A couple of months ago I headed to Rotterdam for the #Traverse18. I was a little short on money having just come back from Bali, so I decided the best option would be to book a coach there as it saved me an incredible £200.
Having travelled by coach before, I didn’t really think it would be *too* difficult and thought it would actually be quite nice to jump on a coach in London, the jump off at my destination. No waiting, no airport security and basically no fuss.
I am going to write a post on my whether or not I thought the coach journey was worth the difference in price very very soon, however, I thought I’d write a little something on what it was like to travel on a coach as someone who is plus size.
The seats are VERY small
As imagined, in an attempt to fit as many people as they can into one coach, the seats are very very small. When sat next to someone there is definitely a lack of personal space, however, I haven’t found it to be TOO uncomfortable yet. I think it really depends on the coach as I have found some coaches to be tighter on space, however, if you’re booking with companies such as National Express, MegaBus and FlixBus, they tend to be a little bigger.
There is not a lot of leg room
As well as the seats being quite small, there isn’t much leg room. I’m size 24 and there was enough room for my knees not to be pushed up against the seat in front when I was sat up straight, however when I was trying to get comfy to sleep (I was on an overnight coach), it was a little more difficult. It also wasn’t ideal sitting by the window where I couldn’t stretch my leg out as it meant my bad knee was really sore after a couple of hours.
If you’ve got a long journey, I’d 100% recommend the aisle seat.
Don’t even think about using the toilet
I think it goes without saying but the toilet on a coach is not only gross, but it’s far too small for someone who is plus size. Well, at a size 24 it’s definitely too small for me.
The great thing, however, is that there are plenty of stops and opportunities to go to the bathroom, so if you’re on a long journey you won’t completely be deprived if nature calls…
People will be less likely to sit next to you
This may just be my mind telling me so, but I find that the seat next to me is always one of the last to fill up. In some cases it can be great because you end up with two seats to yourself, however, it can be a bit of a confidence knock.
There are plenty of stops
As I mentioned in previous points, when it comes to a longer journey there are plenty of stops when it comes to border control, queuing for the ferry, stopping at service stations and additional stops. This gives you lots of time get off the bus, stretch your legs, use the toilet or just have a quick wander around (depending on how long you have, sometimes it can be up to two hours). I think without these breaks, the journey would have been unbearable for someone who is straight sized, let alone plus size.
Despite there being a lot of negative aspects to coach travel while plus size, I don’t think it’s enough to put me off. It’s much cheaper to travel this way and sometimes considerably less hassle in terms of security etc. I’m definitely planning on a coach trip throughout Europe at some point too!
Kirsty Leanne
xoxo
