Busbud are the trip comparison and booking company that specialise in inter-city bus journeys. You can use the app to find operators, routes and schedules and don’t forget, you can earn Busbud credits for money off future trips! Here’s the link to their website and/or you can download the app on both android and IOS devices. www.busbud.com/en
I remember many years ago there was a Greenline coach (the 727) I think which connected Luton,Heathrow and Gatwick on which I spent many happy hours as a plane spotter. Great video keep it up.
Mark. To answer you and some other comments on here, the newer concept within not just NatEx, but other express coach operators, is thatroutes incorporating major Airports are worthwhile. True, prior to Covid, direct services in and out of London existed, but driver shortages after Lockdowns, meant operators had to revised their services and Operations. Nowadays, the one-time direct routes, now involve several stops en-route, including Airports. Add in, the often pricey options of trains (when not on strike), which can make Coach travel more acceptable on the wallet!
Cheers Iain. And this is why, I thought there'd be more on board. A specific number going from LV out to LHR. Then, a pretty-much new set of passengers as they disembarked and new ones got on bound for the south coast. Same with LGW. But it just did not transpire on this journey (not to a great extent anyway). I still reckon that's the point. Like you said, NX are trying to maximise income by incorporating the airport runs. Maybe I just got a quiet run and tbh, I do prefer those journeys anyway as I got the pick of the seats!
One footnote as to Pool Valley. I first visited it in 1961, when it was a nice BUS station with all the usual facilities such as an enquiry office, crew rooms and toilets. It was used by the green and yellow buses of Southdown, the local operator of buses to out of town destinations such as Worthing, Horsham and Eastbourne.
Sounds nice. The old bus station in Shrewsbury was nicer than the present one (in my opinion) although maybe my judgement is clouded with nostalgia quite a bit. Used to spend loads of time there when I was young.
I remember as a little boy travelling from Pool Valley to Sayers Common to go on our first holidays. Southdown bus number 14. Visiting great grandfather
Ive done Cardiff to Brighton on National Express a few times just for a little holiday or weekend break and its always been such a stress free journey (even if it takes ages!)
I must admit I am really a train guy, but this video did show me how now I am an older person if journeys require multi changes of trains how much easier a coach journey could be only having to put your bag on and off the coach once and not drag it around stops for your next connection and even a multi coach journey could be easier as the change over bays are all pretty close to each other and not 6 platforms over or under at the other side of the station.
according to Mr Google, it's 2.3 hrs from Brigton to Heathrow via London, and 2.6 hrs on the NE coach. and as the coach is direct it's probably a better choice
I too did this journey a few weeks ago, the main reason being the price as trains now are so ridiculously expensive. I wasn’t in a rush, so didn’t mind the extra time taken, and the arrival into Brighton is impressive as you say. Good video as always!
I use this bus to Heathrow . (From Brighton).. with a coach card i often pay £6.60 single which is a bargain and takes 2hrs ... which is better than using the train and onward... Interesting vlog.. This coach can be very busy between Gatwick and Heathrow and a lot of flight crew use it between Brighton and the airports.. you were travelling at a quieter time.
Another great video, bit of a head scratcher but then I often wonder who in their right mind would look forward to a long coach journey! Keep up the great work
This summer I used National Express to and from Heathrow to Brighton. I found it easier than taking trains & the tube with luggage. It was clean, ran on time, and the driver was nice. It was a good deal.
Nice Journey. Those Scanias do make a racket. Not a very pleasant sound and can get rather grating. Reminds me of all the times I've been having too much fun with alcohol and friends! 'No. I'll stay longer and get the night coach' 😂 I always remember the iconic West London Audi and Belgravia. Means its nearly time to change coaches at Victoria on the long trip back to Preston. 😂
Emirates Roundabout used to have a scale Concorde on it in the 90s plus also when I drove the National Express coaches we only had 30 minutes from Victoria to Heathrow during the day and 25 minutes late evening on the night cars. You certainly had to move it .
@LetsMakeaTrip the traffic was obviously a lot less then but also no local fares between VCS and LHR as it was in competition with the Airbus A1/A2 services.
Hi Mark interesting video you must be the only person to do the whole journey as im sure it would be cheaper with an advance single from Victoria or Blackfriars. It is probably the easiest way to get from Lhr to Lgw.
So cheap and looked comfortable but I am always worried that the coach is not reliable and about not being able to see my luggage as I can on a train. Thanks very much for the vid 🙏👌
Cheers Louise. I haven’t had a breakdown yet tbh it’s normally the traffic that causes problems. I get what you mean about luggage, I don’t tend to put stuff in the hold but if you sign the left, you should be able to spot anyone who is attempting to run off with your bag!!
@@LetsMakeaTrip With regards to the luggage, the driver/co-driver should be the only people in the luggage area underneath the coach, a lot of the newer coaches now have cameras inside the luggage bay which can be seen by the driver at the push of a button. The reason it should only be staff in the luggage area is for security reasons but also for H&S reasons too
I don't know if you are old enough, between 1978 & 1986, there was a helicopter shuttle between Heathrow & Gatwick. It was partly operated by the Scottish independent airline British Caledonian.
Another great video Mark! How's this for a journey - in October, me and my Dad are doing a journey from West Yorkshire to Wembley Stadium (as we're going to watch a Lionesses game then staying overnight in a hotel on Wembley Way)! To do it, we're getting the coach from Leeds to London Victoria, then getting the tube from London Victoria to London Marylebone, then a train from London Marylebone to Wembley Stadium! We're doing the reverse the day afterwards as well!
Well it’s an adventure Jack, I’ll give you that! I’ve never stayed nr Wembley though if there’s nothing on, prices can be cheap (for London). Enjoy your day 😊👍
Great video but I'd better mention that you don't need to use the London Underground if going Heathrow to Gatwick or Brighton by train. You can go Heathrow - Farringdon on the Elizabeth Line then Farringdon - Gatwick/Brighton on Thameslink. I guess if you're simply going from one airport to the other this coach could make some sense. But for Victoria - Gatwick/Brighton the train is by far the quickest way. It's about 30/60 minutes respectively. Train fares in Britain are expensive though they're a lot cheaper than a taxi, especially from an airport.
Cheers mate. Yep, the Elizabeth Line - Thameslink does seem the best way when you’ve got loads of luggage. I might try that myself next time I need to. 😊👍
Thanks for the video Mark. Fortunately the M4/M25/A23 were relatively traffic-free when you travelled. But there's always the risk of a horrendous delay en route. With airlines splitting operations between Heathrow and Gatwick the demand for a coach connection is needed. Many years ago B.Cal had a helicopter link between these two airports (for passengers making connections) but later (after complaints from residents under the flightpath who resented their weekend peace being disturbed) the CAA refused to extend the operating licence.
Oh yes I would love to live on a houseboat. I've done many trios with National Express and on the whole have found then a good service. I have to agree though that the trips are long drawn out when they include other pick up point out of your range. I guess they have to do this to help keep costs down. Enjoyable video. Have a great weekend.
Thanks Linda, you too! Book in advance, nice and cheap, no rush travel really. Not for everyone I guess but I was surprised there weren’t that many airport passengers on this trip.
Great vlog.. And even better you do a visit to my local brighton.. Shame national express don't stop off in my town uckfield anymore I used to travel very frequently then x
Long time ago I took a Europabus from Antwerp to London, via an Ostend-Dover ferry. It took ages to get to Ostend... First to Brussels, then Ghent, then Courtrai before finally reaching Ostend! Glad the remainder of the trip went nonstop.
I actually drove this route in the summer of 2020. At this point it went via South London and Gatwick. Even then with lockdown reducing traffic it took (from memory) 1hour 45 min to get from Victoria to the M25 and another hour and 15 to get to Brighton. Virtually no one got on or off at the 10 stops in South London and it was a really tedious drive for everyone. Going via LHR opens more journey options with (on paper at least), only a modest increase in journey time. Quite a lot of people do travel between airports, and it opens up quite a good service from LHR to the Brighton area.
