National Express or Megabus coach journey?
Discussion
Rick101 said:
Train service will be published in advance with what they can cover.
Can't guarantee there won't be issues on the day that could impact things but that applies to anything.
Depending on your ticket type you may be able to go Kings Cross to Doncaster and onto Sheffield from there.
if your trip is urgent, sensible having a backup but as it's only a backup I'd go with the cheaper option unless you're loaded and like spending.
I'm just going to London for the day drinking, some cracking pubs down there. Might pay the £10 fee and change the train tickets to another day, shame though as I've already changed them once when we were supposed to go last December but the strike put us off going.Can't guarantee there won't be issues on the day that could impact things but that applies to anything.
Depending on your ticket type you may be able to go Kings Cross to Doncaster and onto Sheffield from there.
if your trip is urgent, sensible having a backup but as it's only a backup I'd go with the cheaper option unless you're loaded and like spending.
GliderRider said:
If the ride with either company is anything like in a Greyhound bus, avoid sitting at the back. I still have nightmares about a ride in one in which the only seat left was opposite the toilet door, over the engine and about six or eight feet behind the rear axle.
The heat from the engine, plus the raw sewage flowing out of the toilet door by about halfway though the journey with misery exacerbated by the seasickness effect of any seesawing going over bumps, made the journey memorable for all the wrong reasons. Some poor chap leaving the loo with a bit of poo covered toilet paper stuck to the back of his trouser leg summed it all up.
If its anything like my experience of a greyhound bus, just dont go there at all!The heat from the engine, plus the raw sewage flowing out of the toilet door by about halfway though the journey with misery exacerbated by the seasickness effect of any seesawing going over bumps, made the journey memorable for all the wrong reasons. Some poor chap leaving the loo with a bit of poo covered toilet paper stuck to the back of his trouser leg summed it all up.
Was going from Las Vegas to San Francisco on the first stop on my world tour, ended up sat next to a guy who resembled Fred Durst with "GET UP OR GIVE UP" tattoo'd in large letters across his throat.
To be fair once we got talking he was a nice guy and gave me some tips for staying in San Francisco but i'll swear half the others on the bus we're recent escapee's from jail!
Deranged Rover said:
The biggest advantage of the National Express will be the jolly hostess, selling crisps and tea....
Really?I have never found a 'jolly hostess selling crisps and tea' on a NE bus!
I traveled from Gatwick to Victoria by NE, and the bloody bus went via every place in saff London, took bloody hours.
However, the stage from Victoria to Norwich was almost bearable.
ferret50 said:
Deranged Rover said:
The biggest advantage of the National Express will be the jolly hostess, selling crisps and tea....
Really?I have never found a 'jolly hostess selling crisps and tea' on a NE bus!
I traveled from Gatwick to Victoria by NE, and the bloody bus went via every place in saff London, took bloody hours.
However, the stage from Victoria to Norwich was almost bearable.
Yertis said:
They were neither "forced" to travel on Megabus, neither were they "made" to travel on MegabusAlickadoo said:
They were neither "forced" to travel on Megabus, neither were they "made" to travel on Megabus
Whoosh! 
How did you get on OP?
Just for clarity on train running
1832 St Pancras to Sheffield 2049 - 1 early
1902 St Pancras to Sheffield 2116 - 3 early
1932 St Pancras to Sheffield 2145 - 12 late
2002 St Pancras to Sheffield 2204 - 12 late
2031 St Pancras to Sheffield 2243 - 1 early
2102 St Pancras to Sheffield 2301 - RT
2132 St Pancras to Sheffield 2341 - 2 Late
2232 St Pancras to Sheffield 0039 - 2 late
Edited by Rick101 on Wednesday 7th February 09:27
I did this on a ferry coming back from a Greek island many decades ago.
Originally I, and loads of backpackers, were going to sleep on the deck but due to a storm, there was a rush to buy berths in cabins.
Long queue at the purser's office and lots of backpackers walking away in disgust as it cost the equivalent of a pound for a berth in a shared cabin.
Gets to my turn and I'm told it's 4 berths to a cabin.
'I'll have 4 please'
Originally I, and loads of backpackers, were going to sleep on the deck but due to a storm, there was a rush to buy berths in cabins.
Long queue at the purser's office and lots of backpackers walking away in disgust as it cost the equivalent of a pound for a berth in a shared cabin.
Gets to my turn and I'm told it's 4 berths to a cabin.
'I'll have 4 please'
Vasco said:
National Express seems to have large numbers of new, long (3-axle), coaches on their routes lately. Plenty of extra passengers too, presumably due to the ongoing train fiasco.
The tri-axle Scania seems to be the default for NatEx now, they can carry usually 4-6 more people but it also means they arent getting too close to the legal GVW, 19 tonnes for a double axle and 24 tonnes for a tri-axle.I’d booked. Megabus to go from Liverpool to Manchester last Saturday. The one to Manchester in the morning arrived on time and no issues. Then from Manchester to Liverpool at 8.50pm, we arrived at the bus station about 8.15 and it didn’t arrive. Customer services shut at 6.00pm, and no tracking as this bus was being supplied by a different contractor, staff at the station didn’t know a time it may arrive and so by 10.30pm we had no choice but to get a cab at the bargain price of £87!
