What's it like riding with FLIXBUS?

GLOVESTRAINS: Hey, everyone!
GLovesTrains 'ere.

Now today, I'm doing
one of the things

that's been on my sort of
bucket list type of thing.

And it is to ride with FlixBus.

Now FlixBus,
contrary to the name,

is a worldwide coach operator.

It serves over 3,000 destinations

across 39 countries.

Today, I'm gonna be
travelling with FlixBus

from Manchester to London.

I am really excited for this, though.

I'm just at Shudehill Interchange.

In front of me is the tram stop

and behind me is the bus station.

However, I have got over an hour

before I need to go
into the bus station, so

I think I'm gonna go and...

stock up on some snacks

for this long journey ahead.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

Squishy boobies!

(HAPPY MUSIC)

Right, I've got some snacks now

and I have picked up Lucy.

We are at stand G.

I guess it's my favourite stand.
(LAUGHS)

And we are waiting...
I think we've got about

half an hour to wait.

But then again, the coach...

I keep wanting to say "bus,"
honestly.

The coach is probably gonna pull in
a little bit earlier,

hopefully anyway,
so we can get onboard.

But it is the 10:50 service

which is the second service

of the day on a Sunday,

'cause yep, we are travelling down
on a Sunday,

...down to London.

So, we're just gonna sit 'ere

and wait for the coach to come in.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

Well, that's gone melons up.

Basically, our coach
has been cancelled.

We were actually told
three days ago

that it was cancelled, but

Lucy didn't check her email.

So we've had to reschedule it.

But the next coach

is only at 15:40.

So we've now got

five hours to kill in Manchester,

before we can actually
go down to London.

Right, we've successfully...

killed five hours.
It's actually flown by.

Doing long waits with Lucy
is actually a great help.

We're just at stand G again.

And our FlixBus is about to pull in
any second.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

LUCY: Want the window?
G: Yeah, please. Thank you.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

All right, we're onboard now.

When we booked the tickets online,
it did give an option

whether you wanted
to reserve a seat.

We tried to get the back seats,
but they were already taken.

So we ended up reserving
the two in front of that.

However, now that
we're on a different coach,

we have been still given seats

5C and 5D.

We did have to pay
an extra £1.99, I think, each

to reserve the seats.

But because obviously
we're on a different coach now,

they have refunded us that amount.

DRIVER: 'Welcome aboard
this 030 service.

'When you use the toilet
whilst the coach is in motion,

'take extra care going down the stairs.

'Also, strongly recommend
when you use the toilet,

'lock the door behind you.

'Saves any embarrassment
on someone walking in on you.

'Also, please do not

'flush any tissues,
paper towels, toilet rolls

'down it.
It will only block it

'and close it for the duration
of this service.'

G: We have set off now.

We're just making our way
through the centre of Manchester.

Now, it is gonna take us
overall the journey,

five hours thirty to get from

Manchester to London.

I have been going down to London

a little bit more
this past year, actually.

But obviously,
usually I take the train.

It is a shorter journey
on the train, of course.

But also, it's more expensive
on the train.

The tickets per person for us
have ended up costing

just £7.99.

But you also might
remember me saying,

once upon a time in a vlog,

that coaches are the only
form of transport...

well, that I know of,

that give me travel sickness.

So, we'll see how I cope with that.

But yeah, like I said before,

this is just one of those things
that I've just always wanted to do.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

We are on the motorway now.

And we are pretty much gonna be
travelling along motorways...

the whole ride down to London.

But when I first stepped on here,

I was actually surprised
at the interior.

Because obviously, the exterior

is a bright lime green colour,
which I do love.

I do also love the interior of this.

But I almost thought,
there'll be green inside of here as well.

But it is a black and red theme.

LUCY: Simplified colours are used

for easier transferring out of the fleet
in the future.

G: Thank you, bus expert.

Also down the coach,
obviously there's a lot of seats.

There's also overhead luggage space.

