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Long-distance bus ( National Express )
Ticket reservation and how to ride
Even in Japan, a long-distance bus that is popular with a wide range of people because of its convenience and good cost performance. Even in the UK, its price (about £ 5 one way at a low price) is attractive and very popular. Tickets are obtained in almost the same way as in Japan, so here we will introduce a long-distance bus system that specializes in transportation from ordinary routes and airports.
This time, I will explain how to purchase a round-trip ticket from Leicester to London.
Long-distance buses are called coaches in the United Kingdom. Long-distance bus stops and train stations are often far apart, so check the location in advance.
The site will be from here. → National Express (The largest long-distance bus company in the UK)
Leicester's long-distance bus stop is St Margaret Coach Station . 5 minutes walk from the city center shopping mall. It is less than 10 minutes walk from Leicester station.
There is a taxi stand in front of theNational Express stop.
Please note: This bus station is a very busy and safe area as it is close to the shopping mall during the day and is visited by a large number of short-distance and long-distance bus passengers, but the number of bus services decreases at night. I'm sure there are some people who feel uneasy because there aren't many people passing by. Especially if you arrive at Leicester after 8 pm, if you have a taxi, you may have to wait for a taxi by yourself. In winter, it will be sunset at 5 pm , so if you plan to use it after dark, please consider acting as a group or having someone pick you up .
You can jump to the explanation of each reservation method from the icon below.
How to get on and book a long-distance bus that connects cities
The long-distance bus stop in London is London Victoria Coach Station . It is about a 5-minute walk from Victoria Subway Station, which is the hub station of the subway. The time required from Leicester differs by about 1 hour between rush hour and normal time, but if it is early on the weekend, it will arrive in London in the shortest 2 hours and 20 minutes. (It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes by train)
It is a 15-minute walk from here to Buckingham Palace, so the popular route is to head for Buckingham Palace when you first arrive.
1. 1. Go to the site. National Express
When you enter from the above site, the following screen will appear. If you want to make a round-trip purchase, select Return . Type Leicester and you'll see " Leicester St Margaret " " Coach Station " will appear, so select it. In the same way, type London and select London Victoria Coach Station .
2 . Enter the date and time.
If you click the calendar mark at the date and time, the following calendar will appear. If you know the time, please select it. When you have completed all the entries, click " Find my journey " to go to the payment screen and pay by credit card.
You will be asked if you have a seat reservation, but if you go early on the day, you will not be able to sit down, so I don't think it is necessary.
3. 3. Bring your ticket on the day
When the reservation is completed, a ticket will be sent to your email address. Show this to the driver on the day and board the bus. Normally, it is operated only by the driver, so you cannot ask questions while driving. If you have any concerns about your destination, please ask at this time. It is safe to print the ticket just in case, as there may be unexpected situations such as not being able to connect to Wifi on the day.
Four. Tips for avoiding traffic jams in London and arriving at your destination early
Early morning flights are accurate on time, but can be quite delayed depending on the time of day and traffic conditions on the day.
Most of this delay is the distance from entering London to arriving at Victoria Station, so if you're in a hurry, get off at the London Finchley Road Station , which is just before that, and then take the subway ( Jubilee Line or Metropolitan Line ). ) , You can arrive without getting caught in the traffic jams in London.
However, not all flights from Leicester go through that stop, and in addition, if you do not select that stop as your final destination when making a reservation, you will change your schedule to "get off here" on the day. Even if you ask for it suddenly, you will not be able to take it down.
In addition, when getting off the bus in this way, it is a prerequisite that only the baggage to be brought into the bus and no baggage to be checked in the trunk of the bus .
AirportBus
For the basic reservation method, please refer to " Long-distance buses connecting cities ".
Airport buses can be booked from this site. Airport Transfer
If you book your airport bus from Japan in advance, you will receive a servicecalled'Change & Go'for an additional £ 5. This service guarantees that even if your flight is later than your scheduled arrival time, you can take any bus on the same route for 12 hours before or after your reservation.
