📌 For people asking about the normal cheap fares (£4.90), they are currently bookable about 5 weeks in advance. For example booking on 21st Jan, there are plenty of £4.90 fares if you want to travel w/c 26 Feb. So as always, try and book as far in advance as possible and don’t forget to register with NX to skip the booking fee. Hope this helps.
So no safety announcement until everyone on at Newport. What happens if there was in incident on leaving Cardiff? Still better than nothing with Megabus! But wow ! What value for money!
I didn’t leave Blighty specifically because of the weather - though I had by then developed a connection with Greece. I had lost my mother, brother and father over the previous two years so there was little incentive to stay. Greece was my plan at the time :-) with its better weather, of course. But even that plan went awry when after two years I was imported into Australia to teach Greek. I am still here after 47 years. I have a fondness tinged with sadness about the UK and the sight of rain really brings it on. I watch all of Mark’s movies with great pleasure and nostalgia.
Did you ever use the overnight coaches at the side of Kings X / St Pancras ...£10 to Edinburgh or Glasgow , cant remembering if it was a big coach company or private one but they were always fullish ...
@@LetsMakeaTrip You will also often find them on the 200/201 routes between Gatwick and Bristol/Swansea via Heathrow as you mentioned, very common as well. Really nice ride. Great video as always 👍
Oy oy, Mark. Just a quickie, but maybe you could investigate as to why in UK rail travel is so ££££, whereas in Europe and most parts of the world, it's the other way round. A great place for coach travel is Turkey. Very comfy buses, cheap and good service & connections. However, for trains, can recommend Egypt (Luxor-Cairo), paid less than £5 for a sleeper compartment (though that was quite a few yrs ago). Ukraine also great (obviously not now). Got the night sleeper Kiev-Odessa a few yrs ago, and it was only about £20, and that was a 12hr trip. Happy travels!
Glad you enjoyed the journey as an ex express driver for national Welsh in 83/84 that was a fair deal the route was then over the old Severn bridge with only pick up in Newport also we started from the central bus as it was then from Newport to Heathrow then straight to Victoria coach station although there one or two we called into Chepstow. On one I drove I was coming out of the tunnel at Heathrow when the bomb went off because of this there was a delay on the return trip but I can't remember the outcome of the explosion but I glad to be coming out of Heathrow but my thoughts are with anybody that got caught in explosion
The original coach station was at the railway station. It was practically all covered with shops 100 yards away. No way would I want to walk for 20 minutes to that windswept, cold dump. The new bus/coach station should be ready this year, back near the railway station. At one time I used coaches a lot, but having 5 or 6 hardly used stops (I see it's now 9 stops) between Victoria (argh) and Swansea added hours to my journeys, especially with crap bus services in Swansea.
I was told that National express will not move back which is ridiculous as imagine coming from a flight to Heathrow then being dumped in the middle of nowhere with no train connections
@@margaretsofocleous1999 NE don't own the site, if it's closed down as expected, they will have to move back into the city.. Sophia Gardens looks like a 3rd world site, instead of the Welsh capitol.
@@jonb3311 I hope they do but one of the staff told me that they had no plans to go back. Unless I have someone to pick me up from the Sophia gardens bus stop, I have no plans to travel use NE from Heathrow to Cardiff again. I would be very concerned if I had a female member of my family landing there after dark . Shocking as we have so many students using this service
I’ve noticed this on National Express since Covid - living in Manchester and having family in Ireland they withdrew the 880 overnight service from Leeds, via Manchester, Liverpool & Holyhead to Dublin, then they replaced this with a connecting service to join the existing 871 overnight service from London at Birmingham to Dublin via Holyhead - it’s now over 50% cheaper for me to use the SailRail via Chester, Crewe or Lladnuo to Dublin via Holyhead, but with constant rail strikes and disruptions it’s not without its problems - as I’m totally reliant on public transport, I’ve noticed the same things are happening on flights from Manchester and Liverpool to Dublin and flight disruptions are happening at the last minute, even after checking in and before you get to the gate
That was the first video of yours that I have seen. It was interesting, I enjoyed it and it got me thinking. In a lifetime of working in the UK the types of jobs that I had entailed a lot of travel by all technologies and I must have travelled almost everywhere in the UK at some time or other. I am now retired and live in a village on top of a hill in Central Europe, seldom travelling more than 20 miles or so. I am bored and miss my home country, England, for many reasons but try to make the best of it here as there are some benefits to living here. I shall watch many more of your videos for nostalgia's sake. Thank you. P.S. Please don't think me rude but it seems to me that you have carved yourself a nice entertaining, worthwhile, and fun new retirement career as a travel vlogger - very enterprising and well done.
Hi Phillip, I’ve got to say, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a comment like yours before. wrt where you live, I guess lots of people aspire to that kind of thing (I know I have in the past) but these days of course the likes of RUclips can provide some escapism. If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t bother with ‘normal’ tv anymore because on RUclips you can get anything you want, whenever you want it. It’s totally revolutionised this kind of entertainment imo and you’re right, anyone can do it if they want to. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy though, it’s taken a lot of hard work to get to the point where I can see any return for it. Not that that was the point of doing it in the first place but yes, it’s going to allow me to retire early (which is great) but I’m certainly not going to stop doing this for a bit! I enjoy it too much. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Appreciated 😊
@@LetsMakeaTrip thanks Mark. Just a bit of a busy and stressful time with work and moving house. Moved house on Friday but still unpacking and sorting everything out. Hope all is well with you
fantastic price and yet again I could have waved at you from Newport. Your video highlights a real issue in both Cardiff and Newport. Transport connectivity is a joke in both cities. Cardiff Sophia Gardens as you highlighted is a good 15/20 minute walk from Cardiff Central. Bit of a slog with luggage. Reason ; bus station which was adjacent to Cardiff Central was demolished and replaced with???!!. Welcome to Newport and a similar story. Walk from Newport Station to coach stop not the most picturesque . Coach bays are available outside the station but not used by National Express, not sure why. Also do not know why the closer bus park is not used or the bus station on your left as you left Newport both of which have much better weather protection. Hey ho I live in Wales which has stunning mountains. Look fwd to your next video. Stay safe
Damned good deal there Mark, well done! The bus looked hunky dory and there would have been no complaints on that score. I enjoyed watching that, but the sight of dreary old Blighty with its rain and drizzle and generally drab winter coat made me sad and melancholy and kinda vindicated the fact that I left the UK at the age of 22 and eventually ended up in decidedly brighter Oz. But England is England and I still love coming back. What did you do for food? No services stops along the way? Paul in Oz.
Hi Paul. Interesting comment. Yes, we have had abnormal amounts of rain but last year we had no rain in London from Mat(I think) for 2 months! We have,also, had 5 of the hottest summers out of the Top 10 or 12 recently since Met Office records began. If we had better weather, would you have moved 10,000 miles away from family and friends and how long have you been there, please? Where did you live in Bligty, mate?
