Financial News
- 16 April 2012, 17:36
Stagecoach Introduces £1 UK To Europe Coach
Bus company Stagecoach has introduced new services to continental Europe from just £1, claiming it wants to take on the "over-priced" European coach travel market.
The company's budget coach operator megabus.com has started running daytime and overnight services from London to Paris, Boulogne, Brussels and Amsterdam.
But while it may be a cheap way to travel to the popular tourist destinations, the journey time might deter some: a trip to Paris takes nine and a half hours one way, and a single trip to Amsterdam takes 12 hours.
Stagecoach chief executive Sir Brian Souter said: "For too long, people in many parts of Europe have been paying too much for their coach travel.
"Our new network offers families, students and tourists great value fares and high-quality coaches.
"These services will deliver a long-overdue shake-up to the over-priced European coach travel market."
The company, which already operates a sleepercoach between Glasgow and London using specially-refurbished single-deck articulated coaches, may also introduce similar provision for the new routes to Europe.
It is currently in talks with Belgian manufacturer Van Hool on developing a sleepercoach fitted with 48 seats and tables for use during the daytime that could be converted into 43 bunks overnight.
The firm Megabus.com launched in Scotland nine years ago and now covers around 60 locations in the UK and more than 70 major cities in the United States and Canada.
Last month, the Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company launched a four-hour coach trip around the M25.
Tickets for the first guided tour, which cost £15 each, sold out.
what do you think?
Stuart Harley
got it in one christopher !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Hayes
Not wanting to sound cynical, but there must be a catch. Even if they use one of those double length bendy buses, the fares wouldn't even cover the cost of the fuel. It's not going to be another one of these Ryanair type rip offs is it where you pay £1 to travel, but an extra £100 for the seat! Or are Megabus going to fill the coaches full of cheap fags and booze for the return trip? If they can get people from the UK to Europe for £1 then I'm surprised the Border Agency haven't knocked on their door. The last report I read said it was costing them £thousands to send people back across the Channel!! :-)
Neil Servis
Eurostar...far quicker and is great, we used it last year and was faultless, i would rather pay a bit more and get there quicker than a bus with one out of order toilet and stinking of sweat...like most buses
Jan N Andy Oakley-Hills
Cut price transport for deportation of immigrants?
Christopher Hodson
2:45pm on 16/4/2012
What a great idea and would be a service I would use as it would get me to a country in Europe so that I can fligh out to my destination without paying the 8% increase in flight taxes for flying out of the rip off UK
bobh_385
3:08pm on 16/4/2012
Good idea but I'd rather pay the extra 8% than suffer a 12 hour coach trip
Christopher Hodson
3:16pm on 16/4/2012
I would rather not pay the 8%, long haul flights 8% represents a lot of money and if you are going the other side of the world you may think different
John Stedman
5:29pm on 16/4/2012
So take a shorthaul flight to Amsterdam and fly longhaul from there. Or Eurostar to Brussels or Paris (but then you have to get out to the airport). Big saving without too much pain.
John Stedman
4:20pm on 17/4/2012
Yes, I think we have two arguments running here. Firstly the punative departure taxes imposed in this country, and secondly how to avoid them. If Christopher gave me the negative rating then perhaps I agree with him - better not to have the taxes to avoid in the first place. But then higher taxes are the answer to everything in this country it would appear - at least I have failed to spot alternative solutions being put forward by those who control such matters (and who were democratically elected??).