Coaching Homewards
Taking the Longer Way Home
In this trip
- So. Keeping it original for autumn, aren’t we?
- Off to Heathrow in the Dead of the Night
- Terminal 3 Lounges… And more delays
- American Airlines AA99 London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare (Main Cabin)
- In the USA, Candlewood Suites O’Hare
- TRAVEL PLUS: Fooding around Chicago
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Airplane Art Extra – from the 10th Floor of the Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- TRAVEL PLUS: The Art Institute, Chicago
- Back to O’Hare, Air France/KLM Lounge
- Finnair AY010 Chicago O’Hare to Helsinki Vantaa
- A Helsinki Layover
- Finnair AY1335 Helsinki Vantaa to London Heathrow
- Coaching Homewards
- Sometimes, it’s more the journey
Entering the United Kingdom
Exiting the plane, I drifted and followed the masses to arrivals, taking in a few minutes to see the LATAM Boeing 777-300ER in its Stormtrooper livery.
Look, sir! Droids!
Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 Photobombing
Ah. A LATAM aircraft.
Down the lines
I’ve lost count how many times Flight Connections has moved in T3
I followed along the line and headed to the UK border.
Choose your Arrivals Journey… depending on your passport
And for those who can use eGates…
.
Follow the signs
Gamifying Passport control?
As I haven’t got my passport fixed yet – I went for manual clearance, much to the annoyance of the immigration officer.
None the less, I was processed and let back into the UK.
I had hoped that I would be able to catch the earlier coach to Birmingham – but the coach had long gone by the time I hit the luggage belt.
Thankfully, my baggage was waiting for me at the belt – a good sign.
With the bags loaded up, I cleared Customs and headed out into the public area.
Back to Life, Back to Reality.
Down we go!
I made a pit stop in Boots to get some water for coach home. With that in hand, I began the great push from Terminal 3 back to the Central Bus Station… tracing a route I followed not six days earlier.
To the Coach
Tum tee tum
Well, that’s nice at least.
At least I wouldn’t have to pay extra this time for the coach – and just deal with a coach driver.
I got to the central bus station and parked up for 40 minutes. At this point of the game, it was still a lot easier than facing the train – and possibly peak time travel.
When the coach came, I dragged my trash to the waiting vehicle. It seemed there would a fair few people travelling to the Midlands that evening.
My baggage was accepted for travel after a grumble, and I headed aboard. I grabbed a spare seat for the journey home.
Byeee Heathrow.
The coach made its way out of the Heathrow complex, and round the M25 to the M40. It was then a short drive to High Wycombe, where the coach dropped off its first passengers.
Leaving Heathrow
This… was going to be a long ride.
It was then a drive back up the motorway, bypassing Banbury, but instead calling at Warwick Parkway, Coventry, Birmingham Airport and Birmingham.
I swear over an hour plus of this journey is spent slowly crawling around the Midlands…
The coach emptied out at Coventry – and I grabbed a pair of seats to myself. It’s a shame that some thought a quiet coach is a perfect place to have a full-on heated discussion.
And even my headphones couldn’t isolate the noise coming from those two. Wonderful.
Passing Elmdon International
Eventually, the coach drove into Digbeth coach station. I was welcome of it stopping after three hours on the go.
With my luggage retrieved, I decided to cheat – and just grab a black cab home. Yes, I could have done an Uber, but I just now in full homing pigeon mode.
The joy of evening Birmingham Traffic.
£7 later – I was dropped off outside my block of flats.
One final lift, grunt and grumble – I was at my front door.
The end of another adventure. And my bed was calling me.
Part of the trials and tribulations of taking The Longer Way Home.
Finally: Sometimes, it’s more about the Journey.
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