@@paulhellander2791 Thanks for your reply, Paul. Your experience might prove me wrong but I have noticed over the decade that the further North one goes to England and then Scotland,the higher the proportion of emigrants there seems to be. Ironically, this very afternoon,I was thinking of Oz because I was out on the edge of S E London and Kent where I live in the sunshine and clear blue sky where the grass was a rich green in a 150 Acre park and I thought how wonderful it was. Good Luck..
Weather was not the reason I left the UK. I remember the fish and chips drought of 1975 because of the nationwide heat. Kent - the garden of England is a lovely spot - always enjoyed driving through Kent to take the ferry from Dover to the 'Continent'. I left because it was unlikely I'd find a job with a degree in Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek in Preston. Greece was the obvious next destination. I have over the years questioned my decision to leave the UK. I do love the place. I do recognise that - for me - the decision to leave was the correct one. I now share my time between Greece and Australia. My last visit to@@Isleofskyethe UK was in 2019. I loved it. As Sting would have put it "I'm an Englishman in Adelaide" or as Graham Nash accurately described his plight when he lived in Hawai'i "I'm a penguin up a palm tree" ... Mark is my welcome link back to my homeland.
Quick reply to this one - yea, I think the weather is generally bluer and greener 'down south' and there are a LOT of northerner Poms in Oz. I really don't know if they came because of the weather. It's a factor, I grant. It is more clement in South Australia. Can't speak for QLD and NSW where they have been having some shitty weather events lately. I miss Europe a lot - the UK and the continent. That's why I come back to Greece most years. (My family sons and grandsons are there, gettit)? Oz is not paradise - but a lot of people like it. I have been here too long to be able to move (I don't really want to). I get my own personal fix through Mark's channel - and others especially one guy (Andrew) from Kent who does great camping vids. My take.@@Isleofskye
@@LetsMakeaTrip Over the decades, National Express have developed about the best, cheapest and mot reliable service in the UK. They have a secret that few passengers know. Around 1980 they opened a huge telephone booking centre at Victoria to lower the burden on the coach station, allow passengers at unmanned stops, allowing them to reduce the staff to a couple at final destinations. It worked extremely well. The secret was that the Victoria booking centre did not exist. They were the first major company where their entire staff worked from home. The computerised backbone of the system was also a first. The part that surprised me was the secrecy. Anyone who divulged what was happening would be instantly dismissed. I don't know, but this may still be happening today.
Yep, can't go wrong for that price. I may have to try a flight from BRS and getting the train down to Cardiff and the coach from there (now I know about it) is probably the cheapest way of doing it.
Sorry to hear about the license but I’m pleased the videos help. All I would say is have a go, it’s a comfortable travelling environment and the drivers are friendly and helpful. Best wishes 😊
I actually drove for Chalfont coaches where we had 3 based at Cardiff and operated 6x 509 services every day. I did this for 4 years and thoroughly enjoyed my time as a National Express driver
I would not recommend a solo female arriving in Sophia gardens after dark on the return journey from London. It felt unsafe and badly lit as I made my connection to a local bus stop. As a university city and the capital I think it's disgusting to have such a situation. There are taxis but again I wouldn't suggest travelling alone after dark
@@LetsMakeaTrip Sophia [so-FY-ah] Gardens bus station was meant to be just a temporary arrangement until the new Central bus station next to the railway station had been completed. It is now five years overdue, and it is expected not to open until at least next December.
Thanks Mark, I really enjoy your coach trips, whether the UK or abroad, mainly because your viewers get to see towns, surrounding countryside and various places of interest and also not forgetting your excellent and informative commentary on all the trips you make. The price you paid was simply amazing😮, all that distance for £1.22! But, oh dear the weather! and you then mentioned it had rained everyday since Christmas, and to be honest it makes me very happy that I live on a warm and sunny island some 2,000 miles away.😊
My family went from Newport to London by National Express just days before COVID hit the UK. We had taken one look at the obscene rail fares (even booking long before our trip) and gave up on the railways forever. The coach was smooth and quiet, and a small fraction of the ridiculous train fares. The extra hour didn't matter at all.
I went by coach a few years ago from London to Birmingham. The M6 was so busy it took us 5 hours. It was obscene for such a journey. I now travel by train, booking in advance, and will never use a coach again. I guess you get what you pay for...
Also buy in advance. For example you can get a single from London Euston to Birmingham from £4. Is he honestly saying the coach is cheaper? I do not believe it. @@sarahstrong7174
Understand this is a new Bus station recently completed. Looks good . Son in Kent drives for Kings ferry now owned by National express. He loves it. A way of life .he calls it. Thanks for. Video. I am in Merthyr Tydfil after moving from Sittingbourne Kent 20 years ago.
My ex used to work as a stewardess on that service. They also used to show films. The reason they stopped it "apparently" was because "customers weren't too keen on it", and also to "improve" the service (???). In other words, "cobblers"!@@LetsMakeaTrip
I use National Express for trips to Heathrow, from Barnstaple where I live its just 5 minute walk to Bus station, they are good coaches and more importantly reliable, and return from Barnstaple (North Devon) to Heathrow T4 is just £52 which I think is very good value compared to train fares. Your review is very accurate. I have another trip in less than 3 weeks time, off to the Philippines for a month! My second trip there out of 3 this year.
Wow. It's hard to imagine how bad that experience could have been to NOT be worth £1.22! The fact that it looked perfectly nice and comfortable made this an absolute steal!! Great video 👍
Another Great review 👍 The price was unreal £1.22 good find there! I tried flix for the first time last week and thought that was cheap for the price of a happy meal😂 Plug sockets seem to be so hit and miss now but a power bank is definitely a must have item 👍
Cheers Marc, yep tbh this was a great deal and I’d consider anything around a tenner to be a bargain, anywhere. Flix are pretty good for these deals too, just gotta keep an eye out 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip yeah the competition is really good for the paying public now. I remember national express being really expensive back before Megabus turned up in the early 2000's
Good video, again thanks. £1.20 eh? I defy anyone to beat that, and for the same comfort etc. I have a huge German Shepherd dog, which is another reason why I prefer to drive. But I can certainly see the attraction of coach. Keep up the great work Mark.
Very interesting video. I have travelled with National Express many times. The coaches are very comfortable and unlike the railways they are almost always on time and you are guaranteed a seat. Prices for travel are very good and also a lot cheaper than the railways. As I am 75 now I prefer travelling by National Express for long journeys across the country.
national express is normally reasonably priced with the exception of when there's a train strike and they 10x the price and take the piss. megabus and flix don't seem to do this anywhere as bad.
How do you put it in London so dangerous place to go London I will go to London for a bus no way I like the squirrels I think they’re lovely. I’d like to feed them but too far to go for a bus
I think you will find most of the coaches belong to private operators running on the national express name as sub contractors they have to have national express on the busses the operators name will be to the side of the entrance door your comfort and the cleanliness is a to the operator and the high standards national express demands.
Years ago an acquaintance booked on InterCity (NZ) from Wairoa to Dunedin. He paid $1.00 from Wairoa to Napier, another dollar Napier to Wellington. The foot passenger cost on the Ferry to Picton would have been about $40.00 ( it’s about $60.00 now) Another $1.00 to Christchurch, and the final leg to Dunedin was another dollar. By booking months ahead he saved himself about $140.00 on the round trip, as he booked the same legs back. He was then able to pay for several nights comfortable accommodation with the savings.
