Coach Trip - Good or Bad?

When DH and I were in our 50s, we twice went away with Lochs & Glens, once to Loch Awe and the other to Loch Lomond. Both trips were brilliant, the coach drivers knowledgeable and friendly. The hotels were lovely too. The only minus was sitting in the dining room with another couple, who were perfectly friendly, but I don't really do small talk, so found it a struggle. Would definitely recommend the company though

I have been on a few coach trips in the past as a companion for my late mum. I was considerably younger than most of the passengers but enjoyed the experience on the whole!

My parents did a coach trip to Scotland as they didn't fancy the drive, like yourselves. I think they did a Lochs and Castles type tour. They were happy there was a toilet on board but I think they also took breaks so people could stretch their legs. The hotels and food were good too. So read the reviews and book one to suit you you can only try these things to see if they work

I've been on a couple of coach tours when a young married couple. The groups were very friendly and it was a good way to explore Israel and Greece. We followed both tours with a week in a hotel to relax by the sea and do whatever we wanted.
One of my friends does coach tours in the UK and I'm considering it myself. Like me she is single and I get the impression it can be a good way to get away as a solo traveller, though we enjoyed the tours we did as a couple too. On both tours we went out with other passengers outside the organised excursions and had fun together but I've not done such a tour since the 1980s myself.

Why not combine a train and coach trip? Best of every world

One of our best ever holidays combined coach and a lovely boat. It started in Inverness with a coach trip to Oban (rather sick making road unfortunately) then we boarded a beautiful boat which sailed round Mull then up Loch Linnhe through the Crinan canal and on through Loch Ness back to Inverness. There were bus excursions in various places or one could stay on the boat and enjoy sailing along. We had beautiful weather that October too. Only about 35 passengers so we got to know everyone and enjoyed chatting at mealtimes. The food was good too. Now I think about it I want to do it again!

We also in our twilight years do not drive for more than a couple of hours so have done several coach tours with a local company all in the UK.

Advantages: luxury coach; picked up in our village, seeing far more than in a car; no carting luggage around; meeting some interesting people; going on trips to places we would never have found; good food.
Disadvantages: long initial journey picking up other travellers all around the county; getting up early every day which we do not normally do; some very wearying fellow travellers;’ early communal dinners; sub standard three star hotels. Sometimes canteen type food.

In the main enjoyable and good value for money and worth talking to the coach company or hotel about paying for an upgrade in accommodations to a sea front room for example. Most drivers are excellent but some too ‘happy camper’ types. The itinerary is set but one does not have to go on the organised trips , you can do your own thing if you want and skip the odd evening meal to try out local eateries.

I would be interested to know any luxury companies in the Home Counties as would be happy to pay more for better hotels

Do go, coach trips are great, everything laid on, n carrying cases etc.

I quite like overland travel and have done a fair bit by landrover and local bus in the Middle East and Morocco. You see a fascinating cross section of life.

Ive only ever done one coach trip from UK and it was way back in the 1980s when I was a mature student at uni. It was a solo trip to Paris and that year there were disputes in France with many of the motorways being blocked. So we had to take the "scenic" route from the ferry into Paris and it took many hours extra. The hotel was a bit of a hole and the wall plug in my room didnt work. I had to plug my travel kettle into the corridor every time I wanted a coffee. However I enjoyed the views of the beautiful French countryside and the little villages where we made unexpected stops.

Both partner and myself had swollen legs on our last coach trip. Due to being too cramped.
It was most uncomfortable. This was not a long trip either.
I dread to think of the consequences if we’d have traveled to Scotland for instance.
We won’t be doing anymore,

I am not ‘knocking Lochs and Glens at all, they are a good company to go o. Holiday with. It was simply too long in a coach for us during the day trips. One example was goin g to Skye, we drove for hours, stopped for a toilet stop, then drove off the island again! We are probably still too active at the moment.

