Is 5 hours on a coach worth the cost saving? Manchester to London by Flixbus
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
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Yeahhhh, you won't be finding me on a coach to London again any time soon!
This reminds me of February 1979, I went by coach from Manchester to London for an Interview at Queen Mary Collage. On the way back it snowed, the M6 looked like a Ski run, think we changed drivers 3 times due to the 12 hour journey time! The last lovely driver actually took me from Manchester to my home in Shaw and dropped me off at my doorstep.
My last few journeys by coach were marred by a lack of food & drink provision, or a stop at services so short with queuing so long you couldn't hope to get served, plus horrible coach loos & taking forever to get anywhere, on a coach you really experience just how congested our roads are 😢
Flixbus was the absolute backbone behind my European travels during the summer (managed to get coaches that ran through the night so I can travel while asleep), and for an actually reasonable price too.
Don't get me started on filming on location problems, it's become more and more of a pain in the arse recently!!
Used to travel Durham to London by National Express in the 1980s. It was a lot cheaper than the train ( about £12 return). Took about 5 1/2 hours going down the A1 then M1 with a toilet stop. They would show films on small TV screens.
The Birmingham Skyline is one that I do enjoy seeing when travelling to Birmingham.... Via train Makes me think how many Jens there are now! But that sponsor part was brilliant! Great video Jen but I wouldn't take the coach!
There are far too many Jens!
Not only do I live in Birmingham and I love my city but the building I work in is right next to the flix bus stop it isn't actually far to walk to wear all the shops and things are and especially with the new tram extension
Hi Jen. Another great video. I've seen bus enthusiasts at Shudehill being told they CAN'T photograph the buses entering and leaving the interchange, so not shocked to see you were prevented from filming.
I was doing a video on travelling through Gatwick airport as a wheelie and realised that many of the major coach companies now have wheelchair accessible coaches. Bang goes my excuse of I can’t use coaches for long distance travel 😂
I've always disliked long distance coach travel ever since a school trip to France when I was 12 years old
Once you're inside the North Circular, is usually seems faster to walk. Traffic jams in London are a constant nightmare, even with congestion charge
Traffic wasn't a massive problem aside from a bit around Birmingham. I dread to think what would have happened if we'd have hit London at rush hour!
When I lived near Oxford
and had to go to London
for my evening degree course
there was a coach fare war on at the time
so the cost was lower to go to London
circa 90 km (60 miles)
than a bus ticket across Oxford.
I remember the £2.99 war on that route \m/
The Jen cinematic universe using yourself as a multi-time-dimensional character has me hooked!
It’s just taken a National Express coach an hour to get from Victoria to the start of the M1
There was a useful NatEx London-Manchester (maybe further) service that went I think via Leicester, then through the Peak District to Stockport (handy for South Manchester) Was that the 440? Gave some nice views if you got it right and you could take it as being on a coach tour. Coaches have been less exiciting ever since restricted to the 56mph. I dont remember the 100mph Midland Red motorway services but certainly the 70mph of some of the Bristol REs and AEC Reliances could get you around fairly swiftly. A couple of bumps - as going at that speed was difficult when one had to slow down promptly and being banned from the outside lane of the motorway changed the profile of coaches as trains were sometimes cheaper and faster if you booked carefully.
You’re braver than me. Went National Express- Brum to London and back - when there was a train strike. Still having nightmares and that was only 3 hours!
I went National Express to London from Darlington a couple of years ago just for the ride, 6hrs and 25mins. I enjoyed it tbh but had I booked in advance on a he train, I could’ve got to London for roughly the same price and over twice as quick.
Coach is definitely for those who aren’t in a hurry.
I only use National Express for nearly the same price as they only take 5 hours 10 mins and unlike FlixBus or Megabus goes direct with no stop at Birmingham or West Mid traffic, they also stop at the services so chance to stretch legs. I also like the large windows and of cause the £22 return. Not great if you are in a rush but with Sunday train services often taking 3 hours it’s not much more.
Muil timeline Jen is always fun. And it's nice to see Lorna ago
I think I have been on two coaches with breakdows , both Megabus - one kerbed a tyre going into Meadowhall Bus Station and the other ran a engine hot southbound on M1 - in winter / snowing. A replacement from the garage in Rugby eventually turned up after an encampment on the hard shoulder/ embankment. The big problem with the coaches at bus stations , etc , is the lack of real time information and no bus station staff (other than sometimes London Victoria) have much of a clue what is happening.