Cheers, yes I was surprised not more people got on at LHR and LGW tbh. OK most people probably head for the train at LGW but from Heathrow I would’ve expected more whether heading for the south coast or airport transfer. Maybe the time of day/year was a factor?
@@LetsMakeaTrip No it wasn't. The coaches and buses shared the same space, eventually the buses were moved to other stands in the Old Steine. I used to catch my bus back to Newhaven on North Street or on Western Road which is one of the main shopping areas
Intesting video. My thoughts. National Express do use Heathrow Airport as something of a hub. And sometimes late running coaches will turn around there to avoid further delay. With the passengers in Victoria you need a way to get them to Heathrow. And why not make some extra money along the way and make it a proper service? Also no point going direct as the train will win on frequency and journey time.
I used to drive the 025 London to Brighton over 20 yes ago, which used to go straight up M23 through hooley, then up to Streatham and Victoria, national used to have dedicated airport service 737, 727, one went from Brighton to Norwich via Gatwick and Heathrow and Stansted and the other just went to Gatwick and Heathrow it's a shame it got ruined
Cheers Sean and the very distinctive service numbers too of course! I guess it’s all about consolidating stuff these days to save money (three routes into one?) though looking at passenger numbers on my coach, maybe the frequency still needs tweaking?
Certainly agree it’s not meant for end to end service unless you like a tour of airports. The cheapest fare I found on the train taking 75 mins was £7.00 where as the cheapest coach ticket was £3.60. Maybe if you had a family with lots of luggage the coach could be a useful if slow option. However from the airports it makes total sense, especially Heathrow. Great shout on Busbud I have it on my phone now.
Cheers mate. I mean, I DO like touring round airports and the bit down the northern perimeter at LHR was great fun! Not sure it’s everyone’s cup of tea though lol but it’s gotta be useful for shorter trips to/from both airports down there, depending on where you live of course 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip That's what I've noticed . With 11+ usually heading north or the 040 to Bristol etc . When I did the Brighton service , it went from stance 4.
hi Mark! thank you again for making this trip so I don't have to. I want to let you know that I found the advertising in this video a bit excessive. I would much prefer it be self-contained in one clear segment, but it was hinted at the end of the video and when you got on the coach. nevertheless, keep up the good work!
I can understand people travelling between Heathrow and Gatwick by coach, because you can catch the train from Gatwick on the Southern Services from there, which could save time and hassle bypassing London
@@LetsMakeaTrip That's fair enough. If you're ever this way again do let me know, there are some stunning sights around the south downs not far from Eastbourne. It's a gorgeous area.
Around 1980, Green Line started a non stop Jet Link 747 service between Heathrow & Gatwick, replacing a helicopter service! This would eventually be took over by SpeedLink, which would subsequently become part of National Express, so I suspect that is where that section of your service evolved from.
Interesting, cheers Mark. I heard about the helicopter link via the comments on this vid. Shame it doesn’t operate anymore considering the M25 issues but I guess this section of the route is still quite popular. Maybe just not at the time I happened to use it!
Thanks Mark for a superbly entertaining video! The route the coach took is over roads with which i am familiar. But, like you, I am puzzled as to the 'market' this strange routing is aimed at. I would have thought primarily Heathrow and Gatwick to Brighton! Nowadays the best train route from Heathrow to Brighton is probably Heathrow to Faringdon by the Elizabeth Line changing there to Thameslink.
Yes agree with you on the Liz Line - Thameslink route. For me, the main advantage of the coach is to get your luggage on at the airport and not have to worry about it again. And for mainly that reason, I’m still surprised not more people got on (at either airport).
If I was doing LHR to Brighton I'd do LHR -> Paddington by Lizzie line then District to Earls court, district to vic then a comfy class 377 down to Brighton as those thameslink trains are a bum killer.
Hi Mark another great video not surprised nobody got on at Hickstead it’s a pick up on the slip road not the best place to stand when it’s pissing down
Cheers Paul. I've only heard of Hickstead from horse racing tbh - not even sure if it's a town or just a village! I guess being on the side of the road then, well I didn't notice it and the driver must've just known there was no-one waiting as he approached.
If you are travelling from Brighton to Heathrow or Gatwick Airport and vice versa with heavy luggages it is a good option to go for, but as a tall person I would usually avoid National Express services where you cannot book seat 2A (like the London to Stansted and Luton Services for instance). However, whilst I enjoy travelling by coach the whole route from London to Brighton seems a bit too long in my opinion, whilst the train takes usually half of the time. As for me, tomorrow I will be off to my 30th country visited, Romania
the 025 used to go to Sutton then Gatwick then Brighton but the traffic at 20mph and lots of traffic used to take not that much shorter the going out to Heathrow and round M25. now they cut the A3 that did London to Gatwick and extended number of trips on 025 but added Heathrow to pick up the airport hops as they used to put people on the oxford bus company airlink .
Cheers. Interesting how many variations this service has had. No doubt it’ll change again at some point, ultimately someone will be looking at passenger numbers and cost savings I’m sure!
And Etihad have three giant planes on a roundabout outside T4. Meanwhile, BA have an ACTUAL FULL-SIZE CONCORDE sitting unloved in a corner. Sort it out!
Down to sponsorship and money I’m guessing. I’m old enough to remember that there was previously a Concorde model on the airport approach where the A380 is now. That model was down by a roundabout in Brooklands last time I looked.
Good video. But the travel through heathrow can be very tiresome with traffic going around I remember last october flying into gatwick crom st lucia . It was working out very dear to fly home to dublin from gatwick Had to get national express between gatwick and heathrow. Road work on the m 25 then stuck in airport traffic and me trying to chase down a plane just got there. Enjoy your videos.
Thanks Terry. Yep, the last thing you probably want after a long flight is a transfer between airports! I’d love to go to St Lucia though - never been to that part of the world.
As usual I really enjoyed the trip. For me (an old Pom in Oz) it's about the memories :-) I'd love to come back to the UK and meander - as you do - between places that I have once visited and have not yet visited. I think your bus and train trips in the UK are my favourite videos. Do you have something in your archives about travelling around the Isle of Wight? Paul in Oz.
Cheers Paul, appr3ciate the support and yes I think ‘meander’ is a good word to use for some of my stuff! The aisle of Wight stuff is about a year-or-so back on my channel - the hovercraft over there, a bus trip to the Needles and a ferry trip back. A really good day that was. 😊👍
Before Covid we flew out of Gatwick and back to Heathrow and saved £200 each. We left our car at Gatwick and took the coach from Heathrow on our return. As there were two of us the £400 was a big saving compared to the cost of the coach. Parking was much cheaper at Gatwick as well.
You'd probably be surprised Mark at the number of people who commute at all hours to the airports, particularly Brighton-Gatwick (local operator Metrobus operate 24/7, including Xmas Day). The normal direct NX route takes about 2 hours. Your fare was only about £5 cheaper than the train, which only takes an hour! Next stop Newhaven?
Yes I was actually surprised here weren’t more employees on there (and flight crew). I think the cost Vs time thing is a factor and because the train is much quicker, I suspect that is why NX don’t do a direct service and Megabus and Flixbus don’t bother with it either.
Too many things to comment on. Your socks and organising a picnic 😆. Your right BA need to make more of an effort on advertising. Some nice shots of the planes departing. As usual great review 👍
Another great video Mark I find it abit strange that national express has put a big vehicle on that route from London to Brighton then I suppose it makes sense as the services goes via London Heathrow and London Gatwick which are the busiest airports in the UK Heathrow being the busiest. I agree with your comment on British Airways not having a welcoming display as you reach Heathrow like Emirates and various other airlines. although British Airways HQ is London Heathrow there is actually a building in the cargo area of the airport with their logo on and they have a concorde on display as you turn onto Runway 27L which is the south runway it is on the London side of the airport so on the left hand side. That arrival into the Brighton Bus Station lol it reminds me of when I use to watch the TV series that Eddiestobart did a few years back where they be trying to squeeze in a truck and trailer into a narrow road or up a farm lane.
