Archive News 2007
Update: 19 December 2007
Get away early over Christmas
Don't stay at work any longer than you need.
We have special early afternoon departures at 14.30 on Friday 21st and Monday 24th December to whizz you back home in time to put your feet up, grab a glass of sherry and finish off a few mince pies.
Full details in our Commuter section.
Update: 11 December 2007
Christmas/New Year Commuter Coach Schedule 2007/8
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: 15 November 2007
Reliance Annual Season Tickets - great value
A Reliance Travel annual season ticket is £1,664. That's just £32 per week for five return trips, equivalent to £3.20 per journey.
A Southeastern Railway 12 Month Standard Class Adult Season Ticket between Gravesend and London costs over £2,000 (Source: official National Rail Season Ticket Calculator at www.nationalrail.co.uk).
So not only are we over £330 cheaper, we also offer a better service for our loyal customers.
Here's why coach travel beats train travel on the Gravesend-London-Gravesend route:
- 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 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 coach 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 we offer every day.
You'll find full details of fares, routes and timetables on our Commuting page.
Update: 19 October 2007
It's never too early to book your Christmas Party
Christmas is nearly upon us, once again, and it's never too early to book your Christmas Party - and your Christmas Party coach transport too.
Providing a coach for your staff and their guests is a great way to get the party off to a good start. Everyone arrives at the right place, at the right time, relaxed and looking forward to the fun.
Why struggle with trains, cars and taxis? A coach may cost a lot less than you think, too! Find out how little your Christmas Party coach will cost by calling Reliance Travel on 01474 322002.
Update: 28 September 2007
Reliance Travel fleet is London Low Emission Zone compliant
The London Low Emission Zone logo.
The London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) comes into effect in February 2008, placing restrictions on particle exhaust emissions in an attempt by Transport for London (TfL) to reduce pollution in the capital.
The zone covers almost the whole of Greater London, from the centre of the city to the outer suburbs. Vehicles that fall below the LEZ standards will pay a 'surcharge' to enter the LEZ.
Lorries are the first vehicles required to comply with the LEZ standards by meeting, at a minimum, the Euro III standards for emissions from February 2008.
Coaches must comply with Euro III by July 2008 and then with Euro IV by 2012.
However, the Reliance fleet has been compliant with Euro III since 2003, and in fact many of our vehicles already meet the higher Euro IV standard, five years before it becomes compulsory within the LEZ.
Update: 17 August 2007
Christmas Shopping Trips to France by Coach
French Camembert cheese.
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: 27 July 2007
Plays, Musicals, Film Premieres, Exhibitions, Sightseeing, Museums...
Take a trip on the London Eye during your day out.
You name it, we'll take you there. The best way for a group of people to travel to plays, musicals, film premieres, museums, 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. There's no stress and no one gets lost. Our driver does all the hard work. All you have to do is enjoy yourselves! What could be better?
Our modern luxury coaches are extremely comfortable to travel in, thanks to double glazed panoramic windows, air conditioning and ergonomically designed seats. And of course, all our coaches are fitted with the latest safety systems.
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 Reliance Travel on 01474 322002.
Update: 27 July 2007
10 Good Reasons to Commute with Reliance
Reason Number 3: a choice of Gravesend area pick up/drop off points.
Reason Number 3: Choice of Gravesend area pick up/drop off points
We have many pick up/drop off points in and around Gravesend. Which one is nearest your home? No more long journeys to and from the train station.
Find out more reasons to commute with Reliance Travel on our Commuter page.
Update: 08 June 2007
Our busiest month ever!
The month of May was the busiest month we've ever had.
With loads of private hires to businesses and individuals, some huge football awayday trips and quite a lot of rail replacement work we've certainly been kept busy.
In addition to all this varied activity, we also operated our numerous scheduled weekday commuter journeys to and from London.
It may have been busy, but we have excellent systems, great staff and carefully maintained vehicles. Add to these strengths the essential ingredient - experience - and you can perhaps understand why even such a busy month was no problem to manage and passed by so smoothly.
