National Holidays Get On Board and Win A Mystery Coach Trip Ends 12/08

Friday, 13 July 2018

When I was young coach holidays were all the rage. I remember many a Summer going on day trips with my mum on the coach. No one really went on a plane then, and flights were very expensive compared to today.

Fast forward thirty-something years and coach holidays are having a bit of a resurgence. With 5 million people taking coach holidays a year, I thought it was time to check out coach holidays in 2018.

Our coach

National Holidays is one such coach provider. Offering a range of holidays across the UK, Ireland and Europe, it's a cost-effective way to travel without the hassle of a plane journey.

So when National Holidays invited me and my friend and blogger Sally Akins on a mystery trip, I threw all caution to the wind and said: "Why not!?".

Mystery trip

An early start for a 7.30 AM pick-up from Manchester wasn't fine, excitement kept me awake! Gary our driver was cheery and explained the safety procedures. All coaches are fitted with safety belts and you are encouraged to use them.

Comfy seats inside

The seats are very comfortable, padded and soft, there is plenty of legroom, a footrest and a tray for you to use. The coach is air-conditioned too which was great news as it must have been the hottest day of the year.

With an onboard toilet for your convenience

So we headed off on our mystery trip. I already knew it would be a two-day trip and a 4-5 hour journey to our first point as they tell you that information when you book.

The people on board the coach were a mix of ages, the youngest being about 6 with the oldest in their 80s, which surprised me as I expected a much older crowd.

We were like naughty schoolgirls being seated at the back of the coach and I must say there was a lively crowd there, but it was all part of the fun.

Our first stop at the services

My friend Sally Akins joined me on the trip, check out her travel and lifestyle blog aimed at the over 40's. During the trip, we had fun trying to guess where we were going. Initially, we thought it was London and a trip to the Warner Bros Studios as it was a similar early start with National Holidays. However as we went further on the trip, it appeared we were heading towards Birmingham, so Cadbury's World was our next guess.

Gary played along and teased the coach trippers without giving too much away to where we were going.

Before we knew it, we got to the destination... and as we were driving up, Gary told us, it was Stratford-upon-Avon!

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town with over 800 years of history and with many buildings that still survive today.

William Shakespeare's birthplace

It's also famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare. You can visit the house where the world-famous playwright was born and grew up and visit several attractions related to him.

The river festival

It was very busy when we were there as the Stratford-upon-Avon river festival was on - a two-day free festival, with stalls selling a variety of crafts, and local food and drink. With live music playing it was a great event.

We had a fabulous lunch in a local cafe and wandered around the town, stopping for an ice-cream and a sit under a tree in the shade.

Bedroom

After our three hours here, it was time to get back on the coach and drive to our hotel. Our hotel was an hour's drive away in Northampton.

The Holiday Inn Northampton is a three-star hotel, one of the slightly older Holiday Inn but still good quality accommodation.

The room had a modern bathroom with shower, sink and toilet and a double bed with a TV and a desk. Free-Wi-Fi as well was provided which is always a plus.

Shower room

So after a shower, I went down to the restaurant for dinner.

Our trip included dinner, bed and breakfast and that night we had a buffet dinner in the hotel. The dinner consisted of salad, soup, main course and dessert and was surprisingly tasty. You never know what a buffet dinner will be like but it was really good. The salad was fresh and had a light Ceasar salad dressing, the carrot soup was seasoned well, and the main course options included a four cheese and spinach ravioli, spaghetti bolognese, and a chicken tikka masala. Something for everyone. I particularly rated the spaghetti bolognese. It wasn't Michelin star food but it was good for the price.

So that night after a comfortable sleep I went down to breakfast. Breakfast was a buffet and consisted of cereals, fruit, yoghurt and pastries. Also, a cooked breakfast served buffet style was tasty and hot.

Day two and ready to go to ... the Cotswolds

After checking out, we were on the bus for day two. Again we didn't know where we were going until the driver told us - the Cotswolds.

