5 Reasons to Ditch the Car for the Coach

Have you thought about taking a coach for your next trip, instead of the car? We might be biased, but we can think of loads of reasons why coach travel beats car travel hands-down. For one thing, just one coach full of people can keep up to 50 cars off the roads. That’s a vast improvement when it comes to traffic congestion – and that’s just the start.

A recent study called The Decarbonisation Dividend report found that if every person in the UK switched one car trip to a bus or coach trip every month or so – the equivalent to 13 per year – there’d be a reduction of 2 million tons of C02e by 2030. We’d say that’s a pretty good reason to rethink the way we get from A to B.

So, to celebrate World Car Free Day, we’ve listed our top five reasons to ditch the car for the coach next time you’re due to drive somewhere – but there are plenty more besides these. From parking spaces to fuel prices, these are a great reason to switch up those journey plans…

1. Coach travel is better for the environment
We mentioned that one coachload of passengers saves a whopping 50 cars on the roads, which is a huge step in the right direction. It gets better, though, because average carbon dioxide emissions per passenger per journey for a coach are about six times lower than they are for a car. That means ditching the car for the coach is essential to achieve the UK’s Net Zero emissions goal.

2. You don’t have to find a parking space
Nothing takes the edge off a road trip faster than arriving at your destination to find that parking is a total nightmare. But with coach travel, you don’t need to worry about finding a space – or paying expensive parking fees. Our coach drop-offs are in convenient locations close to points of interest and ongoing transport links, so you can start exploring straight away.

3. You don’t need to worry about fuel prices
With fuel prices rising, petrol and diesel costs are a huge concern for travellers – and more of us are keeping one eye on the fuel gauge when we’re out and about. The good news is, you can keep that tank topped up and save money when you leave the car at home and take a coach instead. That means fewer unnecessary fill-ups and less time spent worrying about the cost of fuel.

4. You can soak up the scenery on the way
Part of the fun of a road trip is discovering new places along the way, but while your passengers might be soaking up the scenery outside the window, it’s a lot less fun for drivers. Choose the coach instead of taking the car, and you can switch off your Sat Nav, take your eyes off the road, and just enjoy the journey. Who knows – you might spot some hidden gems along the way.

5. You can relax in comfort on a coach
Forget squishing into the car with luggage squeezed into every inch of space, and everyone arguing about the choice of music. On a megabus coach you can expect extra legroom seats*, the option to reserve your seat*, free WiFi and charging points - all subject to availability, so you can use your phone and arrive with it fully charged. Plus, you get 20kg of luggage stowed away, and space to store smaller items overhead. There’s more about our facilities here.

Thinking of taking the coach? Book your megabus tickets today or read our UK city guides for ideas.

*Subject to extra charge and not available on all services