Archive News 2004
Update: 10 December 2004
Christmas/New Year Commuter Coach Schedule 2004/5
We run a modified commuter coach schedule between Gravesend and London during the Christmas and New Year period.
You'll find full details in our Commuter section. Please make sure you check whether your journey will be affected. If you have any further questions about your journey please don't hesitate to contact us as soon as possible.
Our office opening hours also change during the Christmas/New Year break, so please make sure you buy the tickets you require as soon as possible.
Update: 10 December 2004
Get away early on Christmas Eve
Don't stay at work any longer than you need to on Christmas Eve.
We have special early afternoon departures at 13.00 and 15.00 on Christmas Eve to whizz you back home in time to put your feet up, grab a glass of sherry and wrap a few presents.
Full details in our Commuter section.
Update: 10 December 2004
Tea Towels versus Dishwashers
Tea towel sales took a dip as dishwashers took off.
It's a little known fact that annual sales of Tea Towels have dropped dramatically owing to the growing popularity of Dishwashers. But analysed month by month the figures show a different story. At this time of year sales of Tea Towels rise significantly, whilst relatively few people buy Dishwashers.
What is the reason for this intriguing blip in the statistics? Surely people don't buy Tea Towels as Christmas presents any more? How boring is that? No, the reason is more obscure...
All across the country, thousands of mums buy thousands of stripy Tea Towels to tie round the heads of thousands of Wise Men, Innkeepers, Shepherds, Josephs and assorted fidgeting Onlookers. Yes, it's Nativity Play time again!
Probably the best way to take a large group of children, parents and proud grandparents to a Pantomime or a Nativity Play is by coach. Everyone arrives in the right place at the right time. Everyone has a great time. No one gets lost. No one can't park. What could be better?
Call Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 to find out how little it will cost for your outing.
Update: 17 November 2004
Quality service on Remembrance Day
The Cenotaph in Whitehall, the site of the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies.
During the weekend Remembrance Day commemorations we were asked to provide five coaches to transport over two hundred civil servants to Admiralty Arch, for the ceremonies at the nearby Cenotaph.
We were delighted to receive a message the following day from the organiser asking us to pass on his thanks to our five drivers for a job well done. He commented that the coaches turned up on time, were clean, and that the drivers knew exactly what was expected of them and then proceeded to do it, making his job as organiser so much easier.
For us it was an interesting job, as it's not every day that our coaches are checked over by enthusiastic sniffer dogs.
We always endeavour to provide the highest quality of service. That means that you, as our client, can relax, safe in the knowledge that the arrangements you have made will be carried out efficiently and pleasantly.
If this is the standard of service you'd like for your next trip, please call Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 to discuss your requirements.
Update: 13 October 2004
New Commuter Timetables from 18 October 2004
New Reliance Travel timetable presentation.
Transport For London (TfL), the licensing authority for all bus services in to and out of London, has recently re-numbered every service that goes in and out of the capital. In addition, we've taken this opportunity to make some changes to our routes and timings. The changes take effect on Monday 18 October 2004.
Our old C1 service to Embankment is now replaced by 734 and 736. The 734 goes south of the river via London Bridge. The 736, a new service, goes north of the river via the Blackwall Tunnel and Canary Wharf. There are some changes to the old routes and timings, so please check the timetable for details of your journey.
Our old REL1 service is now renamed 735, with no changes to the routes or timings.
You'll find full details of the new schedules in our Commuting section.
Update: 13 October 2004
Two new commuter departures added
After much planning and research, including an extensive customer survey, we've introduced an additional commuter service in both the morning and evening schedules, offering you increased choice and convenience.
Starting on Monday 18 October 2004 the new morning departure will leave Higham, Steadmans Close at 0604 and travel via the Blackwall Tunnel to serve Canary Wharf and Embankment.
The new evening departure will leave Embankment at 1752 and serve Canary Wharf before travelling through the Blackwall Tunnel and terminating in Higham.
We'd like to thank everyone who responded to our Survey of C1 service customers in July. Your help was invaluable.
If you have any comments or suggestions about our services please don't hesitate to let us know.
Update: 27 September 2004
Improvements to private coach hire service
Thanks to the recent increase in the size of our luxury coach fleet, Reliance Travel now offers an even better private coach hire service.
