Coach Trip - Good or Bad?

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

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

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!

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

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.

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 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!

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

We like a coach trip. Last week we went for an overnight stay to Peebles with a trip to Edinburgh for the Tattoo.
In September we are going to Wales for a week. We always go with local coach companies.

We're in our late 70s and have decided that anything over a 2 hour drive is too long for us now, so we do take coach trips. We are careful who we go with due to issues at the less expensive end of the market as outlined in some posts on here.

Fortunately there's an outstanding local company that we like so having tried others, they're our go to company. A little more costly but so worth it.

I would say go for it!

A friend and I sometimes go on day trips by coach and they are very good value and super comfy. My friend’s husband owns the fleet of luxury coaches.

My daughter and I have been on several UK mini breaks and most of those were very good too.

I have been several times with Lochs and Glens. Would not go again because its too long sitting in the coach getting to places and then once there, it was not really long enough to have lunch and see the place properly. We had to keep a strict watch of the time to make sure to get back on the coach. It was too early to want to leave places and too long a gap between getting back from somewhere and the evening meal. Its probably more for older folks who have mobility issues and are happy with this pace.

I did a train and coach trip years ago to Scotland doing various stops it was brilliant I wouldn’t ever drive there myself. We visited Stirling Perth Callander and the Trossachs it was lovely no complaints everything was very good.

A few years ago we took a coach tour of Southern Ireland a trip I always wanted to do. We had some lovely days out but the accommodation in a few places was very drab old fashioned and not so nice. The food in the accommodation was not good home style food. I expected it was the equivalent to food anyone can buy ready made.

We spent a lot of time on the coach and my feet were swollen like balloons and painful. I didn’t take advice I had been given by a friend to take flight socks. If I ever did a coach trip again it would be with a different company it wasn’t the silver service expected.

The other option is to go by train. There are lots of organised train tours, some steam train, in Scotland. Probably more expensive than coach however but you can move around whilst travelling.

I’d say go for it! We’ve had some really good coach trips, several in Europe and a couple in North America, as well as to various places in the UK. The disadvantages of the latter are that they tend to appeal only to older people (including us!) and you usually have set mealtimes. If you can get over that they really are great value, and you see a lot more from a coach seat than you would when driving. Yes, the pick ups and drop offs can stretch out the outward and return journeys, but we just read or doze. I’d agree with Floradora though, always check Tripadvisor for the hotel reviews before booking. We’ve never had a bad one, but that’s because we shy away from the obvious ones to avoid!

Before booking any coach holiday it is worth taking a look at independent reviews for the hotel used for the holiday of your choice.
I did this and the reviews were all bad.

We have done several, both here and abroad.

Leger has Luxuria coaches, more expensive but very comfortable.

We enjoy a coach tour, no worries about driving. The downsides are a long time on the coach picking up others, a very early start on the first day, but someone else is sorting out the logistics of it all.

Would definitely go on a Scotland one again.

My friend age 63 had just returned from a trip to Scotland touring mainland and orkneys ....she got train to Edinburgh....then used local buses...which she said mainly ran to time ....meaning her itinerary was flexible

Several friends love their coach trips. They say the driver has always been good fun and the hotels excellent and felt the trips were good value. Just one point to be careful of some trips have various pick up points along the way so the journey can be longer than anticipated but the company will soon tell you if this is the case. Hope you book one and enjoy your holiday.x

We did lots of UK coach trips when we were much younger. We enjoyed most of them but I would advise you to look at Trip Advisor for the hotel you are going to before booking . Some of the hotels are not great . Other downsides were being taken to a town and left for hours with not a lot to do except look st the shops and have endless cups of tea and some drivers play the most terrible ( in my view ) music all the time . We had one trip with Caledonian Travel where the window rattled beside us all the journey .
Having said all that we enjoyed the company , just sitting back relaxing and letting the driver take the strain and going far further away from home than we would go if we were doing the driving.

We have done a few coach trips and would recommend. Very relaxing and good value. You are tied to time but you get to see loads of interesting places.

We’ve had some excellent coach trips - to Austria, Belgium, Ireland and Cornwall, with good local companies that came highly recommended. Enjoyed them all. We did a fair few day trips too. It was a luxury for DH to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Most good companies do short breaks as well as longer holidays.

The coach trip passengers we saw last week in scotland didn't look particularly old to me - I don't think that would be an issue. We do love scotland & a couple of times we have flown up (we are way down south & close to an airport) & hired a car from Inverness airport, or plane / coach /ferry/hire car for Orkney. That might be something you could consider too?

Getting on and off the coach is not easy for anyone with mobility issues though.

I find the bonus of a coach trip is that you get to see the things you miss, as a driver.

I have done lots with my friends, using the now defunct David Urquhart and more recently Caledonian. I enjoyed allowing someone else to take responsibilty.

DH, who used to resist has enjoyed a few too.