You are allowed to bring one...

piece of hand luggage with you.

Or you can pay extra
if you want to bring more.

There's also air-con throughout

and free Wi-fi which can be used.

And also, just a little bit
further back behind us,

there is a toilet,
which is great for me.

And inevitably, I will be going

checking that out at some point.

Now, as for your suitcases,

you're allowed to bring
one suitcase per person.

And they do...take that
and put it below the seats

in the luggage storage space,

as you're boarding onto the coach.

Now at your seat itself,

you have got...
There is a USB port

which is on the back
of the seat in front of you.

However, mine isn't working.

Lucy's is working though,

so I shall be
using hers later on.

We've got a seat tray
with two cup-holders.

Handy for Lucy
'cause she drinks a lot.

And we've also got this little

slot thing
where you can put your phone

and stand it up.

(LAUGHS)
There's also a little flap,

like what you find on aeroplanes,

where you put like magazines and stuff.

There's a curtain.

Above you is where the air-con is.

There's also a Stop button.

However, you don't actually
need to use that,

because all the coaches on FlixBus

stop at all the calling points anyways.

And then, of course,
you've got the seat.

You have got a seatbelt.
You do have to wear your seatbelt, of course.

And you've got a headrest on here.

The seat itself,
I think it's pretty comfy.

You can also recline it,
if you so wish to,

you know,
go a little bit backwards.

But I'm good sitting upright.

And at the very bottom,
you do have a footrest.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

It's raining, it's pouring,

Lucy's nearly snoring.

But no, yeah, it is actually

proper raining out there
at the minute.

And it's been like really sunny

over the past few days as well.

So...I'm definitely we're inside
on this coach.

As opposed to waiting around
out in the rain.

But anyways,
we have just passed over

the West Coast Main Line, actually.

And we are now making our way
through Stafford.

Which is where the Knicker Monster lives.

So I am on the lookout.

LUCY: Pretty sure it won't be out.
It's not Halloween.

G: It might be Halloween
by the time this vlog goes out!

(HAPPY MUSIC)

(BUS NOISE)

(SLAPPING SOUND)
G AND LUCY: (LAUGH)

(HAPPY MUSIC)

G: We are on the approach
to our first stop now.

Now this is the 030 route
we're travelling on,

which goes from Glasgow...

and it stops at Lancaster, Preston,

and then Manchester,
which is obviously where we got on.

We make two calling points en route

at Birmingham and
London Finchley Road,

before we reach the terminus
of London Victoria.

Now the coach that we were
meant to get on this morning,

that was on the 023 route,

which runs from Manchester,
calls at the two stops,

and then terminates
at London Victoria.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

DRIVER: 'Right, sorry about that.

'We had an alarm keep going off

'for the last hour and a half.'
(CHILD CHEERS)

DRIVER: 'It turns out
it was the wheelchair door.

'Apologies for the young lady
that her bag fell out.

'But...but we did
pick everything up for you.'

PASSENGER: You really did.
G: (LAUGHS)

We are leaving Scaremingham now.

A lot of people did actually get off.

So I think it is
one of the more popular stops

along this route.

But also, a lot of people did get on.

We were sitting there
for a little while,

because there was a problem

with an alarm going off
on the coach.

And...that was finally sorted out.

It was some problem
with the disabled door.

But we are now running
about twenty minutes late.

Hopefully, we will make up...

that time back
on the way down to London.

And do you know what?

I actually have not felt sick
at all, so far.

I'm actually really enjoying this ride.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

(LOUD BUS NOISE)
Okay, the toilet is very small.

And it's very loud and rattly.

But you're not even allowed
to flush toilet paper.

I use a lot of toilet paper!
(LAUGHS)

(HAPPY MUSIC)

Well, I was about to say it was

absolutely just chucking it down

and you could barely see
out the windows.

But it's gone a little lighter now.

And I think
the rain's calming down a bit.

(LAUGHS)
As for the coach,

we are on...

