National Express: A good alternative to the train?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ค. 2024
- Hello and welcome to my first coach review! Today, we'll be taking a look at what National Express have to offer on their London to Bradford route, travelling via Sheffield and Leeds, to see if the coach is a good alternative to the train.
Date of Travel: May 2023
Class of Travel: N/A
Coach Type: Caetano Levante
Type of Service: N/A
Operator: National Express Coaches
Coach Number: 561
Origin: Victoria Coach Station, London, United Kingdom (England)
Destination: Bradford Nelson Street, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (England)
Cost of ticket: £12.90 ($16.15, €14.85) plus £1 ($1.25, €1.15) booking fee.
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I just have an enormous respect for the drivers. The way they fold these things around corners is nothing short of stunning.
As someone who's driven lorries, I concur. Some of the roads certainly weren't designed for these coaches!
I think the idea is stupid Suus
@@DylansTravelReports I don t even like the idea Train is a lot better
@@DylansTravelReports tell me about it . The roads they send you down are silly. The class one's are easier to drive then the tri axles . I've driven both .most of our depot on national have class 1 . But they do pay more then the lorries.
The back wheels do steer which helps a lot.
I took a National Express from Heathrow to Cardiff about 5 years ago and it was really great. It only took 45 minutes more than the train which more than balances out since you have to get a train to Paddington or a coach to Reading in order to catch the train. The bus stop to Cardiff is directly outside where you leave arrivals. It also cost about a third of the price!
With the ongoing fiasco with the Railways, I've used National Express a few times. I've always found them to be reliable and offer a good service. Even if the journey does take a bit longer i'd rather that then the headache of dealing with a canceled train and not getting to where I'm supposed to go.
Every time I take a cruise on Cunard I have to fly from Israel to Heathrow. National Express has a station literally meters from where I pick up my luggage; the driver puts my luggage in the hold of the bus, then insists on assisting me to board (I use a cane ) and about two hours later I’m in Southampton. More than once, the driver also hailed a taxi for me to go to the Cunard dock. I’ve always found National Express to be a very good service.
I regularly travel overnight between England and Scotland. A good service, comfy seats and all at a reasonable price.
I can't fault National Express. Cheap and Cheerful🙏 Yes I would like more journeys using National Express
Wish we had quality coaches like this in the USA. Next time you are in the US you need to review the Greyhound bus for at least a couple hundred miles, you will find a newfound hatred for long-distance coach travel.
I was going to warn him not to do Greyhound in the U.S. for the reason you gave.
I've been told by multiple people to avoid Greyhound like the plague 😂
@@DylansTravelReports pack your favorite liquor, ensure the coach lav works and you will be fine.😎
@@John_Fugazzi And 'sketchy' passengers too.
From NYC to Boston, Philadelphia, and DC, Greyhound is just fine. Amtrak is more comfortable but can cost up to 10x more. Not worth the difference for a short trip.
I think it depends on the route and the journey you want to make. I used to use it a lot between London Victoria and Bristol and the most I ever paid was £5 each way (1/4 of what the train costs!), but this was for a specific coach, flexible tickets are very expensive and the train is sometimes cheaper! The Bristol route is served hourly and only takes 50 minutes longer than the train which is good for coaches as other routes I looked at had only 3 to 5 services daily and are often much slower, even if the train was every 30 minutes for the same destination (like in Kent). Personally I find coaches to be cramped and uncomfortable after a while (like a car), I guess it's because I am tall. It's horrible when the coach is full, whereas even a full train seems to be ok. I won't ever dismiss using a coach as it gets the job done but I always look at the train first as the coach is not always so cheap and the journey is just better on a train. This video is very fair I think though, I just wish it was possible to easily see how busy services are as the Bristol ones can get really packed. Also it is possible to book on National Express without paying the booking fee, you just have to sign up to an account on their website, they just hide it! You won't pay the £1 if you are signed in.