You can buy a bus ticket at the counter after arriving at the airport without making a reservation in advance, but in this case you may have to wait for the next bus if the desired bus has reached capacity. Buses are fewer than trains, so you may have to wait a few hours depending on the time of day.
From Birmingham Airport to Leicester
Birmingham Airport is much smaller than Heathrow Airport, so it takes less time from arrival at the airport to immigration and picking up your luggage. In addition, the long-distance bus stop is right in front of the airport terminal! (See the map below: Bus stop G) The biggest advantage is that you can go to Leicester immediately after a long flight.
Leicester's " Leicester St Margaret " can be reached in about an hour by coach from Birmingham Airport. You will arrive at Coach Station . In Lester, there is a taxi stand in front of the bus stop, which is convenient. (*** Avoid arriving late at night if possible)
It takes about an hour and a half by train from Birmingham Airport to Leicester, and you have to change trains once at a train station in Birmingham, which is quite inconvenient if you have a large baggage. However, as you can see, it may take 2 hours by bus depending on the time of day, so it can be said that which is better on a case-by-case basis.
Buses don't transfer from Birmingham Airport to Leicester, and trains cost around £ 9 compared to £ 15.90 (weekend prices, around £ 20 on weekdays). Depending on the time of day, some buses are worth less than £ 3.
There is one bus every 1-2 hours from 4 am to 10:30 pm, so there is time to buy dinner and breakfast the next day until the bus arrives at the airport convenience store, so put it in the accommodation facility. After that, it is recommended for those who want to take a shower and go to bed ... and start the first day of England easily.
The National Express (long-distance bus) stop at Birmingham Airport is right in front of the airport
From Heathrow Airport to Leicester
Here's how to get from Heathrow Airport to Leicester by coach.
If you have already entered London from Heathrow Airport and then moved to Leicester, please use the long-distance bus. Please refer to " How to get on a long-distance bus connecting cities and how to make a reservation ", and if you are traveling by train, please refer to " How to buy a train ticket " to get a ticket. You don't have to return to Heathrow Airport again from London.
Heathrow Airport is a huge airport with five terminals. Terminals 1 to 3 are adjacent to each other, and you can walk between airports. On the other hand, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 are located slightly apart because they are terminals that were newly established due to the expansion of the scale, and the subway and buses will be used to move between them. ..
This Heathrow Airport has a Central Bus Station , from which you can travel across the UK, including London, Leicester and Oxford. It's a small bus station that's hard to imagine from the size of Heathrow Airport, so once you get here, you'll know where to get to each bus.
The Central Bus Station is located in the middle of Terminals 1-3, so if you want to use Terminals 1-3 you will need to walk to the Central Bus Station. ( See Central Bus Station Map ). As an image, you will leave each terminal and descend from the building in front to the basement, and you will feel the underground passage for a while.
Since there are almost no signboards inside the airport, many people arrive with a large amount of luggage at a loss. Therefore, it is advisable to book a ticket with plenty of time or a ticket that can be changed. (refer to the following)
Terminals 4 and 5 have their own stops, so you can use them if you wait there without having to move to Central Bus Station . However, the bus stop may differ depending on the flight, so it is important to check when making a reservation .
Reservation method
For the basic reservation method, please refer to " Long-distance buses connecting cities ".
You can make a reservation from this site. Airport Transfer
If you book your airport bus from Japan in advance, you will receive a servicecalled'Change & Go'for an additional £ 5. This service guarantees that even if your flight is later than your scheduled arrival time, you can take any bus on the same route for 12 hours before or after your reservation.
You can buy a bus ticket at the counter after arriving at the airport without making a reservation in advance, but in this case you may have to wait for the next bus if the desired bus has reached capacity. Buses are fewer than trains, so you may have to wait a few hours depending on the time of day.
** Please note: The above information is current as of December 2019, so it is expected that there will be changes and revisions when booking your ticket. We are not responsible for any problems, purchase of wrong tickets, refunds, etc. using the above information, so please use the information as a reference and make a reservation at your own risk.