This isn’t the bus to the airport, it’s one of the standard buses used in the city and they reminded me somewhat of London buses. Albeit more dented versions.
This is the bus that took me to the airport and I took this photo when I disembarked. I wasn’t at all sure of the bus arrangement here, it departed from the city’s main bus station but it goes from outside the front rather than inside. I had purchased an all-day ticket and decided to get the 17:00 bus as the only later option was 19:00 and I don’t like ever getting the last bus in case something goes wrong. My mind is programmed to prepare for disaster at all times, unlike my friend Liam who doesn’t even let the thought cross his mind. I couldn’t live in that state of not being concerned.
I wasn’t sure of the bus arrangement and so I asked someone who didn’t look grumpy if I was in the right place. She was a lovely lady, also travelling to just about every European country that she could and was travelling on the same flight as me, albeit ending up in Birmingham. I was confused as she had purchased her ticket at the bus station, whereas I got mine online, and got a seat reservation. It felt like a different process to mine so I was slightly concerned about the arrangements in case I was waiting for the wrong bus. After boarding, it became clear that the seat reservation process was irrelevant and customers sat where they liked, something which I think is just much easier.
I was reassured when I zoomed into the driver’s timetable and saw that it was similar to the timetable I had booked from. This is the sort of detective work that gives travel a pleasing sense of purpose, even if it is mostly just me staring intensely at laminated paper through a phone camera. The tickets weren’t checked when boarding, but they were checked when we were getting off. For anyone who might need to know, this is the only company offering bus services to the airport and tickets can be purchased online, on the bus or at the bus station. It was all rather lovely, although as usual I had managed to arrive about six hours early at the airport, but I think that punctuality becomes more emotionally satisfying when taken to a completely unnecessary extreme.