Coach holidays to Spain/Europe

chocolatepennyfarthing

Am looking at booking a coach holiday as won't fly) to Spain early September and wondered if anyone who had done this would share thoughts and tips re journey. Had originally thought about train but that would involve 4 changes where as coach pick up is ten minutes from us so just seems easier.
Journey time is approx 24 hours, they advise stops are usually every 3-4 hours. We would spend 14 nights in resort as don't think I would want to do journey for any less. Looking at going with Harry Shaw, has anyone any experience using them? How was comfort on coach?
Be good to hear anyone's experience from doing something similar.

PompeyPete

Done Shearings too to Germany and Lloret de Mar [twice]
Some deals have overnight hotels enroute, but the cheaper deals travel throughout the night.
We took a pile of victuals as the motorway stops are expensive and can be v.busy.
If you can sleep on a coach, and not too tall then they're fine.

jimd-f

i have been doing this regularly for years. i usually go with ferris holidays on their platinum coach but this year we are taking one holiday with southern holidays (so far) as we got a great deal as well as others with ferris.
we have looked at harry shaw many times but always found them to be a bit expensive compared to ferris.
coaches nowadays are vastly different from years ago and are now very comfortable. they usually have facility to show dvds during the journey and offer hot/cold drinks at reasonable prices.
suggest you take sandwiches/snacks for the journey as the prices in the service stations can be quite expensive.
if going by ferry consider having a meal on board as you may not get the opportunity to have a cooked meal before arriving in the resort in the morning.
harry shaw, like most firms, stop at the french/spanish border for breakfast around 7-7.30 in the morning. be aware that you are only about 1-2 hours from your drop off at resort so it is usually better to wait till you get there and have a "proper" breakfast in resort in one of the bars especially if you are on HB.
take books/mags/music for the journey and take advantage of all the comfort stops to stretch your legs, and relieve your numb bum.
take a small cushion for the journey. some people take blankets/pillows to help them sleep at night but i have never found the need for that. i only doze on the coach anyway and find it is normally warm enough that i done need a blanket. maybe wear/take a fleece as this can be used as a blanket and may be handy for the night stops and will be handy for the ferry home which is usually around 6-7am and it can be a bit chilly at calais at that time of the morning.
treat the coach journey as part of your holiday, and not just as a means of getting there

loobs40

Just based on my awful experience of taking a coach to Spain because I became positively catatonic about flying, I decided instead to work on my fear of flying. It took a few years and a lot of very nervous flights, but I am now able to think more positively about flying and it is no longer the all consuming anxiety felt often upto many weeks before flying anywhere

Jackieboy

I've done a lot of coach travel on the Continent and it's no problem if you enjoy reading etc and you can sleep easily. Don't forget that you could also travel independently by coach if you don't want to be limited by going on a package.

http://www.eurolines.com/en/

abacab

We've done overnight trips to Rome and Croatia,along with other european holidays with overnight stops with Leger.
The overnighters are a bit of an endurance,but if you use their Silver service coaches with a lounge in the back its doable.
Luxuria coaches,costing more are supposed to be better,but havent tried yet.

McKneff

I've travelled twice to Italy. First time just comfort stops and it took 28 hours. Not a good sleeper on a coach . Exhausted when we got there and slept for 10 hoUrswick.

2nd time we stayed in Austria overnight both ways and it was so much better. And staying in a gast off was an experience I wouldn't have missed

pattycake

We did Lake Garda by coach two years ago. However, we had two overnight stops both ways. We did not sleep on the coach.

Going was fine but I must admit the return journey felt very tedious. Extremely early start on the last day to get the ferry in Calais and then the worst traffic of the whole trip back up to north west England.