National Express or Megabus coach journey?

[The Gauge]

Looking for advice on coach providers please, as I haven't travelled by coach for many years.

I'm travelling home by train on 6th Feb London > Sheffield, whilst the strikes end the day before they have announced no overtime for train drivers/staff on 6th Feb, which could impact on my journey...

I'm therefore thinking of booking a couch trip from London to Sheffield purely as a reserve in case my train service gets cancelled.

So far I've found National Express do a service from Victoria coach station to Sheffield for £25, and Megabus do the same for £7.99, so what are the Megabus coaches like to be able to do it so cheap? Are the seats awful, or are they unreliable, or just simply a better price?

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 29th January 15:30

[Chris Type R]

I suggest National Express, only as I have shares in the company.

[Jamescrs]

Try to find out what route both take before you make your decision, I have heard that Mega Bus can take some very convoluted journeys before getting to their posted destination where as National Express are usually fairly direct, it may not always be the case but worth a check.

[GliderRider]

It looks like there are two direct buses Sheffield to London, and the rest take 'scenic' routes:

Megabus Timetables

[Mont Blanc]

As above, check the route and buy the one that gets you from A to B in the shortest time. Some of these type of bus routes can vary from each other by hours, depending on how many stops.

[The Gauge]

Jamescrs said:

Try to find out what route both take before you make your decision, I have heard that Mega Bus can take some very convoluted journeys before getting to their posted destination where as National Express are usually fairly direct, it may not always be the case but worth a check.

To be fair there's not much between the two, both departing at 23:59 from Victoria, with one arriving at 04:05 and the other 04:40..

National Express



Megabus

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 29th January 15:53

[The Gauge]

GliderRider said:

It looks like there are two direct buses Sheffield to London, and the rest take 'scenic' routes:

Megabus Timetables

It's the other way round, I'm going London to Sheffield. I might not know if my train is cancelled until its 20:30 departure time, leaving only the midnight coach service (though Megabus also do a 9:30pm departure).

[valiant]

Can't speak for Megabus but had to use National Express to get back from the airport due to car issues a while back and was quite impressed.

Coaches have come on a long way since I used them as a kid. Good legroom for a tall bugger like me, WiFi, comfy seats and a very smooth ride.

As Megabus is the budget option I imagine less legroom, stickier floors and even smellier passengers.

[LotusOmega375D]

Wow, even at a travel time when the roads are quiet, those buses take twice as long as the train and it’s not even a high speed railway line. You’re going to feel a bit ropey arriving between 4 and 5 o’clock in the morning, when you were banking on being in Sheffield at 10.43pm the night before. Anyway it will be an adventure.

[Desiderata]

Recently having been given a 60th birthday present from the Scottish government in the form of a brand new shiny bus pass, I can confirm as a brand new shiny bus wker convert that Megabuses are great if they are going where you want to go at a time that you want to get there (even if you are paying for a ticket). I can't see how a National Express bus could be any better (it is just a bus after all).

[nuyorican]

I used to do that very same journey back in my student days. Used both NE and MB, can’t remember there being much difference. Think of it like a flight. Sitting in your seat for a long period. I remember the coaches being ok, even twenty years ago.

However, and this is the big gamble. It’s the fellow passengers who can make the journey unbearable. If you’re lucky you’ll get a free space next to you on a coach mainly filled with college students quietly staring at their phones etc. You might even get some sleep. When it’s good there’s something quite romantic about silently travelling through cities in the middle of the night.

But…

I once got squashed in between the window and the fattest American tourist In the world. Who also insisted on having a massive camcorder pointing out the window an inch in front of my nose whilst giving a running commentary on all the London landmarks. I also once shared a bus with what seemed like the entire Indian subcontinent. The noise! The smells! I’m not sure if they were actually cooking curry on the coach but they were certainly making good use of the onboard toilet.

So… best of luck!

[Chrisgr31]

Modern coaches are quite comfortable as others have said. The issue will indeed be the other passengers. You should be OK but who knows!

[GliderRider]

If the ride with either company is anything like in a Greyhound bus, avoid sitting at the back. I still have nightmares about a ride in one in which the only seat left was opposite the toilet door, over the engine and about six or eight feet behind the rear axle.

The heat from the engine, plus the raw sewage flowing out of the toilet door by about halfway though the journey with misery exacerbated by the seasickness effect of any seesawing going over bumps, made the journey memorable for all the wrong reasons. Some poor chap leaving the loo with a bit of poo covered toilet paper stuck to the back of his trouser leg summed it all up.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

GliderRider said:

If the ride with either company is anything like in a Greyhound bus, avoid sitting at the back. I still have nightmares about a ride in one in which the only seat left was opposite the toilet door, over the engine and about six or eight feet behind the rear axle.

The heat from the engine, plus the raw sewage flowing out of the toilet door by about halfway though the journey with misery exacerbated by the seasickness effect of any seesawing going over bumps, made the journey memorable for all the wrong reasons. Some poor chap leaving the loo with a bit of poo covered toilet paper stuck to the back of his trouser leg summed it all up.

But it was OK apart from those yes?

[hidetheelephants]

I've used both; there's no practical difference, both are equally objectionable(like modern trains the seats are board-like so my bum goes to sleep after a couple of hours, but tolerable other than the potential for 'interesting' fellow travellers) but they're undeniably cheap and while the govt are dragging the rail dispute out needs must.

Edited by hidetheelephants on Monday 29th January 22:50

[GliderRider]

GiantEnemyCrab said:

GliderRider said:

If the ride with either company is anything like in a Greyhound bus, avoid sitting at the back. I still have nightmares about a ride in one in which the only seat left was opposite the toilet door, over the engine and about six or eight feet behind the rear axle.

The heat from the engine, plus the raw sewage flowing out of the toilet door by about halfway though the journey with misery exacerbated by the seasickness effect of any seesawing going over bumps, made the journey memorable for all the wrong reasons. Some poor chap leaving the loo with a bit of poo covered toilet paper stuck to the back of his trouser leg summed it all up.

But it was OK apart from those yes?

Errr, well, no. There was also the reason I ended up getting the last seat on the bus. When I arrived at the terminal on my previous bus, they wouldn't let me get my own bag off as I had done on all my previous journeys. They took it into their baggage area, then lost it and wouldn't come to the desk to help. I can't remember the exact details, but I only got it back from them moments before my next bus left.

[Alickadoo]

This bloke does loads of coach journeys. Have a rummage through his videos.

https://www.youtube.com/@steve-marsh

[smallpaul]

As far as I’m aware, the seat reclines on both coaches

Makes a large difference on a long journey

Just get the one that works with your schedule best.

[littlebasher]

One of the worst journeys i had, was on a NE coach from London Victoria to Sheffield

All it takes is one drunken goon to sit behind you, to make the journey hellish.

[Rick101]

Train service will be published in advance with what they can cover.
Can't guarantee there won't be issues on the day that could impact things but that applies to anything.

Depending on your ticket type you may be able to go Kings Cross to Doncaster and onto Sheffield from there.

if your trip is urgent, sensible having a backup but as it's only a backup I'd go with the cheaper option unless you're loaded and like spending.