Coach times - experience

[dirtysteve]

Awesome, thanks both. 🙂

[internetjef]

I am going on coach for first time this year, Thursday from Bristol. Looking for a bit of clarification from anyone with experience 

 

when we booked it , it clearly says 06:30 departure , 05:30 return .

 

I’ve been working on the basis 6.30am is the nailed on departure time which I am more than happy with , but is there any chance it could just be a placeholder ? (With us given a different time nearer festival)

 

also if I do need to catch coach back too (might be able to snag a lift with mates driving), I’m gonna struggle with 5.30am ha . Think I read somewhere the departures are a bit more relaxed and with somewhere like Bristol which prob has lots of coaches you just rock up whenever and wait for next space?

[cheesey_toastie]

Just now, internetjef said:

I am going on coach for first time this year, Thursday from Bristol. Looking for a bit of clarification from anyone with experience 

 

when we booked it , it clearly says 06:30 departure , 05:30 return .

 

I’ve been working on the basis 6.30am is the nailed on departure time which I am more than happy with , but is there any chance it could just be a placeholder ? (With us given a different time nearer festival)

 

also if I do need to catch coach back too (might be able to snag a lift with mates driving), I’m gonna struggle with 5.30am ha . Think I read somewhere the departures are a bit more relaxed and with somewhere like Bristol which prob has lots of coaches you just rock up whenever and wait for next space?

Unless there's a coach issue it will be that departure time once they've sent it. 

On returns - it's not exactly a free for all but they do try to get everyone home (had friends board coaches going to Manchester when the original ticket was from Birmingham!). And there are lots going to Bristol and they are fully aware that people miss early coaches for "reasons". 

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, internetjef said:

I am going on coach for first time this year, Thursday from Bristol. Looking for a bit of clarification from anyone with experience 

 

when we booked it , it clearly says 06:30 departure , 05:30 return .

 

I’ve been working on the basis 6.30am is the nailed on departure time which I am more than happy with , but is there any chance it could just be a placeholder ? (With us given a different time nearer festival)

 

also if I do need to catch coach back too (might be able to snag a lift with mates driving), I’m gonna struggle with 5.30am ha . Think I read somewhere the departures are a bit more relaxed and with somewhere like Bristol which prob has lots of coaches you just rock up whenever and wait for next space?

Bristol and London you book the set times which the departure is and the driver should check you off onto that coach , he/ she will have your festival tickets so make sure you are on the correctly numbered coach ... which you may already know or you will get in an email closer to the time 

[internetjef]

7 minutes ago, cheesey_toastie said:

Unless there's a coach issue it will be that departure time once they've sent it. 

On returns - it's not exactly a free for all but they do try to get everyone home (had friends board coaches going to Manchester when the original ticket was from Birmingham!). And there are lots going to Bristol and they are fully aware that people miss early coaches for "reasons". 

I feel I maybe have ‘multiple reasons’ at 5.30am on Monday morning ha.

this is great thank you, and crazyfool also 

[TGCarr]

What's everyones experiences travelling from Birmingham via coach?

 

Says its 2.5hrs away, is that right?

[Beerqueen]

7 minutes ago, TGCarr said:

What's everyones experiences travelling from Birmingham via coach?

 

Says its 2.5hrs away, is that right?

Bit more than that usually and usually a stop at Gloucester Services to hand out tickets too.

 

 

[Andeeroo]

Coach from Plymouth on the Thursday. I've taken the coach a lot of times and it has always been 05:30. Anyone aware of there being any later times?

[TGCarr]

34 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

Bit more than that usually and usually a stop at Gloucester Services to hand out tickets too.

 

 

Lovely stuff still not too bad! Hopefully early so I can sleep 🤣❤️

[Beerqueen]

16 minutes ago, TGCarr said:

Lovely stuff still not too bad! Hopefully early so I can sleep 🤣❤️

No it's a pleasant enough journey to be honest!  Got butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it!  I opted for general ticket and National Express this time so I know I'm on a 1030 coach - nice and civilised but still get there to pitch the tent and enjoy Wednesday afternoon.   It definitely feels like it's getting close now!

[TGCarr]

16 hours ago, Beerqueen said:

No it's a pleasant enough journey to be honest!  Got butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it!  I opted for general ticket and National Express this time so I know I'm on a 1030 coach - nice and civilised but still get there to pitch the tent and enjoy Wednesday afternoon.   It definitely feels like it's getting close now!

Time has f**king flown. Only went for coach because I got through luckily didn’t want to take my chances 🤣

[Beerqueen]

2 hours ago, TGCarr said:

Time has f**king flown. Only went for coach because I got through luckily didn’t want to take my chances 🤣

Yeah once January is over (and that lasts about 6 months I swear!), the year flies by!

[Andeeroo]

For anyone who coached last year, what was your experience of getting the coach home? I seem to remember a massive queue going down the hill on the approach to Gate A.

 

Looking at previous years, my coach home could be about midday so I'm assuming it's a case of join the massive queue and then jump ahead when your coach arrives?

[CJL9494]

1 minute ago, Andeeroo said:

For anyone who coached last year, what was your experience of getting the coach home? I seem to remember a massive queue going down the hill on the approach to Gate A.

 

Looking at previous years, my coach home could be about midday so I'm assuming it's a case of join the massive queue and then jump ahead when your coach arrives?

 

From experience you can just get on whichever coach arrives - they don't really check tickets or if they do they are deffo not strict on times. I've been assigned coaches home at 12 and even later but always got on a coach at like 7:30am.

[Andeeroo]

2 minutes ago, CJL9494 said:

 

From experience you can just get on whichever coach arrives - they don't really check tickets or if they do they are deffo not strict on times. I've been assigned coaches home at 12 and even later but always got on a coach at like 7:30am.

 

Yeah. I've done coach in previous years but don't recall being part of a queue as large as I saw last year. Was curious as to whether they had changed the way the system worked.

[CJL9494]

5 minutes ago, Andeeroo said:

 

Yeah. I've done coach in previous years but don't recall being part of a queue as large as I saw last year. Was curious as to whether they had changed the way the system worked.

 

Sorry yeah last year for me at least was the same as normal. Got to my specific queue at around 7:30am and waited around half an hour before I was on a coach, and the queue didn't seem any different to other years. So I don't think they've changed anything specifically, might have just been a bad time when you seen that massive queue.

[Andeeroo]

4 minutes ago, CJL9494 said:

 

Sorry yeah last year for me at least was the same as normal. Got to my specific queue at around 7:30am and waited around half an hour before I was on a coach, and the queue didn't seem any different to other years. So I don't think they've changed anything specifically, might have just been a bad time when you seen that massive queue.

 

Ah sweet. That's a relief. I hate change 😂

[Northtim]

Anyone any experience of Swindon coach? Got Weds coach tickets in resale so would like to know where it goes from and likely departure time(s)?

[Barneym]

On 4/21/2024 at 1:42 PM, Andeeroo said:

 

Ah sweet. That's a relief. I hate change 😂

National express were being much more strict about times last year than they had previously (I appreciate most people here are on See but just thought I’d mention)