National Express...What jokers...Anyone else use them on Gold cup day?

I wouldn't want to seem funny, but you must be off your head to:

A. Use national express
B. Take a 9am ride
C. Not take the advice of the forum

Having taken the national express for 5 years on the spin from Heathrow, I never once arrived later, nor ever bothered by the 20 minute walk from the town. In addition, it's by far the most cost effective way to get to the races if drinking.

The only 2 years I took the train, I got delayed both times, having paid an extautionate amount for the pleasure, the first time having to run from Cheltenham Spa to arrive literally 2 minutes before the triumph.

In my opinion, the only way to ensure you get there on time is to:

A. Stay overnight, expensive but some deals can be found last minute.
B. Take the national express, train, but leave at 7.30am...get to the town in good time, get a full english and relax.
C. Drive

All in all, I understand your frustration, but would have to say you are in part to blame - the fact you took the old boy is neither here nor there...one might argue that you should have been more organised.

..mr ramjam cheese , customer services liason , national express ! .. suspect you will be lucky to get a fiver voucher eagle. good luck.

Never mind all that. What about the year it was so windy we lost a day? I wasn't allowed to land my chopper at the course on the Friday and had to get a taxi cab 6 miles!!!! I almost missed the fish course.

Ramjam...are you some sort of an idiot...As I live abroad it was impossible for me to arrive any earlier in the uk.The issue here is very simple.Why offer a service if you can not deliver?This was booked as a package through the racecourse web-site and this was the earliest coach they offered.I was more than prepared to leave earlier.I know things happen, but for the driver to have 'driven his hours' after only 3 1/2 hours is totally unacceptable.I am sure they have done this trip many times and would have an idea of how long it takes.Of course it matters whether I am with an elderly person or not.I can quite easily walk the distance,but not everyone can.I never for one moment expected to arrive anywhere near 11.30am but neither did I expect to be kicked off the coach and told I have to walk.

Here is a tip for next time. Don't go Gold Cup day. Leave at 8.30. It's no good arriving into Cheltenham when everyone else does the place is a nightmare anyway without the festival traffic.

Very unlikely that the driver had hit his driving limit.  If he'd hit the weekly or fortnightly limit he wouldn't have been able to drive it back (I presume same driver brought you back?) Same applies to daily limit.  24 hour limit can be breached by 1 hour would only be an issue if had already happened that week and the 4.5 hour continuous rule only an issue if he had started driving at 7.50am, was Victoria the first stop?

Solution A - get earlier flight or arrive day previous?

In addition, would you rather have a lethargic driver whom for all you know might have worked a 12 hour day before piloting your coach? Would you rather that, a tired driver negligent, possibly compromising the safety of all individuals on the coach? Ridiculous.

Solution B - don't buy lazy and exorbitant packages, do the ground work yourself and make your own arrangements which best suit you and your elderly guest.

All in all, I am not the idiot - your dreadfully lazy planning and blaze' attitude to the number of hours worked by someone who has the welfare of the masses in his hands stinks of blame culture.

I bet your favourite music artist is Blamey Winehouse!

i assume that everyone on the coach was festival bound? bearing that in mind how the hell did the driver escape with his bollocks intact once he told you all to feck off and walk, whilst he quietly sat down to his flask and sarnies.!!!