Once upon a time, when I was in my university day, I used to catch Firefly from Albury to Sydney between school holiday. It was $35 one way and the boarding time was great. My uni friends and I would board the bus at night ( after 7pm as I remembered) and arrive in Sydney the next morning. To be honest, it was cheap, it got you to Sydney in a very cheap rate but IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! Seat was narrow and yes, never catch firefly after graduated. But it was a fun memory when you can go home with your friends.
I used to catch this bus in the 90's when flights were around $600-700 from Syd to Mel. There was only Qantas and Ansett. The price then was $110 full fare but I used to pay $90 Army discount from Liverpool to Melbourne. No toilet in the bus those days either. $65 is cheap.
being an army person you would have been able to hold the brown in for many hours? great discipline man- my dad was in the Navy - he could go 48 hours with one in his pants - it did get a tad bit smelly in the car with him on the long trips! good times of Vietnam Veteran families! especially when he drinks a lot and goes completely mental!
I remember when my Vietnam Veteran dad got drunk and beat my mum up - unfortunately I swore I would never be like him - and that included not being a victim of war - I sometimes regret having values like not killing others - but I also have a strong set of ethics and values and am a non drinker for 22 years! Something my Dad could never do! not without being incredibly nasty and negative! That was even if he stayed sober for 1 week - I realise that his PTSD and ADHD was a major contributing factor towards his horrible personality! HE will find peace when he is dead- that is the only consolation!
I used to use Firefly in the late 80's to do the overnight from Sydney to Melbourne, and also Sydney to Brisbane. In 1988 I think the fare was either $25 or $35 one way. I'm leaning toward $25, and then it went up to $35 at some point. They were not only more affordable than the train, they were faster too.
its honestly depressing that taking a bus, which can only do road speed limit and has traffic, is faster and cheaper than a train says a lot about how fucked up our infrastructure is
@@vincentgrinn2665 You look back at that era too and there were no bypasses or motorways. It was the Pacific Highway all the way up and down. It's a substantially faster trip these days, and yet the rail system still leaves a lot to be desired. Catch the Ghan from Adelaide to Sydney and you'll experience the disparity of rail travel. Adelaide to Broken Hill is some of the best rail I've ever travelled on. Smooth, quiet, reliable. As you head across the Central Western Tablelands the quality of travel degrades terribly. I know not where the answer lays, but it makes you question why there should need to exist such a difference.
@@xlncaustralia3261 It comes as no surprise to me that you had a bad experience travelling on the Ghan from Adelaide to Sydney. The Ghan runs between Adelaide and Darwin.
Will never go firefly again after being seated next to a bloke with a very large A..E Horrible movie Top Gun few years ago now but never forgot how Uncomfortable a trip it was I flew back
I have caught this bus Sydney-Albury on a friday night when the airfares are expensive. Its a good option for people who have low incomes. But nowadays I'll fly even if its 3 times the price.
Thanks for this, tbh I didn’t even know we did busses between the 2 cities. Just got back from melbs but for future I’ll now look into taking this, thanks!
So bus vs train. Bus 11-12 hrs, a toilet that isn’t really a toilet, cramped up, wearing a seatbelt, no room to move. Train. Working toilets, buffet, a seat you can usually recline and enough space to have a laptop or tablet out to entertain yourself. Enough space to get up and at least walk the length of the carriage and stretch your legs. Glad you like the bus, leaves another space on the train for someone
That train journey is woeful in my experience. They need to figure out getting that journey time down. It takes as long as the bus and costs quite a bit more, and as you say that's without any meal breaks. All very well to advertise a 160kph top speed, but the average speed is a lazy 90km/h.
The rail route at 960km is c.80km longer than the Hume Highway/Freeway. The railway between Junee and Goulburn has a huge number of curves, as does Goulburn to Campbelltown.
Not true that Firefly coaches are 'cheapest route from Melbourne to Sydney'. Outside of school holidays, NSW TrainLink's twice daily XPTs each way often have cheaper fares, and almost always so if entitled to a student, pensioner, senior or child concession, which the coach lines rarely if ever offer. NSW TrainLink also has a 14 day to six months 'Discovery Pass' that is great value. Who wants to sit uncomfortably on a long distance road coach looking at a truck's tail lights when one can travel in quite good comfort on the XPT with its reasonable on board buffet and toilets that are 300 per cent roomier and cleaner than on buses? Plus no 0200 hours Firefly or other coaches' meal breaks.