As someone who's used National Express on multiple extremely long journeys (Including Birmingham to Penzance, and Liverpool to Portsmouth), I'd say the performance statistics are probably pretty accurate - I've not really seen an NX service incur a delay over an hour before.
The older Levante 2s (They do the 170 to Leeds, but also various other routes) essentially just take the comfort given here, and improve upon it, with a plug socket instead of the USBs, a better recline, more padding, and an actual sturdy tray table - So maybe one of those is something to try!
Great video Dylan!
The coach (Caetano Levante) is pronounced Kuh-tarno Le-vanti.
National Express waive the £1.00 booking fee if you register for an online account.
However, I’d still take the train personally.
You definitely know what you're getting with National Express. Megabus are very hit and miss in my experience, especially since Stagecoach sold their share in the company to Comfort DelGro.
my wife was a hostess on the national express when I worked for the same bus company (thats how we met) in the early 90s, she used to make a killing selling sandwiches and drinks…sometimes in one shift she could top what I made in a week!
Oh, Lord. As a linguist the one thing that struck me was the departures board 0:56. They have gone to the trouble of having 'departures' in French, German, Spanish and Polish which is absolutely great. What's not so great is that the words they've used in both German and Polish they've clearly lifted from an airport. The words have roots in the words for flying and translate as something like 'take-offs'.
What? Never flown on a bus?😂
At least i'm not the only one to notice. Didn't know about the polish one, but the german one just made me laugh (and hurt) internally
In Scotland, the Citylink Gold (dunno if it's still a thing) services connecting Edinburgh or Glasgow with Aberdeen or Inverness used to give complimentary refreshments onboard.
The Gold service no longer exists unfortunately
When I travelled between my University in Bolton and my home town in South London, I tended to use one of 3 options, driving my own car the ~180 miles from door to door, bus from Bolton to Manchester Shudehill, Megabus to London Victoria and train the rest of the way, or 3 trains and the tube (Bolton to Manchester Piccadilly, Piccadilly to London Euston, Victoria Line to Victoria, before the final train the rest of the way)
I love how they translated Departures into Abflüge at 0:56. Abflüge translates to takeoffs which probably isn't the word they meant...
Actually in German you can use Abflüge for both!
@@telemachus53 That's not true. "Abflüge" is exclusively for aircraft. "Abfahrten" would be "Departures" for land vehicles.
Maybe that got bus and Airbus mixed up 😂
I like how they had translations available. Though London is very multicultural not much signage takes into account a lot of people visiting don't understand the language
@@keithparker1346 I guess so, but the vast majority of Germans can speak or at least understand English, so a German translation wouldn't be necessary, but I also agree with your point.
I really enjoy travelling with national express. As a disabled person their wheelchair lift is brilliant. The staff is always there to help me get on and off and it is a pleasure travelling with them. My only grip is I wish the driver would let the other passengers on first. It is very embarrassing having to board a bus using a lift.
Ahhh. Brings back memories of the late 80's/early 90's, travelling up to Newcastle on the National Express Rapide. Still took a good 5 hours+, despite the name!
I cannot fault National Express. Im up north and travelled to and from Cardiff a few years ago, and have done the trip to and from Manchester several times. Never had any issues. Always on time. Clean. Drivers always happy to help. Yes it takes longer but never seen anyone from National Express on strike.
Seen all these positive comments but I took a trip from leeds to Newcastle around November time and the whole service got postponed (there was about 50 of us) because the wheelchair ramp didn’t work🙄, the person on the wheelchair got a different service 1 hour later where there was only 5 spare seats and we had to wait 3 more hours (at about 6pm when it was dark), never had a worse experience
I don't do those buses during the day but overnight they are very useful especially as hardly any overnight trains still exist.I do National Express and Megabus overnight from the north east to London and done them to Oxford and Birmingham too.
Yes they run same times daily, which is handy. Plus the night buses on some routes are good for an extended day out somewhere.
