Travelling by coach can be a wonderful way to enjoy long road trips throughout the European Union. Whether you have lots of gear to take with you, or you have a group of people, the extra space a coach provides for can make the experience more enjoyable. Of course, travelling with a coach is much different than travelling in a car or some other vehicle. These tips will help you to ensure that your next European road trip is fun, whether it’s just throughout London or all the way through to the South of France.
Bring a Travel Kit
Coach hires don’t necessarily have tool kits included with them, regardless of whether they are providing a driver or not. This can mean needing to go to a garage for small issues that could easily be handled at the side of the road, or being left without the things you need when if you find yourself stranded.
By always bringing your own small travel kit, you can be prepared for sudden issues on the road. Your travel kit should include many different items, and should start with a basic first aid kit.It should also have water, bandages, and small non-perishable food items. Remember to include blankets and other items that can be used to keep you warm if you get into an accident or hit severe weather.
Your travel kit should also include a socket wrench kit and several basic tools. This can help you to change a tyre quickly if you experience a breakdown and you happen to be out of mobile service range.
Make Sure You Can Drive a Coach
Before you rent a coach, make sure to fully research the company you choose. It’s vital that you choose a company that is licensed and vetted. Ask questions about how the coaches are maintained, what the cost of the coach is, and whether or not you can purchase insurance. Ask if a driver is provided; if a driver is not provided, then you should find out what type of license you need in order to drive a coach. Even though you have a clean driving license, you may still need additional licensing in order to take the coach driver seat.
Plan a Coach-Friendly Road Trip
When it comes to planning your trip, take ideas from the holiday coach lines that exist throughout Europe. Most of these coach lines stop in specific countries, hotels, and areas; it’s worthwhile to look into these itineraries when you are attempting to find areas that are coach-friendly.
Aside from reviewing existing itineraries from commercial coach lines, it’s also very helpful to review the National Coach Tourism Awards for the year prior to your holiday or road trip. Each year, the National Coach Tourism Awards outlines the most popular destinations, shopping excursions, holiday programmes, day excursions, and even coach-based travel advisors throughout Europe. By reviewing this list, you’ll discover important tidbits of information that can help you plan a smooth itinerary. This can save an immense amount of time that would otherwise be spent calling around to hotels and destinations. 2013′s National Coach Tourism Awards designated Marriott Hotels as one of the most popular hotel chains for those travelling by coach. Likewise, the West Midland Safari and Leisure Park won an award for the most coach-friendly attraction. Many other names are outlined for easy reference.
Look for Coach-Friendly Options
If you wish to plan your own itinerary, there are a few features that you should look for when choosing destinations. Generally, you should ensure that your destination:
- Has parking available for coaches
- Is at least somewhat easily transversed by foot
- Allows tourist coaches to use public coach lanes, where possible
- Has local garages that are equipped to service coaches
- Has made efforts to provide signage for coach drivers
The following cities or destinations have all become noteworthy for their forward-thinking, coach-friendly adjustments:
- Chesterfield
- Rockingham Castle
- Aberdeen
- Grampian
- Loch Lomond
- Glasgow
- Edinburgh
- Scottish Highlands
- City of Bath
- Most areas of Germany
- Portugal
- Morocco
- Sweden
The Number One Coach-Friendly Country
While many countries under Europe have been striving to make coach-friendly travel a reality, Stockholm has won award after award for its dedication to encouraging people to travel by coach. While much of this was meant to encourage commercial coach line use, the changes mean that those driving a rental coach will also find the city easy to navigate. In 2009, it won an award for being the most coach-friendly city in Europe. That tradition has continued, making it one of the best destinations for a road trip by coach.