like Portsmouth I come from Chichester originally so brings back memories
Cheers Sean! Chichester’s a bit posh isn’t it? I was heading to the islands - one near, one far away if that helps 😉
I do not know why I watched this, but I am glad I did. Looks a very good service but the state of the bathroom was a bit of a ‘piss take’ and looks more like planned neglect, this sort of facility is essential and should be cleaned at each stop either by a cleaner based at the bus station or if they cannot being themselves to organise that - then the driver needs to do it.
Thank you for doing this video.🤷♂️
Cool vid I’ve just watched here, I often used this service in the past from Portsmouth to Leeds but now I get the train as it’s quicker.
It’s a time/money thing isn’t it 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip I got the railcard so the train is fine for me. Last time I used megabus the power sockets didn’t work
Always enjoy the views
Best part of it - especially at the front 👍
54270...one of the coaches I think I missed the opportunity to have my lunch on when I was working for Stagecoach South Wales...
A very good evening Mark from Alan in Lowestoft buddy 👍
Good evening (morning) Alan!
Holidayed three times at Southsea when a boy in the seventies! Portsmouth's a great city!
It is! Lots to do and of course you’ve got the Isle of Wight and access to continental Europe 👍
So much to see in Pompey. Those of us that come from there don't appreciate it as much. Maybe one day you could visit Fratton Park and take in a game of football.
I have done that. Went to see Shrewsbury a few years back (saw a fox run across the pitch). Town won and I went over to the IoW for a week after that. Great ground Fratton Park - a proper football ground!
The main offputting thing for me with Megabus is that they pick up from roadside bustops. It's not the most pleasant waiting environment. With NX, where they have them (certainly in Birmingham) they use bus stations where there's toilets, refreshments and undercover seating.
NX doesn't have them everywhere. There's a brand new bus station in Exeter but NX picks up from the road nearby, seems such a waste
It’s a money thing.
@@LetsMakeaTrip No it isn't necessarily money, but who operates or owns the bus and coach stations in towns and cities. Some may be on Council owned land, hence the Council will decide which operators can or cannot use their site.
Some may well be owned by the local or region's principal Bus operator, who will invariably disallow potential rivals on same routes or Coach operator's vehicles on either Express services or carrying tour parties.
That is the case in Birmingham where the only Coach Station is the NatEx station in Digbeth where only their own services and related vehicles can access the site; it makes sense, as they also have their HQ offices on site too!
In contrast, if you pass through Leeds Bus and coach station, Nat Ex have their own segregated section on one side of the site all to themselves, whereas, Megabus has 1 stand to operate from, on the other side of the site, sharing that area with regional buses connecting out to area towns.
However, there's no space for Flixbus there, so they have to use a side street stop in a layby about 150 yards away.
Thus, it's all about who owns or operates what site and the local protocols that surround it!
Andrea seemed lovely
I've got a suggestion for you....travel from Aberdeen to London...roughly 14 hours on the one Megabus 👀
I have looked at that one Shaun yes. May be worth doing it the other way around too. Another one is the London - Penzance NX route and of course the Flixbus services across the channel to Paris etc. Lots of opportunities yet providing I've got the time to do it!! Cheers mate.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I've seen other TH-camrs do the London to Paris Flixbus service,it does look like a fun journey 👀😅🥴
Unfortunately it’s just Edinburgh or Glasgow to London now. There is a Dundee to Bristol flixbus and a Glasgow to Southampton/Cardiff megabus
Great work as usual Mark , I really enjoyed the video 😊😊.
Cheers Steve and thanks for the comment 😊👍
Quirky, subscribed. Thanks.
Cheers mate, thanks for the sub 😊
I spend most days at that bus station as it my local one and do like to see the different coaches on national express and megabus arriving and departing
Come and say hi if you see me!
Great value price for sure
It was Darren, but I’ve got an even better value trip coming up this weekend!
