Travel: Coach and Bus Holidays

Sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery as you journey to new destinations. Lisa de Silva explains that a holiday by coach or bus offers comfort, convenience and affordability 

If your last experience of travelling by coach was on a cramped school bus with no comfortable leg room or air con, maybe it’s time to reconsider a coach trip. With upgraded facilities and modern conveniences, today this type of touring holiday can be a relaxing and cost-effective way to travel. 

It might also surprise you to learn that public buses can also offer many advantages to the touring holidaymaker. Here we consider the benefits of both coach holidays and tours using public buses, providing inspiration to those considering this type of travel experience. 

MAJOR BENEFITS OF COACH HOLIDAYS 

Stress free touring 

With no need to plan a route, navigate unfamiliar roads, worry about where to park, where to stay and eat, along with what to see, a coach holiday offers the ultimate in stress free travel. You can simply sit back, relax and enjoy the journey, leaving all the logistics to the tour manager. 

Comfortable travel 

Long gone are the days of rickety old coaches. Coach travellers todaycan expect superior levels of comfort. This includes spacious seats, plenty of legroom, toilet facilities, onboard drinks and snacks, Wi-Fi, seat back TV/ Entertainment, air conditioning and plenty of luggage storage space. 

Cost Effective

Significantly cheaper than many other modes of transport, a coach holiday can be a budget-friendly option. The cost is particularly attractive for longer distance travel and travel abroad, where passengers are not subject to tax in the form of Air Passenger Duty. 

Scenic, Sociable & Educational 

Coach passengers also enjoy elevated seating, offering prime views of the passing scenery, and many tours include a guided commentary to enrich the experience of the attractions and highlights along the way. What’s more, this type of holiday offers a chance to meet new people and can be a sociable experience, making it ideal for those travelling alone. 

Convenience 

Many companies offer a range of convenient pick-up and drop-off locations close to your home. Some will also arrange for a taxi or minibus to pick you up from home to take you and your luggage to a central pick-up location. This alleviates any concerns about how to get yourselves and your luggage to the coach. 

Eco-friendly 

Owing to the large group nature of coach travel, it is far more environmentally friendly than car travel, reducing each passenger’s carbon footprint. What’s more, many modern coaches have been updated to produce the lowest emission levels possible. For shorter journeys, travel by electric coach is also a possibility. 

Holidays by public bus 

Not only is it possible to holiday using public buses but it can be a great way to explore a new area. Like coach travel, public buses can access some of the most scenic routes in a location, allowing you to relax and immerse yourself in the local scenery. Bus travel is also cost effective, particularly if the local bus companies offer a discounted travel card or bus pass scheme. Bus travel also has superb environmental credentials with many buses now powered by electricity, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint. 

Coach vs bus holidays 

When deciding which type of transport is more suitable for your needs, do consider the following:

• Coach travel is generally more comfortable than bus travel.• Coaches offer dedicated and spacious luggage storage facilities unlike public buses. 

• Bus travel is more flexible and does not tie you to specific itineraries, hotels and mealtimes. 

• Bus travel requires a destination with good public transport infrastructure. 

• Bus travel requires extensive research of timetables and connections, as well as risking potential disruptions owing to weekend and public holiday cancellations. 

• Bus travel generally requires travel by day, with limited overnight services. 

Types of coach & bus holidays 

Coach and bus travel lend themselves to an endless choice of both holiday duration and destination. Longer itineraries can also be combined with other forms of transport. For example, you could take the train up to Edinburgh before exploring Scotland on a coach tour or fly to Toronto and take a coach trip across to Vancouver, exploring some of Canada’s many charms. 

For those short on time but in need of a change of scene, a day tripor short break by coach or bus, can be a wonderful way to explore some of our historic sites, coastal resorts and rural scenery. This is the case in the Southeast, where we enjoy an extensive public bus network, making bus travel a great way to see more of our local area, without the hassle of driving and parking costs.