Excellent services operated by National Express. I would recommend every one.
I had to go from Lincoln to Birmingham last week. Not only was the coach cheaper than the train, it was faster, and didnt involve a change half way. The only problen was that there was only one service a day.
Great trip. Finally you make a Coach trip report. Please make more coach trip report, especially on some route which requires Ferry or Channel Tunnel Crossing. On board catering is a rare thing in European Coach, but some of them having it, especially on Baltic countries.
I first used National Express last year when I was going from Liverpool to London a few times and the Trains were on strike, I was amazed by the comfort and Price. I use National Express from now on.
Coaches are a necessary competition fo train operators to keep costs down, sounds like a very pleasant trip,albeit a bit slower.
Oh my thanks DTR, I’ve arrived and departed about a million times by train into London Victoria and been passed VCS on a bus a similar number of times. But I’ve never been inside the coach station. It looks ok . Finally enough, I do enjoy coach travel even though I’m a devout railway enthusiast
took NE from Southampton to Heathrow after a cruise. VERY efficient and cost effective. Cruise bus to Heathrow was about 3X the cost of NE. However the bus terminal was a short cab ride rather than right at the cruise port.
Enjoy your vlogs!!!
Fun change of transportation, which brought back memories from London Victoria and the city of "Meadowhall", but I had to smile at "Not quite sure how catering would be practical?"
If you've not heard The Divine Comedy's (doubly) ironic "National Express", yes they did use to have hostesses on board. ☕
Even if she did have an arse the size of a small country.
I was always curious about the bathroom/ toilet on those coaches ! Thank you ! Clean ,looking very clean !! YAY ! Lol👍👍😃💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚍💞
Other TH-cam vloggers such as Planes , Trains, Everything have done National Express trips and specifically booked seat 2A as only 1 seat in row 1 opposite driver. Legroom is excellent. Maybe one day try Glasgow to Inverness or vice versa as you like Scottish trips 👍
I took National Express quite a few times, such as between Manchester and Blackpool, Heathrow to Stansted and Leeds to Luton Airport and the travel times for these journeys were more convenient than the train, particularly between Heathrow and Stansted, as it saved me almost an hour
Hi Dylan, a very good video and a fair assessment of National Express, thank you very much
The next bus trip has to be a romantic trip to Paris… “The good news is, we’re going to Paris, the bad news is, we’re getting there by flixbus”
Yes, the Eurolines service was better but seems to have been 'killed off' during pandemic/brexit.
I had a bit of a laugh at 0:57 when I saw the German translation of "Departures"😂 At an airport I would agree with "Abflüge" (which translates roughly as "departing flights"). In this case "Abfahrten" is more appropriate for coaches. But who knows what they might have planned for Victoria 😅
At £12.90, that was actually quite inexpensive for such a distance, and it also doesn't limit you to just people who are eligible for railcards. Having said that, trains are much quicker.
I personally would take the train if it was a similar cost, or if I was in a hurry. If I didn't care about how long it took, and the coach was significantly cheaper than the train (especially since I don't have a railcard) then it would have to be the coach.
Plus, bus drivers aren't striking - unlike train drivers! On the day of this comment - May 12th, 2023 - there was a strike being performed by ASLEF (the train drivers) meaning there were/are absolutely no rail services to pretty much anywhere, so the coach would be a lifesaver!
I've taken the national express 3 times this year because of the unreliable railway currently thanks to Scott from planes trains and everything I reserve seat 2A the seat with the most legroom on the coach
Loved the coach review Dylan! Would love to see you review more UK coaches in videos!
With recent rail strikes my sister recently used National Express to Manchester. Re. Punctuality part of this is driven by speed of service. Eg on Manchester service there is 40 ish minute stop at M6 Toll services so if you are running on time, rather than stoping you’d be homing in on Manchester. That said if there are delays it represents a useful opportunity to limit time of stop and catch up. The other problem might be if you avoid rush traffic at say departure point, risk might be finding congested rush hour at destination (particularly on a Tuesday to Thursday !)