Cheers Al. Like Iain said they're standard coaches - a bit like Ryanair I guess with their 737's - much cheaper to maintain etc. I think BA could do something more with the Concorde they've got rotting away at LHR. At least clean it! Enjoyed arriving into Brighton though, must go back sometime!
Seems like two services merged into one (Victoria to Gatwick via Heathrow, Gatwick to Brighton). I assume there are quicker coach and bus services. Great video
Hmm you could be right. Thing is, there are no other operators doing this quicker and tbh, the train’s got this market - a lot quicker and fairly competitive too.
i think the main issue as you say it takes a long way round also i think its a bit to frequent good at the moment with the school holidays but out of season i can see mainly airport users using it
The frequency must be there to collect all the airport passengers. It’s just that there didn’t seem to be many on his particular journey. Maybe frequencies are too high atm?
Nice one mate 👍 How does the pricing compare with Busbud? Is there a price uplift for their cut? Is this worth it for the operator comparison? And Heathrow to Gatwick transfer is definitely a thing - some BA flights include inter airport connections, at your own cost. So the National Express is usually the easiest option (if not the cheapest!)
Cheers, there is a small cut that Busbud takes. For me, the usefulness is overseas bookings. I was looking at a US coast to coast bus trip (testing their booking system really) and it came up with lots of options, connections, timings and final price. Fee worked out at around £5 iirc and I don’t mind paying that for that level of detail and ease of booking.
Yay! Your going to my birth place but now i live from the place where your journey beings i definitely wouldn't travel that way around to Brighton to long to travel just 50miles down the road from where i live today🤷♀️ thats why i always drive down to Brighton.👍
Used to drive this when it was direct via streatham mitcham etc, odd routing now, having to contend with the m25 as well. Glad im not doing that drive. Its probably to help replace the 747 which was brighton to heathrow but definitely seems a long way round if going to london. I do miss NX tho, had some good times working there.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yeah i think its to basically merge the 025 and 747 to save the 2 routes operating seperately, we used to run them both out of crawley depot before it closed then i think the 025 went to lucketts and the 747 to sipson road at heathrow, when that closed i think the 747 got chopped so the combination of the 2 routes into 1.
Can't say I'm a fan of their Caetano (Portugal) coaches. Ok they are on Volvo and Scania chassis (which is good) but the coachwork, seating and rattles is kind of sub 3rd world standard. Routings can be tortuously long making what should be 3hr trips into 5 hr trips. At the end of the day NatExpr provide a fairly reliable service but I kind of feel it's all about money (at the passengers expense!) and not about providing a high quality first class travel experience. Best to book well in advance or you'll be charged a high ticket price.
Doing Victoria to Brighton by coach is pointless unless a direct service becomes available. Like me, many people travel between Heathrow & Gatwick/Luton/Stansted because you avoid underground & lugging your luggage on & off trains. I live 5 miles from Gatwick, and use coaches every time I need to travel from Heathrow
LHR to Brighton by National Ex, is more convenient and often in the evening the only option, no changing trains and marginally quicker, but never been brave enough to go from Brighton to LHR by coach because of the M25 in the morning. Cant think anyone would choose to go from Victoria to Brighton by coach( except for some crazy youtuber 😊) when its only an hr on the train from Victoria. Once drove and parked at LHR, took forever because of transferring from the carpark to the terminal. Only used National Express 4 times and always this route and am now a convert to it.
Yes Michael, I totally get the LHR to Brighton comment and that’s why maybe it is busier in the evening? But like you, I’d certainly consider the coach to get me home from the airport. I might try one towards Birmingham depending on time because by the time I’ve got into London etc, especially with luggage.
I looked for Megabus and Flixbus - neither of which did it. I reckon he main problem is competition from the train which may be why NX are trying to sweep up the airport traffic?
@@LetsMakeaTripthere used to be. The problem is the masses want to get where they're going by the quickest route and, with London to Brighton, that's by train and it's nothing new - it's been that way for over a hundred years. In the 1950s, there was a bus service from where I grew up (Gravesend) to Brighton twice a day in each direction. That ended because BR tightened up the connection times and it became quicker by rail. Simple fact about how we buy everything including passenger transport.
My predictions when I saw the route was like yours C. London to Heathrow Heathrow to Gatwick and Gatwick to Brighton as the evident sub-journeys for this service. Doing the whole thing seems excessive.
It is excessive. I just thought more passengers would do these sections. Overall I reckon about half-a-dozen did the whole length (which I was surprised at tbh).
@@LetsMakeaTrip And National Express do quicker more direct routes too and I suspect more frequent direct services too. Is it the same price to do the airport route as the direct route.
Hi Mark - looks like someone in the National Express planning office (who's never actually been on any of their services) looked at a map with a list of inherited routes next to it and thought 'if got a spiffing idea" ..... 🥸🙄 Someone else has mentioned the old 747 Flightline service between Heathrow and Gatwick, which replaced the helicopter shuttle decades ago (oh how I wish that was still running). Not surprised at the porcity of passengers tbh. Heathrow Airport has a financial interest in promoting the Heathrow Link rail service (so NE doesn't get a look in) and Gatwick similarly with the Gatwick Flyer train service. So, unless NE ploughs a LOAD of money promoting the route you took, it just ain't going to happen. Add to that the ridiculously long full trip journey time (Victoria to Brighton) and anyone who was thinking of putting their investment into it would pull out. Keep saying this - consumers buy CONVENIENCE, not cheapness. And, for the vast majority, the quickest route is the one they go for. They're not like you or us viewers who get more enjoyment from the journey than getting there quickly. Your route serves passengers, not 'travellers' - hence you almost had the coach to yourself!!! BusBud looks handy - didn't know about it before 👍
Cheers Shane. Yep and of course there are no direct routes between London & Brighton because they can’t compete with the train on time and prices for some rail services are also comparable. Still surprised there weren’t more on this though using it to get to/from the airports - especially Gatwick where you will get the budget airlines.
Good point. Always think Virgin have the edge on this kind of thing and terminal 3 looks quite smart in itself. I’ll be trying out the club room in November for the first time so really looking forward to that 👍
IVe used the coach many times Brighton to Heathrow booked in advance the tickets cost under £10 absolute bargain. There's hardly anyone on the coach, only down side Where you wait for the coach in Brighton there is no shelter so if its wet and windy it's not fun.Also that route is use by airport workers and cabin crew.
Weird! Seems to make little sense to me, though as you say, it could make sense as a Brighton - Heathrow direct service (Brighton Gatwick is just a short stroll on the train). But going into London strikes me as pointless - why not go onto somewhere like Reading for trains to the West Country / S Wales /Oxford / Birmingham? I presume that there are alternative direct coaches between London and Brighton? Interesting that quite a few people used it as a Heathrow- Gatwick link - I guess there are few coaches doing this, as its not straightforward at all by train, and is potentially quite quick by coach, M25 car-park permitting! When I lived in the area I always wanted to take the Heathrow - Gatwick helicopter, but never did. At times it was restricted to pukka air passengers only I think, and even when it wasn't it was hellish expensive!
Tim, the first thing I assumed was there would be a direct London to Brighton service but none of the big three (NX, Mega, Flix) did it and I reckon they just can’t compete with the train which is much quicker obviously and prices not too far off. The airport runs mean NX can pick up extra passengers for different segments. I just found it strange why not more people were taking advantage of this. Cheers mate 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip I wonder if there still a (directish) bus (as opposed to a coach) from London to Brighton? In the old days, Southdown used to run quite a few long distance limited stop bus services. I seem to recall that Green Line got to Gatwick / Redhill / Reigate, but don't think they went as far as Brighton.
