TransitSurfer

 Recently I went to Cheltenham to make the most of the 4-day Easter weekend, and to save costs I decided to take a Coach on the return journey. This also allowed me to try National Express for the first time in quite a long time, so I thought that it would be interesting to compare the train against the coach. Great Western Railway (Train): My train at Cheltenham Spa The first advantage of the train was the ability to make free reservations, which guaranteed that I would have a seat on the train. Unfortunately, I was travelling in standard class on a GWR IET. The first issue was the platform, which was not announced till less than 10 minutes before departure, which was a big issue since the train was at the other end of the platform, requiring a dash to make sure I didn't miss it. This specific train was quite cheap at £18.50 for a standard class ticket, although most services are more expensive, ranging from £20-40. This journey would take 1 hour and 59 minutes, faster than the co...

 As a transport enthusiast, whenever I go on holiday, I always check out what the buses are like. The variety between all of them is quite interesting. For example, Brussels doesn't have as many buses thanks to its excellent tram system whereas Hong Kong, despite having a large Metro system still has an expansive bus network which is quite competitive with the MTR. But the question which often bugs me is this: Why are double-decker buses so rare outside the UK? To help answer this question, I've set up a list of pros and cons for double deckers. But First... I'm aware that there are other places that use double deckers, most notably Singapore & Hong Kong. However, most places prefer articulated buses (such almost all of Europe).  Advantages: One of London's many Double-Decker buses  - Double Decker Buses have more seats than articulated buses which have a larger proportion of standing passengers at full load  - Double Decker Buses have a smaller length than artic...