DiAblo

I regularly read about someone needing information about taking a train from London to Oxford or Bath, wherever. Someone will usually suggest that it's cheaper to take a bus/coach.

Now something of a silly question:

Where does one go to book a bus for a daytrip out of London? I know there is a Victoria Coach Station, though I've never really been able to find it, but are there other places and, if so, where/what are they?

I've always taken trains myself, but recently a friend said they had a ball taking buses. Of course she had no idea where the stations were.

halfpint

I may be mistaken,however ;I stayed at the hotel that is connected through an entrance right in the Victoria station and our window overlooked the Victoria bus station of which you speak so I believe they are almost connected. Perhaps you can find that info on the internet. Halfpint

rkkwan

You should find all the necessary information here:

www.nationalexpress.com

JudyC

Or please check www.megabus.com for the cheap bus tickets,only book on line.

alice13

Victoria Coach Stn is just down the road (Buckingham Palace Road) from Victoria Train Stn - as just mentioned.
But the queues to buy tickets there are usually horrendous. Buy your ticket somewhere else - if not online then at a travel agent displaying a National Express agent sticker in the window.
There ought to be a list of these on the web but all I have found is a phone number.

Just BTW - if you are not heading for London for its own sake, you can get a bus direct from Heathrow to many destinations in the UK - Oxford, Bristol, Manchew

flanneruk

National Express is one, but only one, inter-city bus company. The www.tfl.gov.uk site is useless for buses that aren't operatd by a London Transport franchise. And Victoria Coach Station isn't the only bus terminal, and not all inter-city bus routes use it.

The web site with all buses on is www.traveline.org.uk, though it's not always the most user-friendly of sites. You might sometimes find the tourist information page of the town you're visiting an easier source of information.

The trick is to find the bus you want, and use the web to find out its London stops (there are often several). Almost always - apart from at Victoria - you can just pay the driver. Advance booking might save you a bit, but is rarely essential

CAUTION: This is a deregulated, and surprisingly dynamic, market. New routes are springing up (and presumably, with less publicity, closing) all the time. Stagecoach's Megabus launch and National Express's Funfares counter are likely to make the market even more fun over the next few months.