TBCApr
UK Coach Rally 2027
Blackpool seafront (2026 headquarters: The Grand Hotel, North Promenade), Blackpool · Lancashire
Buses
Photo: pyntofmyld · CC BY 2.0
Bus & Coach Events · 0 dated · verified weekly
Vintage Coach Runs and Road Runs
Two different things share this heading. A road run is a convoy: historic commercials driving a set route on public roads while everyone else watches from the verge. The London to Brighton Historic Commercial Vehicle Run is the one everybody knows, held on the first Sunday in May from Crystal Palace Park to Madeira Drive in Brighton and running since 1962, with lorries, buses, coaches, vans and fire engines mixed in together. The Trans-Pennine Run does much the same in early August, out of Manchester and over to Harrogate.
The other sort is a booked seat. Preservation groups put a coach back on the road doing what it was built for: a day at the seaside, a mystery tour, Blackpool for the illuminations in autumn. A Bedford OB with Duple Vista body seats 29 and a 1960s Plaxton or Duple around 41, so trips go on word of mouth and you book weeks ahead. Cruising speed is 45 to 50, there is no toilet, and the comfort stop is part of the plan rather than an interruption.
This is also the bridge between the bus crowd and the lorry crowd. If the Brighton run appeals, a truck show will too, and the same faces turn up at both.
Awaiting dates
TBCMay
HCVS London to Brighton Historic Commercial Vehicle Run 2027
Finish: Madeira Drive, Brighton seafront, Brighton · East Sussex
BusesTBCMay
55th Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Vehicle Run
Start: Christchurch Park, Ipswich; finish: Felixstowe Promenade, Ipswich · Suffolk
BusesThese run most years but the next date is not announced yet. We check weekly and date them the moment organisers confirm. Get the weekly email and you will not miss it.
More bus & coach events: Bus Running Days · Bus Rallies · Museum Event Days · all bus & coach events
Coach & Commercial Runs: your questions answered
What is the London to Brighton Historic Commercial Vehicle Run?
It is an annual road run for historic lorries, buses, coaches and vans, held on the first Sunday in May from Crystal Palace Park to Brighton seafront. It has run since 1962 and is the oldest event of its kind. Vehicles leave London early and trickle into Madeira Drive through the morning and early afternoon.
Where is the best place to watch it, and does it cost anything?
Watching from the roadside is free anywhere along the A23 corridor, and Brighton seafront is the natural finish. Get to Crystal Palace at first light for the start, or pick a hill on the way where you can hear them working. Madeira Drive is busiest from late morning.
Can I ride in a preserved coach rather than just watch?
Yes, several groups run booked seaside and illuminations trips through the year, and running days often include a coach working. Seats are limited to whatever the vehicle holds, usually 29 to 41, so book as soon as dates are published. Prices tend to sit around £20 to £40 for a full day.
How long does a journey take in a 1950s coach?
Longer than you think, and that is the point. Cruising speed is 45 to 50mph, hills are taken slowly and a comfort stop is built in, so a run that takes 90 minutes by modern coach can take three hours. Eat before you go and treat the travelling as the day out.
Are there seatbelts and toilets on board?
No toilet on almost any preserved coach, and older vehicles often have no seatbelts, which is legal for a vehicle of that age. There is no wheelchair access and the entrance step is high. Operators will tell you exactly what the vehicle is like if you ask when booking.
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