Amateur travel vlogger. Started driving buses back in 2005 before moving onto coaches and then trucks in 2016 before coming back to buses in 2024. I like traveling by planes, trains, coaches and ships. Any form of transport so long as I'm not driving 😀
I really enjoy recording and vlogging my travels and holidays. Been doing some bucket list adventures lately and have plenty more I'd like to do.
Also have interests in Formula one (most racing actually) Gaming Guinea Pigs
Some of the trips I've taken recently and vlogged
🇬🇷 Corfu July 2022 (not my first time to Corfu) 🇳🇱 Amsterdam on Eurostar October 2022 🇳🇴 First cruise to Norwegian Fjords May 2023 🇩🇪🇧🇪 Second Cruise (different ship) to Germany and Bruges. 🇫🇷🇳🇱🇧🇪 Third cruise to France, Netherlands and Belgium.
Comparing Megabus and Flixbus. Reviewing Flixbus electric trial
Just returned from Woodside last week having spent 10 days on the island. Loved your film bought back so many memories of the places we visited. Thank you.
I read that the lounge chairs on the beach cost something. What about the lounge chairs in the grass above the four-poster beds? What about the ones in the grass on the far right when you look at the hotel? Are there free loungers near the beach? Or only right by the pool.
That's a good question and I've been trying to rack my brains about it. I'm almost sure that the loungers on the pool are free and there is a fence from the beach so only hotel guests can use those loungers. The 4 poster beds are an extra cost per day. Not sure how much and the price has likely gone up since I visited so best to enquire when you arrive at the resort. Hope this helps
I’m heading there on Thursday for a week, swim up room so can lounge close the bed. Thanks for showing the video. I’m definitely doing the sunset cruise, thanks again 👍
It's a small world! I just booked a swim up suite for this hotel in September for a week and was nosing through a few videos and I found yours! How's the channel going? I've done well on subscribers but need to get my watched hours up.
Hey there. Nice, the swim up rooms looked amazing but a bit out of our budget at the time. Thank you, this is the video that started it for me 😁 all edited on my phone. Channel is going all fine thanks. I'm the opposite really, getting views but subscribers not so much. Some videos work, other don't but it's all trial and error. I got my last video from our recent cruise to do then 2 train videos to edit. Off to Dublin soon for a concert so gonna do a video or 2 while I'm there.
Yes I did indeed bring on 2 half finished bottles of gin and packed cans of beer in my suitcase and a few in my hand luggage. I keep hearing they're cracking down on alcohol allowance and seeing a lot of heated debates on some of the Facebook groups. At the time of filming it was up to 1 litre of spirits per adult and as far as I'm aware not allowed to bring cans of beer but soft drinks are fine
I didn't smell poo in the room or general communal areas. Plumbing isn't great in Corfu so if you flush your toilet paper then it will back up and smell so maybe that's what they mean
Nice video Marc. We have booked Britannia for around the Caribbean in January 2025. Cabin looks pretty good. We have the basic balcony but I'm thinking about upgrading as it's a 2 week cruise.
Warning! P&O are tightening up on allowances for alcoholic drinks soon! In the interests of health and safety of course........and no doubt a better profit margin too! 🙄
Ember have been using these since 2021. they are now working daily between Glasgow and Dundee/ Edinburgh and Dundee. Out and back without having to Charge. I agree with the comments in the video about quality of product and service.
Personally from a business point of view, these buses are most likely good in marketing. Problem is, long chargers would decommission these buses for at least 3-6 hours each time they need to charge, from a business point of view these buses would actually make less money than diesel as diesel only needs a few minutes to fuel up. They lose more revenue using electric than diesel. It would probably make more sense to use hybrids or full diesel buses especially for the long distances these are supposed to cover.
That's what I think too. Diesel buses can easily do that trip up and back with no issues then a few minutes to fill with diesel. I assume it's charging at Battersea is just a top up and then back to the depot to charge all night. But it's more about image and jumping on the electric bandwagon. Personally I have no issues but hybrid or hydrogen are really the future
@@MarcsCupofTea They don't even need to be cancelled lol, I have had refuels on coach journeys before. I have done the London Vic to Rotterdam Central route, where they might do so. Press the Coffee or wine symbol and the driver will have a stop at the next rest stop.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease...... we have been allocated the indentical opposite cabin on the other side on deck 9. I was a little worried of the club. But not now. Thanks.
That's ok. Honestly I got worried leading up to our cruise and didn't have a bad night's sleep all week. I do wear earplugs every night as I'm naturally a light sleeper anyway. Hope you enjoy your trip
We were next door to you in the Strathnever Suite, weather was appalling for April, ship was freezing, casino was closed, thermal suite was closed, not a great trip.
Oh was you? Nice, how was your suite? Never stayed in one myself but had a look around one on Iona last year but couldn't film it unfortunately. Yeah some of the communal areas were very cold. It was a shame that so much was closed, I think P&O should have had the ship off the seas for another week. The weather wasn't too bad, yes it was cold for April but at least it wasn't constant rain. Hope this won't put you off cruising as we had 2 amazing trips last year and got another booked later on this year.
@@MarcsCupofTea We saw you a couple of times and on the last day leaving, suite is nice, we did this to try it out and have 2 more booked for September and next April in the same suite. We learned a lot and the next time will be better I think.
@@jonathansmith8862 I hope you have a better time next time. We like to go for Balconies so long as the price is right. We originally had an obstructed balcony but won an upgrade to this one 🙂
Thanks for the review =D Heading to Norway next March. Still undecided about which cabin to choose. Any coming noise? or any feeling of waves? I'm, too very light sleeper
Hi, we didn't hear any noise or waves in this cabin and I'm a light sleeper too, earplugs are always recommended. If you're going to Norway then I'd recommend a sea view at a minimum. Waking up to those views will make the trip.
