Hovercraft, Portobello to Kirkcaldy

missile

My mother was on it, day two of the service from Kdy to Edn. Only 25 minutes for the crossing and had a great trip. She said there was a little delay, but the queue was no longer than the queue to get a ticket at the railway station.

It is free for pensioners, show your buspass.

Be_Happy

Everyone who's been on it seems to have really enjoyed trip.

Unfortunately it's difficult to get on. We went down to Kirkcaldy departure point at 10.10 am this morning thinking we might be early enough for the 11 am trip. When we joined the queue stagecoach person organising things told us that at our position in the queue we were looking at getting on the 1 pm sailing.

Decided not to stand waiting for nearly 3 hours. It looked like they are using double decker buses at the front of the queue as waiting rooms, so you can probably get a seat when you reach the front of the queue.

On a better note, I understand that, to help out those travelling to work, you can now pre-book your place on the first two sailings in the morning in both directions, and on the last two sailings in the evening back from Portobello.

I do hope that this trial is a success, as it would certainly make travel to Edinburgh easier. Can't understand, though, why the trial was scheduled for not only the school holidays, but also during the local Fife holiday fortnight. This gives a completely unrealistic idea of potential usage.

Felix

The Forth Bridge closes this week...

Edinburghlass_2

Anyone tell me where you go at Waverley for the connecting bus and the length of queue times leaving from Portobello?

Glenrothes_2

Edinburghlass wrote: »

the length of queue times leaving from Portobello?

When I went last week with family it was an hours wait at Portobello and an hours wait at Kirkcaldy . Luckily the bus from Ocean Terminal arrived quickly allowing usto be at the front of the queue . The busses running from Ocean Terminal and Waverly were pretty much empty heading back to Portobello , but thats probably due to the fact they ran 15 min services .

Edinburghlass_2

Ah right 15 minute service from Waverley, I thought it was an hourly service on the hour. Hoping to go in the morning and was planning to be at Waverley for the 9.00 bus to Porty.

keith1966

This ferry is a great idea but a two week trial period will tell them nothing. I'm sure there is a valid reason for only the two weeks but you need to trial this for months to gain an accurate picture of demand, all you are getting now is a packed service due to the novelty factor.

Edinburghlass_2

Had a lovely day in Kirkcaldy. Left around 8.00 am for town to pick up the bus at Waverley for Portobello. From the time we met the first Stagecoach staff at Waverley they couldn't have been more helpful and patient with all the passengers throughout the journey.

The 9.30 crossing was full but we got boarding cards for the 10.30 and were able to sit on the top of one of the two buses that were being used as waiting rooms and had a great view of the Forth on a lovely sunny morning.

The crossing was slightly bumpy, once we were out into the Forth, due to the wind but only like minor turbulence on a plane. Very smooth landing, I wouldn't have known I was on the beach if I hadn't been by the window.

We were guided straight to a waiting bus to take us from the beach to the bus station and told which stance and bus to get back for our return crossing.

We headed back around 2.00 and found the 3.00 crossing was already full, the 4.00 was fully booked by the commuters so if we wanted to return by hovercraft we would have had to wait until 5.00. We decided not to wait but get the bus back to Edinburgh from the bus stop right by the beach. Suddenly it was discovered my daughter had left a carrier bag on the bus and I went to speak to a Stagecoach rep, Inspector Paul, who immediately starting phoning around to find the bus we had been on. As he was taking my details to phone me later the bus we were waiting on arrived and as it filled up quick we decided to take the next one and while we waited Paul came to tell me they had found the carrier bag, much relief from daughter, and it was being returned to Kirkcaldy bus station and Paul will put it on an express bus to Edinburgh tonight for me to pick up at Barnton.

I can't thank Paul enough for what he did for us this afternoon and the entire Stagecoach staff who were guiding passengers in the queues at all the points on our journey today, they were so friendly and simply the best.

Well done Stagecoach and all for £4.50 return.

Edinburghlass_2

Some photos of the hovercraft coming in at Portobello..