Worst part was no notification of it being late, unable to speak to someone etc so totally unknown.
Would’ve been cheaper to take the car and park wherever I wanted and paid a parking fine!
Worst part was no notification of it being late, unable to speak to someone etc so totally unknown.
Would’ve been cheaper to take the car and park wherever I wanted and paid a parking fine!
Rick101 said:
How did you get on OP?
Just for clarity on train running
1832 St Pancras to Sheffield 2049 - 1 early
1902 St Pancras to Sheffield 2116 - 3 early
1932 St Pancras to Sheffield 2145 - 12 late
2002 St Pancras to Sheffield 2204 - 12 late
2031 St Pancras to Sheffield 2243 - 1 early
2102 St Pancras to Sheffield 2301 - RT
2132 St Pancras to Sheffield 2341 - 2 Late
2232 St Pancras to Sheffield 0039 - 2 late
We decided the night before to pay the £20 admin fee and move our train tickets to another date, it would have cost a similar price for coach tickets that we night not have used, and had they been needed could have been a horrible journey home.Just for clarity on train running
1832 St Pancras to Sheffield 2049 - 1 early
1902 St Pancras to Sheffield 2116 - 3 early
1932 St Pancras to Sheffield 2145 - 12 late
2002 St Pancras to Sheffield 2204 - 12 late
2031 St Pancras to Sheffield 2243 - 1 early
2102 St Pancras to Sheffield 2301 - RT
2132 St Pancras to Sheffield 2341 - 2 Late
2232 St Pancras to Sheffield 0039 - 2 late
A mate of mine is a train conductor and told me the job runs on overtime to provide normal services. With there being a ban on overtime neither of us wanted to risk having our train home cancelled, or be crammed into an overcrowded 'standing room only' coach. Looking at the info you posted ^ we probably would have been ok, but it's hard to know if the coaches were crowded if any other trains had been cancelled.
If anyone wants to know the dates of the next train strikes, it will surely coincide with our amended travel date next month!!
Edited by The Gauge on Wednesday 7th February 20:45
The Gauge said:
We decided the night before to pay the £20 admin fee and move our train tickets to another date, it would have cost a similar price for coach tickets that we night not have used, and had they been needed could have been a horrible journey home.
A mate of mine is a train conductor and told me the job runs on overtime to provide normal services. With there being a ban on overtime neither of us wanted to risk having our train home cancelled, or be crammed into an overcrowded 'standing room only' coach. Looking at the info you posted ^ we probably would have been ok, but it's hard to know if the coaches were crowded if any other trains had been cancelled.
If anyone wants to know the dates of the next train strikes, it will surely coincide with our amended travel date next month!!
One big advantage of the coaches is that you will always have a seat, no standing allowed. That can be a major problem on busy trains.A mate of mine is a train conductor and told me the job runs on overtime to provide normal services. With there being a ban on overtime neither of us wanted to risk having our train home cancelled, or be crammed into an overcrowded 'standing room only' coach. Looking at the info you posted ^ we probably would have been ok, but it's hard to know if the coaches were crowded if any other trains had been cancelled.
If anyone wants to know the dates of the next train strikes, it will surely coincide with our amended travel date next month!!
Edited by The Gauge on Wednesday 7th February 20:45
Geffg said:
I’d booked. Megabus to go from Liverpool to Manchester last Saturday. The one to Manchester in the morning arrived on time and no issues. Then from Manchester to Liverpool at 8.50pm, we arrived at the bus station about 8.15 and it didn’t arrive. Customer services shut at 6.00pm, and no tracking as this bus was being supplied by a different contractor, staff at the station didn’t know a time it may arrive and so by 10.30pm we had no choice but to get a cab at the bargain price of £87!
Worst part was no notification of it being late, unable to speak to someone etc so totally unknown.
Would’ve been cheaper to take the car and park wherever I wanted and paid a parking fine!
That's pony. Someone, somewhere in these companies must think hmmm, if we cancel a service they'll be people totally fWorst part was no notification of it being late, unable to speak to someone etc so totally unknown.
Would’ve been cheaper to take the car and park wherever I wanted and paid a parking fine!
ked. And not really care.Geffg said:
I’d booked. Megabus to go from Liverpool to Manchester last Saturday. The one to Manchester in the morning arrived on time and no issues. Then from Manchester to Liverpool at 8.50pm, we arrived at the bus station about 8.15 and it didn’t arrive. Customer services shut at 6.00pm, and no tracking as this bus was being supplied by a different contractor, staff at the station didn’t know a time it may arrive and so by 10.30pm we had no choice but to get a cab at the bargain price of £87!
Worst part was no notification of it being late, unable to speak to someone etc so totally unknown.
Would’ve been cheaper to take the car and park wherever I wanted and paid a parking fine!
What was their explanation when you, presumably, later contacted them ?Worst part was no notification of it being late, unable to speak to someone etc so totally unknown.
Would’ve been cheaper to take the car and park wherever I wanted and paid a parking fine!
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