When I was in NZ about ten years ago I booked all my travel around the country when I arrived there and am pretty sure I got a couple of $1 tickets too
Another informative and enjoyable report from Mark. A real pleasure to watch. I always admire his stamina no matter what might occur. I was pleased to hear him refer to "Cardiff railway station". Increasingly people are doing a hatchet-job on the language these days and talking about "train stations". Here in Britain we've always had "railway stations", and Mark is helping to keep us on the right track!
I can say from experience as a coach driver, that the location of USB ports etc between seats is a great frustration for passengers. One of our coaches has them above you, next to the reading lights, which I think is probably more awkward but also easier to spot. Great video again Mark, and we do love a bargain!! Cheers for now 😉
Cheers mate. Yes I’ve been on one with the usb ports in the luggage racks. Did seem a bit odd but when you think of ease of access, you’re right - much better 👍
'ammerin' darn in 'ammersmiff'.... as we say in these 'ere parts... Mark, nothing - but nothing! - would persuade me to disembark in Hammersmith!!!! Hope you didn't get mugged! 🙄
I enjoy a coach journey now and again and had a very good experience with Flix Bus on three journeys on the continent a couple of years ago. If there are any problems, it's not usually with the bus company but with fellow passengers. However, one of the most depressing places in the UK has to be Victoria Coach Station. Always reminds of that extra-terrestrial bar in the original Star Wars movie
I am in CornwLl an Last occassion i went by National express ws 10 years ago when getting a plane from Heathrow, but it took 9 hours from Helston, becauase they go a very slow route, which instead of A 30 to M5, go thru, southern towns an then Plymouth, an then take M5 to M4, where Lorrys take A 30 an A303. I am no fan of M 4 anyway, becauase every few-feet they have these spying cams.
I’ve traveled to London from Newcastle by National Express and other coach companies a few times years ago. I didn’t like it one bit, would rather pay the extra and travel by train, which the hubby and myself now do regularly for short breaks in London.
I often wonder, if we had no railways, and someone proposed that we should build a rail network what the decision would be. A big NO I suspect. The railways use so much land yet is largely wasted as it cannot be used or shared with any other user. Railways are also inflexible in that any problem with track or a train then everything behind it backs up and of course they cannot drive around the problem or find another route because they have a specialised unique infrastructure that they depend upon to operate. I believe the only reason we have rail travel today is that they got the jump on road travel back in Victorian times and we invested the land they occupy in them before road vehicles and a proper road system were developed. Any given stretch of road is shared by many thousands of road users per hour and they all share the costs of building and maintaining that road. On average a railway track is used by many fewer passengers per hour who must bear all the cost of it. That is why road transport is so comparatively cheap and popular, it is flexible, always available and goes door to door. All rail or air journey start and end with a road journey, those other transport technologies rely on roads to even make them possible. Rail Replacement coaches are often seen and necessary. Road transport comes to the aid of rail transport, never the opposite. I propose that we dig up all railway tracks and replace them with motorways and A roads, demolish all stations in towns and cities and use that newly released land in central locations to build more housing in overcrowded Britain. Many would consider this a crackpot idea of course as we painted ourselves into a very expensive and wastefull, and inflexible corner with railways, virtually impossible to escape from. Which brings me back to the opening paragraph of this comment.
Some thought-provoking comments in there Phillip (and some radical suggestions). Don’t forget the ongoing train strikes which are another issue at the moment and having quite an affect on rail users too.
Looked a good trip, I used to do the Haverfordwest to London National Express trip, think it was a tenner in the 1990s. Early start and long trip though!
Thanks for the video there will be more need for coach travel to main cities the train network although quicker is alot more money unless you get a ticket when nobody wants to travel the way the train network are I bet the coach networks are rubbing their hands
Hi Paul, I did enjoy that story. If you saw my Flixbus video to Liverpool the driver there didn't know his way to the bus station. Different circumstances tbh and well, it was quite funny in the end really!
I'm feeling miffed! lol. Before I finally left the UK for good in 2010, because I had a girlfriend living in Brunei (now my wife), I had to regularly take a coach from my home town of Swansea, to Heathrow Airport: the cheapest fare by National Express was at least 30quid, while a few times I paid over 50 ! For the most part, I hired a car, as it worked out pretty much the same.
£30’s dear by my reckoning. I mean you can pay that near to the time of travel which is why I always try and book as far in advance as possible. Probably comparable to the train at those prices too!
The cheapest coach trip I have ever taken was via MegaBus. I travelled from Sheffield to Aviemore via Edinburgh and back, for £4.50 A return journey of around 750 miles. I was charged £1 from Sheffield to Edinburgh and £1 from Edinburgh to Aviemore and the same on my return plus a 50p booking fee.
Thanks Mark. I made a journey on the 561 coach from Victoria to Leeds (and Bradford) on Monday 22nd. It was a day when some parts of Britain had seen heavy storms, so some delays were always likely. The coach was supposed to leave at 10:30, but there was no sign of it and no information from staff, which was disappointing. However, it pulled up at 10:52, loaded up and left at 10:58, although the driver didn't give any reason for the delay. As we headed up the M1, the overhead signs warned of a 45-minute delay between J12 and J13; our only intermediate stop was Milton Keynes at J14. The driver left the motorway, (probably at J11, I wasn't fully concentrating at this point!) and took the A5 into Milton Keynes. With the advertised 45-minute motorway delay, I suspect this may have saved time, although of course non-motorway it's slower anyway. By this time we were exactly an hour late leaving Milton Keynes but made some time up on the rest of the journey after the driver change at Northampton services. Arrival at Leeds was at 15:40, forty minutes behind schedule, but having had a good run from MK. I never used the toilet, but the coach was clean and comfortable. There wasn't a USB charging point at my seat - no great issue personally as my phone was fully charged before leaving. And a real positive? The fare, with senior coachcard, was a mere £ 5.90, admittedly the cost of five Snickers but nevertheless good value. Sorry to ramble on a lot!
Great price and thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I believe they can alter the route as they go depending on traffic conditions so maybe that’s what happened. Delay wasn’t too bad in the end 👍😊
That price is amazing mate, even worth a trip to London in that terrible weather for that price, I payed more than that the other day on the tram in Blackpool for a short distance!
Great video mate! Back in 2018 I once went from my hometown of Leamington Spa to London for just £1.40! Unfortunately NX don't serve here anymore though
I’d be interested to know what the ride quality is like compared to the new ones. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was better. Certainly no complaints from me 😊👍
Great video brought me up memories. I am from Greece Athens and I have visited cardiff from 1996 up to 2019 about 15 times. Thank God I had relatives to put me up. I do remember all my journeys with NX coaches either from gatwick or heathrow airport and I do recall the years when they had a small service providing passengers with sandwiches bars coffee tea and crisps at a price. Keep up the good job.
