Scottish Citylink and Citylink Gold

[Mitchell Hurd]

Hello everyone. I'm not sure if there's a thread on Scottish Citylink and Citylink Gold but assuming there isn't then I thought I'd create one.

I know this is a trip planning and reports kind of category but I thought it would be nice to see different views and facts etc about this operator.

Next year (hopefully no later than 7th - 12th May), I plan to visit Scotland for the first time. Edinburgh though.

The day I head up to Perth (on a normal Monday), I plan to get Citylink Gold route G90 back down to Edinburgh. I know it means an extra £13 or so as I'm getting the X56 to Perth but its not that much more considering I'll be catching a gold coach.

According to Coach & Bus Week and another page (dating to 2017 - June the 2nd (for one page) and the 6th) 4 new Scania Irizar coaches operate the route - these being the 17-plate vehicles which the exterior and interior photos look fantastic and mind soothing just like the ex-GWR First Class Scotrail interiors!

Is Citylink Gold route G90 still operated by the 17-platr Scania Irizar coaches?

 

[overthewater]

The Scannia belong to Edinburgh Coach Lines,and should operatre all G92 and 2 out 3 G90. if its 1600 1800 you should be fine.

How you will know the fare this far in advance is impossible, Plus the timetables some changes around that point. Try in January, you might find a bargin.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

The Scannia belong to Edinburgh Coach Lines,and should operatre all G92 and 2 out 3 G90. if its 1600 1800 you should be fine.

How you will know the fare this far in advance is impossible, Plus the timetables some changes around that point. Try in January, you might find a bargin.

I was browsing for the 24/10/19 just to give me an idea and looked at the furthest Monday just now also to give me an idea - £10.05. Good I'd say but yes I'll have a look for May for when (or should I) go to Scotland.

The extra fare is probably to cover the presumably expensive material on the gold vehicles which I've no problem with!

 

[cambsy]

I’d recommend the Citylink coach for 3 days which covers the whole network including Gold services, its about 50 pounds for the 3 days, which really good value, ideal to see Scotland or get certain type of or reg of coaches your after, I have done it several times, and its possible to not need spend on hotels etc if one prepared to plan well, last time i did Edinburgh-Glasgow back and forward overnight then went further north, even if gone up again its still great value.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I’d recommend the Citylink coach for 3 days which covers the whole network including Gold services, its about 50 pounds for the 3 days, which really good value, ideal to see Scotland or get certain type of or reg of coaches your after, I have done it several times, and its possible to not need spend on hotels etc if one prepared to plan well, last time i did Edinburgh-Glasgow back and forward overnight then went further north, even if gone up again its still great value.

I see what you mean. However I'm an awkward one - when (or if) I arrive at Edinburgh on a Thursday, my plan is to look round Edinburgh the day after (Friday), make my first trip north of Edinburgh (but to Aberdeen) on a Saturday by Scotrail HST then return on an LNER Azuma, visit Falkirk to at least get sight of the main Alexander Dennis Factory (I believe the ADL Chassis is made in Guildford), visit Perth on the Monday where one of my local bus companies, Stagecoach, was born - I'll catch the X56, a 7A or 7B to Broxden Park & Ride then the Citylink Gold coach.

I know most of the above is irrelevant but just saying why I wouldn't do the 3 days by coach.

However, should Scotrail services become that unreliable* by roughly (or just after) the time I get round to booking my first trip north of Edinburgh (to Aberdeen) for the Saturday, then I'll be doing the coach to and from Aberdeen. It will be a last resort - in this case either put up with misery or enjoy the back-up! If there are rail replacement buses running in place of HST's then it's definitely Stagecoach I'll be taking.

Look on the Stagecoach East Scotland (or Stagecoach Fife) website, download the Annual Report for 2018-2019 and you'll see their punctuality. Let's say considering Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland along with quite common traffic jams on dual carriageway and motorway's I'm shocked at the percentage of reliability!

*HST's frequently replaced by 170's around March / April 2020 time, or frequent cancellations because of train faults, driver or train crew shortages.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I’d recommend the Citylink coach for 3 days which covers the whole network including Gold services, its about 50 pounds for the 3 days, which really good value, ideal to see Scotland or get certain type of or reg of coaches your after, I have done it several times, and its possible to not need spend on hotels etc if one prepared to plan well, last time i did Edinburgh-Glasgow back and forward overnight then went further north, even if gone up again its still great value.

That's perfect for visiting all 7 cities in Scotland, which I wanna do! One thing I wanna know is, would the Citylink Explorer pass be valid on the 10 from Inverness to Aberdeen?

 

[Statto]

The explorer is actually cheaper than some of there fares including advances especially going likes of Isle of Skye.