Thanks for the blog and recommendation of the Bus bud app. Within 24 months my little carry on , walking stick and I ,will embark on a grey gap year. Could you assist us by recommending other apps and hacks for we poor post retirement Antipodeans LOL. Thanks and keep up the good work
Cheers Steve. Best advice I can give is to shop around - Busbud will certainly help with that, especially if you’re from overseas. I searched for a trans-America bus trip the other day and it came up with loads of options over 4 days of travel coast to coast! The other thing is book as far in advance as you can. Prices in the UK will certainly be better as a result. Good luck!
Booked a return o. Bus bud from Bristol airport to Newport 6 euros return. Irish traveller here Mind you I booked a return from Gatwick to central London on the train 18 euros return very reasonable .
Busbud looks like a great booking site, checked on services from IE to London, still only from Dublin with Expressway but no problem as my travel in IE by bus or train is free. Using the bus means less walking and lugging one's luggage about on the ferry than trains and ferry. BA and Aer Lingus too expensive and the budget airlines insist on a current Passport as ID, not required for CTA travel by CTA citizens, only recognised official photo ID required. Come back EuroLines from Cork, all is forgiven.
Totally agree with the luggage comment. Did you see my London to Dublin coach trip? I quite enjoyed it but it was a long journey and I was very tired at the end. Yes a Cork one would be good but I would also say, come back the Swansea - Cork ferry. Sadly missed that one (by me anyway!).
@@LetsMakeaTrip And me, only living 30 minutes away from the Port and not needing to go near the city centre. The Port of Cork is now a deep water container and Cruise Ship port, the ferry terminal now history with all traffic using Europort or Dublin. The old ferry terminal was already deep water so not much work to install a quay and cranes, there has been a few grumbles from cruise passengers over the ship surrounded by cranes and stacks of containers. If the ships were not so large they could still use Cobh and not having to anchor and use tenders there.
Yep - which is why NX are going for the airport runs incorporated into the route. No coach operator would try and compete with the train direct. Just wouldn't be viable these days.
Bro that app that you recommend is rubbish. I tried it from Glastonbury where I live to London. It no only didn’t pick up Berrys coaches that run to London every day for a return fare of £26 but it showed the route it picked as being run by Badgerline a bus company defunct since 2003. Very disappointing
Yep, when I decided on his route, I expected a much more direct route but the train is I suspect most peoples choice and that is why NX go for the airport passenger traffic instead.
@@LetsMakeaTrip There's lifts at both Victoria and Heathrow. It's a little annoying making sure your luggage doesn't roll away on the tube but I think the benefits make it worth it. Especially coming from Heathrow you don't have to book a buffer for late flights etc just jump on the first train. Plus if you're coming into London on the train you can normally set your destination to "Heathrow Underground" and get the tube portion almost for free and have coverage to take the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express if the Picadilly is closed.
The Piccadilly line doesn't go from Victoria. You're the first person I've ever heard, say the Piccadilly Line is fast. It's a horrendous journey on it and the Elizabeth Line is a much better option from Central London and the West End. As for the coach here, I'm guessing the coach takes this route to incorporate several shortish journeys.
@@wearecity Elizabeth line is more than double the price of the Piccadilly line whilst being way less frequent, Terminal 5 only gets 2tph vs 6pth for the Piccadilly. It's also slower from Victoria with worse transfers. Piccadilly is direct to that area, Hyde Park Corner is just down the road or you can take the District line from Victoria and change via a simple cross platform transfer. Plus the Piccadilly is getting new trains right now which should be as nicer than the Elizabeth lines almost 10year old ones.
Why does everyone (especially the BBC) insist on saying, "X - formally known as Twitter", and how long are they going to keep this up? I don't recall the same fuss being made about other products or places. No one ever says, "Mumbai formally known as Bombay".
Busbud are the trip comparison and booking company that specialise in inter-city bus journeys. You can use the app to find operators, routes and schedules and don’t forget, you can earn Busbud credits for money off future trips!
Here’s the link to their website and/or you can download the app on both android and IOS devices.
www.busbud.com/en
I remember many years ago there was a Greenline coach (the 727) I think which connected Luton,Heathrow and Gatwick on which I spent many happy hours as a plane spotter. Great video keep it up.
Thanks Kevin. That would be a pretty interesting route. Wonder if it still exists in some form?
Mark. To answer you and some other comments on here, the newer concept within not just NatEx, but other express coach operators, is thatroutes incorporating major Airports are worthwhile. True, prior to Covid, direct services in and out of London existed, but driver shortages after Lockdowns, meant operators had to revised their services and Operations.
Nowadays, the one-time direct routes, now involve several stops en-route, including Airports.
Add in, the often pricey options of trains (when not on strike), which can make Coach travel more acceptable on the wallet!
Cheers Iain. And this is why, I thought there'd be more on board. A specific number going from LV out to LHR. Then, a pretty-much new set of passengers as they disembarked and new ones got on bound for the south coast. Same with LGW. But it just did not transpire on this journey (not to a great extent anyway). I still reckon that's the point. Like you said, NX are trying to maximise income by incorporating the airport runs. Maybe I just got a quiet run and tbh, I do prefer those journeys anyway as I got the pick of the seats!
The journey messed with your mind so much, Mark that you said goodbye instead of cheers for now😂😂
I know! Just an experiment to see if anyone noticed. Normal service resumed for next vid! 😊👍
One footnote as to Pool Valley. I first visited it in 1961, when it was a nice BUS station with all the usual facilities such as an enquiry office, crew rooms and toilets. It was used by the green and yellow buses of Southdown, the local operator of buses to out of town destinations such as Worthing, Horsham and Eastbourne.
Sounds nice. The old bus station in Shrewsbury was nicer than the present one (in my opinion) although maybe my judgement is clouded with nostalgia quite a bit. Used to spend loads of time there when I was young.
I remember as a little boy travelling from Pool Valley to Sayers Common to go on our first holidays. Southdown bus number 14. Visiting great grandfather
Ive done Cardiff to Brighton on National Express a few times just for a little holiday or weekend break and its always been such a stress free journey (even if it takes ages!)
Cheers Tim. Interesting route that via LHR according to the app?
I must admit I am really a train guy, but this video did show me how now I am an older person if journeys require multi changes of trains how much easier a coach journey could be only having to put your bag on and off the coach once and not drag it around stops for your next connection and even a multi coach journey could be easier as the change over bays are all pretty close to each other and not 6 platforms over or under at the other side of the station.
according to Mr Google, it's 2.3 hrs from Brigton to Heathrow via London, and 2.6 hrs on the NE coach. and as the coach is direct it's probably a better choice
I too did this journey a few weeks ago, the main reason being the price as trains now are so ridiculously expensive. I wasn’t in a rush, so didn’t mind the extra time taken, and the arrival into Brighton is impressive as you say. Good video as always!
Cheers mate. The time Vs cost thing is always a consideration and tbh, if I’m not in a rush I’ll do the coach too. And you’re guaranteed a seat 👍
I use this bus to Heathrow . (From Brighton).. with a coach card i often pay £6.60 single which is a bargain and takes 2hrs ... which is better than using the train and onward... Interesting vlog.. This coach can be very busy between Gatwick and Heathrow and a lot of flight crew use it between Brighton and the airports.. you were travelling at a quieter time.
Very helpful comment! Thanks!
Cheers Richard. Yes it must’ve been the time of day. Not sure I’d do it again tbh but it surely gets busier than this!
There used to be a dedicated Gatwick to Victoria service the A3 which went via South London. All services now go via Heathrow.
Another great video, bit of a head scratcher but then I often wonder who in their right mind would look forward to a long coach journey! Keep up the great work
Cheers Steve. I’ve got to admit, I do enjoy the quieter services, feels more relaxing even if I’m struggling to figure out why it’s half empty!
Love the socks. Another cracking video, well done Mark x
Haha, cheers mate 😊
Great video, as always, but we did miss the “cheers for now” at the end. 😊
Sorry guys, normal service is resumed in the next video 😊
This summer I used National Express to and from Heathrow to Brighton. I found it easier than taking trains & the tube with luggage. It was clean, ran on time, and the driver was nice. It was a good deal.