There’s always a range of passengers on these buses. The cheapskates like me who’ll do anything to get the best value ticket months in advance, the regular fares maybe booked a week or so before travel and the last minute turn-ups who need to use it and are paying over the odds.
Coach prices are ridiculously cheap, especially compared to the insane train prices we have nowadays. I think the rain just makes you more glad to be inside the bus. I'd rather that than a hot day stuck on the bus.
My goodness £1.22. It is absolutely a no brainer to travel on such promotional fare straight into London. My cheapest National Express so far is one I booked for 16th February at 2 am between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport, which costed me £5.
I know and even without the discount this kind of journey for under a fiver is pretty good. There's quite a few about, London - Portsmouth for around £4 etc. Best advice I can give is to sign up to their website and you never have to pay the £1 booking fee (unlike Megabus and Flixbus). Cheers Enrico
Cornwall to Liverpool cost me £85.00 it was a 12 hour Journey with a change of coach at Birmingham, the coach out of Birmingham was packed to the rafters with students, and i thought my price was good. Good going on the fare.
My recent experience with national express was not so good. We booked a trip from Nottingham to Heathrow starting in October returning in December. When waiting to board at broadmarsh station the coach had been stopped, no one from the company informed everyone waiting ! We found out by chance another coach was to take us to the next pickup where chaos reigned. No-one had any idea of what was happening, eventually after a long delay we were put on the coach we should have been on in the first place. On the return another delay at heathrow was over an hour late, the driver did a good job trying to make up the time, even he didn't know what was causing the delays. Not my best experience of NE, I have travelled many times previously with them. BTW whilst the subject is National Express why restrict luggage to 20kg when airlines allow more? stupid system.
@@LetsMakeaTrip few quid. Usually in advance you'll get fares of £1. On the day its normally under a fiver. The biggest advantage overall though is the centrality of the pickup locations compared to sophia gardens.
When taking EuroLines from Cork to London I wondered where we stopped in Cardiff as early morning and pitch black. Arrival time at Victoria 08:00. A few intrepid souls actually boarded there.
@@LetsMakeaTrip The trip was to replace an expired and lost passport that couldn't be done online, RyanAir need one as ID, BA and Aer Lingus do not but too expensive. The Passport Office at the Embassy in Dublin closed years ago.
📌 For people asking about the normal cheap fares (£4.90), they are currently bookable about 5 weeks in advance. For example booking on 21st Jan, there are plenty of £4.90 fares if you want to travel w/c 26 Feb. So as always, try and book as far in advance as possible and don’t forget to register with NX to skip the booking fee. Hope this helps.
So no safety announcement until everyone on at Newport. What happens if there was in incident on leaving Cardiff?
Still better than nothing with Megabus!
But wow ! What value for money!
You are like Michael portillo of Coach Travel .THE GREAT COACH JOURNEYS..
I didn’t leave Blighty specifically because of the weather - though I had by then developed a connection with Greece. I had lost my mother, brother and father over the previous two years so there was little incentive to stay. Greece was my plan at the time :-) with its better weather, of course. But even that plan went awry when after two years I was imported into Australia to teach Greek. I am still here after 47 years. I have a fondness tinged with sadness about the UK and the sight of rain really brings it on. I watch all of Mark’s movies with great pleasure and nostalgia.
And it’s a pleasure having subscribers like yourself sir 😊
I got a £1 london to glasgow in the days of oldskool megabus, and one or two £9 Nat Express equivalent ones
Yes I remember those £1 fares with Megabus. Haven't seen any remotely close to that for a while but I'm always on the look out for promos.
Did you ever use the overnight coaches at the side of Kings X / St Pancras ...£10 to Edinburgh or Glasgow , cant remembering if it was a big coach company or private one but they were always fullish ...
@@meichong8278 I have not yet, but used the NX and at times Megabus to Victoria.
@@andrewvannan1714 Yeah I've been thinking and Citylink I think was the company ... was a long time ago though .. before the gentrification
@@meichong8278 as far as I last know citylink London only provides from KGX to Stansted and oth airports
Great video Mark! Always love watching your videos! Got an absolute bargain with that trip!! 👀
Cheers Olly, I appreciate the support mate 😊👍
The new Levante 3As are fantastic, good to see USB-C has also been rolled out into them as well
USB C -that’s interesting and yep, good to see with how charging is these days. I may need to book a flight from Bristol and try one of these out 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip You will also often find them on the 200/201 routes between Gatwick and Bristol/Swansea via Heathrow as you mentioned, very common as well. Really nice ride. Great video as always 👍
Oy oy, Mark. Just a quickie, but maybe you could investigate as to why in UK rail travel is so ££££, whereas in Europe and most parts of the world, it's the other way round. A great place for coach travel is Turkey. Very comfy buses, cheap and good service & connections. However, for trains, can recommend Egypt (Luxor-Cairo), paid less than £5 for a sleeper compartment (though that was quite a few yrs ago). Ukraine also great (obviously not now). Got the night sleeper Kiev-Odessa a few yrs ago, and it was only about £20, and that was a 12hr trip. Happy travels!
Glad you enjoyed the journey as an ex express driver for national Welsh in 83/84 that was a fair deal the route was then over the old Severn bridge with only pick up in Newport also we started from the central bus as it was then from Newport to Heathrow then straight to Victoria coach station although there one or two we called into Chepstow. On one I drove I was coming out of the tunnel at Heathrow when the bomb went off because of this there was a delay on the return trip but I can't remember the outcome of the explosion but I glad to be coming out of Heathrow but my thoughts are with anybody that got caught in explosion
Are you saying there was a bomb attack at Heathrow ..... I dont remember that
The original coach station was at the railway station. It was practically all covered with shops 100 yards away. No way would I want to walk for 20 minutes to that windswept, cold dump. The new bus/coach station should be ready this year, back near the railway station. At one time I used coaches a lot, but having 5 or 6 hardly used stops (I see it's now 9 stops) between Victoria (argh) and Swansea added hours to my journeys, especially with crap bus services in Swansea.
I was told that National express will not move back which is ridiculous as imagine coming from a flight to Heathrow then being dumped in the middle of nowhere with no train connections
@@margaretsofocleous1999 NE don't own the site, if it's closed down as expected, they will have to move back into the city..
Sophia Gardens looks like a 3rd world site, instead of the Welsh capitol.
@@jonb3311 I hope they do but one of the staff told me that they had no plans to go back. Unless I have someone to pick me up from the Sophia gardens bus stop, I have no plans to travel use NE from Heathrow to Cardiff again. I would be very concerned if I had a female member of my family landing there after dark . Shocking as we have so many students using this service
I’m assuming Sophia Gardens is cheaper to occupy?
I’ve noticed this on National Express since Covid - living in Manchester and having family in Ireland they withdrew the 880 overnight service from Leeds, via Manchester, Liverpool & Holyhead to Dublin, then they replaced this with a connecting service to join the existing 871 overnight service from London at Birmingham to Dublin via Holyhead - it’s now over 50% cheaper for me to use the SailRail via Chester, Crewe or Lladnuo to Dublin via Holyhead, but with constant rail strikes and disruptions it’s not without its problems - as I’m totally reliant on public transport, I’ve noticed the same things are happening on flights from Manchester and Liverpool to Dublin and flight disruptions are happening at the last minute, even after checking in and before you get to the gate
I did the overnight London - Dublin coach, I wouldn’t do it again. Sail Rail is competitively priced and if I don’t have luggage, I’ll fly.
