Busting the Biggest Myths About Coach Holidays
Coach holidays have been around in one form or another for nearly 100 years. But they really took off in the early 1980s when the rules changed to give operators much more operating freedom.
This, in turn, led to rapid growth in the number of coach operators offering holiday packages and an explosion in coach holiday options. Since then, the nature of coach trips has evolved rapidly and modern coach holidays bear little resemblance to those early days. Yet preconceptions around coach travel persist, so we're taking charge to get these common coach holiday myths busted!
Driven by big changes in consumer expectations and dramatic improvements in vehicle comfort and quality, taking a holiday by coach today can be quite a revelation! Any industry that has been around for so long is bound to have built itself a reputation - with customers and ‘non-customers alike. But with more than 5m* people in the UK enjoying a short break or holiday by coach every year and a whopping 92%* of those coach holiday customers saying they’ll come back for more, there must be something good going on. Mustn’t there?
So, all the evidence is that once people try a holiday by coach, they’re hooked. But the numbers are still small compared with alternative options such as flying overseas on holiday, driving or even taking a caravan or camping. So, what might be stopping even more people from holidaying by coach? Well, talk to people who have not been on coach tour holidays and you get some interesting answers. In this article we set out to dispel some of the most common coach holiday myths and illustrate why a short break or holiday by coach, with travel specialists like us here at Leisuretime, might just be one of the best holiday choices you can make.
Myth 1: Coach holidays are just for my Nan & Grandad
Well, it is certainly true to say that older travellers have always enjoyed taking a break by coach (they do say that age brings wisdom!). The reasons cited generally include the convenience, social aspects, value for money and hassle-free nature of a coach holiday. Not bad reasons for anybody to take a break, in our opinion. But the myth remains that coach trips are just filled with older folk and not a great choice for anyone else. So, what is the reality? Let’s bust this coach holiday myth...
Firstly, let’s start with celebrating the wisdom of those older travellers who choose to holiday by coach. To that end, there are certain destinations and types of holidays that will particularly appeal to an older traveller. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t suit you or me too. The reality is that people of all ages are jumping aboard and discovering the convenience, value, and all-round good fun that coach holidays can offer. That is why coach tour operators like Leisuretime are increasingly developing their programmes to appeal to a much wider audience.
That means offering loads of shopping, cultural and sightseeing weekends and longer breaks in addition to some of the more traditional fayre. These shorter packages, often over weekends and bank holidays or through the school holidays remain packed with great coach holiday value and convenience but come with more emphasis on mixing the convenience of a package with the flexibility to do your own thing. Whether you’re travelling on your own, with friends, your wider family or as a couple, our trips are simply designed to give you a fantastic, stress-free experience.
But having said all that, how important is age anyway? Some of the most fascinating people we have ever talked to are fascinating exactly because they have experienced so much of life – but then everyone has a story to tell, no matter what their age. One of the best things about a coach holiday is the opportunity to meet people, swap stories and make new friends. People are just people after all and holidaying by coach is all about being social and sharing experiences. The diversity of our customers is one of the things that makes coach holidays such a wonderful experience.
So, the myth may be that coach holidays are just for older people, but the reality is that more and more people of all ages are jumping aboard. Once all is said and done, you’re never too young to enjoy a coach holiday.
Myth 2: I’ll spend hours on the coach
OK... to bust this coach holiday myth we need to consider two things. Firstly, will you spend hours on the coach? Secondly, even on those occasions when you might spend a few hours on your coach, is that really such a bad thing?
So firstly, how much time will you generally spend on your coach? We don’t think it’ll be as much as you might think and at the risk of stating the obvious, the amount of time you spend travelling on your coach depends on the package you have booked and the operator you have chosen.
Naturally, your arrival and departure days will require a reasonable amount of travel time to get you to and back from your holiday destination and it is likely to take longer than driving there yourself – but think of the advantages because your holiday starts from the moment you step aboard, which means you can:
- sit back and relax into your comfortable coach seat
- chat to your fellow travellers
- read a book
- watch a series or film on your device
- catch up on some sleep
- take in the glorious sights rolling past your window
Your driver will also make frequent stops to break the journey and give you a chance to stretch your legs and some coaches will have reclining seats. On many tours, you may also stop off somewhere particularly interesting on the way to make the journey even more enjoyable.