Great watch thanks Mark, i do like these random routes..
Nice Journey. Those Scanias do make a racket. Not a very pleasant sound and can get rather grating. Reminds me of all the times I've been having too much fun with alcohol and friends! 'No. I'll stay longer and get the night coach' 😂 I always remember the iconic West London Audi and Belgravia. Means its nearly time to change coaches at Victoria on the long trip back to Preston. 😂
Those car showrooms are getting really impressive! I guess all you need on the coach after a good weekend is toilet and food! Cheers Alex 👍😊
Emirates Roundabout used to have a scale Concorde on it in the 90s plus also when I drove the National Express coaches we only had 30 minutes from Victoria to Heathrow during the day and 25 minutes late evening on the night cars. You certainly had to move it .
30 minutes is going some! Would’ve beaten the tube though I bet 👍
@LetsMakeaTrip the traffic was obviously a lot less then but also no local fares between VCS and LHR as it was in competition with the Airbus A1/A2 services.
Hi Mark interesting video you must be the only person to do the whole journey as im sure it would be cheaper with an advance single from Victoria or Blackfriars. It is probably the easiest way to get from Lhr to Lgw.
So cheap and looked comfortable but I am always worried that the coach is not reliable and about not being able to see my luggage as I can on a train. Thanks very much for the vid 🙏👌
Cheers Louise. I haven’t had a breakdown yet tbh it’s normally the traffic that causes problems. I get what you mean about luggage, I don’t tend to put stuff in the hold but if you sign the left, you should be able to spot anyone who is attempting to run off with your bag!!
@@LetsMakeaTrip With regards to the luggage, the driver/co-driver should be the only people in the luggage area underneath the coach, a lot of the newer coaches now have cameras inside the luggage bay which can be seen by the driver at the push of a button. The reason it should only be staff in the luggage area is for security reasons but also for H&S reasons too
I don't know if you are old enough, between 1978 & 1986, there was a helicopter shuttle between Heathrow & Gatwick. It was partly operated by the Scottish independent airline British Caledonian.
I remember British Caledonian yes. Didn’t know about the helicopter link tbh I would’ve thought it more useful these days given the queues on the M25.
@@ianlove1215 Indeed. That helicopter link was for connecting travellers. It's much missed.
Another great video Mark! How's this for a journey - in October, me and my Dad are doing a journey from West Yorkshire to Wembley Stadium (as we're going to watch a Lionesses game then staying overnight in a hotel on Wembley Way)! To do it, we're getting the coach from Leeds to London Victoria, then getting the tube from London Victoria to London Marylebone, then a train from London Marylebone to Wembley Stadium! We're doing the reverse the day afterwards as well!
Well it’s an adventure Jack, I’ll give you that! I’ve never stayed nr Wembley though if there’s nothing on, prices can be cheap (for London). Enjoy your day 😊👍
Bournemouth to Bristol is a 3 + hr ride, it goes wareham dorchester weymouth yeovil
Always great footage !
Not sure I would use this coach to get from London from to Brighton though, even at £14 !
Cheers Micha l. I’d use it for the airports but agree, train for the direct service south.
Great video but I'd better mention that you don't need to use the London Underground if going Heathrow to Gatwick or Brighton by train. You can go Heathrow - Farringdon on the Elizabeth Line then Farringdon - Gatwick/Brighton on Thameslink. I guess if you're simply going from one airport to the other this coach could make some sense. But for Victoria - Gatwick/Brighton the train is by far the quickest way. It's about 30/60 minutes respectively. Train fares in Britain are expensive though they're a lot cheaper than a taxi, especially from an airport.
Cheers mate. Yep, the Elizabeth Line - Thameslink does seem the best way when you’ve got loads of luggage. I might try that myself next time I need to. 😊👍
Thanks for the video Mark. Fortunately the M4/M25/A23 were relatively traffic-free when you travelled. But there's always the risk of a horrendous delay en route. With airlines splitting operations between Heathrow and Gatwick the demand for a coach connection is needed. Many years ago B.Cal had a helicopter link between these two airports (for passengers making connections) but later (after complaints from residents under the flightpath who resented their weekend peace being disturbed) the CAA refused to extend the operating licence.
I don’t remember the helicopter link unfortunately. Seems a much better option than negotiating the worlds biggest car park!
Oh yes I would love to live on a houseboat. I've done many trios with National Express and on the whole have found then a good service. I have to agree though that the trips are long drawn out when they include other pick up point out of your range. I guess they have to do this to help keep costs down. Enjoyable video. Have a great weekend.
Thanks Linda, you too! Book in advance, nice and cheap, no rush travel really. Not for everyone I guess but I was surprised there weren’t that many airport passengers on this trip.
Great vlog.. And even better you do a visit to my local brighton.. Shame national express don't stop off in my town uckfield anymore I used to travel very frequently then x
Long time ago I took a Europabus from Antwerp to London, via an Ostend-Dover ferry.
It took ages to get to Ostend... First to Brussels, then Ghent, then Courtrai before finally reaching Ostend! Glad the remainder of the trip went nonstop.
The highlight for me on that trip would be the ferry!
I actually drove this route in the summer of 2020. At this point it went via South London and Gatwick.
Even then with lockdown reducing traffic it took (from memory) 1hour 45 min to get from Victoria to the M25 and another hour and 15 to get to Brighton.
Virtually no one got on or off at the 10 stops in South London and it was a really tedious drive for everyone.
Going via LHR opens more journey options with (on paper at least), only a modest increase in journey time. Quite a lot of people do travel between airports, and it opens up quite a good service from LHR to the Brighton area.
@@buffy500 Yes the logical and shortest route by road Victoria-Gatwick is down the A23 and then the M23.
Cheers, yes I was surprised not more people got on at LHR and LGW tbh. OK most people probably head for the train at LGW but from Heathrow I would’ve expected more whether heading for the south coast or airport transfer. Maybe the time of day/year was a factor?
Possibly Mark. But note that National Express operates several services which link these airports.
I liked it
Thanks Gavin.
Great journey. Brighton Pool Valley used to be a bus station as well a coach station years ago when I lived in the area
Interesting Jan. it’s very tight down that road the coach took but presumably the bus station was over a wider area than that?
@@LetsMakeaTrip No it wasn't. The coaches and buses shared the same space, eventually the buses were moved to other stands in the Old Steine. I used to catch my bus back to Newhaven on North Street or on Western Road which is one of the main shopping areas
Intesting video. My thoughts. National Express do use Heathrow Airport as something of a hub. And sometimes late running coaches will turn around there to avoid further delay. With the passengers in Victoria you need a way to get them to Heathrow. And why not make some extra money along the way and make it a proper service? Also no point going direct as the train will win on frequency and journey time.
They do Paul yes and I totally agree the train will always win direct. Presumably that’s why neither Megabus or Flixbus try to compete with it either.
@@LetsMakeaTripMegabus does run a single Newcastle - Victoria - Gatwick with other intermediate stops. It would be a very long ride though.
They axed the 747 route which was Heathrow via Gatwick to Brighton. Drove that for many years out of sipson road depot NX owned ops
Great Video Mark
Cheers Paul and thanks for the comment mate 😊👍
I used to drive the 025 London to Brighton over 20 yes ago, which used to go straight up M23 through hooley, then up to Streatham and Victoria, national used to have dedicated airport service 737, 727, one went from Brighton to Norwich via Gatwick and Heathrow and Stansted and the other just went to Gatwick and Heathrow it's a shame it got ruined
Cheers Sean and the very distinctive service numbers too of course! I guess it’s all about consolidating stuff these days to save money (three routes into one?) though looking at passenger numbers on my coach, maybe the frequency still needs tweaking?
Certainly agree it’s not meant for end to end service unless you like a tour of airports. The cheapest fare I found on the train taking 75 mins was £7.00 where as the cheapest coach ticket was £3.60. Maybe if you had a family with lots of luggage the coach could be a useful if slow option. However from the airports it makes total sense, especially Heathrow. Great shout on Busbud I have it on my phone now.