Our first stop was Bourton-on-the-Water. An idyllic Cotswolds village, known for its low bridges and traditional stone houses, it's very picturesque and known as 'The Venice Of The Cotswolds". There are also several attractions for you to while away an hour or two including the Cotswold Motor Museum, Birdland - home to many species of birds and life-size model dinosaurs and The Dragonfly Maze.

Bourton-on-the-Water

Sally and I strolled around the little village and stopped for tea and cake. Well, it would be rude not to wouldn't it?

You are spoilt for choice for little tea shops, cafes and restaurants in Bourton-on-the-Water, most with a view on the river so I would suggest you sit down with a cake or cream tea and enjoy the view. We stopped at the Green and Pleasant cafe. The only thing that bothered me a little was how busy the village was on a sunny Sunday.

A rare photo of me in Bourton-on-the-Water

After our stop here, it was a short drive to the last village, a village I hadn't visited before called Broadway.

Broadway

Broadway is a little village with a population of approximately 2500. All the shops are independent, and the pretty high street is lined with lush chestnut trees. You can tell the wealthy live here, outside one of the pubs were two Mclaren cars, a Ferrari and a Lamborgini!

Broadway

Even the grocers had a touch of class in Broadway - look at the beautifully displayed fruit.

What was especially nice about this little village, is that it doesn't attract the number of visitors that Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold do, so even on a sunny Sunday it was still enjoyable to walk around and explore.

Broadway

After a stroll around and a stop for lunch, it was back on the bus for us.

This was the end of our trip and next was the drive back to Manchester.

So what did I think of the mystery trip, you may be wondering? I think a mystery trip with National Holidays is suited to someone who wants a little adventure and is on a budget. The trip was well priced - I spoke to a lady who said she booked it on special offer and it was less than £60. That is, I think you could say, an utter bargain! Ok, you are not getting a five-star hotel but when you consider you get two day trips, one night in a hotel, dinner and breakfast for that, then for the price, that is hard to beat.

It's been a long time since I have taken a coach trip and I honestly was impressed with the comfortable seats, leg room, Wi-Fi and air conditioning. There was also a toilet on board. We stopped every 2 hours or so for a break and a drink but if you wanted water, Gary the driver sold bottles for 50 pence. Gary also acted as our tour guide and had a great line in banter. His driving was great, and I felt very safe too. So important on a coach trip.

Back to our drop-off point

If you are looking to take a trip exploring the UK or Europe then with my experience I can honestly say National Holidays offer a great service. I hope to try a trip to Europe with them in the future, perhaps a trip to Rome and Sorrento in Italy, or the Black Forest in Germany. So my overall experience is that I feel I can recommend National Holidays to my readers, a company that offers well-priced coach holidays in comfort.

Today on my blog I am giving you the chance to win a mystery coach trip with National Holidays! Entry is via the Gleam app below and is free to enter. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram too, for updates and competitions. Why don't you bookmark the page and come back for a daily entry? Good luck!

Terms and conditions

You must be 18 + to enter

Open to entrants in the UK only

One entry per household

The winner will be contacted within 7 days of the competition ending.

If I do not hear from the winner within 28 days I reserve the right to redraw

The holiday must be taken within 12 months of the prize winner being announced.

The prize is one Mystery Weekend Special break with National Holidays for two adults.

The dates and pick-up destinations are limited based on availability.

The prize includes transport from the selected pick-up destination to the hotel and return travel back to the original pick-up destination with reserved seating, one-night dinner, bed and breakfast in select hotel accommodation and a fully inclusive touring itinerary.

The prize is as stated and cannot be exchanged for an alternative trip or a monetary value. The prize is non-transferable

Travel to the departure point is not included

It is the winner's responsibility to ensure they have travel insurance

Ends 2018-08-12 11:59:59 PM

Tell me, have you gone on a coach holiday? Would you try a mystery trip?

*Sponsored post, all words and opinions are my own