Great trip report as always, I take the northbound service from Coventry to Newcastle twice a year and find it great value for money. I have booked to travel on this exact service between Newcastle and Coventry in August which I’m pleased has been came back as part of the timetable changes as it saves me changing for another form of transport in Birmingham
Cheers mate yep that is a similar situation to me in so much as if Megabus didn’t do this route, I’d be on the Nat Ex to London and then out of there to Portsmouth. That makes for a long day and tbh, faced with that I’d probably train it. Well done to Megabus for acknowledging not everyone is going to or leaving the capital.
5:55 There will always be a random nutter on the bus.
They will always sit near to those who won't tell them to sod off.
That is very true 😂
On the trains too. My advice sadly is to not engage with them. I once made the mistake of polite small talk and this guy kept pestering me and even followed me through several carriages when I realised talking to him was not a wise decision. I eventually lost my cool and loudly told him to stop stalking me
Another top video Mark, from my home city too (brum). Never taken a Megabus but looked perfectly adequate from this! Shame they make you board from the back end of nowhere though! Look forward to the next upload!
Cheers Robert. Yep it’s just how it is with Megabus (and Flixbus). National Express own the Digbeth coach station (or whatever it’s called now) and they’re not gonna let these guys use it. Like you said though, perfectly good coach can’t complain for £16 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip It does have it's benefits though, our stop is a lot closer to the actual city centre than Digbeth, and I'd imagine the current roadworks around there for the tram extension can cause headaches at times. It's only a couple minutes walk from New Street station, which is great for onward connections. I have found myself wishing we could use the coach station at times, rather than being outdoors in all conditions, but I can't see that ever happening.
Nice review, can't wait for another one!
Cheers Kai, thanks as always for your support 😊
You should come try the flixbus service 073 to Newcastle by Leeds and Middlesbrough great route
James I have Flixbus Birmingham to Newcastle next month 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip okay that's good let me know when and I will see if I'm doing the 073 to Manchester on a mirror cam coach
Imagine paying £14 for megabus London-Oxford only to realise the Oxford tube is £13
As a retired train driver, I get free rail travel everywhere (including abroad) but would much rather spend money to travel by coach or go in the car.
Hi Mark how are you doing mate? Great video as always well edited with good background music nice to see another coach journey video plus another Megabus video its a good thing that Anthea who works with Megabus told you and all the other passengers that the coach would be delayed due to a collision at Stoke On Trent but at least it arrived eventually for you good to see that you had a front row seat for the entire journey to Portsmouth very standard Megabus double decker coach as what you usually get its good that all of the coaches facilities were working and not busted e.g. the reading lights and air condition very good leg room the toilet facilities aren't good at all the Wi-Fi is completely useless as it didn't connect good price of £16.69 for a journey like that I probably wouldn't use that service due to the lack of facilities if I needed them I would go with another company if I have to go there that's a very nice bus station for Portsmouth next to everything you need keep up the great content as always as there so entertaining and professional at the same time plus I hope your having a good day so far Mark 👍
Hi FG, yep I’ve been out filming today - a lovely day for it too. Thanks once more for the comment, much appreciated. For me, going down here it has to be Megabus otherwise Nat Ex would have me connecting through London which is a bit of a pain. Cheers mate 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yep it sure has been a lovely day for the weather yeh for some people they have to use Megabus due to where they get the coach from plus not changing coaches mid ways its alright Mark its always great to see a reply from you as your such a friendly and awesome bloke more people need to know about your channel as you truly deserve it hope your having a good evening so far 👍
Cheers mate. Please spread the word!!