The stop is very likely related to driver hours and rest stops, and not intended as a catch-up, but is mandatory.
It was nice to see this coach trip. It was different and shows a possible alternative.
Regularly use national express. Sure it takes longer but i paid £10.50 from Basingstoke to Coventry. The same trip on the rhe train ..£35, enough said really,no brainer!!
My only bus-riding adventure in the U.K., apart from the double-deckers in London, was the bus ride from Robin Hood Bay to Scarborough, in Yorkshire. I think the distance traveled was 38 miles, and it wasn't a coach bus like what you rode in, but more like a regular city bus. It was comfortable, and it looked like lots of commuters en route to Scarborough were on it. Lots of students on it. We went through miles and miles of countryside, mostly farmland. It was a pleasant ride nevertheless.
A friend of mine got a National Express coach starting from Birmingham to Nottingham and then he went to Edinburgh bus station which terminated at Glasgow on the 183 route.
Train every time for me unless circumstance dictates otherwise. Last summer I needed to get from London to Nottingham early on a Sunday morning. The first train would have arrived too late for the start of the Test Match so it was the 06:30 National Express departure from Victoria Coach Station for me. To be fair the journey was fine though the bus was packed with blokes on it for the same reason I was.
They are my go to when travelling from Manchester to London to avoid Avanti. Reliable, cheap and comfy. Better than Megabus as they make scheduled rest stops and I find the seats comfier though I wish they had an extra legroom option which Megabus do. Your West Yorkshire Accent really comes through when pronouncing the word coach ☺️. There used to be catering on Rapide services until the late 90’s which served sandwiches, snacks and drinks served by a hostess as mentioned in the Devine Comedy Song National Express. I am using them next week from Newcastle to Manchester to avoid TPE.
Take the National Express if your life is a mess it'll make you smile.
On the National Express there's a jolly hostess selling crisps and tea.
She'll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks
For a sky-high fee.
This is the catchiest song I’ve ever heard! I used to love Divine Comedy!
I was gutted to discover that there is not actually any crisis and tea for sale.
Interesting departure from the usual but I'd always prefer a train to a bus. I must say the U.K. bus was nice looking and clean.
Same here, but I would prefer coaches over ridiculously expensive Eurostar if I am travelling from London to Paris.
I currently commute Weston-Bristol-London and back by coach. After six months it's getting a bit tedious but it's not too bad. Getting out of West London some evenings can add an hour or two extra to the journey but it's cheap and fairly comfortable.
The coach gets you there, and if you can keep yourself amused, with something to read and watch/listen to on a tablet/phone, you should be fine. I'd recommend taking snacks and stuff to drink, and maybe even a cushion or neck support. In my experience people are pretty well behaved and quiet on these buses, with students and retired people being a good proportion of the travellers. The drivers are pretty helpful and polite too.
I've usually found National Express and Megabus coaches clean and tidy, but the Wifi mostly was either useless or nonexistant. The main incentive over the train is the price of travel for sure, and you can get some very good deals with a coachcard and booking ahead online. I have to say I also find coaches pretty punctual and reliable, and if there are motorway snarl ups the drivers will divert off them to try to keep to schedule.
Never used long distance coaches and no desire to do so, however my relatives in France think the bus network is a fantasic way to travel ... often using the overnight services too, including to the UK.
Thanks for the video. This week I caught National Express service 201 from Heathrow to Swansea. It was the last part of a journey from Sydney Australia. The seats were very comfortable and at 6ft. 2in and I had plenty of legroom. The WiFi worked well and the charging points were useful. The return fare was £38.20 and tied to set times. Much cheaper than the train and about the same time.
15:15
What the requirement on luggage
I used another long distance coach operator a few times as a student
I have to say, even their most luxurious offering - whilst it was clear a real effort has been made by the company - felt cramped and stifling compared to train travel.