Thankyou for sharing.
Thanks for the comment 😊👍
That was really enjoyable.
Thank you for your channel.
I have very happily subscribed !
Thanks Rob, glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate the sub.
Great video .
Cheers Tony 👍😊
That was the first video of yours that I have seen. It was interesting, I enjoyed it and it got me thinking.
In a lifetime of working in the UK the types of jobs that I had entailed a lot of travel by all technologies and I must have travelled almost everywhere in the UK at some time or other.
I am now retired and live in a village on top of a hill in Central Europe, seldom travelling more than 20 miles or so. I am bored and miss my home country, England, for many reasons but try to make the best of it here as there are some benefits to living here. I shall watch many more of your videos for nostalgia's sake. Thank you.
P.S. Please don't think me rude but it seems to me that you have carved yourself a nice entertaining, worthwhile, and fun new retirement career as a travel vlogger - very enterprising and well done.
Hi Phillip, I’ve got to say, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a comment like yours before.
wrt where you live, I guess lots of people aspire to that kind of thing (I know I have in the past) but these days of course the likes of RUclips can provide some escapism. If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t bother with ‘normal’ tv anymore because on RUclips you can get anything you want, whenever you want it. It’s totally revolutionised this kind of entertainment imo and you’re right, anyone can do it if they want to.
Don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy though, it’s taken a lot of hard work to get to the point where I can see any return for it. Not that that was the point of doing it in the first place but yes, it’s going to allow me to retire early (which is great) but I’m certainly not going to stop doing this for a bit! I enjoy it too much.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Appreciated 😊
Took a National Express from Shrewsbury to Heathrow Terminal 5 a few years ago for £17.50 one way!
I’ve been thinking of doing that myself. Can’t go wrong for the price 👍
Brilliant video as always, hope all is well, take care
Cheers Peter, thanks very much mate for another comment. Hope you're good too mate.
@@LetsMakeaTrip thanks Mark. Just a bit of a busy and stressful time with work and moving house. Moved house on Friday but still unpacking and sorting everything out. Hope all is well with you
with that discount i would only use it where the ticket was high to start with, to max out your return
I’d use it as many times as I could.
fantastic price and yet again I could have waved at you from Newport. Your video highlights a real issue in both Cardiff and Newport. Transport connectivity is a joke in both cities. Cardiff Sophia Gardens as you highlighted is a good 15/20 minute walk from Cardiff Central. Bit of a slog with luggage. Reason ; bus station which was adjacent to Cardiff Central was demolished and replaced with???!!. Welcome to Newport and a similar story. Walk from Newport Station to coach stop not the most picturesque . Coach bays are available outside the station but not used by National Express, not sure why. Also do not know why the closer bus park is not used or the bus station on your left as you left Newport both of which have much better weather protection. Hey ho I live in Wales which has stunning mountains. Look fwd to your next video. Stay safe
Cheers Kevin, yep I’m not sure why NX couldn’t have a bay in the bus station. Much easier(and safer) for passengers I would’ve thought.
The stops outside Newport Station are used by FlixBus and MegaBus.
so why not NE Mark?@@markcf83
I regularly use @national express can honestly say I have not had any issues with them
I've grown to like coach travel over the last three years and I must agree, NX are my preferred operator.
@@LetsMakeaTrip totally agree
Damned good deal there Mark, well done! The bus looked hunky dory and there would have been no complaints on that score. I enjoyed watching that, but the sight of dreary old Blighty with its rain and drizzle and generally drab winter coat made me sad and melancholy and kinda vindicated the fact that I left the UK at the age of 22 and eventually ended up in decidedly brighter Oz. But England is England and I still love coming back. What did you do for food? No services stops along the way? Paul in Oz.
Hi Paul. Interesting comment. Yes, we have had abnormal amounts of rain but last year we had no rain in London from Mat(I think) for 2 months! We have,also, had 5 of the hottest summers out of the Top 10 or 12 recently since Met Office records began. If we had better weather, would you have moved 10,000 miles away from family and friends and how long have you been there, please? Where did you live in Bligty, mate?
Sorry, I was born in Preston and lived in the village of Eccleston ten miles south of Preston.
@@paulhellander2791 Thanks for your reply, Paul. Your experience might prove me wrong but I have noticed over the decade that the further North one goes to England and then Scotland,the higher the proportion of emigrants there seems to be.
Ironically, this very afternoon,I was thinking of Oz because I was out on the edge of S E London and Kent where I live in the sunshine and clear blue sky where the grass was a rich green in a 150 Acre park and I thought how wonderful it was. Good Luck..
Weather was not the reason I left the UK. I remember the fish and chips drought of 1975 because of the nationwide heat. Kent - the garden of England is a lovely spot - always enjoyed driving through Kent to take the ferry from Dover to the 'Continent'. I left because it was unlikely I'd find a job with a degree in Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek in Preston. Greece was the obvious next destination. I have over the years questioned my decision to leave the UK. I do love the place. I do recognise that - for me - the decision to leave was the correct one. I now share my time between Greece and Australia. My last visit to@@Isleofskyethe UK was in 2019. I loved it. As Sting would have put it "I'm an Englishman in Adelaide" or as Graham Nash accurately described his plight when he lived in Hawai'i "I'm a penguin up a palm tree" ... Mark is my welcome link back to my homeland.
Quick reply to this one - yea, I think the weather is generally bluer and greener 'down south' and there are a LOT of northerner Poms in Oz. I really don't know if they came because of the weather. It's a factor, I grant. It is more clement in South Australia. Can't speak for QLD and NSW where they have been having some shitty weather events lately. I miss Europe a lot - the UK and the continent. That's why I come back to Greece most years. (My family sons and grandsons are there, gettit)? Oz is not paradise - but a lot of people like it. I have been here too long to be able to move (I don't really want to). I get my own personal fix through Mark's channel - and others especially one guy (Andrew) from Kent who does great camping vids. My take.@@Isleofskye
What a bargain, Mark!
It was, cheers Sheila 😊👍
40MB? I don’t expect unlimited, but they could be a bit more generous.
Hmm, I'd love to know if it does actually run out at that!
National express is Excellent value
Good drivers very clean buses
Always enjoy using the service
Agree with all those points 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Over the decades, National Express have developed about the best, cheapest and mot reliable service in the UK.
They have a secret that few passengers know. Around 1980 they opened a huge telephone booking centre at Victoria to lower the burden on the coach station, allow passengers at unmanned stops, allowing them to reduce the staff to a couple at final destinations. It worked extremely well.
The secret was that the Victoria booking centre did not exist. They were the first major company where their entire staff worked from home. The computerised backbone of the system was also a first.
The part that surprised me was the secrecy. Anyone who divulged what was happening would be instantly dismissed.
I don't know, but this may still be happening today.
