Bristol to Paris bus late 1970s?

[leeqvr]

I'm convinced that in around 1977-79, once a week (on Friday?) there was a bus that in the gloom of the Marlborough St bus station in Bristol read PARIS on the destination board. It would have gone to Portsmouth for the overnight Le Havre ferry; in Le Havre another French bus would be waiting to take you to Paris.

Anyone else remember this? If not, any idea how I would go about researching it?

 

[Steve440]

This may be of some use:

Paris goes West | 23rd July 1976 | The Commercial Motor Archive

'Paris goes West' first printed in the 23rd July 1976 issue of Commercial Motor

archive.commercialmotor.com

THE WEST Country is to get its own Continental coach servic€ from the beginning of August. Following an agreement between the British and Frenct Governments National Travel West will be operating fou return journeys a week to Paris. The service will run to the French capital on Thursdays Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and will call at Gloucester Bristol, Bath, Salisbury and Southampton. Connections a Southampton for services from Exeter, Bournemouth and du south Dorset coast will also be included.

Passengers, who will pay E10.99 single fare (double for return ticket), will board the Normandy Ferries Southampton Le Havre ships with the coach. Arrival time in Paris is befor noon on the day following departure. People on their way home from Paris be able to catch th coach at 1800 hours on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays am Mondays to connect with night sailings

 

[slowroad]

This may be of some use:

Paris goes West | 23rd July 1976 | The Commercial Motor Archive

'Paris goes West' first printed in the 23rd July 1976 issue of Commercial Motor

archive.commercialmotor.com

I travelled on this when a student. Had far too much to drink, didn’t sleep and on stepping off coach in Paris trod in a pile of dogsh** so large that it must have been produced by a Great Dane. The holiday went downhill from there……

 

[leeqvr]

This may be of some use:

Paris goes West | 23rd July 1976 | The Commercial Motor Archive

'Paris goes West' first printed in the 23rd July 1976 issue of Commercial Motor

archive.commercialmotor.com

Thanks so much Steve! Just what I was looking for. I forgot the coach actually went on the ferry. I got it in July 1978 aged 16, much to my mum's alarm, with £111.50 in my pocket. Ended up making it last over a month as I hitch-hiked down through france and up through Switzerland and Germany, then back via Ostend. Seven years later I moved to Italy where I've been living ever since...

 

[Steve440]

Thanks so much Steve! Just what I was looking for. I forgot the coach actually went on the ferry. I got it in July 1978 aged 16, much to my mum's alarm, with £111.50 in my pocket. Ended up making it last over a month as I hitch-hiked down through france and up through Switzerland and Germany, then back via Ostend. Seven years later I moved to Italy where I've been living ever since...

Wow that's some trip for a 16-year old! The furthest I got hitch-hiking was Leeds to Scarborough.

 

[Busaholic]

I travelled on this when a student. Had far too much to drink, didn’t sleep and on stepping off coach in Paris trod in a pile of dogsh** so large that it must have been produced by a Great Dane. The holiday went downhill from there……

At least you weren't bitten by said dog! My first ever trip abroad as a schoolboy, landed at St Malo from Southampton, walking to waiting coach and a stray mongrel came up behind me and bit one of my legs behind the knee. Everyone bar me found it hilarious, but I had to visit a hospital for an anti-tetanus jab. Only consolation was the rather jolie young nurse.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The services ran from South Wales and from Cheltenham via Bristol, and was operated by National Travel West latterly with Duple bodied Leopards as illustrated with Robert Tarling's photo:

National Travel South West 192, Bristol.

Seen here leaving Bristol for Swansea, working a service 926 from Paris, is National Travel South West 192, AFH 192T. She was a Duple Dominant 2-bodied Leyland Leopard. The coach carries a special livery, with P&O Normandy Ferries carried prominently. She passed to South Wales, with the...

www.flickr.com

This might be more like the era you refer to, from Cheltenham - Gloucester - Bristol - Bath - Salisbury - Southampton - Le Havre - Paris, according to the slipboard on Brian's photo

National Travel South West 115 (MDF 115P)

National Travel South West Leyland Leopard / Duple 115 (MDF 115P) awaits departure for Paris via Southampton CheltenhamCS 2/10/77 BKP

www.flickr.com

 

[leeqvr]

The services ran from South Wales and from Cheltenham via Bristol, and was operated by National Travel West latterly with Duple bodied Leopards as illustrated with Robert Tarling's photo:

National Travel South West 192, Bristol.

Seen here leaving Bristol for Swansea, working a service 926 from Paris, is National Travel South West 192, AFH 192T. She was a Duple Dominant 2-bodied Leyland Leopard. The coach carries a special livery, with P&O Normandy Ferries carried prominently. She passed to South Wales, with the...

www.flickr.com

This might be more like the era you refer to, from Cheltenham - Gloucester - Bristol - Bath - Salisbury - Southampton - Le Havre - Paris, according to the slipboard on Brian's photo

National Travel South West 115 (MDF 115P)

National Travel South West Leyland Leopard / Duple 115 (MDF 115P) awaits departure for Paris via Southampton CheltenhamCS 2/10/77 BKP

www.flickr.com

That second one was the one! I even remember the 777 number. It was so weird seeing it coming into the end bay at Bristol Bus Station with that PARIS headboard next to buses to Weston-super-Mare, Chew Magna, Filton...

 

[Busaholic]

That second one was the one! I even remember the 777 number. It was so weird seeing it coming into the end bay at Bristol Bus Station with that PARIS headboard next to buses to Weston-super-Mare, Chew Magna, Filton...

From Chew Tabac to Chew Magna?

 

[MotCO]

I seem to recall Buses magazine carried an article either about Cheltenham bus station or the French route. I also seem to recall left-hand drive Willowbrooks, in National livery, were bought for continental services.

Edit found a picture.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12808...aSe-6aoG7E-8ZNztT-5AuACj-fnfQk3-kENnDH-pXFQLg

National Travel South East OYT530R-1

A.E.C. Reliance 6U3ZL with C47F Willowbrook 004 body. New 8/76 to National Travel South East. One of four similar vehicles delivered. I believe Willowbrook were building similar bodies on left hand drive Reliances for the M.O.D. at the time. Photographed at Ecclestone Place, Victoria, date...

www.flickr.com

Second Edit. The Willowbrooks seem to beused on Victoria to Paris on route 100. They ended their lives with Guards of London, and ended up at Ensignbus sales (where else!)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tpp60...aSe-6aoG7E-8ZNztT-5AuACj-fnfQk3-kENnDH-pXFQLg

 

[Titfield]

There is a copy of the 777 timetable in the book Grey Green and Contemporaries Vol 2 1960 to the Arriva years by Thomas MacLachlan.

The book gives a potted history of the evolution of services from London to Paris and Amsterdam but includes a reference to the 777.

Shamrock and Rambler - a component of National Travel South West - had a number of P and O liveried coaches to operate the popular France Ahoy short breaks to the Northern France.

Shamrock and Rambler also operated a 793 service Southampton Docks to London Victoria to cater for foot passengers coming off the overnight ferry from Le Havre.