Despite the cheaper prices, I wouldn't go back to long distance coach travel if I could ever help it.
Needless to say, I asked mum and dad not to get too imaginative for birthday presents for the rest of my degree - an annual 16-25 Railcard would do just fine. 😂😂
National Express is handy. Sometimes if I have to travel between Liverpool and London. By train it's just over two hours and NE is six hours, it's longer but it can be a fraction of the price compared to train.
I originally planned on taking a National Express bus from Victoria coach Station to Newport ,Wales last summer ,but took a train instead to save time ! I'd like to take this coach someday ! 👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚍💞
National express have contracts with other coach firms to provide the services
They all have to use the same type of coach other than overflow buses
It’s a shame that the only National Express service to London from Preston now runs at 3am with a Megabus in the afternoon. Which makes things somewhat awkward if there’s a rail strike and you need to be in London for work (as happened to my partner before Christmas).
I've had my fill of coach travel for life tbh. I did Newcastle to Bristol way too many times, sometimes via Victoria. National express is pretty nice for journeys of about 3 hours, but I don't know if I could willingly get on a Megabus again. The lack of service station stops makes long journeys really drag.
I prefer the double deck coaches which Megabus mostly use, though NX do have some on like, Bristol - London. The NX stops at services were great for stretching the legs & coffee.
I find megabus coaches nicer tbh. Double deckers, with unmatched views at the front.
National express is great for trips to the London airports. Especially early hours. Compare the cost to heathrow express for example. And you get to store your luggage.
They are but they charge more on airport runs for some reason. I hate this culture of "Yo dawg, heard you were spending money, so...."
Nice video Dylan:) wish we had this in the US
The majority of National Express services are contracted on long-term agreements to local coach companies, known as partner operators. As part of the contract, operators are required to use coaches in full National Express livery. On occasion, an operator will use its own branded vehicle due to lack of availability, but will be penalised financially for doing so. A wider list of additional operators are also available to bid for occasional work on the network - usually providing a one-off duplicate service to meet demand. Whilst still having to meet strict criteria, these coaches are usually not in National Express livery.
National Express operates some services itself, primarily those between Stansted, Heathrow and Luton airports, and Victoria Coach Station, London Liverpool Street and Woking.
Below is a list of partner operators:[citation needed]
Ambassador Travel, Great Yarmouth
Bennetts Coaches, Gloucester
Bruce's Coaches, Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire
Chalfont Coaches, Southall
Edwards Coaches, Llantrisant, Swansea and Avonmouth
East Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull
Galloway European, Mendlesham
Go North East, Chester-Le-Street
Kavanagh, Ireland
Lucketts Travel, Fareham
Llew Jones International, Llanrwst
National Express West Midlands (Walsall Garage)
Park's Motor Group, Hamilton
Reading Buses, Reading
Selwyns Travel, Runcorn
Skills Coaches, Nottingham
Stotts Coaches, Huddersfield
Stagecoach Yorkshire, Barnsley
The Kings Ferry, Deal
Travelstar European, Walsall
Yeomans Canyon Travel, Hereford
I find it funny parks on the list but they don’t operate nx services from Scotland anymore
@@s125ish ok. Thanks for the update
National Express are very beneficial especially compared to the cost-saving benefits as opposed to, taking a train - majority of the time. My only criticisms are - they can take a lot longer to travel on compared to a train or car, the timetables aren’t the greatest and are quite restrictive (but, I guess that understandable) a lot of the time the coaches can smell quite poorly and the break-times (which, of course the drivers need) can be a little bit of pain as, travelling back to Edinburgh to Nottingham we, had to break for an hour and a half in Leeds. Lastly If, you get caught in traffic it can be a bit of nightmare to the journey time especially as, a lot of the time - you will be stopping of at destinations, along the way towards your final stop. The drivers are super friendly and the ease of boarding and travelling (in a majority of cases) is a breeze. It’s crazy to think a return journey with 15% student discount is - £50 for Nottingham to Edinburgh as opposed to the train which is, £160 return saving me a whopping (£110).