With more coaches at our disposal we can offer greater flexibility and greater availability. If you are planning a journey for your group it's always a good idea to book your coaches as far in advance as possible, but now you have an even better chance of getting the coaches you want on the dates you want.
To find out how much your trip will cost give Paul Hockley a call on 01474 322002. He'll answer all your questions and help you make the arrangements when you're ready.
Update: 24 August 2004
Students - Last chance - Free Travel for Interviews in London
Don't forget we're offering a free return ticket to London on one of our luxury, air conditioned commuter coaches to any student attending a job interview in London. But the offer ends on Wednesday 1 September 2004, so don't delay.
There's no catch. You don't have to buy anything or commit to anything. It really is free!
You'll find full details in our earlier story below.
Update: 24 August 2004
Reliance Travel adds two coaches to fleet
We've just increased the size of our fleet by adding two more luxury coaches. The new coaches are Iveco Beulas Euroriders, one of the finest coach models on the market.
As you would expect from Reliance, the new coaches are fully air conditioned, with reclining seats, seat belts, integral headrests, arm rests and double glazed panoramic windows to make your journey as comfortable as possible.
When you're choosing a coach company in the Gravesend area, don't just ask the price and base your choice on that. Price is only part of the equation. Make sure you quiz your supplier about the age and specification of the coach you'll be paying for.
Our coaches cannot be beaten for newness, cleanliness, comfort and luxury. Add a competitive price, experienced, reliable drivers and excellent customer service and you'll find we offer the best deal in the area, bar none. Call Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 and we'll prove it!
Update: 24 August 2004
Pantomimes, Plays, Musicals, Film Premieres, Exhibitions...
You name it, we'll take you there. The best way for a group of people to travel to pantomimes, plays, musicals, film premieres, art exhibitions, trade exhibitions, consumer exhibitions or any other type of exhibition is by coach.
You all travel together and you all arrive together at the right place at the right time. Door to door. What could be better?
Why struggle with trains, cars and taxis? A coach may cost a lot less than you think, too! Find out how little your next trip will cost by calling Paul Hockley at Reliance Travel on 01474 322002.
Update: 21 July 2004
Students - Free Travel for Interviews in London. No catch.
Free Reliance Travel coach tickets for students attending interviews in London.
Reliance Travel is offering free travel to school leavers and graduates attending job interviews in London.
Look out for our full colour adverts in the local press (picture, right).
There's no catch. You don't have to buy anything or commit to anything. Not even a coupon to clip. Free means free. It's a simple offer. We give you a free return ticket to London on one of our luxury, air conditioned commuter coaches. Why? You've got the qualifications, you work it out!
All you have to do is bring your appointment letter to our office two working days before the day of your interview and we'll hand over your tickets and wish you good luck. The offer ends on Wednesday 1 September 2004.
Our luxury, air conditioned coaches are the most comfortable and least stressful way of getting to London and back, especially in the heat of summer. During the journey you can review your CV and practice your answers to those awkward questions. We can't help you with the answers, but at least we can get you to the interview cool, calm and collected!
Big Hint: when the interviewer says 'Tell me about yourself', make sure you've got something sensible to say. Have a plan. Score points. Make an impression.
Please tell your friends, relatives and colleagues about our free tickets offer. And you might like to check out our Commuting section. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call us on 01474 322002 for instant answers.
Update: 14 July 2004
Racing through London
Ferrari Formula One racing car in London's Regent Street, July 2004.
Not us, you understand! We don't race through London. None of our drivers has a Formula One background, you'll be relieved to know.
You may have seen the Formula One racing cars parading in London's Regents Street last week, in the run up to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone at the weekend. Our picture shows a bright red Ferrari being prepared near Regent Street.
Eight teams participated, including Ferrari, Jordan, Team McLaren Mercedes and BMW Williams F1. Drivers including Jenson Button, David Coulthard and former champion Nigel Mansell crawled slowly down the road in procession - a far cry from their usual 180mph speeds. Half a million spectators turned up, bringing the centre of the capital to a complete standstill during the rush hour, which didn't go down well in some quarters.
The idea of a Grand Prix in Central London has been suggested, similar to the thrilling Monte Carlo race. Whether it will happen, only time will tell.
In the meantime, if you want to drive through London in a bright red vehicle with a huge engine and big fat tyres, may we suggest our luxury Commuter Coach Service operating between Gravesend and London?