I tried a couple of coach trips but would not consider using them again. It depends what you have been used to and what you particularly want to do or have on your trip. I enjoy going in my own car where I decide the route and how long to drive etc, but thought as you did that going to the north of scotland might be better by coach. The plus side of someone else doing the driving was far outweighed by , for me, negative points of very long drives which if they had any stops would be at shops or motorway type places. No offers to stop even for a few minutes at some wonderful view or up on the tops of the mountains . Too much talking from the driver, and music that would not be my choice etc. Of course with a coach you cannot walk about either, so I have done a couple of long distance train journeys and done local buses on arrival, which seems to be more of the kind of compromise that suits me. I have also considered going by train - using rail card to cut cost down- and then hiring a car at the destination for a couple of days to go to things that are not on bus routes. The only problem with that is that you need to be sure that they are a decent hire company and personally I would take pictures all round the car on the day I collected it so that there would be no dispute about any scratches or marks , and also checking the fuel is full when you pick it up and make sure that you refill it so again there can be no errors there. Hope you find what you want and enjoy Scotland again

I recommend Lochs and Glens for coach trips in Scotland . Excellent value and well organised.

I have enjoyed some fantastic coach trips; go for it!

I've done coach trips since my twenties Bbpth alone and with friend pr husband They are very economical. Or I've just been to Derby under my own steam train down bus back not much change put of ,£400 for travel and band b on a premier inn Going to NE Scotland on coach trip from Glasgow 5 days for half boatd two excursions and sll trsvel to and from Glasgow £252 including single room supplement Try a weekend first see how it goes That's what O fod when my husband wasnt sure if it was for him a professional driver he loved driving but he took to coaching well Always check the hotel reviews

Never again unless you make your own way to the main collection point, unless you don’t mind going all around picking everyone else up and waiting for all feeder coaches to arrive

Foxtail you sound like me when hubby first suggested a coach trip. I was surprised when we boarded the coach as most travellers were around our age not old at all lol. I think a lot depends on the destination as some are more suited to different ages eg took grandson to longleat and that trip had a lot of youngsters on board. What I love the most is they are well organised and I don't have to stress to get to a ferry or hotel on time.

I avoid coach trips as sitting f0r a long period without stretching my legs I end up with Fat Ankles .

My friend and her DH went on one, they couldn't cope with the early morning starts, and didn't enjoy it. If you value your bed in a morning it's not for you.
Personally I think I'd enjoy it and after reading these replies I'm going to get some local brochures right away.

We have done a few over the years and we have always found the accommodation to be really good, I was hoping to do more during our retirement but unfortunately my DH had a stroke and it has not been possible for us. My in-laws used to love going to a particular hotel in Scotland they used to go with Shearings and sometimes they spent the first and last night in the North of England to break the journey.

Wouldn't hesitate. Yes, there will be a timetable but most tours allow enough time to roam about sightseeing. Some actually stop over in popular places for a couple of nights when the place is very high on the tourist route eg Edinburgh, Loch Lomond.

We often see luxury minibus tours going round Scotland. They stay at better hotels. Must be more expensive. Probably worth it.

So many positive replies. As the majority recommend a coach trip and I think you are probably a good cross section I feel we will definitelytry one.I like the idea of train/coach especially as I can see you can get more options with Edinburgh or Glasgow as the starting point, so will explore that a bit more.I think it is inevitable you have to take some bad with the good, so it's what we compromise on.Not keen on going on an excursion only to stop long enough to go to the toilet by the same token. I don't want to be left for a long time in a place with nothing to see/do.Don't mind early mornings but not mad about shared table meal times. Lots to think about but want to book something for the first part of next year and if it goes well then we would like to do a coach trip to Austria.Really interesting comments, thank you.

My friend and I had a very pleasant coach holiday to Scotland, we travelled from Wales at the time ( we both live in different places in England now)

We’ve been on coach trips to other parts of the country too and always enjoyed them. We found it relaxing and more interesting than driving and I’d recommend it.

I have done coach trips before, the last was with my mother to Andalucia. At that time I was still working and my problem was that they wanted us to be up, breakfasted and ready to go by 7.30am, a bit early for a working person when on holiday.
I think that they are usually pretty good though, with some evenings free for exploration of local restaurants.