Lovely to see Lorna pop up at the end! Are you going to do another Christmas edition, the last one was fun.😊
yes that's a good surprise.
I drive buses over Spaghetti Junction and along the Aston Expressway, and I agree, the Birmingham skyline is stunning! More and more tower blocks appearing now, dwarfing distinctive buildings like the Rotunda though!
Must adnit, if it wasn't for the presence of Chiltern and LNWR, I would probably get the coach from Birmingham-London, as Avanti is largely extortionate!
Jen on the move by bus/coach instead of train/tram. This is a surprise! Lovely!
I normally do overnight coaches down to London, sleeping isn't too much of an issue, used to do Megabus £1 fares, but normally £10-15 each way. Get into London, have breakfast and ready for the day
So I’ve done the NatEx and Megabus between London and Manchester. The Nat ex is the better option imo but I’d always pick the one that stops at a motorway services. On the way back, the 0820 Megabus does not stop between London and Manchester. Or the 1000 Nat Ex is good too.
Excellent really enjoyed watching. Looking forward to the next one.
You never need more Pis, you just want more Pis (says someone who deployed 55 as traffic counters a couple of years ago)
Jen that is a cool phone lock screen you have
Given the type of service Flixbus are it's a bit of a surprise they don't pick and drop in Stoke and maybe Wolverhampton between Manchester and Birmingham. I'm not sure National Express really is a direct competitor to Flix & Megabus as I've often found National Express prices getting towards train fares for similar journeys
I'm 6'6" and I think a long journey like this would break my kneecaps.
Tip - if you have hand luggage getting off in London use the Finchley Road stop can be useful (or Golders Green for Natex- though I have found going onward south there is not actually much time-saving changing over to the tube but you do avoid the Victoria hassle of bodies.
I'm shocked they kicked off at you for filming in Shudehill. I've got like 4 videos in there at least now... I'll be there a lot for my upcoming stuff too. Yay, cant wait for them to start on me 😂
Hey ho, shame you dont enjoy coaches like me 😜😂
To be fair, it was less bad than I expected... but still bad!
Brilliant video Jen!
Coach...not for me, but your review of it is appreciated. 👍🙂
Did the 6 hour journey from Chester to London on Megabus once, would not recommend 😅
i used to go from brighton to Aberdeen... by coach ! that's a real adventure !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5:38 See that right there is one thing that would put me off using Flixbus
When I travelled with NatEx, when I was a lot thinner to fit in the seats that was, you knew it was Digbeth coach station, about 15-20 minute walk to New Street, off you go
When I travel with Megabus, it's Brunel Street, just around the corner from New Street, job's a good one
But for £9.99 Manchester to London, have to say that Megabus is cheaper and probably quicker as well so it would be a hard pass BUT only a hard pass as a neccessity if I had to
I’ve been on long distance buses twice when I was 17/18 - both times from London - once to the lakes and once to Halifax and I’d rather walk, frankly! Horrible. Thank you for doing this to remind me I don’t have to!
brilliant review of Flixbus even tho im not a fan of coach travel as i feel quite cramped being on a coach for a long period of time but i stilll enjoyed watching this as always & in my openion id rather stick to the train & only use the coach as last resort
I regularly travel to and from Taunton to Middlesbrough by train, often costing between £100 and £200 - the whole journey, barring any delays, takes about six hours - even sooner, if my niece picks me up at Darlington, where I have to change trains (sometimes change at York) - I have looked at going by coach - both Megabus and Flixbus go from a place that’s difficult enough to get to in daylight hours without transport - two cross town buses doubling back on myself - Megabus and Flixbus leave any time between midnight and not much after 9 am - no night time buses - they stop at six - taxis ramp up the fares after the buses stop running, so a taxi is out of the question - the National Express, I think, goes from where I get off the cross-town bus - I think I have seen one leaving late morning - but even the fastest bus takes about fourteen hours to get to Middlesbrough and necessitates me travelling on six coaches each way, changeover points vary - usually Bristol, Gloucester or Birmingham at this end and Manchester, Sheffield or Rotherham in the north - one coach went via Newcastle before getting to Middlesbrough - it’s too long on the coach, whichever one you choose to travel on! And they don’t provide refreshments of any kind - some don’t even have toilet facilities - those that do are unisex - they often don’t stop long enough at places where you can get a bite to eat or a cuppa - even at the changeover points, they bundle you off one coach straight onto another, leaving you with no time to get something to eat or drink or go to the loo! And you either leave at an antisocial hour or arrive at an antisocial hour - possibly both - not worth the thirty quid the tickets cost if you have to go through all of that!