Gotta love the Firefly, reminds me of Jordan riding the buses in Minor League Baseball...."don't like it...play better"....also way better experience than the XPT and the worst you can get is a chatty bus driver.
Or ride for free with us interstate truck drivers well get there way before these buses, I havnt seen them on this route and I do the melb - syd and back route monthly
@@tasmanianmapping yes. The thing that runs along tracks…. Two services a day between Melbourne and Sydney. Includes such unbelievable things as toilets that flush, a buffet where you can buy food and, shock horror, the ability to stand up and walk about. And costs about the same if not less as anyone with a concession card gets 4 free trips a year.
Did you just seriously recommend a $65 11.5 hour bus over an $80 1.2 hour flight? Maybe there's a reason all flights are full and the bus is empty mate ;)
It's more than $80. Skybus is $20, getting out of Syd airport on train is another $20. Also most flights during peak hour for flight is more expensive than $80. Most people are willing to pay for flights though.
@@kaelwd you mean the 901 to and from practically anywhere! That bus seems to go to every Melbourne suburb between Franga and the airport! The problem being that it takes hours.
11.5 hrs trip sounds a lot. If you are flying, you need to take transport to airport. Central to Domestic Sydney back before covid was $16+,i think. After you land in Tullamarine is Skybus to the city $39 round trip before Covid. One way $20. Time to central, 1/2, train trip to airport, another 1/2,need to get there 1 hour before flight to clear security. Hang around before boarding a other 1/2hour, flight 1.5hrs. Landing clearance to exit airport another 1/2 :Tullamarine to city 45mins Totaltime for flying: approximate 5-6hrs... Half the time yes, but you get to relax and sleep n window sightseeing... 1 night less hotel stay... Plus n minus depending on the Individual...
It costs way more compared to travel to cbd. It only costs 4$ to go to CBD and you can take the tram to southern cross station for free. And you don't have to pay for a train ticket when you get to the airport because the bus goes straight into cbd
It costs way more compared to travel to cbd. It only costs 4$ to go to CBD and you can take the tram to southern cross station for free. And you don't have to pay for a train ticket when you get to the airport because the bus goes straight into cbd
if you need to get to sydney quickly, like a spur of the moment thing. the bus is gonna be way better. youd be paying like $213 with jetstar compared to only 65 for the bus
This made me LOL so loud but honestly that’s plain sassy lol. He made a no frills, succinct video which I really appreciate and yeah that level of detail is great for someone like me who has never been on a firefly bus
Firefly is a great service. R.I.P to driver Emil from Firefly, sadly lost his life on the job
Once upon a time, when I was in my university day, I used to catch Firefly from Albury to Sydney between school holiday. It was $35 one way and the boarding time was great. My uni friends and I would board the bus at night ( after 7pm as I remembered) and arrive in Sydney the next morning. To be honest, it was cheap, it got you to Sydney in a very cheap rate but IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! Seat was narrow and yes, never catch firefly after graduated. But it was a fun memory when you can go home with your friends.
These used to be double decker when I was a kid. Sitting at the front on the 2nd floor was a real thrill!
Super high quality video. Love how concise it is. Cheers for the content!
thanks so much
I used to catch this bus in the 90's when flights were around $600-700 from Syd to Mel. There was only Qantas and Ansett. The price then was $110 full fare but I used to pay $90 Army discount from Liverpool to Melbourne. No toilet in the bus those days either. $65 is cheap.
being an army person you would have been able to hold the brown in for many hours? great discipline man- my dad was in the Navy - he could go 48 hours with one in his pants - it did get a tad bit smelly in the car with him on the long trips! good times of Vietnam Veteran families! especially when he drinks a lot and goes completely mental!
