Train or bus from London and Edinburgh; Heathrow to Canterbury...Train & bus etiquette?

London to Edinburgh is best travelled by train. Roughly 4 hours (fastest train) central London to central Edinburgh, more comfortable than flying, no faffing about at the airport and far quicker than bus (coach) which will be closer to 9 hours.

Etiquette? The same etiquette that you would apply to travelling by any of those options at home. General courtesy, respect, no loud talking, no loud music, no feet on seats, no consumption of pungent food

London to Edinburgh, train much the best. Book your outward journey now. Cheaper Advance tickets for 30 August are not yet on sale. Buy from the train company below.

https://www.lner.co.uk/

For LHR to Canterbury the coach might be easiest (certainly cheapest). Direct from LHR to Victoria, cross the road then catch another coach to Canterbury.

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

Thank you, both! I will definitely check both sites. I always strive to be polite and courteous, while keeping a good eye out. I guess I’m hoping not to “put my foot in it”. 🙄

The transportation etiquette list above is good. Often, as a group, we Americans can tend to be a bit loud when we travel, so I try to really monitor myself on that.

On a side note, last summer I travelled by bus from Derry to Galway and an older gentleman and his wife were sitting right in front of us. Shortly into the trip I realized he was smoking and trying to hide it. Definitely not good bus etiquette! I thought I merely leaned forward and asked him to please stop smoking. My sister says it was accompanied by my very best "no nonsense teacher look" (highly developed after so many years in the classroom). In any rate, the smoking stopped and did not reappear during the trip..... My sister thinks he was having flashbacks to his time in school.

train and/or bus etiquette

train:

wait for the folks getting off before boarding. Stand to the side slightly to allow them room.

don't put feet or luggage on seats.

don't block the aisles.

have your ticket ready when the guard/conductor/train manager/senior conductor/revenue protection inspector/ticket inspector comes down the train to check it. The faster they see everybody's ticket the faster they go away and leave everybody alone.

if you have passes or Railcards or reservations present them at the same time as the ticket.

if the train is full and you are standing don't block the doors or stand next to the doors if you aren't getting off - these "Sentinels" get a bad name and often get barged into.

if the train is filling move your backpack or purse from the adjacent seat where you put it "for comfort" so others can sit down.

if you are listening to your phone it is OK to push the earphones into your ears and keep the volume down below the sound of a police siren. Believe it or not, not everyone has the same taste in music or wants to listen to the same movie.

if somebody has "inadvertently" blocked a seat with a shopping bag or purse or feet or luggage and you want to sit down ask if the seat is taken - "Is somebody sitting here" or "Is this seat free".

try to keep your voice down, especially in First and in the Quiet Carriage, unless you are a football fan on the way to or on the way back from a match - in which case shout and chant at the tops of your voices because everybody loves your chanting - especially if you are in a large group.

on most trains drinking is welcomed - whether or not you are having food. Try to keep it under control, and if you are a particular angel try to get some of the bottles or cans in the bins after you are finished with them.

when you go the toilet read the buttons carefully and make sure the door is closed and locked before the next step. Don't push or pull the emergency call button instead of the lock button. And if you do, by mistake, answer the Driver when she or he calls you so they know that 1) you are OK, 2) you didn't fall and you can't get up, and 3) they don't have to stop the train and get the emergency services.

when your stop is coming up, gather your bits and pieces and prepare to leave the train. Don't wait for those joining the train to get on before you start to get off. The doors may close and you will be trapped on board. Don't pull the emergency handle - it isn't an emergency. Maybe to you but not to the others on the train or the train crew.

mostly, just relax, enjoy yourself and enjoy the scenery.

... the voice of experience after decades of helping the travelling public ride British trains. Retired now. Miss it. Mostly.

If you are considering Heathrow to Canterbury by train it's easy, Underground to Kings Cross/ St Pancras, it's an easy ride you don't even have to change trains, go up to the mainline St Pancras station and you want the Southeastern trains platforms 11- 13 they are platforms closest to Kings Cross station and take the train from there, it's only four stops about an hours travel. Make sure you get the train that goes via Ashford International.