Looking for somewhere to go, but don’t fancy driving (or can’t drive – we're not forgetting about you lot) or braving the trains during strike season? Coach day trips are the next best thing – they're comfy and familiar (such a throwback to school trips too).
If you’re interested in coach travel because of the irresistible bargain prices, you may as well check out some of our other cheap day out hacks – we’re kind of connoisseurs on the matter (humble brag).
These locations are well-connected and well worth a visit, and they won’t break the bank – seriously, could you ask for anything else?
Now, we couldn’t talk about coach trips without bringing up the go-to location, could we? London is a bucket-list spot for all tourists, and for good reason – from revolutionary eateries and funky pubs to huge museums and famous landmarks, London pretty much has it all.
The good news is that the capital is well connected – as you’d expect – so you can pretty much get there from every corner of the country. National Express has services from loads of locations, so you won’t be short of a coach to London town.
There are loads of things to do (that aren’t just walking round) too, London really hits the nail on the head in-terms of interactive experiences. Fancy learning about the gruesome history of the capital, and getting hung at the end of it? Look no further than the London Dungeon.
If you’re touring with kids, avoid the dungeon (and all possible following nightmares), and instead head to Shrek’s Adventure! London – where the young’uns will meet their favourite Dreamworks characters.
If you’re already in London and looking for an escape from the city air, National Express has a direct service to Newquay – where you can live that surfer life for a day or two. If you don’t wanna get into the sea (completely understandable), there are lots of other must-do's – from visiting Trenance Gardens (a subtropical paradise) to taste-testing 40 Cornish pasties (basically compulsory).
Do you (or your little ones) just love animals? Newquay Zoo needs to claim a spot on your hitlist – and with over 130 species you won’t be short of stuff to see and animals to meet.
If it’s summertime and you’re craving a (child-friendly) adrenaline kick, Flambards Theme Park is just an hour away from Newquay – and is handily located on both the train and bus route.
Let’s be honest, why wouldn’t you wanna go to Newquay? It’s great all year round too (and less busy in the cooler months). It’s definitely our favourite coach trip to the seaside.
Now we bet you weren’t expecting that to be our next option. National Express’ overnight option really pulls through for travelling to Belfast, so get comfy and be prepared to wake up in Northern Ireland.
With the main route starting in London and arriving in Belfast city-centre, there are tonnes of places to hop on along the way – Birmingham, Manchester, Carlisle and Dumfries are just a few examples.
There are loads of unique and fun things to do in Belfast, but our favourites must be visiting Titanic Belfast (for the historic gems) and St Georges Market (for eating artisanal bread and gift-buying). While you're in the city, we reckon you should make the trip out (come on, it's only 20-minutes) to Royal Hillsborough Castle & Gardens - it's definitelty best during summer months though.
Belfast is quite the cultural hub, but it’s also a party town (for those of legal drinking age) and there’s loads of cool spots to check out – it's a perfect student city, if that’s your jam.
So, why wouldn’t you wanna travel to Belfast?
With services from London, Manchester, Aberdeen and Birmingham, Glasgow is a must-see city. Glasgow is often forgotten about, with Edinburgh attracts three times more visitors than Glasgow each year (despite being a smaller city) – but to that we say no more.
There are tonnes of things to do in Glasgow, and a lot of them are free (making this a fab weekend getaway whilst your purse strings are tight).
A city that embraces its street art, follow the trail of murals scattered across the walls of the city centre. There’s artwork from acclaimed street artists like Ali Wyllie, Art Pistol and Ejek – so get exploring.
If you’re into museums, Glasgow is the place for you – with over 28 of them across the city, wild right? They’re your typical museums either, they’ve got everything from zoological specimens (at the Hunterian Museum) to vintage cars (at the Riverside Museum, often called ‘Glasgow’s Guggenheim’).
And, if you’re not feeling coach travel, we’ve collected our favourite days out from London which you can easily access by car and train too, there’s something for everyone.
At Days Out, you can book the UK’s best attractions (y’know the proper FOMO inducing ones?) -- we know where’s perfect for you. Find your next adventure.