Divine comedy national express
Oh I'd love to get on one of those brand new coaches! But hey, not a bad price for what you got eh?! :D
You need to do a video of Aberdeen to London on Flixbus 😉
Yep, can't go wrong for that price. I may have to try a flight from BRS and getting the train down to Cardiff and the coach from there (now I know about it) is probably the cheapest way of doing it.
As an 80 year old soon to loose driving license your video gives me travelling hope.
Sorry to hear about the license but I’m pleased the videos help. All I would say is have a go, it’s a comfortable travelling environment and the drivers are friendly and helpful. Best wishes 😊
I actually drove for Chalfont coaches where we had 3 based at Cardiff and operated 6x 509 services every day. I did this for 4 years and thoroughly enjoyed my time as a National Express driver
Cheers Mark, certainly my preferred operator and that’s as much to do with the staff as anything else.
All the best.
I would not recommend a solo female arriving in Sophia gardens after dark on the return journey from London. It felt unsafe and badly lit as I made my connection to a local bus stop. As a university city and the capital I think it's disgusting to have such a situation. There are taxis but again I wouldn't suggest travelling alone after dark
At 7.30 I was expecting Kate Bush to start singing 'Babooshka''
🤣🤣😜💯Same here 👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻
It is a bit like that isn't it!
Thanx for showing Sophia Garden !! I've been thinking of taking National express from there ,too ! 👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🏴🚍💞
You're welcome. A decent enough coach station (if it's not raining). Enjoy!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Sophia [so-FY-ah] Gardens bus station was meant to be just a temporary arrangement until the new Central bus station next to the railway station had been completed. It is now five years overdue, and it is expected not to open until at least next December.
Thanks Mark, I really enjoy your coach trips, whether the UK or abroad, mainly because your viewers get to see towns, surrounding countryside and various places of interest and also not forgetting your excellent and informative commentary on all the trips you make. The price you paid was simply amazing😮, all that distance for £1.22! But, oh dear the weather! and you then mentioned it had rained everyday since Christmas, and to be honest it makes me very happy that I live on a warm and sunny island some 2,000 miles away.😊
Cheers Diana and thanks for the kind words. I tell you what, I wish I was on an island 2000 miles away sometimes too! Maybe one day!
Hi a great video and I really enjoyed it so much. Happy New Year and what a great price for the coach ticket.
Cheers Bobby and a happy new year to you too mate
My family went from Newport to London by National Express just days before COVID hit the UK. We had taken one look at the obscene rail fares (even booking long before our trip) and gave up on the railways forever. The coach was smooth and quiet, and a small fraction of the ridiculous train fares. The extra hour didn't matter at all.
I went by coach a few years ago from London to Birmingham. The M6 was so busy it took us 5 hours. It was obscene for such a journey. I now travel by train, booking in advance, and will never use a coach again. I guess you get what you pay for...
It’s time vs cost again - that is always a dilemma unless affordability isn’t an issue.
Did you consider getting a family railcard? Sometimes it can pay for itself in one or two journeys.
Also buy in advance. For example you can get a single from London Euston to Birmingham from £4. Is he honestly saying the coach is cheaper? I do not believe it. @@sarahstrong7174
Understand this is a new Bus station recently completed. Looks good . Son in Kent drives for Kings ferry now owned by National express. He loves it. A way of life .he calls it. Thanks for. Video. I am in Merthyr Tydfil after moving from Sittingbourne Kent 20 years ago.
Back in the day they would have a stewardess service, serving snacks and drinks. I see that has all gone now.
The jolly hostess and the Rapide service. Long done and I never had the pleasure unfortunately.
My ex used to work as a stewardess on that service. They also used to show films. The reason they stopped it "apparently" was because "customers weren't too keen on it", and also to "improve" the service (???). In other words, "cobblers"!@@LetsMakeaTrip
I use National Express for trips to Heathrow, from Barnstaple where I live its just 5 minute walk to Bus station, they are good coaches and more importantly reliable, and return from Barnstaple (North Devon) to Heathrow T4 is just £52 which I think is very good value compared to train fares. Your review is very accurate. I have another trip in less than 3 weeks time, off to the Philippines for a month! My second trip there out of 3 this year.
I like travelling with national Express the coach is very clean
Wow. It's hard to imagine how bad that experience could have been to NOT be worth £1.22! The fact that it looked perfectly nice and comfortable made this an absolute steal!!
Great video 👍
It was Brad, certainly no issues for me and like I said, you can't complain for the money can you.
Another Great review 👍
The price was unreal £1.22 good find there! I tried flix for the first time last week and thought that was cheap for the price of a happy meal😂
Plug sockets seem to be so hit and miss now but a power bank is definitely a must have item 👍
Cheers Marc, yep tbh this was a great deal and I’d consider anything around a tenner to be a bargain, anywhere. Flix are pretty good for these deals too, just gotta keep an eye out 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip yeah the competition is really good for the paying public now. I remember national express being really expensive back before Megabus turned up in the early 2000's
Good video, again thanks. £1.20 eh? I defy anyone to beat that, and for the same comfort etc. I have a huge German Shepherd dog, which is another reason why I prefer to drive.
But I can certainly see the attraction of coach. Keep up the great work Mark.
Very interesting video. I have travelled with National Express many times. The coaches are very comfortable and unlike the railways they are almost always on time and you are guaranteed a seat. Prices for travel are very good and also a lot cheaper than the railways. As I am 75 now I prefer travelling by National Express for long journeys across the country.
Good to hear. I still use both but you’re right, coaches offer comfort and value providing you’re not in any great rush to get to your destination 👍
I was thinking of taking a Flixbus coach from London to Bruges but after I heard that screaming baby on your video I best give it a miss 😂
Divine comedy national express!
Nice to hear someone actually getting a bargain for once with helpful staff 👍
national express is normally reasonably priced with the exception of when there's a train strike and they 10x the price and take the piss. megabus and flix don't seem to do this anywhere as bad.
How do you put it in London so dangerous place to go London I will go to London for a bus no way I like the squirrels I think they’re lovely. I’d like to feed them but too far to go for a bus
I think you will find most of the coaches belong to private operators running on the national express name as sub contractors they have to have national express on the busses the operators name will be to the side of the entrance door your comfort and the cleanliness is a to the operator and the high standards national express demands.
Years ago an acquaintance booked on InterCity (NZ) from Wairoa to Dunedin. He paid $1.00 from Wairoa to Napier, another dollar Napier to Wellington. The foot passenger cost on the Ferry to Picton would have been about $40.00 ( it’s about $60.00 now) Another $1.00 to Christchurch, and the final leg to Dunedin was another dollar. By booking months ahead he saved himself about $140.00 on the round trip, as he booked the same legs back. He was then able to pay for several nights comfortable accommodation with the savings.
When I was in NZ about ten years ago I booked all my travel around the country when I arrived there and am pretty sure I got a couple of $1 tickets too
Nice! That’s the way to do it. Always pays to book in advance if you can 👍
Really enjoyed the video as usual . That price was unreal . Well done for getting that . Looking forward to seeing the next video 😀.