So please, if you are planning an event or trip in the near future, please give us a call on 01474 322002 and we'll help you arrange all your coach travel requirements.
Update: 08 June 2007
Message to train commuters - we won't let you stand!
You never have to stand on Reliance's commuter coach service. Everyone gets a seat.
Train commuters are sometimes 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 this ordeal, day in and day out for years on end?
Well we don't know, to be honest. Because it's not like this on our Gravesend-London commuter coaches, that's for sure.
Our passengers queue in a civilised fashion at convenient pick up points near their homes and offices. They climb aboard our clean, 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. And 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: 08 June 2007
Book early for summer
Summer is almost upon us once again and, traditionally, it is the busiest time of the year.
This means our coaches are booked up well in advance, as experienced travel organisers finalise their arrangements so as not to get caught out at the last moment.
There is nothing worse than being responsible for arranging travel to an event whose dates are set in stone, only to find out that all the good coach operators are fully booked. Then what do you do? It all gets very complicated, expensive and stressful, and yet it can easily be avoided by booking with Reliance Travel in good time.
Make your life easy, and don't let down the members of your group. Call us as soon as possible on 01474 322002 to arrange your summer coach travel. Then you can sit back and relax!
Update: 17 May 2007
Praise for our train replacement service
Reliance often run rail replacement services for train companies.
We received a highly complimentary letter from National Express Rail Replacement, thanking Reliance Travel for our work over the Easter period when much of the rail network was shut for essential engineering work. Our drivers ran numerous rail replacement shuttle services on their behalf.
'Your staff responded magnificently,' said National Express, noting that 'everybody worked well together, and everybody involved pulled together and ensured that all services operated with minimal delay and inconvenience to the customers.'
Rail replacement can be a challenging task for coach drivers. Train passengers sometimes become 'confused and distressed' (trans: very angry indeed) when their journey is unexpectedly interrupted or delayed, and our coach drivers sometimes take the full blast! Diplomacy and understanding is required in these difficult situations, and that's what our highly professional drivers offer.
Update: 5 April 2007
Summer Wedding? Book Now!
Luxury coach transfers for your wedding guests.
If you're getting married this Summer, 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 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: 5 April 2007
Another big football transfer
We've organised 30 coaches to take about 1,400 Charlton Athletic supporters up North for their Premiership match against Blackburn Rovers on 28 April.
As a coach company, you need a lot of experience and a great track record before customers will entrust you with complex, large scale bookings like this. But we have decades of experience and have successfully organised countless transfers like this.
If you need to move a large number of people all at the same time, efficiently and professionally, then please call us on 01474 322002 and we'll be delighted to explain how it all works and give you an immediate quote.
Update: 23 March 2007
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 it.
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: 23 March 2007
How to increase your catchment area
Our luxury coaches can help boost attendance at your sports event or exhibition.
Next week we'll be providing 35 coaches for the Charlton Athletic Football Club supporters, to operate their innovative Valley Express service for an important Premiership match against Wigan Athletic on 31 March.
The Valley Express service offers good value coach transfers to Charlton's ground in London, The Valley, for supporters living in towns throughout Kent.
It's 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: 26 February 2007
New! Online Quote System
A page from our Online Quote System.
We've added an interactive Online Quote Request system to our website.
Visit our new Online Quote Request page and enter your required travel details online.
The screenshot (right) shows one of the simple pages you'll fill in. On the final page there's plenty of room to add any comments, special requests or more detailed information about your itinerary.
The information you provide is entered directly into the same computer booking and quotation system we use to manage our fleet of coaches. This saves quite a lot of time, so our Sales staff are able to deal with your enquiry even more efficiently.
After double-checking the data, they'll send you an email with a price for your itinerary.
Of course if you need some help or advice, or you have a more complicated itinerary, please don't hesitate to call us on 01474 322002 and we'll answer your questions and give you a quote over the phone.
Update: 30 January 2007
Your own Private European Tour with Reliance Travel
Plan a private European tour with Reliance.
It's surprisingly easy and economical to plan and organise your own private European Tour.