It's not quite as quick as the Ferrari, but the seats are considerably more comfortable, it's a lot cheaper (from only £31 per week), the view's a lot better and you don't have to drive it yourself. Full details in our Commuting section.
Call Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 if you have any questions.
Update: 24 June 2004
No standing. Full stop.
You never have to stand on Reliance's commuter coach service. Everyone gets a seat.
Train commuters are often forced to stand for the entire journey to or from London. Why do they do it? Packed like sardines, staring into a stranger's ear for an hour or more. At every station people jostle to get on and off. Delays and mysterious stops add to the misery. High temperatures and wet weather make it worse. Tempers fray and stress levels rocket.
After a hard day in the office why would anyone endure that ordeal, day in and day out for years on end?
Well we don't know, to be honest. It's not like that on our Gravesend-London commuter coaches, that's for sure.
Our passengers queue in a civilised fashion at convenient pick up points. They climb aboard our air conditioned luxury coaches and settle into their own comfortable seats.
No standing is allowed, so once you're seated you stay seated for your entire journey, with room to relax, read, work or watch the world go by. You'll never have to give up your seat, mid-journey, to new passengers.
Surely that's a better way to start and end your working day? Why not try us out for a week or two and see how it feels to commute the civilised, comfortable way between Gravesend and London? Check out our Commuting section for full details.
Update: 14 May 2004
Wedding coaches are a hit
Wedding transport for your guests - your luxury Reliance Travel coach.
We recently advertised in the local press (and on this website), promoting our Wedding coach hire services.
The results were spectacular, with many requests from clued up couples to take their wedding guests to and from the ceremony.
It's all about planning that little bit harder and figuring out how to make your wedding as enjoyable as possible for all your guests.
After all, the bride and bridegroom have it easy - they swoosh to and fro in luxury cars - but what about the guests battling their way to and from the ceremony? Not to mention the ritual mad dash from service to reception to grab a scarce parking space.
Of course, you need a modern, luxury coach in immaculate condition to make the best impression. And that's the only type of coach we operate! Don't settle for second best.
Call Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 to find out more.
Update: 14 May 2004
Younger and younger
All the coaches in our fleet are less than two years old.
Last year we invested £1.2 million buying six brand new Iveco Beulas EuroRider C35A coaches which replaced some of our existing coaches.
Since then we've continued to replace more coaches with newer models, giving us what we believe is the most modern fleet of luxury private hire coaches in the region.
If you want comfortable, safe and reliable coach travel in highly specified, properly maintained, up to date luxury coaches, then Reliance Travel is the answer. So take care - there are many operators who will palm you off with second or third rate vehicles. Make sure you know what you are getting before you sign on the dotted line.
Any questions? Don't hesitate to call Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 for all the answers.
Update: 14 May 2004
American history on your doorstep
St George's Church, Gravesend, the burial place of Pocahontas in 1617.
If you're taking your group on a sightseeing trip starting from the Gravesend area, why not incorporate a visit to St George's Church, the burial place of the Red Indian Princess Pocahontas in 1617?
Born in 1595, Pocahontas led an eventful life. Her father, a powerful Chief, captured Captain John Smith, the leader of a band of settlers, in 1607. On the point of execution, Pocahontas ran forward and saved his life. He was later injured in a gunpowder explosion and shipped back to England, which is where the Disney version ends.
Pocahontas married John Rolfe, an Englishman, in 1614 and in 1616 they travelled to London with their infant son Thomas and twelve Red Indians. Pocahontas (now Lady Rebecca Wolfe) and her entourage were the subject of much curiosity, even meeting King James. Sadly, she fell ill at the start of the return voyage to Virginia in 1617, and was taken ashore at Gravesend where she died aged just twenty two.
She was buried in a vault beneath the chancel of St George's Church. The original church burned down in 1727 to be replaced by the present building. Pocahontas is remembered with a plaque and two stained glass windows.
St George's Church has a nice website with full details of Pocahontas' life story. Well worth a look: www.stgeorgesgravesend.org.uk
Update: 20 April 2004
Summer Wedding? Book Now!
Luxury coach transfers for your wedding guests.
If you're getting married this year, now's the time to sort out the logistics.
You can do things the old way - where scores of guests converge haphazardly on the church, register office and reception venue under their own steam. Or you can do things the clever way, and provide a luxury private coach service from a convenient central meeting point to the ceremony, then on to the reception and back to the meeting point.
