To send my 19 yo niece to Heathrow by coach?

[WildflowerMarmalade]

My 19 yo niece is coming to visit the UK from abroad. She has had a very sheltered upbringing as she lives in South Africa where it is too dangerous for her to travel far on her own.

She will be staying with me in London before travelling to stay with my parents up North. She will then need to travel back to Heathrow alone to get a flight. I have suggested she travel by coach. DH says it is not safe and you get dodgy people on coaches. AIBU? Is it safe on the coach or not?

My reasons for her travelling by coach not train are that it will be easier for her to change coaches at Victoria ( Mchr - Lndn Victoria then Lndn Victoria - Heathrow). When I take her to get on the coach to Manchester we can look together where to go for the Heathrow coach. This seems less stressful for her than getting a train and then having to get the Tube across London to get the Heathrow Express. Also it is cheaper - and she is planning to pay for it herself.

[grabaspoon]

Coach is fine and a much cheaper alternative

[NigellasDealer]

'you get dodgy people on coaches' what planet does your husband live on?
of course it is safe on the coach.

[FlossieTreadlight]

Completely fine on coaches

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

I travelled alone on the coach from up North to down South when I was 16. It was fine no dodgy people at all.

[wowfudge]

FGS - thousands of people must make that journey every day without incident. If she is at all concerned she can sit near the front and the driver.

[turgiday]

Coach will be much easier for her. As she has led a very sheltered life, she may find navigating the tube much harder.

[MexicanSpringtime]

Dodgy people on coaches! Your husband has obviously also had a sheltered life. He needs to get out more

[PavlovtheCat]

I think for someone who has led a 'sheltered life' your proposal which takes her from one part of a coach station to another part of the same station is far more sensible than her travelling from the coach station, on a tube to another unfamiliar station to get on a train which is bigger and full of more people than the coach will be.

[Chottie]

She will be fine. My DC have travelled all over the country by train and coach since their late teens.

Coaches are fine. Agree with PP re. 'dodgy people' comments from your DH.

[PavlovtheCat]

…is a good one.

[elQuintoConyo]

Unsafe on a coach? Does your husband think she's travelling route 66 on a Greyhound?

I've been all over the place by bus, wonderful things when you're young

[PavlovtheCat]

She is flying half way around the world on her own though right?

[beccajoh]

Victoria coach station is easy enough. Just look at the screens to see which gate your coach departs from, then go and wait. I've been on the coaches a few times and never had any problems travelling on them. You could get some equally weird people anywhere.

[TheFairyCaravan]

I think it is an excellent idea.

DS1(19) had to go to Edinburgh by train recently (from the East Midlands), he had to change 4 times going and 3 times going back. It was at different stations on both journeys, too.

We had bets on if he'd get manage, tbh!

[ssd]

good grief, don't know who is worse, your dh for saying that about coaches or you for coming on here and asking that op

your neice soinds more worldly than you two

[JodieGarberJacob]

I'm not sure but I think the coach station is about 15 minutes walk from the train station. Not ideal if it's the middle of the night.

[Suefla62]

My DH and I took the coach from Heathrow to Manchester last year. We didn't even have to go into London. Really enjoyed it. There was only us and two other couples on the bus and the scenery was lovely.

[JodieGarberJacob]

Sorry, misunderstood. I thought she was getting a train to heathrow.

[sooperdooper]

Of course she can get a coach, your husband sounds paranoid, what on earth does he think goes on on coaches?? Lol

[partialderivative]

I'm not sure whether it would be a good or bad thing to show Divine Comedy's 'National Express' video.
I love it;

[fisherpricephone]

Coach sounds better than the tube. I had an even more sheltered upbringing on a Scottish island but managed to travel to Glasgow as a 17 year old for the University open day no problem (that involved a boat, two train trips and taking taxis in Glasgow, booking accomodation etc etc). By 19 I'd gone all round Europe including across the iron curtain (old gimmer).

[partialderivative]

As a 9 y/o I had a 3 change journey to school by BR and LT. As did many friends.

Surely, at 19, you can travel independently.

[WildflowerMarmalade]

Hahah!! Yes! Yes! I am right. DH is wrong! (Punches air in triumph.)

Thank you all so much for reassuring me. The coach will be fine.

SSD you might be right! Seem to have lost faith in my risk assessment abilities.

Mexican yes, I agree. DH does need to get out more, or something. He sees the world as being much more dangerous than I do.

It's years and years since I travelled by coach so I was worried that I was getting it wrong. Thanks all. Coach it is. Much appreciated.

[Andro]

Surely, at 19, you can travel independently.

SA is very different to the UK...and far more dangerous.

[Ihavemyownname]

She is older than I was when I got the train back to Portsmouth from Gatwick it didn't arrive at Portsmouth till just before 1am I was 17
I'm sure she'll be fine