The trains - I have experienced issues - but, generally, I can usually get there in the same day - leave Taunton a bit before 11 and arrive in Middlesbrough around five - same for the journey back!
There’s your challenge, Jen - come to Taunton and get a coach to Middlesbrough - although, if you get the Megabus, you will need to get a taxi to a place called Blackbrook Business Park and be prepared to start your journey in the middle of the night!
The only time I go on a coach is from Alicante Airport to Benidorm
I always tend to avoid long distance coach travel and rail replacement buses since they have to share with the general public and take much longer. You have seat belts, standing may not be allowed and you may risk being stuck in traffic. They also take much longer than cars since they may have to spend up to 30 mins into the city and out. Some coaches also do not allow hot food. At least the National Rail website as well as authorized ticket sellers tell you if you have to be on a rail replacement bus so you can plan another day.
The city traffic situation is why Megabus don’t go into Leicester where I live. It stops at Fosse Park which is only half a mile from the M1 junction. It’s a nice shopping experience while you wait for your lift home.
Definitely the train for me Jen 1,35 from Crewe and like you say you can get some deals at reasonable cost plus there’s a bar on board Avanti!
Longest coach journey I did was from Sunderland to Argentier in France. 26 hours.
I still would like to go to Manchester to ride on the Metrolink trams. I have been on some coach trips before and some are very good.
Only coach experiences were with school excursions and work trips so with people I knew around me. Five hours or more with strangers is killing. Five hours or more without coffee is terrifying 😱
And I hadn't had coffee before boarding either, I wanted to avoid using the toilet at all costs!
Jen, good for you that you ignored the "request" not to film on the bus. Seems the Flixbus people are quite sexist since I never saw that "request" made of other male CZcamsrs who have made quite a few vlogs on Flixbus and other long haul coaches.
It only works up to 3 hours and when the bus is not crowded.
Sky high great western ticket to Bath/Bristol vs reasonable NX fare? Latter for sure (they are not too crowded)
But I tried to visit Liverpool one day, Avanti early morning train and NX in the evening. With crying babies and completely full bus the latter is a nightmare, I’d rather pay double for the more comfortable and faster train
A coach is a coach, you know what you're getting. The departure is OK, it's the horrendous bit on the return at places like Victoria that I don't like. Mind you, the same could be said for returning from any city rail station in the evenings now.
Coaches were good for linking up cross country rail journeys, but NX axed most of those & Flix don't have many (at all?) cross country routes?
Brilliant video Jen
Jen talks to Jen while Jen sits and watches the 2 Jens fight and that Jen buts in saying stop and then the Jens talk about the ad and move on lol, great vid Jens!
I'm gonna run out of Jens to use!
@@JenOnTheMove lol
I once went on a 4 hour bus trip (which was only 119 km) on an old soviet bus, my ass was square shaped after that. Not going to do that again.
Thanks for doing these things... so we don't have to. Blimey, I can get from London to Fife by train in that time! (Although that's a little bit more than £9.99 though 😆)
If you are taking a coach from Manchester to London try to avoid the ones that stop at Birmingham , that is the killer in and out though even the M6 can slow you down, and hopefully you can sleep on coaches - but dont loose loose change on the floor from ones prone position on the tilt back seats.
in New England that like riding a bus from Amherst Umass to Hartford with an option to skip Springfield.
It seems ironic that Flixbus is scheduled to take 5h40m to go from Manchester to London and you can take the number 540 coach with National Express to do the same journey. Also, Digbeth coach station is on precisely the wrong side of Birmingham to make getting to and from the M6 easy. Why did they build it there? Its no wonder Flixbus have decided to use a random bus stop somewhere.
Brilliant video Jen, I agree about the coach, it's not the greatest way to travel, it takes longer than the train in most cases.
Wish they would come to Inverness, we stuck with Scottish Citylink/Megabus (same company) for coach travel, or ScotRail with its awful 2 car class 158 between Inverness to Glasgow or Edinburgh where you can stand for up to 4 hours on a train with air conditioning that never works in the summer or heating that doesn’t work in winter. We desperately needing competition
They used to serve Inverness on service 588 from London and 538 from Birmingham
oh gosh, feel for you, I've done Exeter to Manchester, twice (yes I know, didn't learn the first time), bad break downs both times, took well over 10 hours, National Express, was horrid, never, ever again! even if they paid me, no no no don't do it to yourself!
