Archive News 2005
Update: 13 December 2005
Christmas/New Year Commuter Coach Schedule 2005/6
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: 13 December 2005
Get away early on Friday 23rd
Don't stay at work any longer than you need to on Friday 23rd.
We have special early afternoon departures at 13.00 and 15.00 on Friday 23rd 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: 6 September 2005
Can't fill a whole coach? Here's the answer...
Luxury 16 seater Mercedes Mini-Coach.
If you don't need the size and capacity of one of our 48 seat coaches we can recommend a well established company who operate luxury Mercedes Mini Coaches.
We've co-operated with Home Safe Travel for a number of years. Sometimes our customers need a smaller coach. Sometimes their customers need a full sized coach. Between the two of us we cover every eventuality.
Each Mercedes Mini-Coach seats 16 passengers and is equipped with tinted panoramic windows, reading lights, blown air ventilation, seat belts, plush carpet, curtains, TV, DVD and CD systems and a convenient front entry step. Some seats have tables. All drivers are police vetted.
The coaches are perfect for impressing visiting business contacts, or travelling to business, leisure or family events. Visit our Links page for details of Home Safe Travel's website.
Update: 23 August 2005
Christmas Shopping Trips to France by Coach
French Camembert cheese.
Sincere apologies for bringing up the subject of Christmas before summer has even ended, but now's the time to start planning your Christmas Shopping Trip to France.
It may seem a long way off, but Christmas will be upon us sooner than you think. A shopping trip to France by coach is the perfect way to stock up on high quality, value for money foods, delicacies, wines, beers and spirits. By shopping carefully it's usually possible to recoup the travel costs with the savings achieved.
All you have to do is organise a group of people and then hire your own private luxury coach from Reliance Travel. Family and friends are a good start. Then ask your friends to ask their families and friends, and your family to ask their friends, who will then ask their families... and so on. Filling a 48 seater coach is not as hard as it sounds!
As you're hiring the coach it's up to you how much you ask your guests to contribute. Perhaps, as organiser, you might decide that you deserve to go free of charge!
We'll make all the arrangements, offer advice and suggest itineraries. Even if you're not planning to travel until November or December, now is the time to start making arrangements. Give us a call on 01474 322002 to find out how little it will cost you.
Update: 23 August 2005
Free Travel For Students - Last Few Days
Our Free Travel For Students offer ends on Friday 2 September 2005. Don't miss out!
Reliance Travel is offering free travel to school leavers and graduates attending job interviews in London. You'll find full details about the offer below.
Update: 23 August 2005
Theatre Trips with door to door transport
A luxury Reliance Travel coach.
Seeing a play or a show at the theatre is always enjoyable. But the journey there and back is often a nightmare. Driving there yourself and getting lost, not being able to park, not being able to have a glass of wine or a gin and tonic. Trying to meet up with friends with frantic text messages. Or being at the mercy of train timetables, bus routes or the London Underground.
It's all so different when you travel by private coach! Your group travels together. It's fun, it's sociable. Everyone arrives at the right place at the right time. No one gets lost. No one is late. No drink-driving concerns. We deliver you right to the theatre door. We collect you again at a time and place of your choosing and take you all home again.
What could be better? And it probably costs less than you think. All you need to do is find enough people to make it worthwhile. Give us a call on 01474 322002 and find out the cost for your date and destination. If you haven't hired a coach before we'll happily give you all the advice and help you need to organise a perfect evening out.
Update: 23 June 2005
Air-conditioned Summer Commuting
All our coaches are air conditioned.
On hot, sticky Summer days you'll really appreciate the cool, calm, air-conditioned environment of our luxury commuter coaches. It means you can sit in comfort and relax, read, snooze or simply watch the world go by.
Travelling by train you can never be sure what the temperature will be like. And you may even have to stand all the way. On our luxury commuter coaches the air-conditioning keeps you cool and comfortable and you are 100% certain of getting a seat as we don't allow standing. All are coaches are No Smoking.
When you compare the pros and cons of all the different ways of commuting to London from the Gravesend area, we think you'll agree that our luxury air-conditioned coaches have many advantages.