I like the Loos they have on NE Coaches now.They make a difference when travelling by coach!
i think all coaches should have 2+1 seating configuration because buses have alot less space inside compared to trains which makes them too cramped for comfort
almost every bus company in my country uses 2+1 configuration and most of them even offer snacks during the trip
Sounds like Turkey.
If they take one row of seats out the cost of each seat will need to increase in price national express stopped serving snacks to save employee costs
*a lot
I watched your video from start to finish and I will admit that I drive this route with National Express so maybe biased, however after hearing your synopsis about whether you would use train or coach in the future I have some key points for you and everyone to consider
1. If you are travelling with suitcases/luggage will a train driver help load your luggage?
2. Does a train driver need knowledge of the roads network incase there is road closures (coaches are unable to take any road due to height restrictions, weight restrictions and width restrictions)
3. When the driver drops you at your end location their work still continues as they will have to clean out the coach and get it ready for the next journey.
The pocket in which you had your bottle of drink in often gets mistreated and people leave their apple cores, banana skins, crisp packets, drinks containers and the worst thing is used tissues, all of National Express coaches will have a bin at the front or a bin bag for your rubbish.
When the coach is full (53 Passengers) the driver not only has to keep the passengers and the driver/assistant safe they are also keeping safe all the other road users.
Before becoming a coach driver I was always hesitant about coaches and would always use a train but as I write this (July 2024) you can never be sure if their will be engineering works, faults on the line or train strikes.
Sometimes I don't think coach drivers get the recognition we deserve and sometimes we barely even get a thank you.
Great video and keep up the amazing work, thank you
Good informative video 👍
Definitely a good alternative to the train when I want to travel next as there's a strike. It will cost me over £100 less (I had a return 1st Class ticket) and I will have one of those nice seats (unlike the harder IET seats) a selected seat (as you said, at a small extra charge), it will face forward and have a window. Obviously it will be slower and there's no catering, but enthusiastic as I am about the railways, if they are unreliable the coach companies are competitive.
I didn’t use the coaches then but apparently it was little over 10 years ago that there were catering trolleys on National Express coaches, it’s even mentioned in the Divine Comedy song about them!
If there is enough demand for it shown, maybe then a case to bring back the trolley could be made
@@ChilternTransportProductions It was called their Rapide service and I used them a few times happily as they went direct to my home town, unlike the train.
@@ChrisH-1952 I wasn’t thinking of the old 80s brand. I meant around 2009, I think there was still a trolley on NX Coaches then
@@ChilternTransportProductions Thanks. Didn't know that.
@@ChilternTransportProductions I used the 747 between Gatwick and Heathrow airports a couple of times back in the late 2000s / early 2010s and yet from what I remember, I don't that there was a trolley onboard!
Nice sentiment they showed the departure board in several languages. Funny they claim their buses can fly though, as the german word "Abflüge" really only applies to airplanes! 😂😂
"Abfahrten" would be a more ... uh ... grounded choice. 😅
Maybe they got bus and Airbus mixed up 😂
@@DylansTravelReports haha that's probably it! 🤣🤣
Lovely to see the translated "Departures" signs, the German of which means "flights" ;-)
what a awsome review dylan my mate national express is my champion bus company so its amazing and im from ripon so leeds is my main hub for changing buses to go further a field i love to see you do 59 to skipton from harrogate
National Express used to run the Rapide services,which were limited stops and host/ hostess service,used to serve coffe etc,pop,crisps sandwiches,so food was able be served on National Exoress,,ended about 15-20 years ago,was real shame,and some private operators offer host/hostess service,like Berry’s of Taunton,Suoerfast London services,and others,
I tried National Express on the Glasgow-London overnight service twice last year. It's usually about half of the costs of Avanti West Coast's advance tickets, but I just don't like it because overnight coaches aren't really optimal for sleeping, whereas for trains the journey just takes 5 hours over the day (though one really have to book in advance to get the cheapest fare at around £22 with railcard).
