2019 Coach Times and Locations

[tj95]

2019 - Manchester, Thursday DEP 10:00 (arrived on site around 3pm) RET MON 15:00

2016 - Reading, Thursday DEP 16:00 RET MON 12:30

[MaxPower]

12 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Wednesday but that was 2017 - I don't know if it was the same in 2019.

God that would be really shit.

[Gnomicide]

6 minutes ago, MaxPower said:

God that would be really shit.

It may even have been a bit later, possibly 1pm. If the time stamps on my photo's are to be believed I was getting on the bus by ours at 11:40. Luckily a very kind man took my tent in and set it up for me so at least I didn't have that to worry about. Again if the timestamp is ok, we were passing the Tor at 18:10.

[Gnomicide]

12 minutes ago, tj95 said:

2019 - Manchester, Thursday DEP 10:00 (arrived on site around 3pm) RET MON 15:00

2016 - Reading, Thursday DEP 16:00 RET MON 12:30

Ouch, that was a late one from Reading. Mind you, if you'd have left at 8am on the Wednesday in 2016 you wouldn't have got there much earlier.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Gnomicide

[MaxPower]

6 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

It may even have been a bit later, possibly 1pm. If the time stamps on my photo's are to be believed I was getting on the bus by ours at 11:40. Luckily a very kind man took my tent in and set it up for me so at least I didn't have that to worry about. Again if the timestamp is ok, we were passing the Tor at 18:10.

Heck that is shit, we’d have nobody to sort us out which is a bit of a pain as we’d be looking for a more popular camp site. Praying for 6am departure…

[Ingobernable]

In 2017 we got the coach from Leeds on the Wednesday - DEP WEDS 07:00 RET MON 08:30. The collection point was on Sovereign Street. 

 

In 2015 we went from York, also on the Wednesday - DEP WED 08:45 RET MON 08:30. The collection point was on Leeman Road.

 

Took 2016 off and ended up driving in 2019 but we're back on the bus from Leeds this year.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Ingobernable

[Quark]

41 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

Slightly off topic but I notice that National Express has this on my confirmation email:

"Please note that this service will be run by a third-party NX partner. Therefore, National Express Accessibility standards do not apply on this service. Please contact us.if you have special requirements to travel."

Translation - the coach will be old, stuffy, cramped and generally shit.  We also won't care if we leave on time or not although we wouldn't get away with this for any of our other routes.  

Yeah, that was noticeable when I got Nat Ex in 2019.  No comfy coach for me, brought back memories of school trips in the 80s

[MaxPower]

10 minutes ago, Quark said:

Yeah, that was noticeable when I got Nat Ex in 2019.  No comfy coach for me, brought back memories of school trips in the 80s

Yeah I’ve got this too annoyingly. 

[Barneym]

15 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

Slightly off topic but I notice that National Express has this on my confirmation email:

"Please note that this service will be run by a third-party NX partner. Therefore, National Express Accessibility standards do not apply on this service. Please contact us.if you have special requirements to travel."

Translation - the coach will be old, stuffy, cramped and generally shit.  We also won't care if we leave on time or not although we wouldn't get away with this for any of our other routes.  

That’s always been the case from London, they must run more than 6 an hour, especially early Wednesday so they couldn’t possibly use their own coaches, I’m 6ft3 and have had ones which I physically can’t fit in the seat properly but also had ones which are pretty luxurious, it’s total luck, just pray the driver knows where he is going 

[Beerqueen]

10 minutes ago, Quark said:

Yeah, that was noticeable when I got Nat Ex in 2019.  No comfy coach for me, brought back memories of school trips in the 80s

I think it was in 2017 I got NE and the coach was absolutely boiling and I had sat on the wrong side so the sun was on me the whole way.  Must remember to sit on the right hand side this year!

But the thing that really riled me was they left Birmingham about 3/4 of an hour late - no apologies or explanation.

[Beerqueen]

1 minute ago, Barneym said:

That’s always been the case from London, they must run more than 6 an hour, especially early Wednesday so they couldn’t possibly use their own coaches, I’m 6ft3 and have had ones which I physically can’t fit in the seat properly but also had ones which are pretty luxurious, it’s total luck, just pray the driver knows where he is going 

Oh I realise they wouldn't be able to fulfil it all from their fleet but perhaps if the coaches aren't their usual standard they could, you know, reduce the fare accordingly?

[Barneym]

Just now, Beerqueen said:

Oh I realise they wouldn't be able to fulfil it all from their fleet but perhaps if the coaches aren't their usual standard they could, you know, reduce the fare accordingly?

