To the Late-Night Coach
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- To the Late-Night Coach
- Desk Rabbit Life
Exiting the aircraft at Terminal 5B, I found my way around the complex and started following the sights to Terminal 5A and the exit.
B Gates
Down the travellator
I headed down to the transit shuttles, that would take me back to Terminal 5A.
Sadly, I had just missed a transit vehicle to T5A, so there would be a long wait – as there was only one running out of the two at this time of night when I had arrived.
And to say it was rammed when it returned was an understatement.
Ho hum. Just what you need at the end of the day.
Arriving at T5A, I headed up the elevator and to the UK Border. As usual, I follow the signs to the eGate machines before promptly ignoring them. Thankfully, there was no queue for an agent for a manual inspection when I went through the border, who was in a happy mood.
After being welcomed back to the United Kingdom, I followed the signs to baggage claim. With 22:10 about to go, I had long resided myself to the late coach back to Birmingham.
After passing Travelex machines, I headed down to belt six, where the luggage would be coming off that evening.
Don’t fall how much these machines charge… (£2.50 on a debit card transaction).
With the bags taking 30 minutes to come out, there was not much else to do. Eventually, the suitcase popped out. I also took the time to ring the AirTag to ensure it was the right bag
With everything in hand, I headed through customs and into the Public Area.
With an hour on the clock before my coach was set to depart, I headed to M&S and grabbed a bottle of water – some things were needed for the trip home, and water was one of those things.
Some of you might be wondering why I don’t take the train. Sadly, the last trains departed London around 21:30/22:00…. and I am nowhere near those train terminals.
Hopefully, if HS2 ever gets finished, I might be able to catch something from Old Oak Common to Birmingham. But that would involve HS2 being finished and operating.
I also needed to re-pack my baggage, so National Express would accept it – that meant squeezing the new rucksack in the current backpack, whilst hoping the zip would hold out.
Your time will come soon. Trust me
With everything repacked and time going on, it was time to head out into the cool Hounslow air and into the exhaust-filled area that is the Bus, Taxi and Coach Zone.
Thankfully I had timed it so I only had a short wait outside, with the National Express 210 coach to Birmingham approaching after waiting a few minutes.
National Express 210 London Heathrow Terminal 5 to Birmingham Digbeth Station
Single Ticket, £18.10
I presented my ticket, and the driver was happy to take both the backpack and the suitcase into the hold. With that, I went aboard.
This is the traditional National Express layout, with the first few rows reserved for those paying reservation fees. The rest of the rows were free for selection.
I grabbed a pair of seats and hoped that the seat next to me would be free for the rest of the journey to Birmingham.
After a short wait for another passenger, the coach left for Heathrow Bus station, where some more passengers were picked up for the trip to the West Midlands. Thankfully, the spare seat remained next to me.
Perfect for journey home – as I was not in the mood to share – to put it bluntly.
From Heathrow Airport, the coach would make a straight run to Birmingham Airport, the Digbeth – before heading to Wolverhampton via Dudley.
Unlike the Flixbus, there was minimal noise and chatting going on. People were intent on relaxing for this ride.
At least the coaches have been updated to have USB-A ports on them – which makes an important difference when you can charge your phone.
The coach would take the traditional route to Birmingham, with it heading on to the M4, across the M25, up the M40 and peeling off to the M42 on the edge of the “Birmingham Box”, where it would reach the building site that is Birmingham Airport.
Or as a lot of press has called it – a hot mess.
From Birmingham Airport, the coach took the local route via the A45 to the City Centre. At this time of day, it’s quicker than heading back on the motorways to go around the city.
Eventually, at 02:20 in the morning, the 210 pulled into Digbeth Coach station. With it parked, I grabbed my suitcase and backpack and hailed an Uber for the ride home.
Yes. This is average for 2:20 in the morning. I’m normally heading south at this time of the morning
With a lot of taxi drivers working out when coaches arrive, there was no wait for a rideshare – so by the time I had exited the coach station, I was straight into an Uber for the ride home.
Pitching up at the flat around 2:30 in the morning, I headed indoors, putting the bags and suitcase to one side, whilst making sure I had a polo shirt ready for the morning.
There were more than a few desk rabbit activities to do when I arrived in the office the next day.
Finally – Desk Rabbit Life
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