I'm not supposed
to call them units,

I know, Lucy keeps
telling me off for it.

But we're on 0643 and this is

a Volvo 9700

which is actually a newer model.
(CHILD SHOUTS)

I have been informed
that it's only a year old.

We have got thereabouts
around two hours left, so...

I think we're gonna just get
the snacks back out.

I've actually bought
a beetroot sandwich.

I saw it in Co-op, I mean.
(LAUGHS)

That sounds like something
I would invent, to be fair.

So, let's give that a try.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

It does taste all right, to be fair.

I do actually love beetroot.

It's crunchy and pickly. Do you want a taste?
(CHILD SHOUTS)

LUCY: It's actually quite nice!

G: Do you like that? I'm surprised you like that.
LUCY: But I don't like the tex...

(HAPPY MUSIC)

G: Oh look, we're going by
a diversionary route.

Ooh, there's some flowing water there.

But basically,
there is a major delay

on the M1 at the moment.

So, the drivers are taking us

around through Milton Keynes

and tryna avoid that.

It will mean we're

a little more delayed
going into London.

(BUS RATTLES)
But if we were to stay on the M1,

we'd be an hour further delayed
getting into London.

There's also
nowhere near as many

as in actual Roundabout Central,
Chorley, but...

there are quite a few roundabouts
we're going around

at the minute in Milton Keynes.

Do you know what?
It's probably gonna be dark

by the time we get into London
at this rate!

(HAPPY MUSIC)

We have just left the motorway now

and that is us done

with motorways
for the rest of the ride.

Should be coming into
near Finchley Road

in about ten, fifteen minutes.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

We've pulled in
to Finchley Road now.

And it honestly felt like
the whole coach just emptied.

There are still a few people on.

But Lucy has just told me,
actually, that...

'Cause I was wondering,
"I wonder if anybody would

"actually get on here
to go to Victoria?"

But you're not allowed to...

to book between those two stops.

And also, there's an Aldi Local

across the road from this stop.

I've never in my life seen an Aldi Lo...

What is an Aldi Local?

(HAPPY MUSIC)

(BACKGROUND CHATTER)
G: It will have been half an hour since

we left Finchley Road,
by the time

we do pull very shortly
into Victoria.

As for the light late evenings...

it certainly is going dark now.

Hence why they did put the lights on

a little while back.

And do you know what?
I'm so relaxed right now.

I mean I could do with

stretching my legs a little bit,
not gonna lie.

But...yeah, I kinda don't wanna
get off here, really!

Could actually fall asleep.

I was initially tempted

to do the night coach
down to London.

But...in the end,

it just turned out
handier for us

to get the day one down.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

All right, we're off the coach now.

We've just picked up our suitcase.

We were supposed to arrive
at ten past nine,

but we were about
twenty minutes delayed, to be fair.

I thought it was gonna be
a little bit later.

But yeah, we're here at half nine.

And I have been forewarned

that Victoria Coach Station
(LUGGAGE WHEELS RATTLE)

is absolutely humungous.

Apparently, it's split
into several buildings.

We've just come out of
the arrivals building.

It is only like
a five, ten minute walk

to Victoria railway station.

(HAPPY MUSIC)

(MUSIC ENDS)

(TRAFFIC NOISE)

G: Well, I have really enjoyed that.

What an experience
riding FlixBus

for the first time.

Even with the...
kid in front of us

pretending to be half-duck
the whole way,

throwing cake at my shoes!
(LAUGHS)

But anyways, I tell you what,

I didn't get a single bit
of travel sickness

the whole way down just then.
I mean,

I don't think I've ever had that
on a coach before.

I think the newer modern seats

really did help with that as well.

And I have been left wondering,
actually like,

what happens if you need a poo?

Because you literally had to
put the toilet paper

in an open bin
at the side of the toilet.

Anyways, let's leave that one
to imagination.

Thank you very much
for watching, everyone!

Byesie byes!