This is something I’ve noted whenever I tell people I’m going to get the coach instead of the train but people always look at me and just say “why wouldn’t you get the train”.
I’m going to use one way Manchester to London as my example. So some basic stats to start:
Coach cost – around £12 to £17 (maybe more but I’ve never had to spend more than this)
Coach time – 4hr 45 (officially but I’ve been on some faster and some slower)
Train cost – £45 to £90 (massively dependant on what time you leave and how early you book)
Train time – 2hr 59 officially but let’s be real that train is going to be late in the UK
My main reasoning for preferring coach is definitely influenced by the fact that I’m spending less than half the amount for only an extra 1hr 45 travel time but truth told trains are just inferior in other aspects as well. Trains are soo much louder for starts so unless you have noise cancelling headphones you can’t hear a single thing, they go through the middle of nowhere so signal is always terrible, and I will stand by it but the coach seats are way comfier. For the seats one the fact train seats are some nasty fabric which has been stained by years worth’s of butts that can’t be wiped like the fake leather coach seats I find disgusting (I know some coaches have fabric seats and I find them nasty as well).
Honestly, I don’t know why there is such a stigma about the coach when comparing to trains. Especially when if you said you drove there no one would bat an eye.
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Because our infrastructure predominantly runs north to south. West to east, there are more road options than rail, and assuming there aren’t many stops, it’ll be one direct route. My issue with coaches is when there’s no functioning toilet or there is on between 40 people. The cost difference is a massive boon, though.
The coach is fine & all, but for some journeys, the coach just isn’t an option due to awful timings or the connectivity being poor unless your going between the very large cities.
Besides, for some journeys, the train is just the superior option due to the timings being better or being more easy to get to, due to it being near the centre or a 10-15min walk out, whereas the coach can in some instances be on the outskirts of a town/city, which is a pain to get to on public transport or via walking.
Don’t get me wrong, the coach wins on costs hands down, but if you book the train around 3-5 weeks ahead of time, it can in some case be the exact same cost as the coach or £3-6 more, which is worth it for a 1-2hr time saving.
It takes 2 hours and 20 minutes from Manchester to London on the train.
Plus the coach is a miserable way to travel, getting stuck in traffic on the M6, on a packed coach, with a broken toilet and no air-conditioning. That’s not an experience I want to re-live. I’m always going to take the train if I can afford it.
This one is just me, but I’ve never been assaulted on a train
OP seems to have no reason to care about legroom. OP I envy you.
I disagree with all of your points. Correct sub, take your upvote back to your terrible coach journey.
>(UK specific maybe) Getting the coach is way better than the train when travelling across country
Yeah because getting the train could be financially ruinous!
It’s literally cheaper to fly!
Leg room is why I will always look for a good deal on a train ticket
>Trains are so much louder for starts unless you have noise cancelling headphones you can’t hear a single thing
With regards to the long distance/cross country trains in the UK, this statements is 100% false.
The long distance trains by all the operators are extremely quiet and a rather smooth ride too. They’re that quiet and smooth that when you’re leaving a station you wouldn’t even know you’d started travelling unless you looked out the window.
I get National Express coaches almost every week. In my experience, they’re very rarely late, they’re a fraction of the cost (£40 vs. £120 for the same journey on the train), and I’m guaranteed a seat without actually reserving one. I’m a big fan of coaches.
The last time I took a coach across the country I had to change at midnight in Milton Keynes for 3 hours.
The ultimate value of time Vs money is how much money you have
very unpopular opinion indeed 🤝👍
I used to travel to Southampton alot for work. I would always get the coach over the train tbf.
I did get annoyed when returning home though because it would be a Friday afternoon/evening and it was sometimes an absolute disaster haha.
But mostly it was a good experience.
The Coach takes way longer but yeah, it’s much cheaper at least. I once took a Megabus from London to Aberdeen for something like £12. I won’t lie it was the journey from hell, but it’s the only way I could afford to go there.
The National Express services are pretty good and usually reliable. The problem is that if someone throws up in the seat in front of you, and the coach is packed, you have nowhere to escape to.
True story.