Why not give our service a try for a few days to see how you like it? You'll find full details about Tickets and Timetables in our Commuting section.
Update: 23 June 2005
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.
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 Friday 2 September 2005.
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 say something interesting. 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: 23 June 2005
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 plan it the old way - where scores of guests converge haphazardly on the church, register office and reception venue under their own steam. Or you can plan it the clever way, and provide a luxury private air-conditioned coach service from a convenient central meeting point to the ceremony, then on to the reception and back to the meeting point.
There are so many advantages: everyone arrives in the right place at the right time. No one gets lost. Parking problems are eliminated. 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. Then there's the mad dash from the church to the reception with more map-reading trauma and parking nightmares. Be nice to your guests - hire a luxury, air-conditioned coach for them.
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 sure your guests remember your wedding with a smile, not a shudder. Give us a call on 01474 322002 to find out more.
Update: 4 May 2005
Commuter Service Status email alerts prove popular
You may have noticed that earlier this year we offered to alert you by email about any changes to our commuter services caused by bad weather or traffic conditions.
We're pleased to report that lots of customers signed up for this service.
We're even more pleased, however, to report that no services were cancelled over the winter season, even on the worst days of the year!
If you want to sign up to receive email alerts just follow the instructions on our Home page.
Update: 28 April 2005
Book early for Summer
If you're planning a trip or event for your group during the summer months, now is the time to sort out all your transport arrangements. Don't wait until the last minute.
As the weather hots up, so does the demand for our coaches. By booking well in advance you can make sure you get the high quality Reliance Travel service you want on the date you need.
We're always here to offer advice and answer your questions. If there's anything you're not sure about please don't hesitate to call us on 01474 322002 and we'll help you plan and organise your trip.
Update: 9 March 2005
Barnside Cattery completes your travel plans
Barnside Cattery in Meopham, Kent, attracts cats from all over Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London.
If you're a cat owner, you know how important it is to find a really good cattery when you go away on holiday.
If you're planning your summer holidays about now, don't forget to arrange your cat's holiday accommodation at the same time. We can recommend Barnside Cattery, in Meopham, Kent, from personal experience. Cats visit from all over Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London.
All their feline guests are accommodated in their own spacious custom-built chalets with individual protected safety runs and views across the gardens. Top class menus offer a wholesome variety of food to suit your cat's requirements.
Barnside Cattery is extremely popular and has an excellent reputation, so make sure you arrange your inspection visit and subsequent booking as early as possible.
You'll find their website details on our Links page - well worth a look!
Update: 7 March 2005
Four new coaches as Reliance expands fleet
Reliance Travel Iveco Beulas EuroRider C35A luxury coach.
Later this month we're taking delivery of four brand new luxury executive coaches. These are in addition to our existing fleet.
Business is booming and this additional capacity enables us to offer an even better service to customers across Kent, south east England and the London area.
The new coaches represent a considerable investment and help cement our reputation as the best equipped luxury coach hire company offering the best service in the region.
Don't hesitate to call us on 01474 322002 if you have any questions about hiring a luxury coach for your next event.
Update: 7 March 2005
Winter weather service status updates
Sometimes, when winter conditions become severe, passengers worry that our service may be affected. Fortunately our commuter coaches are very rarely affected by bad weather, but the weather is beyond anyone's control so it's impossible to rule out this possibility.
If you would like us to email you in the unlikely event that our services are affected by bad weather, email us at info@reliance-travel.co.uk and we'll do our best to let you know if we are forced to make changes to your service at short notice.
Update: 23 February 2005
Relocating to Gravesend?
Commute with minimum stress with Reliance Travel.
If you're relocating to Gravesend or the surrounding area but your work still takes you to London, make sure you consider our luxury commuter coach service between Gravesend and London.
Moving to the relative peace and quiet of the Gravesend area offers many lifestyle advantages, but if you still have to travel to London every day you might as well do it in the least stressful way possible.
What are your options? Clearly, they are the train, the car and our luxury commuter coach. Each method has its fans, but when you sit down and carefully compare the alternatives, we think you'll realise that our commuter coach service has several significant advantages.