Cheers mate. I mean, I DO like touring round airports and the bit down the northern perimeter at LHR was great fun! Not sure it’s everyone’s cup of tea though lol but it’s gotta be useful for shorter trips to/from both airports down there, depending on where you live of course 👍
Lovely video mark. For ONCE your stand was not right down the end! Good work and I wish you all the best.
Cheers Mark. I think the southbound coaches tend to depart from the lower numbered stands. That’s what I’m led to believe anyway.
@@LetsMakeaTrip That's what I've noticed . With 11+ usually heading north or the 040 to Bristol etc . When I did the Brighton service , it went from stance 4.
hi Mark! thank you again for making this trip so I don't have to. I want to let you know that I found the advertising in this video a bit excessive. I would much prefer it be self-contained in one clear segment, but it was hinted at the end of the video and when you got on the coach. nevertheless, keep up the good work!
I can understand people travelling between Heathrow and Gatwick by coach, because you can catch the train from Gatwick on the Southern Services from there, which could save time and hassle bypassing London
Yep, or just stay on the coach (especially with luggage). This is why I couldn’t fathom out why it was so quiet. Maybe I just got lucky?
You're down in my neck of the world! Brighton is just up the road from me. Hope you had a good time.
I enjoyed the trip and wish I could’ve stayed longer. Had to catch a train back to Shrewsbury that afternoon unfortunately.
@@LetsMakeaTrip That's fair enough. If you're ever this way again do let me know, there are some stunning sights around the south downs not far from Eastbourne. It's a gorgeous area.
Around 1980, Green Line started a non stop Jet Link 747 service between Heathrow & Gatwick, replacing a helicopter service!
This would eventually be took over by SpeedLink, which would subsequently become part of National Express, so I suspect that is where that section of your service evolved from.
Interesting, cheers Mark. I heard about the helicopter link via the comments on this vid. Shame it doesn’t operate anymore considering the M25 issues but I guess this section of the route is still quite popular. Maybe just not at the time I happened to use it!
Thanks Mark for a superbly entertaining video! The route the coach took is over roads with which i am familiar. But, like you, I am puzzled as to the 'market' this strange routing is aimed at. I would have thought primarily Heathrow and Gatwick to Brighton! Nowadays the best train route from Heathrow to Brighton is probably Heathrow to Faringdon by the Elizabeth Line changing there to Thameslink.
Yes agree with you on the Liz Line - Thameslink route. For me, the main advantage of the coach is to get your luggage on at the airport and not have to worry about it again. And for mainly that reason, I’m still surprised not more people got on (at either airport).
If I was doing LHR to Brighton I'd do LHR -> Paddington by Lizzie line then District to Earls court, district to vic then a comfy class 377 down to Brighton as those thameslink trains are a bum killer.
Hi Mark another great video not surprised nobody got on at Hickstead it’s a pick up on the slip road not the best place to stand when it’s pissing down
Cheers Paul. I've only heard of Hickstead from horse racing tbh - not even sure if it's a town or just a village! I guess being on the side of the road then, well I didn't notice it and the driver must've just known there was no-one waiting as he approached.
If you are travelling from Brighton to Heathrow or Gatwick Airport and vice versa with heavy luggages it is a good option to go for, but as a tall person I would usually avoid National Express services where you cannot book seat 2A (like the London to Stansted and Luton Services for instance).
However, whilst I enjoy travelling by coach the whole route from London to Brighton seems a bit too long in my opinion, whilst the train takes usually half of the time.
As for me, tomorrow I will be off to my 30th country visited, Romania
Hi mate, yep I’m not sure I’d do this particular route again. I have been to Romania though - Bucharest. Have a great time and a safe trip! 😊👍
the 025 used to go to Sutton then Gatwick then Brighton but the traffic at 20mph and lots of traffic used to take not that much shorter the going out to Heathrow and round M25. now they cut the A3 that did London to Gatwick and extended number of trips on 025 but added Heathrow to pick up the airport hops as they used to put people on the oxford bus company airlink .
Cheers. Interesting how many variations this service has had. No doubt it’ll change again at some point, ultimately someone will be looking at passenger numbers and cost savings I’m sure!
And Etihad have three giant planes on a roundabout outside T4. Meanwhile, BA have an ACTUAL FULL-SIZE CONCORDE sitting unloved in a corner. Sort it out!
That is an excellent point mate. I forgot about the weather-beaten Concorde!
Down to sponsorship and money I’m guessing. I’m old enough to remember that there was previously a Concorde model on the airport approach where the A380 is now. That model was down by a roundabout in Brooklands last time I looked.
Stewards enquiry please. That ending!!
Sorry about that! Normal service will be resumed next time 😊
Good video. But the travel through heathrow can be very tiresome with traffic going around I remember last october flying into gatwick crom st lucia . It was working out very dear to fly home to dublin from gatwick Had to get national express between gatwick and heathrow. Road work on the m 25 then stuck in airport traffic and me trying to chase down a plane just got there. Enjoy your videos.
Thanks Terry. Yep, the last thing you probably want after a long flight is a transfer between airports! I’d love to go to St Lucia though - never been to that part of the world.
As usual I really enjoyed the trip. For me (an old Pom in Oz) it's about the memories :-) I'd love to come back to the UK and meander - as you do - between places that I have once visited and have not yet visited. I think your bus and train trips in the UK are my favourite videos. Do you have something in your archives about travelling around the Isle of Wight? Paul in Oz.
Cheers Paul, appr3ciate the support and yes I think ‘meander’ is a good word to use for some of my stuff! The aisle of Wight stuff is about a year-or-so back on my channel - the hovercraft over there, a bus trip to the Needles and a ferry trip back. A really good day that was. 😊👍
I use this service from heathrow to brighton when I want to go out for the day
Yep, it’d certainly get a full day with this one! Handy drop-off/pick-up by the sea front 👍
Nice video Mark, what a strange way to get there !!
Cheers Andy, it certainly was a ‘round-about’ way there!
Before Covid we flew out of Gatwick and back to Heathrow and saved £200 each. We left our car at Gatwick and took the coach from Heathrow on our return. As there were two of us the £400 was a big saving compared to the cost of the coach. Parking was much cheaper at Gatwick as well.
That’s interesting. I might look at that myself. APD from LHR a big factor in the price I bet! Cheers 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip APD is the same from Gatwick and Heathrow, and indeed most airports in the UK (with some exceptions such as at Belfast and Scotland).
You'd probably be surprised Mark at the number of people who commute at all hours to the airports, particularly Brighton-Gatwick (local operator Metrobus operate 24/7, including Xmas Day). The normal direct NX route takes about 2 hours. Your fare was only about £5 cheaper than the train, which only takes an hour! Next stop Newhaven?
Yes I was actually surprised here weren’t more employees on there (and flight crew). I think the cost Vs time thing is a factor and because the train is much quicker, I suspect that is why NX don’t do a direct service and Megabus and Flixbus don’t bother with it either.
Used to be a model Concorde there instead of an A380
Interesting, I wonder why it went?
Too many things to comment on. Your socks and organising a picnic 😆. Your right BA need to make more of an effort on advertising. Some nice shots of the planes departing. As usual great review 👍
Cheers Gareth, glad you enjoyed it. I had a good time overall, just a bit of a weird route.
Hi Mark, i guess if you're getting to the airports then the service is usefull. There must be a direct one if you're going to the coast for a day.
That is what I thought but I guess most people takes the quicker train - even if it’s more expensive.
Thank you really enjoyed keep up the g8 work
Cheers Roberto and thanks for leaving a comment.
Nice Alum Rocks 😊
A journey to Brighton is just one change at Farringdon onto Thameslink now. Either three escalators or two lifts! Not that bad.
Yes thanks for highlighting this route. It does make it a lot easier and I might try it myself at some point.
a confusing video love the Jack Wolfskin jacket great kit
Best shoes I ever bought my JW ones!
