A fantastic opportunity has landed on my lap by sheer chance. I took a PCV licence a few years ago and never used it, I saw a coach drivers job advertised on indeed for UK and contintal holiday/tour drivers. I applied for it expecting nothing to come of it as I am an LGV driver, well they not only came back to me but offered me the job based on my LGV experience. Now the wage is ok but I feel I will really enjoy the work more than what I am doing now. I am going away with an experienced driver next week for my first holiday job, always wanted to do European work but never had the opportunity. I would never have thought I would be doing this in a coach, has anyone else done this work before and should I be as happy without realising the downside?
If you are or can become a people person then it will be a rewarding job. The wage is lower but there are freebies along the way. Just listen and learn.
alamcculloch:
If you are or can become a people person then it will be a rewarding job. The wage is lower but there are freebies along the way. Just listen and learn.
I am a people person, good sense of humour etc, thanks for the positive reply.
I have never done it but from what I have read the downside is the accommodation in the hotels. The complaints arise from the difficulty sleeping because of the noise.
Yes I’ve done it before. Extensively.
I’ll say no more on the matter as you’re seeking positivity.
cav551:
I have never done it but from what I have read the downside is the accommodation in the hotels. The complaints arise from the difficulty sleeping because of the noise.
How can any* hotel be worse than sleeping in a cab?
*I.e. one that is being used by a tour company to send people on holiday to.
Sounds great YT, enjoy your holidays!
stu675:
cav551:
I have never done it but from what I have read the downside is the accommodation in the hotels. The complaints arise from the difficulty sleeping because of the noise.How can any* hotel be worse than sleeping in a cab?
*I.e. one that is being used by a tour company to send people on holiday to.
Sounds great YT, enjoy your holidays!
Club 18/30 type trips won`t be full of people wanting a good nights kip before going home the next day…
Franglais:
stu675:
cav551:
I have never done it but from what I have read the downside is the accommodation in the hotels. The complaints arise from the difficulty sleeping because of the noise.How can any* hotel be worse than sleeping in a cab?
*I.e. one that is being used by a tour company to send people on holiday to.
Sounds great YT, enjoy your holidays!
Club 18/30 type trips won`t be full of people wanting a good nights kip before going home the next day…
I thought there was a minimum age limit of 65 before you were admitted onto a coach?
It’ll be all Darby and Joan trips, full of old people stinking of ■■■■, and moaning how expensive things are. 
Ken.
Looks fun, I’d doo it if it didn’t involve dealing with random people and their moods
Been on a couple of trips with a national travel company this year, first driver hit practically every kerb between Hull, Castleford, Leeds, Wakefield and Weston -Super - Mare and the second driver didn’t appear to understand that lane 1 on the motorways was there for coaches to use. Lost count of the amount of cars passing down his nearside.
The drivers make a bit from tips and get a room and are fed and watered. Made me and our lass feel like juveniles as the average age on both trips was approx 75 but once at destination we did our own thing!
Good luck YT. If it excites you then you’ve made the right choice. You may well end up hating it but at least you’ll not be wondering “what if……”. Anyway, even if you don’t like it you don’t have to stay. Look on the bright side, you’ll soon embrace the smell of ■■■■ and cabbage 
All the best mate
Edit to add; the beauty of this job is that the load tips and loads itself. Win win.
Hope your single, my cousin did it and loved it.
Right now I’ve got some more time and a few people have mentioned stuff I’ll say my bit.
PRO
You’ll see some fantastic places and meet some great people.
You will be able to say you’ve done it.
CONS
The hours are long, as in 21hr double man scrambles down to Salou and the likes.
You are not just a driver. You are the one who people come to if there’s an issue in their hotel room at 2am or if there’s not enough towels etc etc. You’re also the one the hotel comes too when two of your party end up squabbling because they’ve had too many shandy drinks.
You are the one who cleans up after the festering cesspit tyies that take a coach trip. They will sit in their own filth all day then complain if its not clean the next day. That includes dropping cleaning and refilling the toilet. I recall once being in coach park in Amsterdam and watching one of my punters turds poeticly glide along the tarmac amid a sea of blue water and mashed up bog roll wondering where id gone wrong in life. Obviously this is done in your own time off pay because at the end of the tour…
Tips. You’ll need then to make a bit of money. It was once reasonably easy to make a decent bit on the side, but the likes of Shearings put paid to that with all in options. So now to be worthy if a tip you have to kiss the arse of Brian and Jan all week, laugh at the same ■■■■ joke every time and so on, all so you can get £3 because it was a lot of money in 1933 
Kickbacks used to be a thing too. Once upon a time you’d take a coach to somewhere, say Barcelona. They’d have maybe a few days planned but would also have lay days, the sensible driver would use those to run optional tours. Taking Barcelona as an example I did it often enough to get tours at a special rate, I’d offer them out at just below market rates and me and the agent would split the difference. The boss was fine so long as I replaced the diesel which was never too much because I never went far from base.
School trips, mainly ski flyers. Reference my second point… the teachers go awol and switch off leaving you to deal with any issues with the kids.
There is no such thing as a 45 minute break at the services. If you want a 45 minute break, legally, you’ll be there at least 90 minutes. You ever seen a coachload of silver surfers disembarking at a MSA? It is NOT a quick process. You’ve got to go through it again to get them back on. And make sure they’re all back.
OVERALL
By all means go for it, I’m glad I did it but I’m also glad I quit it. If its a euro itch why not try something like EuroLines? It’s intercity coach travel across Europe so you get to see the fun stuff but you’re carrying people who want to go from A to B, generally know what they’re doing to get from A to B and you don’t need to get to know them at point B because they’re off and away. That was probably the job I liked most doing euro coaching.
Reckon you will love the change, especially if you are a people person I did it for a while and absolutely loved it. Be cheery and humour any moaners but if you are cheery they are less likely to moan. Be helpful when you can and the pot at the end is usually better.
I was lucky because my wage did not change as who I worked for had trucks and coaches. It really is a refreshing change after driving trucks for years.
Not for everyone of course. School runs and driving buses round towns I never fancied at all and would rather drive a truck any day but what you have got sounds great.
School trips, mainly ski flyers. Reference my second point… the teachers go awol and switch off leaving you to deal with any issues with the kids.
I doubt that happens very often for obvious reasons and if it was happening to me I would NOT let it happen. EVER.
toonsy:
Right now I’ve got some more time and a few people have mentioned stuff I’ll say my bit.
Thank you for this insight, I am a bit green with coaches, points noted.
toonsy:
Yes I’ve done it before. Extensively.I’ll say no more on the matter as you’re seeking positivity.
Rather hear the real ins and outs mate as I havent a clue at the moment, I go away Mon to Fri next week and seen the itineray and involves day trips each day.
jakethesnake:
School trips, mainly ski flyers. Reference my second point… the teachers go awol and switch off leaving you to deal with any issues with the kids.I doubt that happens very often for obvious reasons and if it was happening to me I would NOT let it happen. EVER.
I have been told we have plenty of these sking trips to Switzerland booked in and my name is definately on a few of them. Its taking the rich kids away with school.