Hello Mark amazing video as always thank you for making these amazing video's and hope you enjoyed the journey 👍
Edit:if you keep on seeing the same comment over and over again from me its probably because TH-cam keeps on making me think my coment got deleted 😂
Thanks mate. A pleasure making them when I get comments such as yours 🤔 I haven’t had any repeat comments come through but don’t worry about that. It helps my engagement which promotes my video, which makes me more money, which enables me to go out and do more videos and, hopefully, retire from my normal job so I can do this full time 🤞That’s the plan anyway: do more videos, make people happy. That all I want to do 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip An amazing plan mate and a pleasure joining your channel but can you please shout me out in one of the videos I just want to experience it that's all you don't have to but I would enjoy it😊
You need to join my Ko-fi group pixle then you'll get your name on the end of every video! :-)
Another lovely video. Do I detect another ferry trip coming up.
There are at least two coming up in the next month or so. Cheers Colin.
For £16 you can't really go wrong! Far cheaper than a single down to Portsmouth which is probably £60 or something, with several changes! Perhaps a bit touch and go if you have an hour or two connection for a ferry, but overall I would take this over a train to be honest! Another well structured entertaining video as always Mark!
Cheers Danny. Yes I have done the train to Portsmouth Harbour. Cheapest I could get it was about double the price of this and yes, like you said, I had to change about three times on the way.
Hi wasn't it Cathedral Square with Saint Phillips in Birmingham not Saint Pauls? Good video though.
You’re right - Sf Paul’s Square is a bit further back. I used to work round there and obviously my memory is not as good as I thought. Got confused with the two squares! 🙄Thanks for correcting me 😊🙏
I did this journey in reverse a few years ago, £17 departing the hard at 7am, arriving in Newcastle at 18:45, Portsmouth-Southampton-Oxford-Coventry-Birmingham-Manchester-Leeds-Middlesborough-Sunderland-Newcastle.
It’s a long day isn’t it but for the money - surely cannot be beaten.
I have a question. If journeys are delayed is there any form of compensation? In the south (im not sure it applies elsewhere) you can claim compensation if your train journey is late more than 15 minutes. On an Easy jet flight once the plane was delayed 2 hours and passengers received a voucher to spend in the airport shops
Might be worth checking on the Megabus website Keith tbh. I haven’t heard of this with coaches and it may also depend on what ticket you buy.
As I'm watching this video I'm doing Portsmouth to Liverpool.
Portsmouth to London Victoria they a change of bus to Victoria to Liverpool that was half an hour late leaving
Hope you had a good trip mate. I did look at that with NX but yep, requires a connection in London which kinda put me off after I found out Megabus go direct.
That is a big advantage with this cross-country route.
There's always one on a coach journey eh Mark! Better or worse than the girls behind you on the Amtrak? :D Oh I'd love a wee visit to Portsmouth, not been there in years.
Oh much, much better! Portsmouth is a source of countless video opportunities Steve. I love it 😊👍
I was born to late, I would have loved to have done the London to Calcutta coach journey. Having done the overnight from London to Inverness myself, those long journeys can take it out of you. Especially if you get a naff coach. Best jouney I ever did on a double decker coach was from the North of England all the way through to Croatia.
That’s a pretty long journey tbf! Yes the London - India coach would’ve been some experience. I’ve read about it on the internet. Could I do it now? Absolutely no chance 😂😂
@@LetsMakeaTrip I understand, im hitting low 50's the body is less forgiving these days. I'd still give it a go though, one could always bow out and book a hotel at the next stop so to speak. My next trip will be the Aberdeen to Penzance run, has to be done... As for video's i'll leave those to you guys.. Keep em coming I enjoy them. o7
The 3 seats on the bottom are for crew use only
Cheers 😊👍
If there anything other questions about the buses let me know am a controller
@@Lothianbusgamer21 I will mate, thanks. Always value the input from people in the profession 😊👍
Same model of bus as the X7, Aberdeen to Dundee? Looks identical
The thing I noticed with the X7 was the wheelchair provision seemed to be fixed in the downstairs area. Not sure how technically correct this is but looked better on the X7. 👍
Brunel Street, my joining point when i take over a coach....yes our staff there are lovely, only issue with the tracker is that some of the third party operators don't always show on it
Oh I didn’t know about that on the tracker Lee, cheers for the heads up. Yes I agree, a friendly member of staff sets you up for the journey too. Our paths will cross again I’m sure 😊
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yep, although it's just a website as opposed to an app, and it can have it's issues, so I'd always recommend arriving for the booked departure time just in case.