Yeah I agree, the fares are ridiculous it would be far cheaper for the 4 of us going from London to drive but I actually like the convenience of the coach, don’t have to worry about driving home or how much I drink/whatever else on the Sunday.

[Beerqueen]

21 minutes ago, Barneym said:

Yeah I agree, the fares are ridiculous it would be far cheaper for the 4 of us going from London to drive but I actually like the convenience of the coach, don’t have to worry about driving home or how much I drink/whatever else on the Sunday.

Yeah I agree, I'm going on my own so the parking fee (even without the petrol cost) is prohibitive but tbh even if parking was free, I would take the coach.  The thought of doing the journey by car on my own (especially the return journey) is not tempting in the least!  I just hope they get away on time this year (going there anyway).

[clarkete]

39 minutes ago, Quark said:

Yeah, that was noticeable when I got Nat Ex in 2019.  No comfy coach for me, brought back memories of school trips in the 80s

Yeah I went on a school trip from Yorkshire to Austria in the early 80s, it was about 37 hours and was just an old coach.  I don't even recall there being a loo on there.  Mind you tbh it was mixed school and we were all away from home so the last thing anyone cared about was the coach tbh 🤐

[dondo]

1 hour ago, Beerqueen said:

Slightly off topic but I notice that National Express has this on my confirmation email:

"Please note that this service will be run by a third-party NX partner. Therefore, National Express Accessibility standards do not apply on this service. Please contact us.if you have special requirements to travel."

Translation - the coach will be old, stuffy, cramped and generally shit.  We also won't care if we leave on time or not although we wouldn't get away with this for any of our other routes.  

Be like the football specials train companies used to put on years ago.

[BambooShanks]

 I saw on the 'Questions' section of the forum that there is/was a  Bath coach at 16:30 or thereabouts, though might want to wait for confirmation off someone who has got that one!

[Quark]

Never gone from Reading before so I'm desperately hoping I get an earlier coach than 3pm!

And yes @clarkete I'm well aware that's peak middle-class problem ingratitude 😄

[Aragorn]

2 hours ago, ilovelanegan said:

Does anyone know if Bristol location is the same as previous years - Anchor Rd? Also on Monday, does it return to the same location or to the bus station? We've got on onward NatEx coach to London and I'm really hoping there isn't a big trek in-between...

 

 

I asked this last Sunday and someone said Redcliffe Way just down from the DoubleTree Hilton - this not right then as I booked travelodge right near there 

[JBarbour]

I don't suppose anyone has any Nat Ex discount codes?

Just seen price of the coach 😳 it's at least double what it would cost me going via car 

 

[clarkete]

38 minutes ago, Quark said:

Never gone from Reading before so I'm desperately hoping I get an earlier coach than 3pm!

And yes @clarkete I'm well aware that's peak middle-class problem ingratitude 😄

Ha ha, sorry.  Tbh I'm in no position to talk as since 2008 I've been in some sort of van, so the dilemma of getting there early to get a spot hasn't been one I've faced for years - way back in 2007 we had a big circle of tents in Webbs Ash (I think only one of them is public now?) and a great big gazebo too and some of those turned up Thursday or at a push even Friday.

[Skoo]

I'm coaching from Brighton. Last time I did this we managed to get an earlyish coach I seem to remember - 9:30am perhaps? Hoping for the same again! Although have booked WV for this year so it's no big deal if we end up on a slightly later coach.

[Quark]

1 minute ago, Skoo said:

I'm coaching from Brighton. Last time I did this we managed to get an earlyish coach I seem to remember - 9:30am perhaps? Hoping for the same again! Although have booked WV for this year so it's no big deal if we end up on a slightly later coach.

Someone's doing alright for themselves! 😉

[tj95]

@JBarbour just tried my Totum app and this is valid for the next 59 mins - NDTM15MQ4EF3 (15% off) 

DM me if you get this after and need a fresh code!

[JBarbour]

18 minutes ago, tj95 said:

@JBarbour just tried my Totum app and this is valid for the next 59 mins - NDTM15MQ4EF3 (15% off) 

DM me if you get this after and need a fresh code!

Thanks for the code. Looks like can't be used for event journeys. Wonder if it's because most are not Nat Ex coaches.

[Skoo]

21 minutes ago, Quark said:

Someone's doing alright for themselves! 😉

I'm going up in the world me. None of this "erecting my own tent" malarkey. That's for the plebs.