I find the double decker coaches running between London and Bristol more comfy though for some reasons. Perhaps when I sit at the top, there's less vibration being transmitted from the engine to the coach compartment.
NX have full-height toilet compartments in the rear corner, which is so much preferable to the squeezed-under-the-floor down a steep and narrow flight of stairs that many modern coaches have. Full marks to them for that
As someone who regularly takes the London to Penzanze coach, I can say that national express is a lifesaver. It's sooo much cheaper than the train and also does overnight travel which can really help to make the most of limited days of work!
I'm a bit slow again. I was viewer 452 this morning right after you posted. I watch on the TV & need to get to my computer to comment. The day goes on & I forget. I enjoyed your new journey. I'm fine with riding the bus. Coaches sounds a lot nicer. It appeared as nice or nicer than some of the rail journies you've had. My only disappointment was that it was a night journey & we had no scenery at all. I enjoy seeing the sights, but I understand you have to go when the coach does. I'd be happy to see more bus rides. The bus does get you closer to the sights in town. Trains are lovely, but you don't get to see where the real people live. That's just my old lady opinion. See you next Friday. Stay well.
I've had great experience with National Express and it cost me £28 return from Halifax to London Victoria.I do it once a year (October) and I can't fault it.Yes, trains will be quicker but the convience of a stop about 3 miles from where I live is a bonus 👍
Whenever I need to travel to and from London I always use Nat Express, comfy seats, good legroom, heated ( air con coach) and smooth journey plus their prices are v affordable. Just wish their onboard WiFi would work once in a blue moon
Much prefer train travel but happy to see more coach videos - in daylight though!
I worked VCS October 1990-July 2014 for NX (National Express)🎩
7:37 Very patient of you, Dylan and your wifey, over a crying baby.
Next time you’re in New York you should check out the Port Authority bus terminal, even if it’s only for a regional bus over to New Jersey instead of Greyhound. Note, that some American busses will have a toilet, but rather disgustingly, no sink!
National Express is also operating trains! Atleast in Germany as "Regionalbahn" and "Regional-Express" (Regional trains). Operating with Class 442 (Talent 2) and Class 462 (Desiro HC)
It's worth mentioning National Express coaches used to have onboard catering until around 2001. I remember it, you'd order a sandwich and a member of staff would go to the back of the coach (the 'servery') to make it. The 1997 song 'National Express' by The Divine Comedy reflects this culture😂
I made a journey on the 561 just yesterday (22/05/2023) from Victoria to Leeds. The schedule was from 10:30 until 15:00. We left at 10:37 for some reason; the staff just seemed to be doing a lot of talking! One stop at Milton Keynes Coachway Junction 14, another at Northampton Services for a driver change and then on to Leeds where we arrived at 14:58, so a travel time of 4hrs 21 minutes. I have a senior rail card but let my coach card expire as I haven't travelled too much since Covid. The single fare down on the train on Friday 19th was £30, (so would have been c. £45 without a railcard), and the National Express fare for the return trip was just £9.90. Amazing value then, four to five times cheaper.
On the other side of the coin, of course, National Express can have serious issues with traffic congestion. I made a similar journey in 2017 but on the 11:30 from Victoria. The coach was delayed arriving as it had just made a southbound journey down the M1 where it was held up by a serious accident. This meant that at Victoria it wasn't given the full clean that would have been expected. The driver(s) had clearly been warned that the M1 would be difficult also for the return journey so at one point we left the M1 to switch over to the A1. Already well behind schedule, we then came to a complete halt for a while on the A1 whilst the emergency services dealt with a van that was burnt out at the side of the road. My eventual arrival in Leeds was some three hours behind schedule!
Clearly National Express could do little about the second example and my overall answer is that yes, I would definitely use them again. I am retired though and don't really need to be in a hurry, so if there is some problem it doesn't affect me as much as it might some.