All you need is a group of people - friends, relatives, business colleagues, club members etc - and an itinerary.
We'll provide the luxury coach and an experienced driver (or two), and we'll help you plan your trip as well, based on our extensive experience in this field.
You'll generally find that you do NOT need to completely fill a 49 seater coach in order to make the economics work.
Our most recent European tour booking is a five day tour of Holland for a private group. But the whole of Europe is your oyster! France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy - just tell us where you want to go.
Please don't hesitate to phone Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 to discuss the possibilities for your group.
Update: 30 January 2007
No Price Rise for our coach commuters!
One of Reliance Travel's Iveco Beulas EuroRider 35 luxury coaches.
Our Coach Commuters will be delighted to hear that we are NOT increasing our prices this year.
Train Commuters from the Gravesend area, on the other hand, have been hammered by above average price rises that came into effect earlier this month.
We've already noticed a significant increase in our Coach Commuter numbers as a result.
If you're still using the train, perhaps it's time to check out the figures again and consider changing to our luxury commuter coach service between the Gravesend area and London?
Commuting by coach offers many advantages over the train, including a guaranteed seat (no standing), a clean, comfortable and peaceful environment, and the possibility of being picked up and dropped off nearer to your home and place of work.
Visit our Commuting section for full details of the service we offer, including ticket details and timetables.
It's easy to give us a test run as you can buy Single tickets or books of 10 Single tickets direct from the driver. No booking is necessary. Season tickets are also available when you decide to make the change. With an Annual Season ticket, for example, you pay only £32 per week (5 return trips). How much are you paying for the train, or for petrol and parking?
Update: 30 January 2007
Club Secretaries, Treasurers and Association Chairmen...
When you need to move your members quickly, efficiently and comfortably from A to B and back again, make sure you give us a call and ask us for advice and a quote.
Short journeys, long journeys, European trips - just name your destination and we'll take you there.
We'll offer you a great service, with beautifully presented luxury coaches and excellent drivers, and all for an affordable, value for money price. Check out our Coach Hire section for more details.
One call and it's sorted. Then you can relax! Phone Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 to find out how little your next trip will cost.
Update: 15 January 2007
A Guaranteed Seat when you commute with Reliance
You won't feel like this on a Reliance commuter coach!
When you commute on one of Reliance Travel's luxury coaches you are guaranteed a seat.
Unlike the trains, standing is not allowed. So once you sit down, you stay sitting down for the entire journey. There's no risk of having to give up your seat to someone in greater need, as often happens on crowded trains.
And because the aisles are not packed with standing commuters, coughing and sniffling and reading your paper over your shoulder, the environment is quieter and less stressful than the train.
That's why we have such a loyal following of clued-up commuters who wouldn't travel any other way.
Isn't it time you made the switch from train to coach?
Try out our service for a week or two and see what you think. You can buy Single tickets or books of 10 Singles direct from the coach driver. For Weekly, Monthly and longer period tickets please contact our office. Full details in our Commuting section, or call our office on 01474 322002.
Update: 15 January 2007
Coach hire for School Trips
If you organise coach travel for your School, please give us a call to discuss your plans for the coming year.
We'll be delighted to explain our services and charges, so that the next time you need a coach for a school function you can call us and book it with confidence.
We have a lot of experience in the school travel field and numerous school groups have enjoyed travelling on our luxury coaches over the years.
Our Luxury coaches are either 51 or 53 seaters, fully equipped with lap/seat belts, climate-controlled air conditioning, reclining seats with head and arm rests, a public address system and substantial luggage capacity.
For longer journeys our 49 seater SuperTour coaches offer all the facilities of our Luxury coaches and also include an on-board toilet and washroom facility, a hot drinks machine, a refrigerator and a DVD/VHS screen.
Plus you'll be pleased to know all our coaches pass either Euro 3 or Euro 4 emissions standards, the standard EEU coach vehicle test for measuring particle exhaust emissions.
Please don't hesitate to call Paul Hockley on 01474 322002 to discuss your requirements.