Worst coach for me was a new Bova bodied something that was brand new on a tour to Amsterdam , the MOST uncomfortable journey ever (add in xchannel ferry that was late and storm delayed for extra fun), certainly compared to the day trip coaches mum would hire for townswomen guild visits to interesting places (normally Plaxton Panorama II bodies on AECs or Leopards or Bedfords ) where the seats were padded just right.
Possibly, but Flixbus is a truly dreadful operation, I can testify this after being stranded in Warsaw by them several years ago. If things go up the wall, good luck getting through to anyone who can help. At least use a reputable operator like National Express.
Oh great, I'm getting a coach to that London in a fortnight, I'm really looking forward to it now...
Sorry!
I wouldn’t step foot on a Flixbus I’ve seen their coaches and the driving standards are shocking
Having seen your latest video on the fare increases (currently on LNER) I suspect that this has been overtaken by events. Is it worth it? Maybe not now. But next year? Definitely!
Well at least fares seem to have gotten cheaper. But, heck 5 hours on a coach!
I looked at the train site and could not find £20. The cheep fare you have to book weeks in advance
The Avanti Superfare needs to be booked 7 days in advance. The same amount of time that I booked this coach fare. I did a video on it here - czcams.com/video/T8t52syeMHU/video.html
Leaves MCR, plays MCR on headphones ✅ \m/
to answer your question in one word. No. I find it amazing how people can do this journey. Fair play to you Jen. Fair play.
as a transgender person, i would advise avoiding the coach. A lot of gammons and Brexiteers take the coach and many times i have been subject to abuse
Couldn't sit on a bus for that long.
As soon as you said you regret not getting a Pendolino I get an advert for Avanti 🤔🤣
Perfect timing!
Please investigate Manchester to London (or another long distance journay) on Local Buses.
Eg Town to town to town.
Travelling Turtle did it in the opposite direction.
@katrinabryce
I will have to go looking at this (Channel?)
A new one on me.
@@dblyth5098 I can also recomend the Traveling Turtle channel. he does all kinds of wierd journeys usualy involving slow local services also a fair bit of train stuff as well
"Okay I guess I could take a break from My Chemical Romance"
Flixbus
Yeah, I’ve never had a problem, filming in railway stations, bus stations and a completely different matter. Jumped up, security guards, with nothing better to do than being a bellend come along and start saying “Ere yer can’t film or take pictures in ere”. WHY FCOL? We are filming the vehicles NOT the ppl. I really don’t get it.
my son did 26 hours on a Flix bus - Berlin to Kiev - it broke him! Oh and return!
Ouch!
Isn't it SHOOduh-hill rather than SHREWDhill?
FREE journeys to London or THREE journeys to London?
A comfy Pendo will always be better.
Could you use a bus pass flixbus
You now need to fly to Heathrow and make sure you hide the camera 📸 at the airport
I think 2 hours is my limit.
does that flixbus run overnight?
I don't believe so
Ugggh coach travel is the worst. You could get your revenge by eating Wimpy on the coach, which would be fun to watch....
As a coach driver the answer is no. 😂
There are more disadvantages than advantages to coach travel for me, which is why I haven't been on one in 30+ years! Enjoyed your adventure though! 👍
The 'no filming' thing is just some nobody on a power-trip
Ugh. Bus is definitely a lifestyle choice. I imagine there are those who would feel the pain of those 10 Lb price difference, but all that traffic time alone would be a huge NO to me. I still SMH at all the food choices for your in London, Whimpy is your go to. I am impressed, however, how quiet the bus inside seemed. Perhaps everyone was asleep. The view does not seem any better, and perhaps worse , than your average train ride
There were a fair few people on board, they were just super quiet!
SHREWD hill? It's pronounced SHOED hill . . .
Glad you feel better about getting that out your system
Easy answer Jen - No
At least it’s cheap
Stop adding jens
oooooo @rainbowlollies 😁😁😁 I have since tried the said Wimpy and can say it's rather nice,bit pricier than I remember lol but didn't half bring back memories
I've done national express Edinburgh to London a few times...cheap, but not cheerful.