As a wrestler I used to use this bus journey once a month from Portsmouth to Sunderland and back. It’s a rough day of travelling especially as we don’t stop at any services the whole time. Cheap but you get your moneys worth
Cheers Northern Enforcer! Yep, that’s a fair trip that. I reckon so long as you bring some food and drink, you’ll be ok. The toilet yeh a bit hit and miss but ok if you need to go. And for the price, just gotta sit back and enjoy the ride, take a book 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip one thing to watch out for is if you depart anywhere between Newcastle Sunderland or Middlesbrough be prepared to change at Leeds. I made that mistake once and woke up on a coach to London Victoria
Enjoyed
Thanks mate 🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️✅🚍🚍🚍🚍🚍
Thandi used to be based in Smethwick, dont know if they still are. We used to have them for school trips. The driver's were always wild taking corners fast etc😂
😳sounds like fun! I hear the reviews make good reading too 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip believe they used to stop in Leicester on way to London (Southall).
Can you do a video reviewing tandi coaches and new bharat please thanks ps another fantastic video your videos are the highlight of my week I always look forward to your videos
Cheers mate - appreciate the support and the comments too. I'm going to read some of the reviews. Not sure where they go tbh but I would be interested. Might be ae bit niche but certainly an experience!
Now for Lands End to John O'Groats by service bus
I will definitely do that. When I retire!
@@LetsMakeaTrip I did a plan a few months ago. Reckon it takes about 1 week.
Up in my neck of the woods last week (almost)
And now down at the polar opposite, you fair get aboot!
I do. Wales today, then over to Norfolk, Sunday 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Wow!
Used to be Hill Street in Brum many years ago?
Hill Street I’m sure I know where that is, just can’t quite place it 🤔
@@LetsMakeaTrip next to New Street, sure the Mega Bus point used to be there way back in 2015'ish. Used to catch the bus from Brum to London. Stopped at Cov Uni I think and MK.
@@lja8187 Yep, it used to be Hill Street, which is the next street over. It got moved due to changes in the road layout in the area, with the Metro extension meaning the way out from Hill Street to Paradise Circus is no longer accessible.
Very dissapointed you never showed any pictures of the great Winnall interchange between the A34 and M3 junction 9!! Its my homeland
Sorry Robert. I’ll look out for it next time I’m down there! 😊
Great trip. Time fpr NX to open up Digbeth to Megabus though.
I don't think they'll ever do that Lucy. Or they'd charge so much money Megabus wouldn't pay it.
Nice journey kind of wierd that in Coventry only national express and megabus go there would of thought flixbus would operator there
Yeh, maybe Flixbus stop somewhere else in the city? That certainty happens at some of the other places I’ve been.
Flixbus are going to be serving Coventry soon
Westward ho! Loved it (again).
Cheers Paul 😊
Never went to Portsmouth or anywhere southern than London whilst visiting the UK. Should give it a try.
However, my best bargain with Megabus was £7.99 between Manchester and Leeds last year. Its such a great value
There’s loads of travel opportunities from Portsmouth Enrico, I love it down there. I have a Flixbus and a Nat Ex bargain coming up soon. Watch this space!
As a long time resident of southern England I highly recommend the area
Thandi Coaches are from Birmingham, New Bharat Coaches are based in Southall, London, as i recall
Cheers Andrei 👍
I believe they operate for flixbus and perhaps megabus
Thandi ( Pronouned Tandy ) and Bharat are based locally to me Mark, Smethwick I think,
Yes so I gather. I’ll check out their websites see what it’s all about 🤔
I don't know what either driver was trying to do at3:57, the yellow bus was in the right-hand lane (i presume it was a one way street), our driver seemed to try to overtake it on the inside and then it cut across in front of us? 🤷♂️
Yep, I’m not sure what was going on there either! I remember thinking at the time.