The advantages are numerous: everyone arrives in the right place at the right time. No one gets lost. Parking is not a problem. Drink-driving is avoided and there is always a happy, party atmosphere amongst the passengers.
Think about it from your guests' perspective. It's no fun turning up at a remote country church in the middle of nowhere and discovering there's only parking for five cars! Town centres, with treacherous one way systems and draconian parking restrictions can be even worse.
By choosing your central meeting point carefully - near a railway station with a public car park, for example - you can make your wedding easily accessible not only to car drivers, but also to guests who don't own cars, or guests who wisely choose not to drink and drive.
Make your wedding one your guests will remember with pleasure. Give us a call on 01474 322002 to find out more.
Update: 20 April 2004
Nobody likes us and we don't care
That's what Millwall fans chant, anyway. We transported six coaches of Millwall fans to the recent FA Cup Semi-Final against Sunderland in Manchester. Tim Cahill's goal for a one-nil final score earned Millwall their first-ever FA Cup final appearance. They'll play Manchester United in the final on 22 May.
The journey was uneventful. Nothing was broken. Nobody misbehaved. A pleasant day was had by all. Don't believe everything you read in the papers about Millwall supporters. We like them, anyway!
If you want to transport your own sports team and their supporters to events around the country just give us a call on 01474 322002 and we'll answer all your questions.
Update: 20 April 2004
Reliance Annual Season Tickets - the best 25 pence you'll ever spend
By train, an annual season ticket from Gravesend to London for departures after 07.00 is currently £1,588 per year (Source: South East Trains, 20 April 2004). A Reliance Travel annual season ticket is £1,600.
So we're 25 pence a week more expensive than the train. That's 5 pence per working day.
But what do you get for your 5 pence extra? Is it worth paying 5 pence more to travel by luxury coach?
Well, we certainly think so, and so do our customers.
Here's why coach travel beats train travel:
- We can usually pick you up closer to your home than the train
- You always get a seat and you never have to stand, because standing is not allowed. So you never feel like a sardine
- You never have to breathe cigarette smoke, because No Smoking is the rule
- You never have to put up with old bottles, beer cans and bits of sandwich strewn over the seats and floors
- You can see clearly through the windows
- The air conditioning keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter
- Unpleasant 'public transport' smells are extremely unlikely (you know the type we mean)
- We can usually deliver you closer to your office than the train
- Relax, read your magazine, snooze, or just watch the world go by. Peaceful, comfortable, secure and reliable... commuting by coach is all these things
Don't take our word for it. Try our service for yourself. Buy a monthly ticket and see how things go. Then invest in an economical Annual Season and enjoy the phenomenal extra value for money your 5 pence gives you every day!
You'll find full details of fares, routes and timetables on our Commuting page.
Update: 23 March 2004
Two thousand happy children in one hour
Coach at the Albert Hall.
Reliance Travel masterminded a huge transfer in central London a few days ago. We organised, scheduled and co-ordinated the delivery of over 2,000 schoolchildren in 43 coaches to the Albert Hall for the Camden School Music Festival, organised biannually by the London Borough of Camden. Then we took them home again.
Operations like this take a lot of forward planning plus tight, hands-on supervision on the day. It's not a job for amateurs or small operators. With decades of experience and many similar operations under our belts this is the kind of challenge we thrive on.
If you need to move a lot of people all at once, and you want it done properly, give us a call on 01474 322002.
Update: 19 February 2004
No commuter fare increases for the foreseeable future
Good news on prices! We're pleased to announce we have no plans to raise our commuter fares in the immediate future. The last time we raised fares was in April last year, so if you expect another rise this April, it's not going to happen!
This is certainly good news if you commute from Gravesend to London and back every day for work. Train fares have already increased substantially this year and the Congestion Charge has made driving much more expensive. The Congestion Charge alone is £5.00 per day, and then there's petrol, parking and depreciation. In contrast, the return coach trip to London and back, based on an Annual Season ticket, is only £6.15, and someone else does the driving for you too!
Please tell your friends, family and work colleagues. Let them know there is a reliable, comfortable, value-for-money alternative to driving or taking the train.
You'll find full details about our commuter services, including routes and prices, on our Commuter page.
