Very few
Cantabrigians will admit to making the journey willingly, but some
undeniably do. The `other place'
has attractions too, and you may wish to know of the existence of this
direct coach connection, the
National Express `747' which also connects to
Luton Airport, half way along the route. But beware! This
coach trip has been passed by
NASA as
suitable for the final stages in advanced astronaut training - you have
to be able to survive three hours of being pitched from side
to side as you make your way through the side lanes of the English
countryside. Why they don't go via
London,
I cannot imagine. No sane person would choose that route if they had any
alternative (I can say this safely as I am just about to set out on it
for the second time this week), but then who plans coach routes,
anyway? This one's planner ensured that there would be a roundabout
every 200m, all of which the coach navigates via the third exit of
four, then hits both inner and outer kerbs as it straightens out, if it
didn't just travel straight across the top of the whole thing.
Try and persuade the driver to turn on the ventilation and turn off the heating. It helps. Coffee will not be served. Masochists may wish to know that the Oxbridge journey is not the whole of the 747's route. It cuts a diagonal swathe across England from Bristol early in the morning to Norwich or Thetford late in the evening at two hourly staggered intervals between coaches, all day, all week.
The coach also travels via Stansted Airport.