Take a look at our Commuting section for full details about our commuter service, including prices, detailed schedules and 10 Good Reasons To Commute With Reliance Travel. Then put us to the test for a couple of weeks and see how it suits you!
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us on 01474 322002.
Update: 20 January 2005
Reliance Coaches featured in London Evening Standard
Photo in London Evening Standard 18 January 2005 showing a Reliance coach picking up football fans for a journey to Charlton Athletic Football Club.
What a surprise! We opened the Sports pages in the London Evening Standard on Tuesday 18 January and came face to face with a quarter page photo of a bright red Reliance coach. What on earth was it doing in the sports pages?
A half page article on the facing page explained all the details.
The coach they pictured was one of fourteen coaches laid on by Charlton Athletic Football Club to ferry about 700 fans from 40 different locations across Kent to their ground in London, The Valley, for a Premiership game. And the name of the service? The Valley Express, of course.
According to the Evening Standard, lapsed Charlton fan Luke Hoban, from Gillingham, took his 14 year old grandson to The Valley, commenting: 'I know I shouldn't get so enthusiastic but it was brilliant. Great organisation with the buses, smashing team, great game and only 35 quid for our tickets and travel.'
The Valley Express is an innovative example of how to expand your customer base, widen your catchment area and retain customer loyalty by laying on inexpensive and convenient transport facilities for customers in outlying areas.
Perhaps you could increase attendance figures at your event, your exhibition, your sporting fixture, your theatrical performance or even your retail outlet by offering a similar service? You'll be surprised how economical a luxury coach transfer can work out.
Call us for a quote, then do your sums and work out how much extra business you can bring in as a result. Paul Hockley is waiting for your call on 01474 322002.
Update: 20 January 2005
Spring 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.
Look out for our advert in the Kent Messenger on Friday 28 January.
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 to the ceremony from a convenient central meeting point, 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 an event your guests will remember with pleasure, not with a shudder. Give us a call on 01474 322002 to find out more.
Update: 20 January 2005
Christmas/New Year Commuter Service Review
We operate a revised timetable during the Christmas and New Year period.
Our Christmas and New Year timetable was a great success. Many passengers took advantage of the special early departures we laid on to get you home early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
We're always interested in your feedback about our services. If you have any comments, don't hesitate to get in touch with us by phone, email or Online Form. If you want to include your name and contact details we'll happily respond to your message, or if you prefer to remain anonymous that's fine too. Major issues or small details, we want to hear about them!
The quickest way to send your feedback is to click this link and type your comments right now...
Update: 20 January 2005
Winter commuting? More comfort and convenience with Reliance coaches
The winter months are miserable for commuters - dark and cold when you wake up; dark and cold when you leave work.
We can help make it more bearable. Instead of trekking all the way to the railway station to catch a train, why not catch one of our luxury commuter coaches departing from a street near your home? Chances are, we can drop you off nearer your workplace in London, too.
Now wouldn't that be a big improvement? A better way to start the day? And in the evening we'll drop you off nearer your home, too. Less hassle. Less stress.
Check out the detailed timetables in our Commuting section to find your nearest departure point. We have an extensive choice of pickup points on all our routes.
Our range of season tickets brings the prices tumbling down, but to start with why not buy a daily or weekly ticket and put us to the test?
Update: 20 January 2005
The early bird catches the worm!
The early bird catches the worm.
Book early and you'll get the date and time you want, and the best price too. That's our advice if you're responsible for organising transport for an event in the next few months.
The sooner you make arrangements, the sooner you can relax in the knowledge that everything is under control. Many organisers leave things to the last minute and the result can be chaos, stress, disappointment and added expense.
Not all coach companies are equal. We operate only top quality, recent model luxury coaches maintained to exacting standards. If you leave things too late, you could end up being forced to hire someone else's ancient old banger and your passengers certainly won't be impressed. Neither will your boss, if you have one!
Do the right thing: call us for advice and a quote, then finalise your plans and book your coaches as soon as possible. Job done!