Another great video Mark I find it abit strange that national express has put a big vehicle on that route from London to Brighton then I suppose it makes sense as the services goes via London Heathrow and London Gatwick which are the busiest airports in the UK Heathrow being the busiest. I agree with your comment on British Airways not having a welcoming display as you reach Heathrow like Emirates and various other airlines. although British Airways HQ is London Heathrow there is actually a building in the cargo area of the airport with their logo on and they have a concorde on display as you turn onto Runway 27L which is the south runway it is on the London side of the airport so on the left hand side. That arrival into the Brighton Bus Station lol it reminds me of when I use to watch the TV series that Eddiestobart did a few years back where they be trying to squeeze in a truck and trailer into a narrow road or up a farm lane.
Just to add a reply to comment about why NatEx used such a large vehicle, it's simply because it's the Standard fleet vehicle across the company!
@iainjones5002 the route is also very busy in general.
Cheers Al. Like Iain said they're standard coaches - a bit like Ryanair I guess with their 737's - much cheaper to maintain etc. I think BA could do something more with the Concorde they've got rotting away at LHR. At least clean it! Enjoyed arriving into Brighton though, must go back sometime!
Seems like two services merged into one (Victoria to Gatwick via Heathrow, Gatwick to Brighton). I assume there are quicker coach and bus services. Great video
Hmm you could be right. Thing is, there are no other operators doing this quicker and tbh, the train’s got this market - a lot quicker and fairly competitive too.
Nothing wrong with the socks ! 😁
Haha, cheers mate. Nice profile pic btw - looks a bit like a Prophet 5. A classic 👍
i think the main issue as you say it takes a long way round also i think its a bit to frequent good at the moment with the school holidays but out of season i can see mainly airport users using it
The frequency must be there to collect all the airport passengers. It’s just that there didn’t seem to be many on his particular journey. Maybe frequencies are too high atm?
Nice one mate 👍 How does the pricing compare with Busbud? Is there a price uplift for their cut? Is this worth it for the operator comparison? And Heathrow to Gatwick transfer is definitely a thing - some BA flights include inter airport connections, at your own cost. So the National Express is usually the easiest option (if not the cheapest!)
Cheers, there is a small cut that Busbud takes. For me, the usefulness is overseas bookings. I was looking at a US coast to coast bus trip (testing their booking system really) and it came up with lots of options, connections, timings and final price. Fee worked out at around £5 iirc and I don’t mind paying that for that level of detail and ease of booking.
Yay! Your going to my birth place but now i live from the place where your journey beings i definitely wouldn't travel that way around to Brighton to long to travel just 50miles down the road from where i live today🤷♀️ thats why i always drive down to Brighton.👍
Or the train Maggie. I still think most of the time, people are travelling to/from the airports.
Used to drive this when it was direct via streatham mitcham etc, odd routing now, having to contend with the m25 as well. Glad im not doing that drive. Its probably to help replace the 747 which was brighton to heathrow but definitely seems a long way round if going to london. I do miss NX tho, had some good times working there.
Cheers mate. I get the impression it’s a ‘route of two halves’!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yeah i think its to basically merge the 025 and 747 to save the 2 routes operating seperately, we used to run them both out of crawley depot before it closed then i think the 025 went to lucketts and the 747 to sipson road at heathrow, when that closed i think the 747 got chopped so the combination of the 2 routes into 1.
Can't say I'm a fan of their Caetano (Portugal) coaches. Ok they are on Volvo and Scania chassis (which is good) but the coachwork, seating and rattles is kind of sub 3rd world standard. Routings can be tortuously long making what should be 3hr trips into 5 hr trips. At the end of the day NatExpr provide a fairly reliable service but I kind of feel it's all about money (at the passengers expense!) and not about providing a high quality first class travel experience. Best to book well in advance or you'll be charged a high ticket price.
Doing Victoria to Brighton by coach is pointless unless a direct service becomes available. Like me, many people travel between Heathrow & Gatwick/Luton/Stansted because you avoid underground & lugging your luggage on & off trains. I live 5 miles from Gatwick, and use coaches every time I need to travel from Heathrow
LHR to Brighton by National Ex, is more convenient and often in the evening the only option, no changing trains and marginally quicker, but never been brave enough to go from Brighton to LHR by coach because of the M25 in the morning.
Cant think anyone would choose to go from Victoria to Brighton by coach( except for some crazy youtuber 😊) when its only an hr on the train from Victoria.
Once drove and parked at LHR, took forever because of transferring from the carpark to the terminal.
Only used National Express 4 times and always this route and am now a convert to it.
Yes Michael, I totally get the LHR to Brighton comment and that’s why maybe it is busier in the evening? But like you, I’d certainly consider the coach to get me home from the airport. I might try one towards Birmingham depending on time because by the time I’ve got into London etc, especially with luggage.
Another great video. Prefer trainpal and take just an hour to get there.
Cheers. Yep train Vs coach = cost Vs time doesn’t it. The train is much quicker so I don’t think direct coach routes can compete.
Hopefully there is a more direct coach route to Brighton because taking over 3 hours is ridiculous.
I looked for Megabus and Flixbus - neither of which did it. I reckon he main problem is competition from the train which may be why NX are trying to sweep up the airport traffic?
@@LetsMakeaTripthere used to be. The problem is the masses want to get where they're going by the quickest route and, with London to Brighton, that's by train and it's nothing new - it's been that way for over a hundred years. In the 1950s, there was a bus service from where I grew up (Gravesend) to Brighton twice a day in each direction. That ended because BR tightened up the connection times and it became quicker by rail. Simple fact about how we buy everything including passenger transport.
My predictions when I saw the route
was like yours
C. London to Heathrow
Heathrow to Gatwick
and Gatwick to Brighton
as the evident sub-journeys for this service.
Doing the whole thing seems excessive.
It is excessive. I just thought more passengers would do these sections. Overall I reckon about half-a-dozen did the whole length (which I was surprised at tbh).
@@LetsMakeaTrip
And National Express do quicker more direct routes too
and I suspect more frequent direct services too.
Is it the same price to do the airport route
as the direct route.
Hi Mark - looks like someone in the National Express planning office (who's never actually been on any of their services) looked at a map with a list of inherited routes next to it and thought 'if got a spiffing idea" ..... 🥸🙄
Someone else has mentioned the old 747 Flightline service between Heathrow and Gatwick, which replaced the helicopter shuttle decades ago (oh how I wish that was still running).
Not surprised at the porcity of passengers tbh. Heathrow Airport has a financial interest in promoting the Heathrow Link rail service (so NE doesn't get a look in) and Gatwick similarly with the Gatwick Flyer train service.
So, unless NE ploughs a LOAD of money promoting the route you took, it just ain't going to happen.
Add to that the ridiculously long full trip journey time (Victoria to Brighton) and anyone who was thinking of putting their investment into it would pull out.
Keep saying this - consumers buy CONVENIENCE, not cheapness. And, for the vast majority, the quickest route is the one they go for. They're not like you or us viewers who get more enjoyment from the journey than getting there quickly.
Your route serves passengers, not 'travellers' - hence you almost had the coach to yourself!!!
BusBud looks handy - didn't know about it before 👍
Cheers Shane. Yep and of course there are no direct routes between London & Brighton because they can’t compete with the train on time and prices for some rail services are also comparable. Still surprised there weren’t more on this though using it to get to/from the airports - especially Gatwick where you will get the budget airlines.
Three point seat belts which must be worn at all times - it didn’t look like you actually were tho ! (You had it on later!)
I would expect to see something from Virgin instead of BA because of Branson's legacy.
Good point. Always think Virgin have the edge on this kind of thing and terminal 3 looks quite smart in itself. I’ll be trying out the club room in November for the first time so really looking forward to that 👍
Hi Mark how are you you great video
Cheers Josh, I’m fine thanks mate. Hope you are too 👍
IVe used the coach many times Brighton to Heathrow booked in advance the tickets cost under £10 absolute bargain. There's hardly anyone on the coach, only down side Where you wait for the coach in Brighton there is no shelter so if its wet and windy it's not fun.Also that route is use by airport workers and cabin crew.
