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TRAVEL IN STYLE…TOUR BY COACH ...continued
There are no hidden costs such as paying for airport parking and airport taxes and tours are hassle free too. Unlike air travel, you will not be faced by long queues for check-in, passport control or security, both before departure and on arrival at your holiday destination. And you won’t be sat crammed between two total strangers on the plane.
Coach passengers can start their tour from near to their home and on some tours will be collected by taxi. They get the personal service of their own driver and the security of being looked after during the tour. There’s no need to worry about getting lost, avoiding speed cameras or having to pay more than £50 just to fill up your car with petrol.
Of course coach holidays have many additional attributes. Coaches are the greenest travel option in the UK today – they use six times less energy than planes and cars and two times less energy than trains. Coach travel has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per passenger of any mode of transport and help cut congestion.
Coaches are also seven times safer per mile than a car while a gallon of fuel will pro-rata, take two people travelling by coach six times further than by car. Gone are the days when an old bus took people to the seaside for a day trip – today passengers travel in ultra modern, air-conditioned coaches with all mod-cons, costing as much as £250,000.
Executive coaches cost even more. After all, the stars of the Premiership – not forgetting international rugby teams, Olympic athletes, pop stars and celebrities – all travel by coach because they demand not just luxury and comfort, but privacy, security and more space than can be found in any car, whatever the make.
Indeed research also shows that coaches are less stressful too. Leger Holidays fitted groups of passengers with heart rate monitors on trips from the UK to Disneyland Paris. Results revealed that those travelling by Eurostar, on aircraft and by car were more stressed, tense and anxious than those going by coach where passengers seemed to be in a state of serenity.
Coaches should not be confused with buses. While not all coaches are new, a typical modern coach is double-glazed, air conditioned and rides on air suspension to give a comfortable ride. Coaches have reclining seats with many operators offering club class style seating with extra legroom. The driver has the benefits of a luxury car – traction control, anti-lock brakes and even electronic stability control.
Passengers can doze or look at the passing scenery, chat to new-found friends or partners, enjoy a coffee and simply relax. Even on arrival at your hotel, your luggage is usually carried for you, at least as far as the lobby. And you can go straight to the bar for a drink without even thinking about driving!
Nowadays coach tours come in many shapes and sizes so whatever your age, there is something for all. Seaside holidays have not lost their appeal but today you can also see a top show in London, enjoy a flutter at the races, go to the Edinburgh Tattoo or simply sit back and relax as your coach gives you the best view ever of the beautiful countryside in England, Scotland and Wales.
www.findacoachholiday.com is the consumer website of the Coach Tourism Council which promotes travel by coach on behalf of nearly 150 coach tour operators from across the UK.
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