I remember when my Vietnam Veteran dad got drunk and beat my mum up - unfortunately I swore I would never be like him - and that included not being a victim of war - I sometimes regret having values like not killing others - but I also have a strong set of ethics and values and am a non drinker for 22 years! Something my Dad could never do! not without being incredibly nasty and negative! That was even if he stayed sober for 1 week - I realise that his PTSD and ADHD was a major contributing factor towards his horrible personality! HE will find peace when he is dead- that is the only consolation!
@@SteveW84 Sorry to hear that mate. Stay true to yourself and your values.
I used to use Firefly in the late 80's to do the overnight from Sydney to Melbourne, and also Sydney to Brisbane. In 1988 I think the fare was either $25 or $35 one way. I'm leaning toward $25, and then it went up to $35 at some point. They were not only more affordable than the train, they were faster too.
its honestly depressing that taking a bus, which can only do road speed limit and has traffic, is faster and cheaper than a train
says a lot about how fucked up our infrastructure is
@@vincentgrinn2665 You look back at that era too and there were no bypasses or motorways. It was the Pacific Highway all the way up and down. It's a substantially faster trip these days, and yet the rail system still leaves a lot to be desired. Catch the Ghan from Adelaide to Sydney and you'll experience the disparity of rail travel. Adelaide to Broken Hill is some of the best rail I've ever travelled on. Smooth, quiet, reliable. As you head across the Central Western Tablelands the quality of travel degrades terribly. I know not where the answer lays, but it makes you question why there should need to exist such a difference.
@@xlncaustralia3261 probably a mix of just being old infrastructure or hold overs from when each state used a different gauge rail
@@xlncaustralia3261 It comes as no surprise to me that you had a bad experience travelling on the Ghan from Adelaide to Sydney. The Ghan runs between Adelaide and Darwin.
Will never go firefly again after being seated next to a bloke with a very large A..E Horrible movie Top Gun few years ago now but never forgot how Uncomfortable a trip it was I flew back
I have caught this bus Sydney-Albury on a friday night when the airfares are expensive.
Its a good option for people who have low incomes. But nowadays I'll fly even if its 3 times the price.
ahaha maybe also people with fears of flying
Thanks for this, tbh I didn’t even know we did busses between the 2 cities. Just got back from melbs but for future I’ll now look into taking this, thanks!
So bus vs train.
Bus 11-12 hrs, a toilet that isn’t really a toilet, cramped up, wearing a seatbelt, no room to move.
Train. Working toilets, buffet, a seat you can usually recline and enough space to have a laptop or tablet out to entertain yourself. Enough space to get up and at least walk the length of the carriage and stretch your legs.
Glad you like the bus, leaves another space on the train for someone
GOOD TO HEAR ! U R BACK ...THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO THE COMMUNITY 👍💖
GOD BLESS TO ALL 2 🙏😃
That train journey is woeful in my experience. They need to figure out getting that journey time down. It takes as long as the bus and costs quite a bit more, and as you say that's without any meal breaks. All very well to advertise a 160kph top speed, but the average speed is a lazy 90km/h.
The rail route at 960km is c.80km longer than the Hume Highway/Freeway. The railway between Junee and Goulburn has a huge number of curves, as does Goulburn to Campbelltown.
Can you do one on the Premier Motor Service please
I agree as I have done the travel to Adelaide several times. In fact I will be going over for a few days on Thursday.
i feel backache hearing such a long time bus trip😂
Btw, other than the xpt train there are other trains that connect our 2 metrapolises such as the vLine or nsw trainlink which are much better
isnt the xpt and the nsw trainlink the same thing?
@@L83467 bruh i just realised that
Not true that Firefly coaches are 'cheapest route from Melbourne to Sydney'.
Outside of school holidays, NSW TrainLink's twice daily XPTs each way often have cheaper fares, and almost always so if entitled to a student, pensioner, senior or child concession, which the coach lines rarely if ever offer.
NSW TrainLink also has a 14 day to six months 'Discovery Pass' that is great value.
Who wants to sit uncomfortably on a long distance road coach looking at a truck's tail lights when one can travel in quite good comfort on the XPT with its reasonable on board buffet and toilets that are 300 per cent roomier and cleaner than on buses? Plus no 0200 hours Firefly or other coaches' meal breaks.
