The day I got sent to Coventry

 In May 2024 I decided to see which Bus was better value when travelling from Leicester to Coventry and return. Here is how it went.



Marc got sent to Coventry.


So, back in the day there used to be a direct train service connecting Leicester and Coventry, via Nuneaton and avoiding Birmingham. Journeys took about 45 minutes and it was very convenient. So of course it was scrapped and the rail link removed, now passengers have to change at Nuneaton or Birmingham and it's a right Royal pain in the arse.


However there are two bus services between Leicester and Coventry now, the express X6 operated by Arriva that goes via Fosse Park and Hinckley, and the 148 operates by Stagecoach that goes via everysoddingwhere it seems.


So May 12th 2024 I was a bit bored and decided to do them both and see which was the better service to get to/from Coventry. 


There are only three interesting things about Coventry 


1, About 700 years ago a woman rode a horse naked through the centre...she was naked, not the horse...well I suppose technically the horse was as well.


2, It was so far from the front lines in the Civil War that being sent there was a punishment or reward depending on your viewpoint.


3, The Luftwaffe was onto something when they tried to flatten it in the second world war.


So I rocked up at St Margaret's bus station, found my X6 and boarded, the bus/coach was about half full at most during the entire journey. After a trundle down Narborough Road to Fosse Park we were soon on the M69 motorway, the coach itself didn't have any mod cons, an Air con that was barely deserving of the name, no charging points and the light button may as well have been painted on, still the seat was comfy and it reclined, happy days. The driver was also playing classical music and you haven't lived until you've the Theme from Titanic on Panpipes 🤣.


Eventually we got into Coventry Pool Meadows coach station, journey took about an hour and 15 minutes. Conversation on the coach was muted but I did hear a phone call from a chap talking about how he was "gonna finger blast the bridesmaid at the wedding"....I hope he wasn't the Groom.


So after a quick visit to Greggs I found the bus stop for the 148 back to Leicester, a regular bus this one did have a charging point but uncomfy seats and someone talking about how Star Wars isn't as good as Pokémon...ok.


We spent an hour.....a fucking hour trundling around towns and estates picking up the finest chavs the West Midlands have got to offer before we got to Nuneaton, only halfway through. We then spent an hour and a half trundling through towns in Warwickshire and Leicestershire and my arse was getting numb, beyond numb, whatever it was feeling it should be the new form of anaesthetic for operations.


Eventually we rolled back into St Margarets bus station at 16.20....two and a half hours after we left Coventry....fuck doing that again.


So which is better? Well it depends, if you're traveling to Hinckley or to Coventry I'd say the X6 as it's quicker but no charging points and no WiFi. And while the 148 was far busier it spends an age trundling around towns and I was the only one who did it end to end but it does have charging points and a cool light on the back of seats but the seats aren't comfy. 


The bus fares were £2 each way (Now £3) which is a bargain but honestly.......get the train and deal with the hassle of changing at Nuneaton, it's still probably quicker.






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