Cheers Steve and thanks for taking the time to comment. Much appreciated.
I quite enjoy coach trips. Thankyou for the tips 👍
No problem at all Elaine, hope the vids are useful.
Another informative and enjoyable report from Mark. A real pleasure to watch. I always admire his stamina no matter what might occur. I was pleased to hear him refer to "Cardiff railway station". Increasingly people are doing a hatchet-job on the language these days and talking about "train stations". Here in Britain we've always had "railway stations", and Mark is helping to keep us on the right track!
Ridiculous price! What a bargain. Glad the journey wasn’t too much of a marathon. 😀
Haha, see what you did there...
National Express are brilliant. Clean spacious and cheap. Started to use them to get to London during the train strikes. Like them a lot.
I can say from experience as a coach driver, that the location of USB ports etc between seats is a great frustration for passengers. One of our coaches has them above you, next to the reading lights, which I think is probably more awkward but also easier to spot. Great video again Mark, and we do love a bargain!! Cheers for now 😉
Cheers mate. Yes I’ve been on one with the usb ports in the luggage racks. Did seem a bit odd but when you think of ease of access, you’re right - much better 👍
'ammerin' darn in 'ammersmiff'.... as we say in these 'ere parts...
Mark, nothing - but nothing! - would persuade me to disembark in Hammersmith!!!! Hope you didn't get mugged! 🙄
Too busy trying to get in the shopping centre. I’ll bear it in mind next time though!
I enjoy a coach journey now and again and had a very good experience with Flix Bus on three journeys on the continent a couple of years ago.
If there are any problems, it's not usually with the bus company but with fellow passengers.
However, one of the most depressing places in the UK has to be Victoria Coach Station. Always reminds of that extra-terrestrial bar in the original Star Wars movie
Haha, next time I go there I won’t be able to get that Star Wars scene out of my head 😂
I am in CornwLl an Last occassion i went by National express ws 10 years ago when getting a plane from Heathrow, but it took 9 hours from Helston, becauase they go a very slow route, which instead of A 30 to M5, go thru, southern towns an then Plymouth, an then take M5 to M4, where Lorrys take A 30 an A303.
I am no fan of M 4 anyway, becauase every few-feet they have these spying cams.
Probably quite a few pick-ups. I do travel to the airport occasionally by coach but gotta leave plenty of time tbh.
17 plate! clutch your pearls. Tw@
I’ve traveled to London from Newcastle by National Express and other coach companies a few times years ago. I didn’t like it one bit, would rather pay the extra and travel by train, which the hubby and myself now do regularly for short breaks in London.
Fair comment Eve, coach travel is not for everyone 😊
Thats a great price compared to a comparable train ticket
Bit of a let down, driving through Cardiff I would have thought we would see Shirley Bassey or Cerys Matthews out shopping.
I met Cerys once - a lovely person 😊
I often wonder, if we had no railways, and someone proposed that we should build a rail network what the decision would be. A big NO I suspect.
The railways use so much land yet is largely wasted as it cannot be used or shared with any other user.
Railways are also inflexible in that any problem with track or a train then everything behind it backs up and of course they cannot drive around the problem or find another route because they have a specialised unique infrastructure that they depend upon to operate.
I believe the only reason we have rail travel today is that they got the jump on road travel back in Victorian times and we invested the land they occupy in them before road vehicles and a proper road system were developed.
Any given stretch of road is shared by many thousands of road users per hour and they all share the costs of building and maintaining that road. On average a railway track is used by many fewer passengers per hour who must bear all the cost of it. That is why road transport is so comparatively cheap and popular, it is flexible, always available and goes door to door.
All rail or air journey start and end with a road journey, those other transport technologies rely on roads to even make them possible.
Rail Replacement coaches are often seen and necessary. Road transport comes to the aid of rail transport, never the opposite.
I propose that we dig up all railway tracks and replace them with motorways and A roads, demolish all stations in towns and cities and use that newly released land in central locations to build more housing in overcrowded Britain. Many would consider this a crackpot idea of course as we painted ourselves into a very expensive and wastefull, and inflexible corner with railways, virtually impossible to escape from. Which brings me back to the opening paragraph of this comment.
Some thought-provoking comments in there Phillip (and some radical suggestions). Don’t forget the ongoing train strikes which are another issue at the moment and having quite an affect on rail users too.
The railways could learn a few lessons from National Express. My wife and I are frequent users and can't fault them.
Very true! And you are guaranteed a seat 👍
Looked a good trip, I used to do the Haverfordwest to London National Express trip, think it was a tenner in the 1990s. Early start and long trip though!
Coming from Haverfordwest James I guess that's another couple of hours at least added onto the front of the trip. Nice part of the world though.
I love seeing that bus or coach around national express haven't for a while now I know where it travel I'm surprised where
Thanks Julie, it’s very distinctive isn’t it. I’m always interested to see where they’re going if I see one on my travels 😊
I don't like Snickers. A Lion Bar would have been my choice.
Oh yeah, Lion Bar definitely. Or a Picnic, either of those would've done for me.
Thanks for the video there will be more need for coach travel to main cities the train network although quicker is alot more money unless you get a ticket when nobody wants to travel the way the train network are I bet the coach networks are rubbing their hands
Yes I just hope they don’t increase prices too much as a result.
Hi mark it’s Paul from Kent thank you a again for the video I tel l you a story about the 509 which I put on my Facebook group group.
Hi Paul, I did enjoy that story. If you saw my Flixbus video to Liverpool the driver there didn't know his way to the bus station. Different circumstances tbh and well, it was quite funny in the end really!
I'm feeling miffed! lol. Before I finally left the UK for good in 2010, because I had a girlfriend living in Brunei (now my wife), I had to regularly take a coach from my home town of Swansea, to Heathrow Airport: the cheapest fare by National Express was at least 30quid, while a few times I paid over 50 ! For the most part, I hired a car, as it worked out pretty much the same.
£30’s dear by my reckoning. I mean you can pay that near to the time of travel which is why I always try and book as far in advance as possible. Probably comparable to the train at those prices too!
The cheapest coach trip I have ever taken was via MegaBus.
I travelled from Sheffield to Aviemore via Edinburgh and back, for £4.50
A return journey of around 750 miles.
I was charged £1 from Sheffield to Edinburgh and £1 from Edinburgh to Aviemore and the same on my return plus a 50p booking fee.
I have managed this twice!
Wow, superb price and note the booking fee has doubled since then too! Well done on finding those prices 👍
Thanks Mark. I made a journey on the 561 coach from Victoria to Leeds (and Bradford) on Monday 22nd. It was a day when some parts of Britain had seen heavy storms, so some delays were always likely. The coach was supposed to leave at 10:30, but there was no sign of it and no information from staff, which was disappointing. However, it pulled up at 10:52, loaded up and left at 10:58, although the driver didn't give any reason for the delay. As we headed up the M1, the overhead signs warned of a 45-minute delay between J12 and J13; our only intermediate stop was Milton Keynes at J14. The driver left the motorway, (probably at J11, I wasn't fully concentrating at this point!) and took the A5 into Milton Keynes. With the advertised 45-minute motorway delay, I suspect this may have saved time, although of course non-motorway it's slower anyway. By this time we were exactly an hour late leaving Milton Keynes but made some time up on the rest of the journey after the driver change at Northampton services. Arrival at Leeds was at 15:40, forty minutes behind schedule, but having had a good run from MK. I never used the toilet, but the coach was clean and comfortable. There wasn't a USB charging point at my seat - no great issue personally as my phone was fully charged before leaving. And a real positive? The fare, with senior coachcard, was a mere £ 5.90, admittedly the cost of five Snickers but nevertheless good value. Sorry to ramble on a lot!