I don't think the Citylink Explorer is valid on the Stagecoach 10 Inverness-Aberdeen, Stagecoach do have Megabus fares for that route though, but only Inverness to Aberdeen & vice versa. Stagecoach East Scotland have their own explorer valid on the 10

 

[Volvodart]

The Megabus discount is not great now and only applies to some services. It is still a little bit cheaper one way, but if you are going both ways, there is a cheaper day ticket available valid for unlimited travel on all Stagecoach Bluebird services including services 10/11 to Inverness and Service X7 to Dundee.

 

[ScotsRail]

visit Falkirk to at least get sight of the main Alexander Dennis Factory (I believe the ADL Chassis is made in Guildford),

You can see part built chassis at the back of the factory as you pass on the line - now off the top of my head I cant remember if its before or after the line splits to Glasgow/Stirling.

The factory itself is about a 10 minute walk from Camelon station and there are normally completed busses sitting out in the yard BUT I haven't been that way for a wee while so things may have changed.

 

[route101]

That's perfect for visiting all 7 cities in Scotland, which I wanna do! One thing I wanna know is, would the Citylink Explorer pass be valid on the 10 from Inverness to Aberdeen?

Yeah i dont get why this route is not part of Citylink .

 

[route101]

You can see part built chassis at the back of the factory as you pass on the line - now off the top of my head I cant remember if its before or after the line splits to Glasgow/Stirling.

The factory itself is about a 10 minute walk from Camelon station and there are normally completed busses sitting out in the yard BUT I haven't been that way for a wee while so things may have changed.

The Buses heading to Glasgow from Falkirk get a good view , better to have a walk around

 

[route101]

I see what you mean. However I'm an awkward one - when (or if) I arrive at Edinburgh on a Thursday, my plan is to look round Edinburgh the day after (Friday), make my first trip north of Edinburgh (but to Aberdeen) on a Saturday by Scotrail HST then return on an LNER Azuma, visit Falkirk to at least get sight of the main Alexander Dennis Factory (I believe the ADL Chassis is made in Guildford), visit Perth on the Monday where one of my local bus companies, Stagecoach, was born - I'll catch the X56, a 7A or 7B to Broxden Park & Ride then the Citylink Gold coach.

I know most of the above is irrelevant but just saying why I wouldn't do the 3 days by coach.

However, should Scotrail services become that unreliable* by roughly (or just after) the time I get round to booking my first trip north of Edinburgh (to Aberdeen) for the Saturday, then I'll be doing the coach to and from Aberdeen. It will be a last resort - in this case either put up with misery or enjoy the back-up! If there are rail replacement buses running in place of HST's then it's definitely Stagecoach I'll be taking.

Look on the Stagecoach East Scotland (or Stagecoach Fife) website, download the Annual Report for 2018-2019 and you'll see their punctuality. Let's say considering Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland along with quite common traffic jams on dual carriageway and motorway's I'm shocked at the percentage of reliability!

*HST's frequently replaced by 170's around March / April 2020 time, or frequent cancellations because of train faults, driver or train crew shortages.

Mitchell you certainly a man of detail ha . I wouldnt worry so far out ,

 

[route101]

The Megabus discount is not great now and only applies to some services. It is still a little bit cheaper one way, but if you are going both ways, there is a cheaper day ticket available valid for unlimited travel on all Stagecoach Bluebird services including services 10/11 to Inverness and Service X7 to Dundee.

I wonder what the uptake is on them megabus tickets , it is a long journey

 

[route101]

I’d recommend the Citylink coach for 3 days which covers the whole network including Gold services, its about 50 pounds for the 3 days, which really good value, ideal to see Scotland or get certain type of or reg of coaches your after, I have done it several times, and its possible to not need spend on hotels etc if one prepared to plan well, last time i did Edinburgh-Glasgow back and forward overnight then went further north, even if gone up again its still great value.

Thats hardcore using the night 900 to spend the night . Now id rather pay a bit for decent nights sleep

 

[route101]

The Scannia belong to Edinburgh Coach Lines,and should operatre all G92 and 2 out 3 G90. if its 1600 1800 you should be fine.

How you will know the fare this far in advance is impossible, Plus the timetables some changes around that point. Try in January, you might find a bargin.

I find them better than the vanhool goldswith the awkward seating , i do find with the gold services that they can be booked up by concession pass holders.

 

[GusB]

Yeah i dont get why this route is not part of Citylink .

The 10 was a Citylink route some years ago (540/960). Northern Scottish was the main operator and they took it over a couple of years before they were sold off, renumbering it to 560. It was still included in Citylink timeables and accepted Citylink tickets, however.

There was a brief revival of service 960 in the early 2000s (handy for me as it went down St Machar Drive and past the University rather than via Berryden), but it was short-lived.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I’d recommend the Citylink coach for 3 days which covers the whole network including Gold services, its about 50 pounds for the 3 days, which really good value, ideal to see Scotland or get certain type of or reg of coaches your after, I have done it several times, and its possible to not need spend on hotels etc if one prepared to plan well, last time i did Edinburgh-Glasgow back and forward overnight then went further north, even if gone up again its still great value.