Thanks for a great video. I live in Bristol and am very interested in the coach services from Megabus and Flixbus. You got lucky with your reserved front seat on your Flixbus journey. A number of times I've paid to reserve that seat and boarded to find the seats blocked off or passengers already sat there and then had the driver tell me to sit in another seat. I also actually made up the flag on the Flixbus stop in Bristol.
You're welcome. With the reserved front row seat I wish I never did 1 the legroom was terrible for a tall person like myself and 2 the coach only had about 15 passengers on board so was more than enough room for everyone to have 2 seats each. Lesson learned for next time. That's a shame about seats being taken, I've had that situation before when I was a driver and I usually resolve it the long way of "This service will have to wait until you vacate that seat and sit somewhere else" 🤣 unfortunately my people skills ain't the best but means to an end.
@@MarcsCupofTea Interesting to hear about your experience of being both a passenger and a driver. I rather like the back one due to the fact you don't have anyone behind you. Also like the seat directly in front of the loo or the emergency stairs for the same reason.
Thank you for the positive response. Yeah back row can be good especially the middle seat (unlimited leg room) 😄 however I tend to avoid that if the toilet is located at the back of the coach as I've travelled before with some smelly passengers. It's certainly nice to be a passenger these days as I am very relaxed when in motion
I agree with you about that middle rear seat. What is not fun is being squashed on the back row in between two other passengers which happened to me on one trip a few years ago. As a former driver it must be wierd being on a coach as a passenger
It's not too bad being a passenger. I drive trucks now so I'm still out on the roads with something big but not having to deal with the 1% of passengers that are a pain in the backend 🤣 Never say never tho, maybe one day I'll drive buses/ coaches again.
Me and my Dad just booked 2 trips with National Express yesterday - Leeds to Newcastle on the 3rd June and Newcastle to Leeds on the 4th June. Much cheaper than using the train!
Thanks for this vid too! I regularly make trips from Corsham (just down the road from you 😅) to both London, and Plymouth - whilst I can usually get the train to plym (as it takes less time and is often cheaper than coach providing you book far enough in advance), trips to London I’ll always do on the coach. So much cheaper👍🏻
London is really expensive on the train and how GWR can justify that I don't know. The Corsham stops always look busy when I pass it in the car so it's good to see there's enough passenger traffic to support it. Trains to the south west are just as cheap as the coach as I've booked a few trips this week (spoiler alert) Thanks for watching 😁
@@MarcsCupofTea I look forward to seeing the new stuff 😁 fyi it is always a slightly anxious moment when the coach gets to my stop, because it’s so insignificant I never know whether it might carry on😂
You'll be surprised how many passengers are like that. Tbh I'm a bit like it when I'm waiting for a bus/coach. I don't know if they still do but I knew guys on National 20 odd years ago and they'd have a manifest before leaving the depot with how many passengers from each stop
This video is great, really helpful! Nice to see reviews of options for those who can’t yet drive, or who just need to go long distances. Really good vid👍🏻
Thanks for the great comment. I do like to find cheaper alternatives and helps competition. Hopefully I'll take some more trips soon (possibly over the water)
I don't know if you know but Eurolines no longer operate and have had their routes taken over by Flix. But yes Flix have impressed me so far. Hope to do a European route at some point too
Flixbus are fantastic! They have revolutionised the Heathrow to Gatwick route. National Distress charge a fixed £30 on this route (about 1h in duration!) whilst Flixbus are between £2.99 & £4.99. Sadly its only 4 times a day, but hoping they increase frequency in the near future.
Wow £30 for National Express? That's ridiculous! I hope Flix do increase frequency and then hopefully this will make the prices more competitive between the 2 companies on what is a very busy route. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊
Thanks for the video. With the current rail disruption there's little wonder than the bus boys are doing so well. I believe Flixbus has really expanded during the rail issues. But the toilets on both are the weak link. Yes I realise they save journey time (less need for an enroute 'comfort' stop) but nevertheless ... Guess the toilets are cleaned/serviced only once a day but really it ought to be more often.
Thank you for watching and commenting 😁 Yes I agree they are really making hay whilst the rail disruption is ongoing and hopefully will expand more throughout the UK (I understand they can be aggressive with expansion). Toilets unfortunately are the weak link as you say. Megabus had definitely not been cleaned for a number of days so definitely a Daily clean would improve this issue.
@@MarcsCupofTea Terrible if toilets not cleaned daily. Trouble is it's difficult for coach firms as the bus would have to return to the depot and, from what I see, the buses simply stop and depart. Personally I avoid them even on short train/air trips (but of course you have to review as part of the check). Anyway I look forward to viewing your future videos.
@@alexmcwhirter6611 yeah it can be a problem because buses can be used for multiple trips per day and drivers will be switched either at the depot or another one brought down by car and might be longer before it gets cleaned but that's down to the companies to organise cleaning. Thank you again for watching, I hope to have more content in the future.
I love buses, and have no objections to the extra travel time. But the amount of delays, unreliability and terrible communication make N.E. services an absolute last resort only for me nowadays.
I understand entirely. National Express does have a different feel and is more convenient to me as I have a National Express stop locally but not Flix (yet) But can't deny the prices are great
I really like flixbus. Usually cheaper than national express and megabus. Doesn’t always have the same feel though, especially with national express lighting and cameras.
Yeah I agree. Flix is amazing value for money. National express have coaches specially made for them with their own spec of seats, lighting etc. Hopefully Flix will come to my nearest stop as I had to catch 2 local connections to get to Bristol
Very good. Cleanliness is really important these days and as an ex coach driver myself a lot of companies take pride in how clean they keep their vehicles. Thank you for watching 😊
