Victoria Coach Station - London - YouTube
The biggest trap is the name “Victoria.” Both stations share it, but they are run by entirely different companies. The train station is run by Network Rail. The coach station is run by a private company. They do not share a ticket office, a waiting room, or a sense of urgency.
If you book a coach to Oxford and then a train to Brighton, you have two separate adventures. Your coach ticket won’t help you on the train, and your train ticket won’t get you onto the coach. You have to buy two separate tickets, and you have to walk between the two locations.
I once watched a man try to use his coach ticket at the train barrier. He was very polite. The machine was very rude. He stood there for a full minute, confused, as the queue behind him grew longer. We’ve all been that man.
How to Actually Do It (Without Losing Your Cool)
First, give yourself a minimum of 20 minutes for the walk. Not 10. Not 15. Twenty. This accounts for the slow walkers, the escalator being broken, and the inevitable moment you have to stop and re-pack your bag because a water bottle fell out.
Second, use Google Maps on foot, not on public transport. It will show you the exact route through the tunnel. Follow the blue dot. Don’t follow the crowd – the crowd might be going to the tube station, which is a completely different entity.
Third, pack light. If you can wheel your suitcase with one hand while checking your phone with the other, you’re golden. If you need two hands and a prayer? You’re going to struggle. The pavement is bumpy, and the curbs are high.
MiMi Moinet: Directions to Victoria Coach station from Victoria