Wait, you can actually do that? I know the 900 is 24/7 but will they actually let you stay on overnight as it goes back and forth or do you have to get off and back on every time it goes to a terminus? I might actually try that then to save an extra £50 or so for 2 nights worth of accommodation since I personally don't mind sleeping in a coach; as long as the seats recline, I can sleep alright!

The explorer is actually cheaper than some of there fares including advances especially going likes of Isle of Skye.

I don't think the Citylink Explorer is valid on the Stagecoach 10 Inverness-Aberdeen, Stagecoach do have Megabus fares for that route though, but only Inverness to Aberdeen & vice versa. Stagecoach East Scotland have their own explorer valid on the 10

I know that the 10 is the easiest route to find £1 fares on through Megabus, I've checked, although considering it takes 4 hours I might as well either do Inverness and Aberdeen on separate days or travel via Perth (would only use it one way anyway) if I was using the explorer pass. By the way, it's a Stagecoach North Scotland explorer pass that's valid on the 10, not East Scotland.

 

[route101]

Wait, you can actually do that? I know the 900 is 24/7 but will they actually let you stay on overnight as it goes back and forth or do you have to get off and back on every time it goes to a terminus? I might actually try that then to save an extra £50 or so for 2 nights worth of accommodation since I personally don't mind sleeping in a coach; as long as the seats recline, I can sleep alright!



I know that the 10 is the easiest route to find £1 fares on through Megabus, I've checked, although considering it takes 4 hours I might as well either do Inverness and Aberdeen on separate days or travel via Perth (would only use it one way anyway) if I was using the explorer pass. By the way, it's a Stagecoach North Scotland explorer pass that's valid on the 10, not East Scotland.

I doubt the driver would be happy if you were to stay onboard sleeping , usually they lock the doors . Better getting a cheap travelodge .

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I doubt the driver would be happy if you were to stay onboard sleeping , usually they lock the doors . Better getting a cheap travelodge .

Okay, I am being a bit of cheapskate I guess does the 900 not immediately run a service back after terminating then? I did one time find a hotel in Aberdeen (city centre close to station) that was around £44 for two nights so that seemed promising! Maybe a more central location on the network would be better for staying the night though like Perth, so I could easily go Aberdeen one day and Inverness the next day!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Okay, I am being a bit of cheapskate I guess does the 900 not immediately run a service back after terminating then? I did one time find a hotel in Aberdeen (city centre close to station) that was around £44 for two nights so that seemed promising! Maybe a more central location on the network would be better for staying the night though like Perth, so I could easily go Aberdeen one day and Inverness the next day!

That's not always the case, the 900 interworks with the M9 at various points of the day, including during the evening. As @route101 said you'd be better just getting a hotel as drivers certainly won't let you just stay on the bus going "back and forth" and no vehicle is out the entire night either.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Okay, I am being a bit of cheapskate I guess does the 900 not immediately run a service back after terminating then? I did one time find a hotel in Aberdeen (city centre close to station) that was around £44 for two nights so that seemed promising! Maybe a more central location on the network would be better for staying the night though like Perth, so I could easily go Aberdeen one day and Inverness the next day!

Perhaps look for a bed in a communal room in a youth hostel. That will probably be cheaper than the fares for going back and forth all night on a coach even if you could do that.

 

[Statto]

Looking at the night N900 timetable they depart xx30 from Edinburgh, with an additional journey at 1am, from Glasgow that depart xx00, journey time 70-75 minutes, if you avoid the 1am from Edinburgh you'll have 18 minute wait at most if the driver won't let you stay onboard, however Edinburgh bus station is closed overnight coaches terminate/depart from St David Street

https://www.citylink.co.uk/timetables/Winter19/route900web.pdf

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Perhaps look for a bed in a communal room in a youth hostel. That will probably be cheaper than the fares for going back and forth all night on a coach even if you could do that.

Might as well, plenty of accommodation in Central Edinburgh for just £10 a night (checked booking.com) so I'd just go with that!

 

[cambsy]

I did the 900 overnight to David street as well as swap over coaches at Edinburgh Airport etc, At David Street had to get off coach, but only 10 mins or so, so not too bad, once tired enough managed to get some naps in, so survived ok.

By the end of the 3 days, on the final night, I was knackered enough to sleep pretty much from Aberdeen to passing Stafford, woke for about an hour around Glasgow, was the 18.45 Aberdeen-London Megabus, once back in London even had nap on a local bus from Victoria, was a Hardcore trip with no bed for 4 nights, and just napping here and there on coaches, it was just a cheap budget trip, which did the job, but when have the money, much more enjoy doing a 7 day 1st class ALR with berth most or every night on the sleepers.