please empty your brain below
I used to work in the offices diagonally opposite Victoria Coach Station, and lost count of the number of times I was asked directions to it. I manfully resisted the temptation to say "it's that building over there with Victoria Coach Station written on it in big letters".

The Green Line stops on Bulleid Way (or "Bullied Way" as it was rendered on most of the Green Line notices) also caused confusion. The security guard at the back of our building used to have a big sign on his kiosk saying "This is not a Green Line office, and I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE COACHES". I felt his pain...

Baldassaro | 14.07.10 - 9:31 a.m. | #

Well, it's looking a lot nicer inside than it did 8 or so years ago. Nice job!

Chz | 14.07.10 - 9:54 a.m. | #

DG Towers sadly no longer served by the 721, 722, 718, 720...

Kim | 14.07.10 - 1:41 p.m. | #

One route that particularly seems to thrive is London to Oxford where two coach companies both run very frequent services between the two cities. I'm not sure why this hasn't been emulated to other cities. I suppose the fact there is a good quality road (the M40/A40) most of the way helps keep the journey time competitive with the train.

Jon Combe | Homepage | 14.07.10 - 1:56 p.m. | #

I have used the VCS infrequently over the last decade, the first time being for an arduous 11hour journey to Amsterdam, on that occasion we were early and their wasn't much by way of entertainment or shopping delight, or space come to think of it! And most recently, last friday infact, I had to catch a coach to Noooocassell-upon-tyne [6.5hours] my flatmate & I were pushed to the wire in our efforts to get from Victoria Station to VCS, much puffing & panting, sweating and a stitch to boot [due to the mammoth baggage secured to my back!] well, due to the convoluted, grim set-out of VCS we very nearly missed our coach, we made it by the skin of our teeth, much to the chargrin of the coach driver disgruntled by having to opent he luggage hatch again [serious attitude]. Anyhooo a less than pleasant sticky muggy 6.5hr ride up Norf and I realised why trains & planes are my usual modus operandi, I shall be sticking to them as much as I can.

Isn't it time we built a better, fit-for-purpose Coach Station, that actually welcomed travellers and celebrated coach travel? That was sited in a less congested part of Lundun, which was a pleasure to set off from, that gave people an enjoyable pleasant last experience of leaving Lundun.

one can dream

Battybenji | 14.07.10 - 2:12 p.m. | #

Having been brought up with the provincial squalor of Digbeth Coach Station and the underground Bull Ring Bus Station in Birmingham, the first time I ever went to VCS (in the mid 90s) I couldn't get over how clean and well designed it was for a coach station. Those plastic screens between the waiting areas and the coach manoeuvering areas seemed to be like a glimpse into a space-age future.

Chris P | 14.07.10 - 8:03 p.m. | #

I was recently thinking fondly of my carefree student days when I'd catch a coach just for the fun of going somewhere (often down to Cornwall with a friend to stay ay my Grans for the weekend). Don't know about the station, but the coaches certainly look more comfortable these days!!

CornishCockney | 14.07.10 - 9:55 p.m. | #

I used to use that coach station almost every weekend for four years while living up North, until I could afford trains. Still remember how it used to take over an hour from Golders Green (the only other stop inside London) to Victoria. Ah, such fun.
The slowness isn't as bad as the stuffiness, with no openable windows. Expect they're a lot better since the smoking ban, though.

teapot | 14.07.10 - 11:16 p.m. | #

Arrivals is a terrable place where I am lucky not to be run over and jsut want to leave ASAP.

Departures is OK as Megabus use the top end where its no too packed.

Manchesters old coach station was a disgrace thet was shamed by the local paper and is now fully rebult and is one of the best these days.

The only main reason to use the coacxh is its cheap as little as £2:50 return.

Rick | 18.07.10 - 3:30 p.m. | #











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