I once travelled on a bus from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and I was surprised to find a catering area at the back of the bus. Can’t remember the name of the company though. I think it was Gold Coaches
more coach trips please!
I think your advantage was that you travelled in the evening without rush hour traffic etc.
Your scoring ignores that a trian ride is A LOT smoother.
I last used National Express in 1994, my experience was truly shocking. After watching this and treading the comments, I may give them another chance.
I have travelled regularly on the 8-hour run between Manchester and Yeovil, Somerset (service 333) for many years. Coaches very comfortable, driving standards very high, friendly, helpful staff and an all-round good experience. The service, however, disappeared when 'Covid' arrived and now, long after 'Covid' departed, it is still not running. Given that the coach return fare is about 70% cheaper than the train and is far more convenient than rail, I consequently find myself marooned in Manchester indefinitely.
Service may come back
National Express are great. Sometimes the journey can be quicker and more comfortable than the train, especially if you travel at night. For example, London to Cheltenham. With GWR, the trains have harsh super bright lighting, ironing board seats, barely enough space for luggage, some "window" seats don't have windows (wtf?), only to take you on a detour via Swindon and a 50 minute walk from Cheltenham station to town awaits you. Meanwhile the coach takes you right in the heart of Cheltenham and has none of those problems, for a fraction of the price.
There are still advantages to taking the train though, such as the toilets and if you need to work on a laptop (a total PITA on the coach). The seats are wider as well.
My recent experience on national express was not a good one. There was no wifi on the bus at all (I ended up trying to catch wifi from passing national express busses, some of which didn't have wifi either), the leg room was poor and the toilets were soiled.
In retrospect, the screaming child behind me didn't help matters.
Honestly, I'm not sure taking a journey in a mostly empty coach on the only pair of seat that have good legroom is a typical experience to make a judgement from, so I think you probably graded too highly as a result.
Enjoyed your video. I do book a seat, as I have travel sickness/anxiety, so need to guarantee a front seat unfortunately.
Japan has some Luxury Bus overnite services with your own Cabin with Lie Flat seats! The US has an overnite Luxury Bus from San Francisco to LA and back with a Capsule type bed fit for 1 person. The bus leaves at night and arrives the next morning.
Sure, Dylan, would like to see you review all forms of transportation.
You should do more of these in the future. 12:32, you can get food on the coach. Well, it might be terrible
Really nice video, IMO National express offers a good service (based on your video) i'm surprised for many reasons. one being that the coach doesn't have tv. here in Colombia the coaches (depending of the size an model) have tv screens where shows movies, also depending of the service, coaches also have individual screens where you can put movies music and such, and the company give you headphones to connect them. also it suprise me that the route you took has a number. here we don't use it, it's only the name of the city and via (if it need to be clarified). but in overall i think that National express could be a good altenative to train and glads me that they keep their coaches when taking train it's really faster.
They used to provide on-board catering, at least in the form of drinks and sandwiches offered by a trolley dolly
Really, when?
Whilst i do prefer the train to London due to speed, i do admit that even with my 16-17 saver, it isnt that cheap to take, so alot of the time, i just take national express into London due to the price (though i am lucky enough to have a concessionary pass so i get free travel, so it saves £40 both ways combined), so i can see why National express gets packed easily, especially with the strikes too
Wow
I've used national express a few times and never had any issues with them
Ive found national express a godsend when the train isnt an option e.g. during strikes/engineering works.
Also as someone who cant get a railcard (too old) the price difference can be significant.
Ive done national express from London to Blackpool (with 1 change at Manchester) and it was nowhere near as bad as expected, even with a full service. And significantly cheaper than the criminal avanti ticket prices.
My only tip is (unless you're super tall), sit further to rhe front. Away from the toilet as it can occasionally get fragrant. On one trip it emitted terrible fragrance eact time someone flushed.