Coach trip

Dragonpie · 28 October 2019 at 1:46PM

Has anyone been on a coach trip in the UK, I have found a trip which is £99 each, includes a trip on a canal boat and on a steam train, a nights accommodation and evening meal. This sounds lovely but I don't really know what to expect, is it expected that we would be associating with the other attendees at all times (I'm very socially awkward and forced interaction sounds awful to me), does anyone have any experiences?

~Beanie~ · 28 October 2019 at 4:37PM

Well you will be on a coach with the other attendees, on a canal boat trip with them and also on a train with them. They will be staying in the same hotel and I would imagine that you will eat at the same time, in the same restaurant. It sounds to me like it wouldn't really be your cup of tea.

WeAreGhosts · 28 October 2019 at 6:18PM

Yes, you're almost always lumped together with the other members of the coach party.

There's always one couple, usually called Margo and Jerry, who will chew your ear off for the entire trip, talk up their previous jobs (because they WILL be retired), how Margo was a high flying PA in the city (but actually worked in a back street estate agents), how Jerry was some local government big-wig (but actually decided where the traffic lights needed to be for roadworks) and how their son Stephen is a marine biologist living with a flatmate called Marcus (but he actually cleans the tanks out at the local sea life centre).
No matter what you do you won't get rid of them for the entire trip, and all the rest of the coach party will be glad they've latched onto you and not them.

For £99 I'd rather find a little AirBnB somewhere and do my own thing.

p00hsticks · 29 October 2019 at 12:59PM

Dragonpie wrote: »

is it expected that we would be associating with the other attendees at all times (I'm very socially awkward and forced interaction sounds awful to me), does anyone have any experiences?

You say 'we' - would you be going by yourself or with someone else ?

As Beanie says, you'll be in the vicinity of the other members of the coach party, both on the coach, at meals and on trips such as canal boat and train, but in my experience couples tend to stick together and you won't have to do much small talk if you don't want to (except perhaps at breakfast / dinner, when you might be on a table with another couple). Some people like to 'meet new friends' on such trips, but if you're not very gregarious then I think that generally they'll give you a miss and find someone more of their own views.

If your on your own, however, there's a risk that you may find that one or more other parties feel sorry for you and try to 'adopt' you for the trip.

£99 is very good value for what you describe (I think our local heritage railway charges £26 for a single trip) so if it appeals, I'd go for it. If you're by yourself, take a book with you and pretend to read if anyone looks like they're gong to appraoch you - they;ll soon take the hint !

Dymphna60 · 29 October 2019 at 1:21PM

I have not yet been on a coach trip
alone if you are going alone but have been on a few with my late partner.
There seems to be 2 types . Ones where you get a lot for your money that people are taking advantage of getting into places at a discount price . No guide . On these ones people seem to keep to themselves.
On more expensive holiday type ones there seems to be more social interaction but people usually work out early who wants to chat and make friends and who wants to just be polite.

Murphybear · 29 October 2019 at 1:42PM

I went on a coach holiday to Austria a few years ago when I was single. There was another single woman of my age and we paired up to do things together. It was great fun and we got on well but didn’t want to continue any friendship

I am very shy by nature and generally hate meeting new people. You may something similar on your trip, it sounds lovely

Janey3 · 29 October 2019 at 5:06PM

Have been on quite a few short break coach holidays.
From experience, with an overnight stay with two events included, there won't be much time to become involved with others other than polite greetings etc and maybe if you share tables at dinner and breakfast, but we've found often breakfast times are flexible and guests appear at different times. Chatting on the coach is not obligatory, some chat, some don't. Just go with the flow and enjoy yourself.

Coach trip

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