Great price and thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I believe they can alter the route as they go depending on traffic conditions so maybe that’s what happened. Delay wasn’t too bad in the end 👍😊
£1.22 that's impressive 😊
The train would cost what? 40Quid? 50?
Probably around that yes
It’s pronounced “ So- Fi -A “, that’s the name of the coach park
You need to explain it as 'so-fire' otherwise it just looks the same as how I said it.
I used to do the London's as a driver with nx but we used to stop at chepstow both ways and at earls court going in that was in 2002 till 2094
Earls Court would be a decent stop with the tube. Hammersmith was fine too tbh and only 100yds from the tube there. Much better than Victoria.
Do National express travel abroad for private clubs ?
I’m not sure tbh. Worth looking on their website and/or sending a message.
That price is amazing mate, even worth a trip to London in that terrible weather for that price, I payed more than that the other day on the tram in Blackpool for a short distance!
It was pretty-good wasn't it. I've been on the Blackpool Trams myself and no they're not particularly cheap I didn't think.
I once paid £3 from London to Leeds and an overnight hotel, plus train would have been £250
And this is why coach travel can be a viable alternative. Trains can be ridiculous price-wise.
I travelled to Bristol from London for £3.60.
Edwards do some lovely coaches on the 040 service.
Just found your channel and I find your videos really relaxing. I have been binge watching your videos all afternoon.
Well thanks very much for watching (lots) it is much appreciated. Cheers 😊👍
Great video mate! Back in 2018 I once went from my hometown of Leamington Spa to London for just £1.40! Unfortunately NX don't serve here anymore though
That's a pretty good price. Surprised they don't serve Leamington Spa anymore though. I bet they go to Warwick?
IMHO, your coach which is the older version of the Levante, is nicer looking.
I’d be interested to know what the ride quality is like compared to the new ones. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was better. Certainly no complaints from me 😊👍
07:28 babuuuuuushka!
Price is bonkers, don't know how they make any money given fuel prices, wages etc.
I reckon most of the passengers paid more and there would’ve been some last minute bookings paying a lot more for sure.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yes, you're right there I'm sure.
Great video brought me up memories. I am from Greece Athens and I have visited cardiff from 1996 up to 2019 about 15 times. Thank God I had relatives to put me up. I do remember all my journeys with NX coaches either from gatwick or heathrow airport and I do recall the years when they had a small service providing passengers with sandwiches bars coffee tea and crisps at a price. Keep up the good job.
Cheap fares are ok if that's where you want to go.
Yep and between two capital cities, the route does tend to be quite popular.
Instead of buying a "Snickers" bar from the vending machine I'm surprised you didn't buy a Double-Decker!
I always have used this company because of its reasonable fares, clean coaches, good drivers
Sorry to pick you up on it, we pronounce it SoFire gardens, just a local observation.
That’s ok mate, don’t always get it right 😊
Lucky it was dry in Cardiff 😂 how can they make money at under £5 😂
There’s always a range of passengers on these buses. The cheapskates like me who’ll do anything to get the best value ticket months in advance, the regular fares maybe booked a week or so before travel and the last minute turn-ups who need to use it and are paying over the odds.
@@LetsMakeaTrip 🤣🤣🤣
i love this video. no idea why, i just do.
Thanks and I appreciate you taking the time to leave comments, it really helps 😊👍
Coach prices are ridiculously cheap, especially compared to the insane train prices we have nowadays. I think the rain just makes you more glad to be inside the bus. I'd rather that than a hot day stuck on the bus.
And you’re guaranteed a seat on the coach of course 👍
My goodness £1.22. It is absolutely a no brainer to travel on such promotional fare straight into London. My cheapest National Express so far is one I booked for 16th February at 2 am between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport, which costed me £5.
I know and even without the discount this kind of journey for under a fiver is pretty good. There's quite a few about, London - Portsmouth for around £4 etc. Best advice I can give is to sign up to their website and you never have to pay the £1 booking fee (unlike Megabus and Flixbus). Cheers Enrico
@@LetsMakeaTrip luckily I have registered with National Express for about 6 years so usually book them online
Cornwall to Liverpool cost me £85.00 it was a 12 hour Journey with a change of coach at Birmingham, the coach out of Birmingham was packed to the rafters with students, and i thought my price was good. Good going on the fare.
My recent experience with national express was not so good. We booked a trip from Nottingham to Heathrow starting in October returning in December. When waiting to board at broadmarsh station the coach had been stopped, no one from the company informed everyone waiting ! We found out by chance another coach was to take us to the next pickup where chaos reigned. No-one had any idea of what was happening, eventually after a long delay we were put on the coach we should have been on in the first place.
On the return another delay at heathrow was over an hour late, the driver did a good job trying to make up the time, even he didn't know what was causing the delays. Not my best experience of NE, I have travelled many times previously with them. BTW whilst the subject is National Express why restrict luggage to 20kg when airlines allow more? stupid system.
wow , reyt bargain ! got off at hammersmith , strait to the lamb & flag to spend the holiday monkey !
Lamb &Flag, I’ll have to remember that one 👍
it's from BOTTOM ! ade edmondson & rick mayall :)
@@LetsMakeaTrip
Oh I see! lol
Prefer the megabus service as its more central to cardiff than sophia gardens and cheaper.
How much cheaper than the regular NX price?
@@LetsMakeaTrip few quid. Usually in advance you'll get fares of £1. On the day its normally under a fiver.
The biggest advantage overall though is the centrality of the pickup locations compared to sophia gardens.
Looks like they've put fares up as i've just checked (last used them in 2023) so cheaper - not so much, unless short notice.
On Principle I won't give Amazon the pleasure of my custom! ~ R
Born in caerdydd, now live abroad. nice to see that some things work at a cheap fare
Some things Mike (if you look for them).
Another enjoyable watch Mark! Even the regular price seems ridiculously cheap. You got the bargain of the decade there.
Cheers Ian and yes, even the normal price you can get a few weeks in advance £4.90 can’t complain at that 😊👍
When taking EuroLines from Cork to London I wondered where we stopped in Cardiff as early morning and pitch black. Arrival time at Victoria 08:00. A few intrepid souls actually boarded there.
I’ve heard of that Cork - London trip before. That’s some journey! These days of course it’s so cheap to fly.
@@LetsMakeaTrip The trip was to replace an expired and lost passport that couldn't be done online, RyanAir need one as ID, BA and Aer Lingus do not but too expensive. The Passport Office at the Embassy in Dublin closed years ago.