Compare that with the stress of driving yourself:
- finding your own way
- navigating traffic
- finding and paying for parking
- daring to trust the sat nav
- not a moment to catch up on sleep or relax if you are the driver
In the end, it all depends on what kind of holiday you are looking for, of course. But if you’re looking to just switch off and take a few days away from your busy life, then surely spending time being ‘chauffeured’ to and from your holiday destination doesn’t sound like a bad choice?
And of course, it doesn’t stop there because you’ll also be driven to and from all your holiday excursion destinations and whilst these tend to be relatively short journeys, the fact that you don’t have to drive yourself means the relaxing theme continues. You could even have a glass or two of wine or beer with lunch!
Myth 3: I’ll be herded around and have to do everything with the group
Oh no you won’t, as they say in the pantos! Just because you’re travelling by coach, doesn’t mean you have to be with other people all the time. It’s your holiday to enjoy your way and you can be as social as you choose. Nothing is compulsory!
Yes, your coach tour is likely to have lots of extras included from meals through to excursions and even entertainment and more, and it is true that everything is taken care of for you. That’s what makes it such excellent value. But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Nobody will force you to or think badly of you if you choose to be a bit more independent. So, if you want to opt out of anything at all, then that is absolutely fine.
If you just fancy a quiet evening on your own rather than joining in with the entertainment programme, or enjoying a lazy day at the hotel, pottering around the local shops, or going for a drink with a few friends rather than taking one of the included excursions, then that is good with us.
A coach holiday offers the best of both worlds – you can join in and have fun with others when you want to and do your own thing when you don’t.
Myth 4: Coaches are noisy, dirty, uncomfortable things. I remember them from my school days!
Ouch! Those childhood memories can be hard to shift, and it is certainly true that there are still older vehicles on the road, and many of them are not pretty, even though they might do the job safely and reliably.
Of all the common myths, the thing to remember, though, is that coaches are not all the same. The coaches that the likes of Leisuretime use to take you on holiday are clean (both environmentally and physically), comfortable and very expensive. A new, high-end holiday coach can cost well over £300,000, so it is no wonder that operators are proud of them and really look after them (they also might not choose to put them on school runs these days… sorry, children!). The bottom line is that we are pretty confident that your coach will be the most expensive vehicle in the hotel car park!
As coaches have developed, so have their environmental credentials and a modern holiday coach is now recognised as one of the cleanest forms of motorised transport around, emitting less harmful carbon per passenger mile than anything else, even trains**. As an added bonus, if you travel with Leisuretime then you can boast to your friends that your coach holiday will be the cleanest and most environmentally friendly choice you could have made. That’s because Leisuretime offsets 100% of the carbon emissions generated on your holiday by investing in sustainability projects in the UK and around the world. There is no cleaner way to travel – unless you get your bike out or walk!
So, as you sit back in your comfortable seat and drink in the views through the large picture windows, don’t get too nostalgic for the past. This coach holiday myth is dispelled. You’re travelling on the vehicle of the future.
Myth 5: The quality of the holidays can’t be great – look at the prices!
So, who doesn't like getting a great deal? Well OK, sometimes things can look too good to be true and you certainly want to make sure you’re going to get a holiday experience you’re going to enjoy, so let’s consider why coach holiday packages can be so competitive…
Generally, it is down to three factors:
- Your coach tour operator will know which suppliers want business and when, allowing them to find the right partners to welcome their customers at the right price.
- The operator will buy their hotel rooms and other services ‘in bulk’ for which a discount is applied.
- The cost of the coach can be spread across everyone travelling which reduces the cost per person.
The hotels you will stay at and the services you will enjoy during your holiday will obviously vary depending on the operator you are travelling with and the package you have booked. So you should always be able to find holidays ranging from truly excellent value breaks right through to high-end prices with, or sometimes without, the luxury to match. Whichever you choose is up to you, but you will always know that you’re getting a lot for your money!
Leisuretime’s mission is to create tours that allow anyone to take multiple breaks a year, and that is why we focus on delivering the best value for money in the business. We even back that up with our price guarantee - with us you might even save money. That gives you the peace of mind to know that if you do ever find another operator in your local area offering the same tour as us at a lower price, we promise to match it. Having said that, we’re pretty confident of offering better value on a like-for-like basis than any other operator anyway, but you never know
So yes, sometimes coach holiday prices can appear unbelievably low – but that is one of the reasons to book them.
So there you have it, five common coach holiday myths busted. Tempted to try one for yourself?
Find a coach tour for you.
* Source: Coach Association** Source: Confederation of Passenger Transport