Cheers mate. Yes Brighton to LHR is certainly cheap enough on the coach. Not sure if LGW is worth it or whether it’s comparable with the train.
Weird! Seems to make little sense to me, though as you say, it could make sense as a Brighton - Heathrow direct service (Brighton Gatwick is just a short stroll on the train). But going into London strikes me as pointless - why not go onto somewhere like Reading for trains to the West Country / S Wales /Oxford / Birmingham? I presume that there are alternative direct coaches between London and Brighton? Interesting that quite a few people used it as a Heathrow- Gatwick link - I guess there are few coaches doing this, as its not straightforward at all by train, and is potentially quite quick by coach, M25 car-park permitting! When I lived in the area I always wanted to take the Heathrow - Gatwick helicopter, but never did. At times it was restricted to pukka air passengers only I think, and even when it wasn't it was hellish expensive!
Tim, the first thing I assumed was there would be a direct London to Brighton service but none of the big three (NX, Mega, Flix) did it and I reckon they just can’t compete with the train which is much quicker obviously and prices not too far off. The airport runs mean NX can pick up extra passengers for different segments. I just found it strange why not more people were taking advantage of this. Cheers mate 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip I wonder if there still a (directish) bus (as opposed to a coach) from London to Brighton? In the old days, Southdown used to run quite a few long distance limited stop bus services. I seem to recall that Green Line got to Gatwick / Redhill / Reigate, but don't think they went as far as Brighton.
Thanks for the blog and recommendation of the Bus bud app.
Within 24 months my little carry on , walking stick and I ,will embark on a grey gap year.
Could you assist us by recommending other apps and hacks for we poor post retirement Antipodeans LOL.
Thanks and keep up the good work
Cheers Steve. Best advice I can give is to shop around - Busbud will certainly help with that, especially if you’re from overseas. I searched for a trans-America bus trip the other day and it came up with loads of options over 4 days of travel coast to coast! The other thing is book as far in advance as you can. Prices in the UK will certainly be better as a result. Good luck!
Nice music. The low seas.
Yes Kevin, one of my favourite tracks.
I think the quiet coach might be due to the time of year and the lack of students travelling down to the university.
I didn't think of the student thing Louise - it could well be a factor. Thanks.
Booked a return o. Bus bud from Bristol airport to Newport
6 euros return.
Irish traveller here
Mind you I booked a return from Gatwick to central London on the train
18 euros return very reasonable .
Both decent prices those 👍
If you`ve got the time what better way to while away a few hours travelling through the English country side
I agree. I do reckon there are more scenic routes though tbh 😊
Busbud looks like a great booking site, checked on services from IE to London, still only from Dublin with Expressway but no problem as my travel in IE by bus or train is free. Using the bus means less walking and lugging one's luggage about on the ferry than trains and ferry. BA and Aer Lingus too expensive and the budget airlines insist on a current Passport as ID, not required for CTA travel by CTA citizens, only recognised official photo ID required. Come back EuroLines from Cork, all is forgiven.
Totally agree with the luggage comment. Did you see my London to Dublin coach trip? I quite enjoyed it but it was a long journey and I was very tired at the end. Yes a Cork one would be good but I would also say, come back the Swansea - Cork ferry. Sadly missed that one (by me anyway!).
@@LetsMakeaTrip And me, only living 30 minutes away from the Port and not needing to go near the city centre. The Port of Cork is now a deep water container and Cruise Ship port, the ferry terminal now history with all traffic using Europort or Dublin. The old ferry terminal was already deep water so not much work to install a quay and cranes, there has been a few grumbles from cruise passengers over the ship surrounded by cranes and stacks of containers. If the ships were not so large they could still use Cobh and not having to anchor and use tenders there.
Great video but where's the obligatory "Cheers for now"???
I was wondering if anyone would notice Simon 😊
That’s an interesting service but I can’t make sense of it either. 🤣
Cheers mate, it’s an ‘airport thing’ I reckon 😂
Should have gone Victoria train station and then you would be in Brighton after about an hour
I would ordinarily but that wasn’t the point of this video.
An hour by train. A no brainer.
Yep - which is why NX are going for the airport runs incorporated into the route. No coach operator would try and compete with the train direct. Just wouldn't be viable these days.
London Airport transfer service basically
Which is what I thought. Maybe I just got a quiet time.
Bro that app that you recommend is rubbish. I tried it from Glastonbury where I live to London. It no only didn’t pick up Berrys coaches that run to London every day for a return fare of £26 but it showed the route it picked as being run by Badgerline a bus company defunct since 2003. Very disappointing
Have you fed this back to Busbud mate? I’m sure they’d appreciate it 👍
I would love to but they appear to hide behind one of those annoying bot things. Great video as always thank you 😀
Can I take my Brompton electric on national express. and if so how do I secure it. thank you.
I would advise checking on the NX website and/or contacting them directly sir.
No “Cheers for now” at the end. 😱😱😱
We had a very sad 2 year old here. 😢
Great video. Downloaded the app 👍🏻
Oh no! Sorry guys! I thought I'd change it at the end to see if anyone noticed. It will be back next time don't worry.
@@LetsMakeaTrip No worries, we definitely noticed.
“Cheers for now” is your USP!!.
Stanley forgives you…..this time. 😂
Not a bad price mark but a odd journey to Brighton
Yep, when I decided on his route, I expected a much more direct route but the train is I suspect most peoples choice and that is why NX go for the airport passenger traffic instead.
3 hours and 50 mins and after that you got the train back in 55 minutes.
From Victoria the Piccadilly line to Heathrow is cheap, frequent and fast with no risk of traffic. Can't see any reason to take a coach.
Luggage for me would be the main reason.
@@LetsMakeaTrip There's lifts at both Victoria and Heathrow. It's a little annoying making sure your luggage doesn't roll away on the tube but I think the benefits make it worth it. Especially coming from Heathrow you don't have to book a buffer for late flights etc just jump on the first train. Plus if you're coming into London on the train you can normally set your destination to "Heathrow Underground" and get the tube portion almost for free and have coverage to take the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express if the Picadilly is closed.
The Piccadilly line doesn't go from Victoria. You're the first person I've ever heard, say the Piccadilly Line is fast. It's a horrendous journey on it and the Elizabeth Line is a much better option from Central London and the West End. As for the coach here, I'm guessing the coach takes this route to incorporate several shortish journeys.
@@wearecity Elizabeth line is more than double the price of the Piccadilly line whilst being way less frequent, Terminal 5 only gets 2tph vs 6pth for the Piccadilly. It's also slower from Victoria with worse transfers. Piccadilly is direct to that area, Hyde Park Corner is just down the road or you can take the District line from Victoria and change via a simple cross platform transfer. Plus the Piccadilly is getting new trains right now which should be as nicer than the Elizabeth lines almost 10year old ones.
Why does everyone (especially the BBC) insist on saying, "X - formally known as Twitter", and how long are they going to keep this up? I don't recall the same fuss being made about other products or places. No one ever says, "Mumbai formally known as Bombay".
What about ‘the artist formerly known as Prince’? That went on for years! 🤷♂️
@@LetsMakeaTrip Never actually heard of him.
❤❤❤❤❤❤🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Thanks Derisley. Always good to hear from you mate!
Wouldn’t a more imaginative video have been doing London to Brighton by local bus?
It would be a good excuse to start the trip using Superloop from Russel Square to Croydon.
London to Croydon; Croydon to Redhill; Redhill to Crawley; Crawley to Brighton. And I have just realised i have done that!
@@alexmcwhirter6611I’ve filmed that route Alex - all the way from start to finish. Just wasn’t happy with the footage tbh so it never got released.
Are you saying this wasn’t imaginative!?!😂 I’ve got big plans for local buses and I guarantee you it’ll be more exciting than London to Brighton!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yes Mark. I remember you telling me about that some time ago.