Caporegime
£66 on the weekend return on the bus, takes 7 - 8 hours each way, £104 on the train, 4 - 5 hours each way.
Train for me please, would be even better if you could get a weekend discount 1st class ticket.
New megabus sleepers
- Thread starter slambo69
- Start date
£66 on the weekend return on the bus, takes 7 - 8 hours each way, £104 on the train, 4 - 5 hours each way.
Train for me please, would be even better if you could get a weekend discount 1st class ticket.
Soldato
Having used trains in Germany to travel over night recently I'd be interested to see how easy it would be on a coach in the UK - the trains over there are smooth as ice ride wise so even in reclining seats it's easy to get a decent bit of sleep!
Soldato
I'd have snapped that up in a heartbeat when I got an overnight bus to pick my car up in Preston, Lancs from Brighton. Instead i was wedged in between two seats.
How someone can say lying is less comfortable than sitting I dont know.
I sleep easy so it would be great for me.
How someone can say lying is less comfortable than sitting I dont know.
I sleep easy so it would be great for me.
I can afford both a car and hotel but this would still be appealing if it wasn't 'megabus' but this is a better option than spending all night driving (therefore not sleeping) or driving down the day before (therefore wasting a day there and a day back)
To be fair though I have no problem falling asleep in coach or train seats anyway
Soldato
Took several overnight trains in Thailand and Indonesia slept fine. Just use ear plugs/Ipod and maybe a cheeky beer or 2 and I slept straight through for 12 hours.
I guess a bus might be even better compared to the state of some of the trains I went on!
Suppose its trade off on how much you value money over comfort.
I would not have any issues using one
I guess a bus might be even better compared to the state of some of the trains I went on!
Suppose its trade off on how much you value money over comfort.
I would not have any issues using one
Soldato
Associate
I did sleeper trains all through China for a month, they were awesome.
Did a sleeper bus in Vietnam, not awesome. I'm 6ft6 and the bed literally ended at my knees.
Fortunately on the China train, the highest bunk was the cheapest and tall enough that my legs were above peoples heads when walking down the carriages.
Did a sleeper bus in Vietnam, not awesome. I'm 6ft6 and the bed literally ended at my knees.
Fortunately on the China train, the highest bunk was the cheapest and tall enough that my legs were above peoples heads when walking down the carriages.
Associate
Sounds good will have to check them out. Although i really cant sleep on planes, coaches and the like 
Soldato
Those bunks look better than the ones on HM Warships... shocking!
I've done more than a dozen return trips on this thing, so I'll share my experience...
First the basics:
It is a bendy-bus. It leaves Glasgow to go South at 11:10pm. It leaves Victoria to go North at 5-to-midnight. In my experience, it has always reached the destination ahead of schedule. There are no scheduled stops although the bus does pull off at the services so that the driver and crew can swap places.
There are 24 bunks. They stack 3 high. They are plenty long enough but there isn't much headroom. I havn't measured it, but if I lie on my side, there isn't room to fit my fist between my shoulder and the ceiling.
You lie with your feet to the front (otherwise, if the driver hits the brakes, you'll break you neck...).The opening to get in is large enough, but at the feet and especially at the head, you are enclosed on all sides, so there is no danger that you will fall out on a corner - this makes the bunk rather coffin-like. For me this is good, I feel safe, secure and private, but this does not suit everyone, so I must warn:
If you are claustrophobic - don't even try it.
There are 24 bunks and 24 seats for a maximum of 24 passengers. You are allocated a bunk at the bus terminal. They like to organize the passengers by sex: Single women at the front, couple in the middle, single men towards the rear. I would imagine that that a single woman might feel quite intimidated if surrounded by unknown men on all sides, so this helps everyone relax. The male/female mix is usually around 50/50.
The bunks are 3 high. The bottom one is right down at floor level. You can't get into the top one without the ladder (and if I don't use the ladder to get out, I can't stretch to the floor - I have to drop the last couple of inches).
If you are going to have difficulty climbing a couple of steps up a ladder to get into bed, tell them you don't want a top bunk. If you would have difficulty getting up, off the floor, tell them you don't want a bottom bunk.
The bunks are very solid. I can seldom tell whether there is anyone above or below. In the bunk is a power socket for a laptop, a light (on/off switch on the wall - the switch on the light itself is bright/dim), a USB power source and an alarm button.
The mattress, duvet and pillow are wonderfully thick but they do the job and the linen is clean. Many people sleep in their clothes but for me, I can't sleep comfortably like that and I have invested in some PJs.
The bus is dark. The windows are shaded, everything bar the grab rails is dark blue and the lights go out after 20 minutes of so on the road. There is curtain on your bunk. There is a little window so that you can see outside. This has a curtain too.
I didn't get much sleep the first time but after that, the novelty was gone and I got a good nights sleep.
There is a toilet on the bus but it is about half the size of a toilet on an aircraft. Tea and coffee is available but you must request it from the crew (only they are permitted to scald themselves). There will be a scone or pain-o-chocolate waiting for you on your seat when you reach the destination. There is a fridge with cold water and soft drinks.
The price is variable, depending upon when you travel and when you book. I have paid between £30 and £49 one-way.
There is almost no space for luggage on board. It is a good idea to plan for this before you board - take things you need on the journey (phone, charger, laptop, book, teddybear?) in a pocket, so that you can put your luggage in the hold.
It is no luxury trip and it is not for everyone but it does what it says on the tin - it runs on time and it is more comfortable than sitting in a seat.
Andrew
A regular bus, train or tube is like a sardine can - squashed up against all the other sardines.
This is more like having your own, private coffin.
Andrew
Soldato
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- 19 Feb 2012
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wouldnt work for me personally. i need a wash when i wake up otherwise i just feel dirty
There is now shower in Victoria, but 30p gets you a toilet with lashings of hot water. I have a complete change of clothes and strip to my waist for a wash and do my teeth. I end up in the middle of the city feeling fresher than I used to when I had a shower followed by a 90 minute commute by train and tube,
Andrew
You must be one of those scared management types, most the guys I see on choppers are asleep befre we've taxi'd to the runway in Dyce
On a nice long trip back (60-90mins) you can sleep and have to so you don't notice the pain in your backside from the seats.
London to Glasgow for £12 on a sleeper bus. Awesome
£12 x 24 = £288
A higher class company should make a bus with just 4 massive 'bunks' - double beds, flat screen, surround sound, super shock absorbent etc. I'm sure people would happily pay £72 (or more)
£12 x 24 = £288
A higher class company should make a bus with just 4 massive 'bunks' - double beds, flat screen, surround sound, super shock absorbent etc. I'm sure people would happily pay £72 (or more)
That's not really true. You might find a £12 ticket once in a while but it is more like £35 x 24 = £840
Andrew