Water sloshing about behind you? 🤔 ... It wasnt anything to do with the bloke sitting behind you who kept talking about random things i hope ... 😒
I’ve no idea - never heard it before and as yet, I’m none the wiser tbh!
I think it may be the toilet
Just can’t do much with delays on road. RTA/Works. Even rail has issues - following a slow moving train. Or some other excuse.
Agree both times on this. Approx 75% of my trains have been late or cancelled recently.
New Bahrat and Thandi are what you might call , specialised services. Southall , Slough etc If you grasp my meaning
I do 😊
I’m sure they operate for flixbus or megabus
@@s125ish they did but gave up, Not sure of the reason
hi there, i like you vid, can i ask how do you book the front seats? where on the website please
When you click through on your ticket it should give you the option. Just click on the seat if it’s available.
Adding to the above, it may not be available for all services, and not all services are operated by Stagecoach, some use more traditional style coaches.
What was the £49 for at the 3:16 mark?
Oh thanks for spotting that - it’s not supposed to be there! Do you know what, I ‘proof-watched’ this twice and didn’t spot it! I’ll edit it out at some point 👍
Does front row seat mean you were driving the bus for a £1?
It felt like I was 😂
New Bharat actually contract to Megabus.
Hello,
I prefer newer Megabuses/Citylink with newer seats.
Don’t think I would do Megabus/Citylink longer than going to Inverness or Aberdeen .
Hello, I agree but I’ve yet to try Citylink. Someday soon though hopefully 😊👍
I would love to use mega bus but I am disabled and I don’t fancy sitting on a coach for a few hours not being able to use the toilet. I have to stick to National express who have stops. Why don’t mega bus stop for breaks?
I don’t know the answer to be honest Ron. Might be worth sending them a message on Twitter or email?
@@LetsMakeaTrip I will and let you know what they say. I am sure if I did use them, they would have to make special stops for wheelchair users, especially if you can’t physically get to the toilet.
@@LetsMakeaTrip this is the email I got back today. So, I guess I won’t be travelling with mega bus anytime soon.
Dear Ron,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately, comfort stops are not made on our services unless the on board toilet is unavailable, so the coach would not stop for toilet breaks.
I do apologise for any inconvenience caused by this.
Kind regards,
Eilidh
Customer Service
Thandi and Bharat cater for the asian community to Southall
Lol, the Thandi customer reviews make interesting reading 🤣
Cheers again Lee.
Oh I must check them out now you’ve said that 😂
@Let’s Make a Trip! used them quite a bit between 2003 and 2011, before I got my driving licence, from Slough to Leeds. Mainly directed at the South asian Community, they used to pick up from Gudwara in Leeds and drop off in Slough. Good memories.
These coaches should have vipers on the upper deck.
That would be scary!! 😂
@@LetsMakeaTrip Ops, now I see it, scary indeed and the and the worst of all is that I can visualize them crawling up and down the windscreen. Sorry about that.
@@maxart3392you gave people an unintentional laugh that's cool
crikey mark if you shut your eyes you can dream off the x2 to preston not much different same seats nearly maybe not has many rattles
Haha, yeh the X2 will always have a place in my heart! I prefer the coach tbh for this distance though 😊👍
I got megabus from bradford to Birmingham
Haven’t done that route but I’m guessing that was super-cheap too👍
@LetsMakeaTrip really good morning trip and got there early
Oxford Gloucester Green
Coach Station
First
First what ? 🥇
First to comment 👏
" SUPER" cheap 😂😂😂😂 Does that even make any sense? I think the word you are looking for is " Very"