Coach tickets

Posted by riverman1 (Edgewood, Texas) on 03/28/19 02:30 PM

Hello All,

I posted some months back about my upcoming cruise out of Southampton. I got some really great responses, which helped us to make decisions about where we are staying the night before the cruise.

We have decided to leave from Heathrow, directly to Southampton on National Express Coachline.

My questions is, how important is it to buy tickets in advance? My concern is, having never traveled internationally, I really don't know what to expect when trying to get through customs. I would hate to purchase a ticket, for say, 1 hour after landing and then it takes 2 hours to get out of the airport, causing us to miss our ride. Plus airline delays are always a possibility. I would really just prefer to purchase tickets when we are ready to go.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Chris

Posted by Marco

Oxford, United Kingdom

03/28/19 02:33 PM

5466 posts

If you pay a £5 fee on top of the ticket price, then it becomes flexible, although there is always a chance the next coach won't have room I suppose:

For just £5 each way, our Change & Go Add On lets you be completely flexible with which coach you board to and from the airport:
Board any available coach 12 hours before or after your original departure time
Amend your ticket to a new departure date - free of charge
Refund on your ticket up to 24 hours before departure
Simply add the 'Change & Go' option to your ticket in the Add Extras section of the booking process.

Posted by riverman1 OP

Edgewood, Texas

03/28/19 02:34 PM

5 posts

Very good info, thank you. That is what I'll do.

Posted by Nigel

Northamptonshire, England

03/28/19 03:21 PM

33995 posts

What Marco says.

Don't plan on getting through the frosted glass doors inside an hour. At least 90 minutes, often longer, in my experience.

Posted by MariaF

Ontario, Canada

03/28/19 03:39 PM

4657 posts

I also paid the extra to have a window to arrive. I was late and the rather surly NE saleswoman stated I needed to pay in full. Thankfully, I had printed off my receipt that clearly stated I had paid the extra. She grabbed the paper and read it all through before accepting that I could rebook free. Now, the drivers and experience were wonderful, she was just not having a good day.
That all being said, I did this route in December got through customs and had time for a coffee and breakfast before getting to the bus with ample time. It is a little confusing as there are 2 bus areas, but folks are helpful at directing. Give ample time to arrive - could be 25-30 minutes if you have my experience ;-)
Also, in November, the bus was less than half full, so could have purchased at the airport. I purchased on the bus when traveling from Salisbury to Heathrow. They just pull up in a parking lot.
That might be something of interest. If you have spare time (I booked my flight the next morning to allow for delays), I debarked by 8a.m., took the train to Salisbury and did the bus tour to Stonehenge and Salisbury Chathedral. Then the 3:00(ish) bus to Heathrow for the night. Not having spent time in UK previously, Stonehenge was a must.