Thanks! Great video
Gotta love the Firefly, reminds me of Jordan riding the buses in Minor League Baseball...."don't like it...play better"....also way better experience than the XPT and the worst you can get is a chatty bus driver.
Most of the buses I have been on the driver complains/ won't let you if you want to use the toilets
Thankyou for this video
Or ride for free with us interstate truck drivers well get there way before these buses, I havnt seen them on this route and I do the melb - syd and back route monthly
I’ve traveled Firefly many times and I find them a no bulls bus service. I’ve travelled other bus lines and find many a nightmare.
Nice guide!
Firefly also does Melbourne to Adelaide
I'll have to give it a go some time
You can get up and go for a walk though the train 🤦🏻♂️
Train?
@@tasmanianmapping yes. The thing that runs along tracks…. Two services a day between Melbourne and Sydney. Includes such unbelievable things as toilets that flush, a buffet where you can buy food and, shock horror, the ability to stand up and walk about. And costs about the same if not less as anyone with a concession card gets 4 free trips a year.
im in tassie trains arent real here
I used to it last year . Very tiring
How many times I took this when I was studying in Sydney !
Did you just seriously recommend a $65 11.5 hour bus over an $80 1.2 hour flight? Maybe there's a reason all flights are full and the bus is empty mate ;)
It's more than $80. Skybus is $20, getting out of Syd airport on train is another $20. Also most flights during peak hour for flight is more expensive than $80. Most people are willing to pay for flights though.
Hold on a second big guy not everyone can earn $1.50 an hour to pay the difference
@@Coz131 If you want to be a cheapskate get the 901 from broady and the 350/420 to mascot
@@kaelwd you mean the 901 to and from practically anywhere! That bus seems to go to every Melbourne suburb between Franga and the airport! The problem being that it takes hours.
11.5 hrs trip sounds a lot.
If you are flying, you need to take transport to airport. Central to Domestic Sydney back before covid was $16+,i think.
After you land in Tullamarine is Skybus to the city $39 round trip before Covid. One way $20.
Time to central, 1/2, train trip to airport, another 1/2,need to get there 1 hour before flight to clear security.
Hang around before boarding a other 1/2hour, flight 1.5hrs.
Landing clearance to exit airport another 1/2 :Tullamarine to city 45mins
Totaltime for flying: approximate 5-6hrs...
Half the time yes, but you get to relax and sleep n window sightseeing...
1 night less hotel stay...
Plus n minus depending on the Individual...
So that's what a Northern Irish Australian sounds like... interesting
This isn't the cheapest...
Did you find a cheaper option?
The only other cheaper option is during Christmas when Hotham bus run.
Imagine booking to stop in Liverpool - if you did not live there - ha ha
Need busses to go to Perth...and for 65 bucks 😅
They already do. From Fremantle.
Australians aren't afraid of driving.
Yeah even though the road toll is so high people still like to drive, I don't understand it
or u can take the plane
It's more expensive especially considering the travel to the airport from Melbourne, works well if you live close the airport tho
$65.00, shit it was 80-90 $$ in the late 90's-2011... 65 is cheap
"It costs money to travel to the airport" But it also costs money to travel to Melbourne CBD bus terminal.
It costs way more compared to travel to cbd. It only costs 4$ to go to CBD and you can take the tram to southern cross station for free. And you don't have to pay for a train ticket when you get to the airport because the bus goes straight into cbd
It costs way more compared to travel to cbd. It only costs 4$ to go to CBD and you can take the tram to southern cross station for free. And you don't have to pay for a train ticket when you get to the airport because the bus goes straight into cbd
11 hours on a bus seems like no fun
jetstars 1 hour 35 mini is only $65
Yes, if your flight is not delayed by up to 12 hours or cancelled altogether. You have to be desperate to fly Jetstar.
Virgin or Rex is the only flight option on this route.
if you need to get to sydney quickly, like a spur of the moment thing. the bus is gonna be way better. youd be paying like $213 with jetstar compared to only 65 for the bus
Not as cheap as flying though
You talking like you never seen a bus in your life.
This made me LOL so loud but honestly that’s plain sassy lol. He made a no frills, succinct video which I really appreciate and yeah that level of detail is great for someone like me who has never been on a firefly bus